print or through media, the protesting my client.
Excuse me, Chair, the witness is on mute.
Sir, you have to unmute yourself.
Sorry about that. I don't know how that happened. Thank you.
Were you able to hear me?
I did hear your question about was there anything in print or in media?
meaning against the developer in this project that's what you're saying right yes okay thank
you so the community and i'm thinking the numbers were 200 people it was a large number of people
signed a petition against this developer maybe that's what you're referring to in addition to
that the community put up signs all over the community in addition to that the community had
a rally. And I heard the developer
or someone say earlier that
his son was on a developer's property.
The tenants in those properties
decide what's going to go in front of them.
It's not just up to him. If they're opposed
and appalled at 15 apartments
being built on a lot that's big enough
for four, they don't have the right to
take that. Mr. Harris?
That was in print. That's why I said it, because it was in print.
Go ahead. So that was
in print. So
did you go on
W-U-R-D
i did yes and to talk about this project did you go on channel six to be interviewed
to talk against this project thanks for asking the channel six visited our huge rally that rally
must have had i don't know 50 people maybe more with signs people took time out of the middle
of their day to raise signs and point to mr harris mr harris mr harris mr harris could you
just answer that question. Did you give an interview on Channel 6?
What I'm saying is that Channel 6 came to the rally and asked different people what's going on.
Okay, so you didn't get an interview, but you, based on your testimony, you observed Channel 6
interviewing other people in support of the rally, which was against my client.
No, I'm saying even, yes, I'm saying they interviewed me along with other people.
Oh, so you did get interviewed. OK, so the answer is yes. All right. Let me see. Did you. So and those that you being on the radio, on TV and print, that was between the first RCO meeting where you said like it was.
That was between the first RCO meeting where you said it was 12 to 50-some-odd people, 12 people in support, versus the next RCO meeting when it was just 100 people to zero.
If I were to guess the timeline, it was one meeting, then this media blast, then another meeting, correct?
so you're saying i'm sorry you're saying there was a meeting with the community
you had an rc you started your testimony saying you had an rco meeting i believe your council
said can you tell us what the vote is what the vote was and and and when you described it i
believe you said there were 12 people in support but then at the next meeting you said it was a
hundred to zero am i correct and i'm just saying between that first meeting and that last meeting
right there was you talked on you you you went on w u r d you there was a print campaign and
people were interviewed at the rally no the i don't i don't remember i don't call it exact
date of the rally. Was it before the first vote or the second one? It had to be before the second
one, but that would only be a guess. Okay. So it sounds like it could have happened. All right.
Let me ask you this. What do you want at that site?
thank you for asking what i want is secondary to what the community wants what the community wants
is the planning uh what planning says makes sense for a rectangle lot which he knew it was when he
bought it and he can't a lot beg your pardon a triangle lot you mean yes he has a triangle lot
And so what the community wants is four units and commercial. Not everybody. We all have our own opinions, but they want four units and commercial, and they're willing to compromise.
Yvonne Haskins tried to compromise with him for five, for six, for seven. I think it might even went higher than that. And there was no common ground that the developer and the community could come to.
But what the community wants is less traffic, less trash, less confusion, because we have a fire station, we have a school.
The same developer who owns one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine properties, let me finish, please.
He owns not, he's about to build 84 more units on Belmont Avenue, which will give him 139 units in those two blocks that meet up at Belmont and Parkside.
What the community wants is much less traffic, much less confusion.
It's going to be bananas around here when all those units are finished.
If he gets the two, and if he gets the two more, he's asking for a 4204 and 4206, and then other developers follow suit, you know, it's right now you can't get up and down Belmont Avenue on a Friday as it is.
When 84 units comes in line, the community's not going to be able to live there anymore.
The community wants its beautiful community restored to the way it used to be.
So, Mr. Harris, I appreciate your concern.
So when it comes to the commercial component, are you saying you don't want it or you're okay with it?
Because I heard you talk about, you know, crisscrossing and traffic.
I think you're concerned about vehicle and pedestrian engagement.
I meant, so should there be a commercial component or should there not be?
So it's a community question.
It's not a Brian Harris question.
Brian Harris can answer it, but the community is a little, just a little split on it.
The majority, I think, want it with a small number of units, but there are a few who don't.
I was asking about the commercial portion.
That's what I'm answering.
So you said smaller units, right?
Are you saying you want a smaller commercial portion?
No, no.
I'm saying less than 12 units.
What's commercial?
I hear your question.
I'm answering.
I'm sorry.
I apologize.
How about, let me just state it this way.
He initially proposed a coffee shop.
Now he doesn't have a coffee shop.
Should he have the coffee shop?
Thank you for your question.
I keep answering it.
Some of the community, a few say no.
give him more part give him more units and see this is why it's important for when steve reached
And see, this is why it's important for when Steve reached out to you for you to take in a meeting.
out to you for you to take in the meeting
And so we could have had this kind of conversation and figured it out for once and for all before we even came before the board.
Some people don't want commercial. They want a few more apartments so that he can get close to his number.
That's the opinion of some. Some want commercial and four units or five units or six units.
that's where the community is at it's it's not completely unified on whether they want commercial
or not it's two different approaches let's talk about it let's figure it out let's make sense out
of it that's what the community wants okay thank you okay so i have i have one more witness that's
very very quick well i i think i think we've run out of time well we have eight minutes at this
point well remember i still have to open this up for comments from the audience right and i also
have to go to the planning commission so we're going to have to have a resumptive hearing
okay and i appreciate both of you uh you know your comments and things of that nature but
we're just going to have to have a resumptive hearing too we have a possibility of a date
yes chair it will be um you think it will be like 30 minutes or do they need longer i i i think if
if we just had the witnesses and uh and uh open up to the audience and the planning commission
i think it's 45 minutes and then we would take written um summations yeah you want to make it
an hour just to be safe okay an hour okay well then the date would be uh april 18th at 9 30.
okay thank you both both you all right thank you thank you right okay
is there anyone in the virtual audience whose case has not been called yet today this morning
i see no hands chair okay thanks everyone i'm sorry there's one okay mr ali
should i promote him i mean allow him to speak
Mr. Ali you're allowed to speak
Could you state your name please
and spell for the court reporter
Jihad J-I-H-A-D
Ali A-L-I
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth nothing but the truth
Yes I do chairman
Did you have a case that wasn't called
Well actually chairman I just want you to clarify
that for that resumption hearing
that witnesses will be able to testify
for that resumption hearing
oh yeah okay thank you that's all sure so what i what i said is we're going to have
they finish their witnesses and then we'll also go to the virtual audience
thank you mr chairman okay all right no no one nobody else case wasn't cool
oh there no hands up chair okay thanks everyone have a good one good job everyone have a good
day, y'all. Have a good day, everyone. Thanks. Bye. Thank you. Have a good day. Have a good day.