Okay. Anyone else on the line, Tanya? We have someone with the number ending 845. If you wish, you can unmute yourself and testify.
Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Veronica Holman, and I'm temporarily filling in as RCO for Tioga United. Do you want me to spell my name?
yeah please um veronica v-e-r-o-n-i-c-a holman h-o-l-m-a-n
and you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes i did thank you please proceed ma'am okay um phila howard was the rco um with tayova united
but she is no longer with us.
Charisma Presley is now our new RCO,
but is not able to be here due to a major medical emergency in her family.
Tioga United RCO is asking for a continuance to ensure neighbors are properly notified
and has the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns, if there are any,
especially since there is a new multi-unit structure under construction next to this proposed unit.
Are you suggesting that there has not been an RCO, or you need an additional RCO meeting?
An additional so the community can come out and voice their concerns.
Well, didn't they have that opportunity with all due respect?
because the person that was there before we really don't know what all um took place i
don't remember this i haven't been with them for long but i don't remember this happening
david could you address that briefly please yeah sure um i mean there's a couple things um
everybody when 1708 and 10 went through the process everybody was aware of 1718 as well as
many of the other um projects that we've brought for this community before this board it wasn't
just coming in piecemeal in fact there were some there you know we originally tried to do it
collectively as one large lake which overall scattered sites project is what we were calling
it um so everybody and in fact their letter from june 25th if you see right here where i'm pointing
my pointer the developer presented the rendering of the already approved 34 unit building at 1718
west tayoga handed out floor plans with rendering of the proposed 60 unit building at 1708 and 10
west tayoga so it's clear that at the meeting that they had back in 2019 that they everybody
knew about 1718 it was on the table they known it had already been approved um we did the mailing
to everybody that we were required to do the mailing uh and everybody came out i think you know
because there's a change in leadership uh and particularly at this late point i mean i would
have really appreciated no offense um but i would have appreciated the contact sooner than the day
of the zoning board hearing to let us know that there was a need for even a desire for another
meeting we very well could have complied in some way even if it was remotely or virtual but I think
complied in some way even if it was remotely or virtual but i think it's very late in the process
it's very
to do this i will say my client is going to come back before this group and other groups up in the
area for other projects he has created and cultivated a very good relationship with people
in the community and wants to keep doing that i think that he will continue to have an open ear
and a dialogue with this group and other groups and if they want to have a meeting afterwards to
talk about it i'm anthony i hope you don't mind but i'm volunteering your time um to go there
and uh speak with i want to interrupt you i would also suggest if you do that that you contact mr
richardson oh yes councilwoman's office and let her know that you're you know willing to have
further discussion but we're not going to continue this case all right okay uh anyone else no chair
i saw you can continue thank you any questions from the board
planning commission i know you made an earlier statement anything else you need to add
we have no further comment thank you calendar number three six nine seven eight one seven oh
eight tayoga street my vote is yes and they were proviso we've got revised plan yes sir how many
pages one page revised plan one page and that was the other proviso maximum 50 units i mean that's
in the revised plans that's in the plan okay my vote is yes with revised plan one page stamp today
yes with proviso yes with proviso thank you all does that conclude the uh 9 30 session
yes all right you made it at 113 you said to 115 right yeah right you get points
if i didn't if i if i didn't cut you short you would have went over oh no i was watching the
all right uh we'll see everybody at uh two o'clock tanya yes chair thank you thank you everybody
appreciate it yeah she's on I think oh yes I'm here thanks Charisse you're
welcome are you ready yes thank you good afternoon everyone my name is Frank
DiCicco I'm the chair of the zoning board of adjustment we have a quorum I'm
officially calling this session to order. In attendance is our secretary, Mr.
Confessor Plaza, our board members, Mr. James Snell and Mr. Thomas Holloman, in
addition to Sharon Saleta, our city solicitor, and our board administrator,
Ms. Tanya Sunken. While you may have, while we may have to make some
adjustments along the way, our plan is to call each case and basically proceed
as we would have in a live hearing we ask that attorneys for applicants or
other interested parties identify themselves for the record when the case
you'll be participating in is called we will then hear the appellant's
presentation followed by any presentation by attorneys representing
other parties interested parties and members of the public not represented by
counsel will then be given an opportunity to testify we will finally
hear the recommendation of the planning commission. At the hearing's conclusion the board will either
vote the matter immediately or hold it for discussion in the next session. Any case held
for discussion will be voted on the record at the next scheduled meeting August 5th, Wednesday
August 5th at 9 30 a.m. A couple changes related to the virtual format. First we will be ministering
administering oaths to individual participants to their testimony rather than to the room as a whole
since we do not have a room. Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone,
we ask that attorneys and witnesses identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying.
Third, I'd like to ask everyone, I'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being recorded
and that by your participation you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded and at the time
your case is called if you wish to testify you please raise your hand so that Ms. Sunken can
identify you and pat you in for a we can hear your testimony asking all the attorneys to please
limit your testimony to those issues that are extremely necessary for the record we will limit
We're going to limit each case to no longer than one hour.
each case to no longer than one hour.
Let's see.
And I think that we can begin, Mr. Confessor Plaza.
Sorry about that.
Calendar, these are the cases that are continued.
Calendar number 38160, 1366 Anchor Street.
Also calendar number 39273, 1615 South Broad Street. Calendar number 39120, 1816 South 18th Street. Calendar number 39873, 2408 Stewart Street.
calendar number 39199 2433 harland street calendar number 39180 3517 north 15th street
also calendar number 391295425 hunter street is there any other request are there any other
request for continuances if so please raise your hand so we can identify good to go
we have another request we have a couple hand raised diane mitchell diane hamilton mitchell
Ms. Mitchell, please identify yourself in the record. Spell your name for the stenographer,
please. Yes. D-I-A-N-N-E Hamilton H-A-M-I-L-T-O-N hyphen Mitchell. M-I-T-C-H-E-L-L.
Ms. Mitchell, do you swear and affirm that your testimony will be true to the best of your
ability yes i do thank you please proceed hold on is she asking for a continuance i don't know
it's what i'm asking no we're asking to hear we're here for the hearing the zoning for the property
at 1325 south 15th street uh we're 13 25 south 15th you're not away we're not on that we're not
on that case yet you're not asking are you asking for a continuance no we're not we're okay okay
then you wait wait for that case to be called okay thank you sir thank you any other anyone else
Request for a continuance or withdrawal
Franz Pierre
Hello can you hear me
Can now please identify yourself for the record
Spell your name for the stenographer
Yes that's Franz Pierre
Councilmember Johnson's office
That's F-R-A-N-T-Z
Last name Pierre
That's P-I-E-R-R-E
And good afternoon Mr. Chairman
And fellow board members
it's been a long time um i was uh looking for a continuance for a calendar number three nine nine
zero nine i'm not too sure if you mentioned that no no that's what
okay wonderful uh 2736 the council member uh that's 2736 federal street the council member
would uh like to see a continuance in order for both parties uh to come to a mutual um agreement
what is that calendar number again three nine three nine nine zero nine that's correct
2736 Federal Street. Okay. Is there any objection to that request? Allen? Is it Allen? No.
I believe Henry Clinton is present to object to the request. Okay. Mr. Clinton?
Mr. Clinton, if you're here, raise your hand, please.
Tonya can you see my hand no but I admitted you you can speak we could hear you okay good afternoon
mr chairman members of the board uh i think you know what high esteem i hold councilman johnson
I think you know what high esteem I hold Councilman Johnson in, as well as Frantz-Pierre.
in as well as francis
Mr. Clinton, just get your name and everything on the record, please.
Henry Clinton, C-L-I-N-T-O-N, on behalf of 2738 Federal LLC, and my client, Colin Lahren.
And Mr. Clinton, you swear in the firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and love you about the truth?
Thank you.
Please proceed.
So thank you again.
I hold Councilman Johnson and Franz Pierre in high esteem, and I don't think I've ever disagreed
with that office, but on this one, I have to. This project has been thoroughly vetted by
four community groups in Grace Ferry. We have a letter of support signed off on by not only
Grace Ferry Community Council, but all the remaining RCOs in Grace Ferry, so for a total
of four. We have made every wish that they've asked come true. We've changed the dimensions
of the building. We've set back the building. We provided affordable units. We provided an
opportunity for the community to meet there at the site and several other items. So to get
a consensus among four groups in Grace Ferry, I think is quite an accomplishment. The request,
i believe from the councilman come from an adjoining our owner who we have engaged since
november of 2019 we continue to try to engage with them but we have not been able to get them to come
to the table in full discourse we were sent a an email sunday evening which i've shared with the
with counsel Sharon where a number of requests were outlined and there were
five issues raised three of the issues apparently are resolved and there are
two remaining issues so I don't know why we need a continuance this project is
ripe it has full community support and when the bar owners did not appear via
zoom at the community meeting and i believe they will acknowledge a notice was delivered we
immediately called them the next day and said you know where were you we have a zoning hearing today
and i alerted them to that so we just see this as a last minute appeal we understand the council
was asking for it but when all the true facts are known it really is an eight month delay in
trying to get information from the individuals who are asking for the continuance. So for that
reason, those reasons, we would object to that. Plus, two of these three lots are already owned
by my client. The third lot is under agreement, and the agreement has already been extended
on two occasions, and we've been advised that the seller is not going to give any more continuances.
So for all those reasons on the record, I kind of request that the chair and the board look at the facts surrounding the situation and permit the case to go forward.
oh mr clinton thank you uh if this board were to make a decision to continue the case two weeks
from now and i'm not sure if we can do that tanya would we if if we make a decision could we limit
it to two weeks we can attempt to if it depends on if it would be a full hearing or not because
we already have cases scheduled if you were to hear it today and continuing only for again the
limited purpose of hearing testimony from the parties that are requesting it right and it is
unusual that you have four rcos all on agreement uh not unusual but it is certainly noted by this
board. Mr. Franz, Mr. Pierre, would a two-week window be helpful? Yeah, I think a two-week
window is perfect timing just to get, you know, everyone else on the same page in regards to
the adjacent business owner that just didn't have the time to work on the negotiations
with the applicant.
I'm sure that Mr. Clinton would disagree with that part of it,
but Henry, two weeks, could you live with two weeks?
Mr. DiCicco, you know I've been flexible in every matter,
I think, ever before the board.
This is an unusual circumstance where the client basically sees
the the client basically sees a continuation as a cancellation of the project and i don't want to
a continuation as a cancel.
put the chair and the board in a difficult situation uh as sharon not to interrupt but
as sharon suggests we'll hear the case but we'll hold off for two weeks on any decision
is that what you're suggesting sharon as an alternative either hearing it today and voting
or if you do decide to continue to or even I mean given the amount of time that's passed
one week with the neighbor able to submit make a written submission or testify briefly at the next
session your call of course yeah I know I'm trying to be trying to be helpful as best we can I know
Mr. Clinton makes a strong argument, but we're trying to accommodate the councilman's office as
well to see if there's a mutual understanding. Mr. DiCicco, do you think it would be
within the board's purview if I were able to get my client and the objecting party and
Franz Pierre on a call and come back to you at the end of the calendar and perhaps between now
and then this can be worked out work for us if that works for p the councilman's office
it is the objecting party on the call it works for me um i'm not too sure if the
not the applicant the uh neighbor that's involved will be available um i think i think a week would
be sufficient if we can't do two i think a week from now um hearing the um in taking the testimony
hearing the appeal i think a week from now should be sufficient for the neighbor and um the applicant
to work something out then we can hold it for discussion and vote on it next wednesday at 9 30
a.m can i ask is the objecting neighbor even on this call i i don't know if the objecting neighbor
is on the call please raise your hand
nothing
apparently not i assume mr pierre that you would reach out to the objecting
neighbor yes sir so henry
we'll hear the case and uh hold the decision until next
wednesday i i think uh that appears the best to be the best alternative uh hold on my my client's
texting me
Pierre's involvement and Ms. Saleta's and yours intercession. So that would be fine with us.
Okay. And again, we will definitely make a decision next week.
All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Pierre.
Thank you.
Mr. Pierre. Thank you.