civus
Hearing video

ZBA Hearing - February 26, 2025

Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA)Feb 26, 20258h 26m

Thank you.

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Good morning.

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My name is Ishmael Shahid, and I will be chairing this morning's Philadelphia Zoning Board of

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Adjustments.

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With me is Board Member Cheryl Gaston.

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Present, Mr. Chairman.

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Board Member Tanetta Graham.

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Present, Mr. Chairman.

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Board Member Michael Johns.

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Present, Mr. Chairman.

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And Board Member Tai Wim will be joining us shortly.

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As also presented here today is our attorney, Hillary Emerson, Ian Haggerty, the executive director of the Zoning Board, and our board administrator, Lakeisha Dandy.

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I'll pass it over to Ian to read the preamble.

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Thank you, Chair. Good morning, everyone.

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Please be advised this meeting is being recorded.

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Your participation in this meeting indicates that you consent to be recorded.

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the video will be posted on the ZBA website approximately one week following the meeting.

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The meeting is being held in person with remote capabilities, meaning that individuals

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can participate either in person at the hearing room or remotely over Zoom. When you're recognized

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to speak by the board, please state and spell your name for the court reporter and then wait

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to be sworn in. If you're in the hearing room with us, you must speak into a microphone so that

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everyone in attendance can hear you. If you're participating remotely, please turn on your camera

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and unmute yourself when you're recognized to speak. Once you've been sworn in, please state

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your name each time before testifying, whether you're in person or remote, so the court reporter

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knows who's speaking. Please mute yourself or turn off the microphone when you're not speaking.

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If you're participating by phone, press star nine to raise your hand and star six to unmute.

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If you're participating by phone, please call 267-270-5548 to register your appearance by the close of the business day after the hearing.

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You must provide an email address and the address of the property in which you're interested.

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All others can enter their appearance through the Zoom registration.

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For individuals participating here in person, there's a QR code available to register your appearance.

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for assistance, please see a staff member at the back of the room. If you have any questions about

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entering your appearance, please contact RCO's EBA at Philadelphia. In the hearing room, please

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refrain from talking or engaging in conversation while the hearings are proceeding. Please note

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that eating or drinking in the hearing room is prohibited. In addition, verbal and physical

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aggression will not be tolerated. If you're participating remotely, remember that the Q&A

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on the Zoom platform is not for testimony or comments. Any concerns related to the hearing

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should be directed to ZBA Executive Director at phila.gov. For the folks here in the meeting

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room with us in the event of an emergency, please pay attention to the announcements on the loud

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speaker, which will include detailed information and instructions. If no announcements heard,

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please wait for directions from security officers or ZBA staff members. The main exit is through the

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double doors at the rear of the room. If an order is given to evacuate, the nearest stairway is to

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the left outside the main exit from this room. Follow the illuminated exit signs to reach the

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stairway. If an order is given to evacuate the building, our rally point will be at Love Park

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directly across Arch Street from the public entrance to this building. Please remain at

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the rally point so we can account for you. And lastly, restrooms are located across from the

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elevators and there's a water fountain just outside the double doors to the right. Thank you,

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Thank you. We're going to start off with our continuances. MI-2024-0060259192 Frankfort Avenue. This case is being continued to August 20, 2025 at 3 at 930.

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Nick.

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Next case is going to be MI-2024-006-086-7777 State Road.

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This case is going to be continued to 825 at 930 a.m.

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Next case, MI-2024-006-086-0777.

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Sorry, Chair, that would be August 20th.

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These cases will be continued to August 20th.

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2025. August 20th, 2025 at 930. Correction. Next case would be MI-2024-006087 550 West

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Willow Road Avenue. This case is also being continued to August 20th, 2025 at 930 a.m.

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also this case will have attorney moving party yes so there is no continuing state for the

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that case it's just it's being continued attorney moving party will grow i'm going to

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read that for the record this case is going to be continued attorney moving party

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Next case is MI-2024-006090 2038 Hines Street. This case is also being continued to August 20,

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The next case is MI-2024-006-131-4732, North Broad Street.

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This case is being continued until August 20, 2025, at 9.30 a.m.

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The next case will be MI-2024-006-836-4577 Tycomia Street.

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This case will also be continued until August 20th, 2025 at 9.30 a.m.

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On to request for continuances is going to be MI-2024-000929, 2450 North 30th Street.

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Attorney is Devin Okta.

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we're getting a request from the strawberry mansion community concern on uh continuing

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this case is devin is devin okta in the virtual audience good morning mr shaheed this is jason

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hand i will be your calls for the session um devin okta has been promoted to panelists you'll be

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joining shortly good morning council good morning chair please state your name and spell it for the

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court reporter. Devin

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Uqda. Last name is UQDAH.

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Thank you.

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Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing

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but the truth? Yes.

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Counselor, the...

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Excuse me. Excuse me, Mr.

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Shahid. Can we see if anyone is here

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from Strawberry Mansion Community Concern

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to explain why they're requesting a continuance?

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Sure. Thank you.

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Is anyone

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in the virtual audience for

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Strawberry Mansion

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and Community Concerns.

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If Strawberry Mansion Community Concerns

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has their hand raised, they will be rejoining us

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shortly.

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Thank you.

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Good morning.

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Good morning,

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Chairman and Board.

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Can you hear me?

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We can. Can you please state your name and spell it for the court reporter?

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My name is Bonita Cummings,

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B as in boy, O-N-I-T-A,

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Cummings, C-U-M-M-I-N-G-S.

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strawberry mansion community concern you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but

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the truth i do please continue miss cummings on uh your request for the continuance

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well we uh sent communication regarding uh a continuance and was instructed that that was not

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going to be uh granted so we did submit our letter of opposition based on what we believe

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to presently be uh what their request which is a uh rooftop deck with pilot house and also uh three

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three apartment units which was opposed by the members of the uh in-person meeting um there

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There was two refusals.

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There were two refusals.

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One refusal had no information about a rooftop deck that was dated in February.

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Then is what was in the applicant's presentation from a previous date.

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What was in the applicant's presentation from a previous date does mention it.

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So we weren't really sure what's refusal even, you know, what was being used.

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So it was, you know, we were lacking in clarity.

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Understood.

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We did receive the RCO letter from you yesterday, and we believe we have enough information to move this case forward.

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So we'll continue this shortly.

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Mr. Chair, can you request if there's anybody else in the virtual audience for the continuance

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request?

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Is there anyone else in the virtual audience for the continuance request for today's?

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I have a handout from Charles Richardson.

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I have promoted them to panelists. They will be coming back in shortly.

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Good morning.

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Good morning, Mr. Chair and Board.

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Can you please state your name and spell it for the court reporter?

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Certainly. Charles Richardson, R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N, Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass, room 508 City Hall.

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Good morning, Mr. Richardson. How may we help you?

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You got to swear me first.

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Yes, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

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I certainly do. I had a question about a continuance for 6067 Old York Road, which is MI 2024-006134.

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We were informed by the RCO that the applicant never reached out to them, so no meeting has ever taken place for that property.

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Yes, we can recall that case shortly, Mr. Richardson.

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Okay, great. Thank you so much.

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No problem. Is anyone else out there in the virtual audience?

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I do not wait, Mr. Chair. I have a James Ferreira with a hand raised.

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I've promoted them, and they will be joining shortly.

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Thank you.

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Good morning.

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Good morning.

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Please state your name and spell it for the court reporter.

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Mr. Ferrer, if you could please unmute.

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hello can you hear me now yes we can hear your name can you state your name and spell it for

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the court reporter please my name is james ferrera last name f-e-r-r-e-i-r-a you swear to tell the

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truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth i do yes uh are you calling in regards to 60

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67 O'York Road? Yes, sir. Correct.

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We still have not received any exhibits, and

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we believe, is this property inside of your name

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or an LLC name? It's under an LLC.

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So according to our laws, you have to actually have an attorney,

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so you're going to have to, we're going to retain you this

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case, and you're going to have to retain yourself an attorney.

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okay so it's going to be is it going to be rescheduled yes i'm going to reschedule it now

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this case will move to august 20th uh 2025 at 9 30. and mr ferrera what is your role in this case

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where are you an expediter architect are you a tenant yeah yeah i'm an expediter i'm the one

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that applied for the for the zoning problem okay so you are actually not not the actual applicant

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you just filed on behalf of somebody else.

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So if the entity that you filed on behalf of

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is the owner of the property,

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then they're an LLC,

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they will absolutely need to hire an attorney.

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Okay.

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All right.

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If you have any questions about that,

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you can contact the office.

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Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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Okay.

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And also, I'd like to say that we uploaded

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the requested documents

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in the link provided by email this morning.

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i was not aware that i was supposed to provide it before so i made a mistake they need to be

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provided five days in advance and there also is an rco meeting requirement with the which

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the council member's office um indicated that they had spoken with the rco and that meeting

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had not occurred so that is something that needs to happen as well so if you have any questions

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So, if you have any questions about those requirements, like I said, you could contact the office, and the staff will be more than happy to walk you through it.

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about those requirements like i said you could contact the office and the staff will be

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Okay.

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All right.

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Is there anyone else out there in the virtual audience for continuances?

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Mr. Chair, I do not see any further hands.

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Karen will be moving over to the non-exhibits. MI-2024-003973, 201 North 58th Street.

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I'll tell you for Curtis, is she in the virtual audience?

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Ms. Corsi?

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Mr. Chair, I do not see anyone under that name in the virtual audience this morning.

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This is the second listing, and this case needs to be withdrawn, so I'm going to read this one out.

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MI-2024-003.

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Excuse me, Mr. Chair, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but we have a handout from Donald Moore.

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Donald Moore?

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Yes.

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Please promote Mr. Moore.

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Understood.

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I'll be coming back in shortly.

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Good morning.

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How is everyone?

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Good morning to each and every one of you.

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I raised my hand in reference because I have a question as it relates to this particular location as it impacts us.

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So when you said that you would have to read it out and this is our second time appearing, I'm just trying to get an understanding of what what like what does that mean?

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Will this be continued or is it something else we need to do on our end as it relates to continuing to protest this particular zoning?

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Sure. Mr. Moore, can you please state your name and spell it for the court reporter?

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Donald D. Moore

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D-O-N-A-L-D

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another D

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M-O-O-R-E

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You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth

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and nothing but the truth?

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Yes.

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