of the property. So it's well off the front and rear of the property. There's no refusals for
that at all. Our only refusal is to go back to here. Um, let me just get back to a normal size
here is for occupied area. And the variance is actually pretty minor. So it's only at that second
floor level um because we are and we're not um it's moving from instead of having a 25 percent
open air uh or open area we are at 19.2 and you can see the difference is about 40 square feet
uh what i would want to note is that we are not building out past the existing first floor
um it is just filling in over if you can see here there is um let's actually go to
the aerial view so you can see it's probably easiest to see there um
one second so you can see that there is an existing first floor right here underneath this
and so we're just filling in to that property line right there where the existing rear of both
the neighboring property and our property currently is as the second floor. This isn't
impacting anyone's light and air access. It's not impacting any windows. And we're not extending
back any further than what is already in existing. So it really has no impact on neighboring
properties, but it does have a major impact on my client's usability of that second floor and
allowing uh for that better use of space um there are similar if you if we go back out there are
other homes that are you can see over here you know built fully out and across the street without
the you know some have the gaps some don't um as we know with row homes there's different ways to
build them um but you know we're not really impacting anyone's windows light and air access
or even rear yard lighten access because we're only building over an existing structure of the
first floor and to the existing rear line of the home um miss miss green intends to continue to be
the owner occupant of this property um this is why she's doing it it's not for anyone's benefit
other than her own and it's going to provide a lot more functional space for her as i said
So let's talk about the meeting. We did meet with East Pass Young Crossing Community Group. We presented to the community, and they gave us our unanimous support. You know, they understood that it was to give an owner-occupant some functional space with really minimal impact to anyone other than her.
So with that, I would just say in conclusion, we have a relatively minor variance of only a few percentage points and only at the second floor level.
And this minor variance will allow Miss Green to have considerably more functional space in her home and have no adverse effect on her neighbors.
A smaller addition would not provide that same functionality.
So with that, I would like to have Ms. Green come in and just adopt my testimony.
Ms. Green.
Ms. Green, you can unmute yourself.
Thank you.
Morning, Ms. Green.
Can you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Letitia Lenore Green.
L-E-T-I-T-I-A.
Lenore, L-E-N-O-R-E
Green is G-R-E-E-N
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Yes. Please proceed, counsel.
Ms. Green, did you hear my testimony here today and believe it to be truthful and accurate?
Yes. And would you adopt it as your own?
Yes. And I just want to ask you one question. You are the owner-occupant
and you are planning to continue
to be the owner-occupant of this property, correct?
That is correct, yeah.
Great, thank you.
Questions from the board.
Yeah, I have a question.
So there was some drainage on the roof
that you showed in the photo.
Just wondering if that's the drainage
for this property or for the neighboring property
and what's the remedy for drainage
once the addition will be placed on it?
Sure. For that, I would like to, if you see either Michael or Angela de Prima-Buka or G-Speak's architecture, those are our architects.
Sure, for that, I would like to,
if you see either Michael or Angela
And if we can promote them to answer the question, that would be great.
Sure. Either one.
They're probably on together.
Do we see a hand?
yeah sure they're all coming in now as a panelist
hello good morning hi yes could you please state your name and spell for the sonographer
uh it's michael buchi m-i-c-h-a-e-l b-u-c-c-i you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth yes please proceed counsel um so uh first of all you are can you
explain your connection to this to this project uh i'm the architect on the project okay great
And did you hear the question about drainage from the addition and addressing, I guess, there is a drainage pipe that's there now, I believe, draining from the existing roof?
How will drainage be handled?
Well, the drains would be all redirected because we're going to be reframing the roof to prepare for a green roof garden.
um this pipe that you see now drains the existing roof um and it goes down to let's see
i believe that goes down to a yard drain in the rear yard uh yeah so what will happen there is
we will have like parapet walls or curb types uh at the roof level and all the roof drain will be
directed towards the back corner and run into the existing yard drainage okay does that answer
your question miss graham yeah i wasn't certain if that was her that the roof drainage on her
property or the neighboring property so the neighboring properties drainage is on the other
side and won't be impacted at all yeah i i believe so okay thank you all the questions
questions or comments from our attorney
Hillary Emerson
not at this time Mr. Chair
questions or comments from the virtual audience
yes Chair
Steve you can unmute yourself
and wait for the chair
good morning
can you hear me
I can.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
My name is Steve Scuduto.
Steve, S-T-E-V-E, Scuduto, S-C-A-D-U-T-O.
Could you, first of all, put your video on if you would, please?
Let me see if I can find that.
And do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
sorry about that um okay there i yeah there you are okay um do you swear or affirm to tell the
truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do yes please proceed are you a neighbor i am i
actually live in the property right next door in 1944 south camac all right please proceed
yeah i just want to give clarification to my knowledge that one drainage actually goes leads
into our property into our yard there's a a drainage pipe connected there right right and that
i mean i i've noticed too that's on your side so in other words his his kick out will not go that
far right okay well currently the drainage like i guess they'll have to reroute it you know um
but it's just i just wanted to give clarification it is going down to our property okay all right
thank you very much um is there anyone else in the virtual audience
i see no handshare planning commission thank you chairman and good morning david vecta with the
city planning commission chairman and board members the comprehensive plan recommends no
change to the rsa5 residential single family zoning at this location the appellant's addition
will not impact the open area at the ground level nor will it impact the use of adjacent property
nor will it impact the use of adjacent property.
the City Planning Commission recommends
The City Planning Commission recommends that the board grant their proposed dimensional variance.
Thank you.
MI 2025-000-536-1242 South Camac Street, I vote yes.
John, my vote is yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Senator Graham, my vote is yes.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes.
Iowan, my vote is yes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Okay, number 14, MI2025, 00541, 1530 South 53rd Street.
Tameka McCoy is the attorney.
There's a letter of support from the 51st Ward RCO.
Hello, good morning.
Good morning, counsel. How are you?
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Tamika McCoy, T-A-M-I-K-A.
Last name is M-C-K-O-Y.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client and relationship to this property?
Jim Ragunanon, and he is the owner of the parcel.
Right.
Do you waive the reading of the refusal to agree with his accuracy?
Yes, I do.
Please start your presentation.
Thank you.
I'm sharing with you my screen.
Okay, great.
We have all that. We're good.
So this is an application essentially to
have a single-family dwelling currently zoned RSA 5 used for a two-family household living.
It is in an area in which there are other properties that have been granted variances
for two-family dwellings. I am going through. We have here submitted proof of ownership for Mr.
Ragunan on. Proof that the taxes for the property had been paid. There had been mailings to 145
affected neighbors. And the RCO meeting was held in which there was unanimous support for the
project. I am sharing the result of the RCO meeting in which all of the residents who attended
and participated voted and voted in support of the project in creating an additional affordable
housing unit on the 53rd Street block, the 1553rd Street block of 53rd Street. Here we have
a prior um i'm sorry hold on yep prior zoning application um in which in 1982 there was a
variance that was granted the um information indicated it was granted as a two-family use
This is for a adjoining property on the same block, which shows a longstanding use as multifamily housing in this particular community.
I believe there was also mentioned.
Could you get a little closer to the mic?
We're having a hard time hearing.
Yeah, here you go.
Okay, great.
Um, here it says that the neighborhood, there are several dwellings that have multiple spaces for two family dwellings. And this was what was submitted back in 1982 for the next door property.
Moving to the joins for this particular property.
This is what the front of the property looks like with the sign affixed.
If you were looking down the road to the left, that's what is depicted here and likewise
the other direction.
I'm going to go back here.
As you can see, most of the residents on this block have a trash plan that includes having
appropriate containers just outside the front of the property.
It is a row home. And so this is a common, a commonality for this block to have the.
And so this is a common, a commonality for this block to have the trash canisters located just to the side of the front step.
If you look in the other direction, another property has the same thing.
And I believe it goes on to the other blocks as well.
When we look at the plan, the plan contemplates that the porch would give access to both of the units.
The first floor unit would have its entrance and the second floor unit would have a separate entrance with stairs going up to access the second floor.
I'm going to just flip this to make it a little easier to see.
And the proposed design basically talks about two bedrooms with kitchen and living space.
Each of the rooms do have natural lighting and windows, both on the first and on the second floor unit.
As you can see, the second floor unit, there's a bow window in the front and also windows for the bathroom and the bedrooms that are on the property.
And with that, I would ask to have Mr. Ragunanan enter the meeting and adopt the testimony that had been submitted.
And just in case you're wondering, the basement would essentially remain a mechanical space.
There would be storage and laundry access for the first floor unit.
Do we see his hand?
Excuse me?
No, I'm looking for your client.
Good morning, sir.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Sir, you would need to unmute yourself.
Yes, you hearing me now?
Ken, could you please state your name and then spell it for the stenographer?
okay it's jim ragunanan j-i-m and ragunanan r-a-g-o-o-n-a as in adam and in nancy
as in adam and in nancy do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the
truth yes sir please proceed counsel sure uh mr ragunanan did you hear the testimony
provided to the board
this morning? Yes.
If you were to testify and provide
testimony directly, would it