Mr. Gordon?
Leonard, do you have another witness we can call?
uh if there's a mr aaron jones
i don't unfortunately i was informed uh a little while ago that some of the witnesses
were not available it looks like maybe it looks like there is a mr jones now
no i was asking for i believe an aaron jones
we have a gary jones with his name gary not aaron okay okay okay mr jones could you state
your name and spell for the court reporter all right my name is gary jones senior spelled my
name g-a-r-y j-o-n-e-s right do you swear a firm do you swear a firm to tell the truth the whole
truth nothing but the truth yes sir proceed counsel uh thank you mr jones um are you familiar
with the property at 2352 north 29th street yes i am okay and where do you live i live exactly
175 feet away from that structure okay my house is directly 2912 west york street it's the first
house when you come down york street off of 29th okay uh and were you uh watching any of the hearing
with over the last few minutes yes sir okay and did you see some of the exhibits that uh were put
up on the screen yes sir okay are you familiar with the petition that was um passed around
well not the original one no but the one we signed recently yes okay and did you sign that
in uh opposing the variance for the property yes i did okay uh at the time you signed that
were you aware that the intention of the applicant is to uh make it an event space
on the first floor with the uh i believe existing residential units upstairs to remain
uh the original letter said nightclub but yes i was aware
okay um and are you excuse me mr chair um it was just brought to my attention that
that this witness testified at the prior hearing um and i we had originally had the wrong name for
him which is why we didn't notice it um sooner um but we had specifically requested both that
both parties that there were no repeat witnesses because there was extensive testimony last time
that's fine yes and i again i i had the name as a hold on for a second i didn't testify they
asked me a question and i answered it that that's testimony that's enough okay okay leonard if he
has anything different than what he already testified to if not let's move on okay um
the man opposes mr chair we know that it's part of the record i understand no i understand i
time to move on i understand thank you uh you know again i don't know if mr gordon
is could try to get back on hi mr george gordon
it looks like i don't see him participating anymore okay do you have anyone else uh yes
oh I'm sorry
there's a person with a hand raised
let's see who they are
hold on one second
let's say you chair
yes no there is another
individual who's on the witness list
we received from Miss Jones
and that was Regina Boggs
who I do see in the audience
she did not testify previously
and would be permitted to testify at this hearing
yes I'll call on Miss Boggs
Ms. Boss, can you unmute yourself?
Hello?
Regina, could you state your name and spell for the court report?
I'm sorry.
This is not Regina.
This is George Gordon.
Okay, fine.
Oh, I see.
I had to run over to Regina because my phone started acting crazy.
Okay, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Gordon, state your name and spell, please, for the court report.
Okay, it's George Gordon.
Right.
G-E-O-R-G-E-G-O-R-D-O-N.
Thank you.
Thank you. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth? The whole truth is nothing but the truth.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
I do. Proceed, counsel.
Thank you. Mr. Gordon, first of all, where do you live?
I live at 2420 North 29th Street.
Okay. And approximately how far is that from the property at 2352 North 29th Street?
Exactly 240 feet.
Okay. And are you familiar with that intersection with the property in question?
Oh, absolutely. I used to work there years ago.
Okay. Now, were you able to see the earlier portion of the hearing where we were showing some documents on the screen?
I did.
Okay. So are you familiar with the petitions that were shown?
Yeah, a few of them, yes.
Okay. So I just want to ask you briefly about those. Was there a petition that was passed around prior to the last zoning board hearing?
Prior to it? I believe it was.
Okay. And after the zoning board hearing, when the neighbors reached out to the council president's office, was there a second petition?
we did uh i went around myself uh myself and my assistant and we uh got some petitions that
was opposed to the uh this facility okay um and when you prepared the petition uh and you went
around and uh asked people to sign it um were you aware of what the specific uh proposal was
for this property well at first it was supposed to be an event space that's what we had originally
heard and um but then um we we got the i thought the real uh answer to our question which it turns
out to be it's going to be a nightclub okay is it is it your understanding that uh
the location will be hosting events where people will be able to bring their own alcohol
yes uiob okay um and uh is is there a concern amongst you and your neighbors uh that um there
will be loitering outside of the property uh people smoking maybe be bringing drinks outside
well not only that but uh i mean they'll be smoking drinking urinating on the walls they
they chances are they'll have their motorcycles and cars blasting their their music out of the
cars and this happens in this type of venue okay now you're familiar with two existing businesses
about around that intersection yes on both corners and the same block but both corners
they're supposed to be convenience stores i think they uh i heard the way they get involved in this
they ask for licenses for grocery stores and then they get in and it's already a convenience store
after they get in there and they start selling paraphernalia drug paraphernalia now would it be
fair to say that um there's been a history of um nuisance activity at this at this intersection
absolutely okay go ahead well we've called we've had to call the cops several times look like every
summer especially you know we have to call the cops because there's a bunch of kids young people
young kids on these corners and they just i mean what can they be getting there they're piled up
on these corners and when you call the cops because of the fact that they're there the cops
chase them from there they come right up the street a couple doors down up the street and
they start sitting on people's steps you know and we've had these types of issues okay and is it is
Is it your belief, and again, just speaking for yourself, is it your belief that whether it's that an event space or a place that holds BYOB events or a nightclub at that same intersection, do you think that would add to that?
Do you think that would help the problems or do you think it would make them worse?
It would make them absolutely worse.
I mean, you're trying to live in a tranquil, peaceful environment.
It can't happen.
okay and and that's a matter of common sense to you right absolutely yes okay um did you
are you familiar and again if you're not just say you're not are you familiar with the petition
that was produced by the applicant involving...
that was produced by the applicant uh uh involving um people who were in favor of the proposal
i've never seen it i heard she's uh had one but i've never seen it no okay that's fine um
let me just see oh and are you familiar uh speaking of events was there a recent event
that took place um at this location or around this location at this intersection
um well there was a uh a murder uh at the other uh convenience store right up the block
same block but the other end where the young lady got shot in the head shot in the face
and um yeah so it's fair to say that the concerns uh of the neighborhood about these types of
activities is real yes very real right all right i don't have any further uh questions of mr gordon
uh if if ms boggs is there i would after mr anastasia a chance to sure thanks just briefly
thanks thanks mr gordon for the testimony i don't have a whole lot to to ask you under cross
I just want to make sure that we're clear.
You were aware of the March hearing, is that right?
And you were given notice and opportunity to testify?
I was not given an opportunity to testify.
Did you know about the hearing?
I did.
Okay, and the property was posted, so you knew that the hearing was in March, is that right?
That's correct, yes.
Okay, and you had the opportunity to attend the hearing, is that right?
I did. Yes. Did you attend the hearing? No, I didn't. Okay. But you had the opportunity to,
right? Yes. Okay. Very well. So you, you also sat on your rights. And you say, I did not settle
my rights, sir. Well, you didn't. No, I didn't. Were you out of the country? Were you out of the
country? Want me to ask the question? Yes. Want me to ask the question? What happened was I did not
I had problems just like I had today with my phone trying to stay online, and I just couldn't do it because I'm not that savvy as far as these things are concerned.
Well, I could understand that.
So that's why I had to run up the street here and get with Ms. Barr so she could help me get back on and talk to you people.
But you didn't ask for a continuance because you couldn't get on.
Is that right?
you didn't ask you didn't ask for the case to be continued uh so that you could in fact
i didn't i didn't ask i didn't ask you're at that meeting for any kind of continuance no
you didn't ask mr clark to request a continuance on your behalf as your council person i signed
the document i signed the document being in favor of a continuance okay and but you did say that
when you were presented with the case
that it was an event space
that you were okay with
that use, is that right? No, I never said I
was okay with that, no. I wasn't okay with that
even, no. But you weren't opposed to it, is that
right? As event space.
Well, I just think as an event space,
as a club, it's not in the right, this
is not the right area. Two different things,
yeah, but. Well, it might be two different things, but
I'm thinking the same way about
both things. Understood.
But you are aware that the zoning board approved for event space only with strict restrictions.
You are aware of that, right?
That no public nightclub could happen here.
Are you aware of that?
Well, let me just say it like this.
I believe that once a person has a thing in its possession and is free and clear, they can take it and change it any way they want.
if nobody's watching
who should say that
it's what they said
it was going to be
so that's the way I look at that
so you were speculating that
somebody might take the approved use
and take it beyond that, is that right?
well who's monitoring?
well we do have a department of license and inspection
but yep, I get it
thank you
I've got nothing else here
Thank you. Okay. And if, if I could just, well, it looks like he got off.
Is Ms. Boggs there? Mr. Gordon was just speaking on her connection.
Went down to our house to get the phone.
Yes, I'm here. This is Ms. Boggs.
Thank you.
Could you, wait a minute. Could you state your name, please? And spell for the court reporter?
Could you state your name, please, and spell for the Corbin Quarter?
Regina.
Regina Boggs, R-E-G-I-N-A, B-O-G-G-S.
Right.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Proceed, counsel.
Leonard, you're muted.
You're muted.
Sorry about that.
Ms. Boggs, if you could just tell the board where you live.
Yes, I live 2410 North 29th Street. I live approximately 154 feet from that building, from that property.
Okay. And are you familiar with some of the conditions around the property currently?
Yes, I am.
Okay. And could you just describe those for the board?
um it's a fence around the property um the fire hydrant is inside of the fence now if there was
to be a fire and the fire department needed to get to the fire hydrant there's no way they can
get sore sure now it's covering the walkway to where you have to walk in the street um that
whole side of the pavement there's no payment there for you to walk on okay so yes go ahead
i'm sorry oh no no that's okay um so uh with respect to those the conditions of the site um
were there contacts are you aware of contacts that were made uh with um uh either the construction
company or the owner of the property about uh cleaning the place up and fixing those those