And then we'll come back to Ms. Young.
Yeah, thank you.
i'm here if you can hear me yes sir please identify yourself first and last name and your
address my name is david matthews m-a-t-t-h-e-w-s i'm from 6701 north 11th street
in philadelphia oklahoma and do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and
nothing but the truth i do and what you live in what proximity to the application
um i live about half a block away because um it's it takes up that that lot takes up like half of
the block okay i just want your close proximity by any chance uh i don't know if you saw the
exhibit with the protesters were you in that group were you in that i was in a couple of them
okay thank you that's all i need to know thank you mr bonnie mr chairman uh uh this what's on
on my screen is an overhead aerial photograph.
The subject proper-
Paul, you're froze.
Uh-oh.
We gotta get you a new computer.
I think it might be the technology, internet.
I am still here if anybody, if-
Yeah, just hang in there, sir.
We lost your attorney,
or at least lost contact with your attorney, I should say.
The zoning attorney's worst nightmare.
We're not too happy about it either.
I can imagine. I can imagine.
Property is down in the middle, the middle center, right where the word Google.
Paul, we lost you three minutes ago.
We lost you. There you go again.
Paul, can you hear me?
Unmute yourself, Paul, Bonnie.
Take yourself off of mute.
Sorry.
Yeah, you're on.
Yes, I hear you.
Okay, we lost you shortly after I asked Mr. Matthews if he was in that group of protesters.
and then you started to speak and we lost you why don't i just turn it over to him
yeah okay let's do that all right well um i don't know if anybody else i don't have a
i have a screen does anybody else see the exhibit yes it's up i'm gonna leave and come back then
all right well there i am i got it got it back thank you oh okay uh my name is dave
have david henry matthews i'm the son of alice and henry matthews uh who bought the our property
at 11th and oak lane uh i think it was 1971 and if you're looking at a picture like i am right now
it's the brown roof house all the way over to the right and above oak lane so that's our house
um i'm in strong opposition to this to this uh proposed building uh oak lane is definitely a
community of single family homes and it's best like that the road is very narrow across that's
right next to the proposed property um basically uh i'd also like to point out that uh there are
are there three other single-family homes right across the street from the church
and where they're proposing the new building?
It would be just a heartless money grab.
I mean, it's just a terrible thing.
I see so many people trying to make us live with it.
I do appreciate the chance to, after all this time,
after all this time to get a chance to speak to the people who need to hear from us um please
to get a chance to speak to the people who need to hear from us.
understand we treasure our neighborhood we don't want to see it exploited um we've lived in that
house since 1971 and it's been passed down from my parents to me to my to my my brothers and
sisters and it's good i'm sure it will be passed down to our next family to our next generation
too where it's it's our family homestead where we've all stayed when we needed to from time to
time and for long periods and short periods of time uh in east oak lane we're just regular people
where i'm i mean i'm an audio engineer i mean meaning like a audio visual technician and i get
up and work every day you know i prefer to be a guitar player and audio recording engineer but
you know in another life maybe uh but just to say that all these people that live in east oak lane
We're not rich. We're just working folks that have chosen a really great place to live, and we all feel very lucky to live there.
People who want to live in the city and have a place in the city.
Mr. Matthews, if you can conclude, no disrespect.
I'm very close. I will conclude by saying that that's a perfect spot.
That location, 1122, is a perfect spot for a house.
If you look at the image, you can see that our house, which is about half an acre, is exactly the same shape and almost the same size as that property.
And if they build a single family home, maybe even two, they would sell instantly and for a good price.
Mr. Matthews, can you tell us, just I'll ask you one question.
Are there any parking problems with the congregants of the Refuge Church?
there are many problems tell us one of them well they park on the sidewalk they park in no parking
zones all along all of oak lane that you can see on the sidewalk so that cars can pass by when they
park there they park on my and how do you know it's from that church and not the other church
well because my my mother was a member when she was alive she was a member of east of oak lane
Presbyterian Church, and we're tight with that church. That's where I went as a kid. And if
anything was going on with Oak Lane Presbyterian Church, my mother, when she was alive, or any of
us would have been able to ask for that to be handled, because we're very good friends with
the minister. Let me ask it this way. Is the Presbyterian Church a better neighbor than the
refuge church much better thank you very much mr i know for the questions i appreciate it thank you
and appreciate it on a lighter on a lighter note maybe you can get your audio visual skills and
help mr bonnie out thank you mr chair could i just ask a few uh cross-examination questions
mr matthews yes i'm here you've been there since 1971 correct off and on yes okay um when you
moved into the into the part your parents moved into the property was the uh the saint mary's
ukrainian church um occupying the property 1122 oak lane if you're talking about the spot where the
evangelical refuge baptist churches is that what you mean i'm talking about the vacant lot oh that
place oh um yes there was that was a president uh what do you call it um ukrainian church so there
was a Ukrainian church there in 1971, correct? As far as I know, yeah. Were you aware that there
was a fire at that church in 2013? Yes. And so between 1971 and 2013, this vacant lot was
occupied by the church, correct? Yes. Okay, that's all I have. My next woman is Yvette Young. Yvette,
um she she uh signed back on on the phone
she can do star six so that she can raise her hand we'll know who she is
and how many other witnesses do you have mr bonnie after miss young
i have five all together so i have young and then two more
i have a caller um number ended in 7816 yes that's her hello this is yvette young hi yvette
thank you um what uh can you please state your name and address for the record
yes yvette young y v e t t e and my address is 6625 north 12th street which is next door
And my address is 6625 North 12th Street, which is next door to the subject property.
Mr. Chair, do you want to give her the yes?
Ms. Young, do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Thank you. Please proceed.
Are you a member of the Oak Lane Community Action Association?
Yes, I am.
I show you Exhibit 12, which is your deed, showing you purchased your property in 2014. Is that correct?
Yes, that is my deed.
Your house is a single-family house?
As you heard last time, the pastor said that they used the vacant lot as a parking lot. Is that correct, as far as you know?
Yes, that is correct.
I'd like to refer you to the current proposal. Tell us if you're opposed, and if so, why?
I am opposed to the project. A 40-unit apartment building at this location is improper. Our neighborhood is predominantly single-family homes. Apartment houses are not allowed at this location. It's too dense. There would be too much traffic and too many cars looking for parking.
I also think that the proposal is too high.
With the height, there would be many, many windows at a very high height facing the side of my house.
The project would have an emergency side exit facing my property with a footpath that would run against my property.
um there's insufficient open space insufficient rear yard insufficient parking keep going
most of the houses in my neighborhood are three-story homes they have plenty of open space
they have rear yards they have um the properties have driveways and garages
Ms. Young and Mr. Bonny, excuse the interruption, and please don't misunderstand.
I think we've got the picture figuratively and literally.
I'll jump to you.
Yeah, because, I mean, it's repetitive, and I don't mean that disrespectful.
These people have been waiting a long time.
I think the board understands the very nature of this community as being single-family residential.
Okay, so I'm going to show you the pictures of the houses on her block.
very quickly. Thank you. Very quick. The subject property is on the left. Her house is the first
house there. You can see half of it. I'm going to just take you down the block on her side.
She would testify that all of these houses are not only single family detached, but that they
are owner occupied. Is that correct, Ms. Young? Yes or no? Yes, that is correct. Okay, then this
is the zoning map of her property is in the blue rectangle on the left hand side and as you can see
the zoning map has this entire area of as rsd3 which is what the subject property is zoned for
the rsa is also single family that's just attached not detached so those are mostly duplexes um now
there are the random anomalies, but this is what the zoning map provides. Now I'd like to
go through the parking situation because the consultant for the developer said that Oak Lane
was one of the blocks that he was relying upon to handle the parking load from this facility.
and as you can see on oak lane the subject property has the red dot in it and on oak lane
on that block the signs from the parking authority for many years have said no parking anytime on
either side of the 1100 block on the on the block to the right between 11th and lawton there's no
parking at all on the south side and then in front of mr matthew's house there's no parking
right on that little stretch on the corner going to the left hand side you have the 1200 block
on the bottom of the 1200 on the south side of the 1200 block you have the firehouse
and also some parking lots for some businesses so there's no parking at all in the middle of that
block and there's only two hour parking on the corner near the library on the north side you
Can I jump in here? Is this relevant to Mr. Matthews' testimony?
Because I have some follow-up questions for Mr. Matthews.
I thought you've... No, this is Ms. Young.
I'm sorry, Ms. Young. I'm sorry. Ms. Young?
Yeah, this is still Ms. Young.
Ms. Young would be testifying that this is, in fact, what the parking signs...
Ms. Young would be testifying that this is, in fact, what the parking signs say on these blocks,
so we're still on Ms. Young. Okay, gotcha. And so on the 1200 block of Oak Lane,
on the north side, in the middle, it's no stopping at all because there's a firehouse across the
street. And on either ends of that block, it's no parking during school time, which is basically the
entire daytime, 7 a.m. to 4.30, as is this little stretch on North 12th Street above Oak Lane. So
really, you know, this is one-third of the area that the consultant said would supply parking
capacity for this facility. He said, in particular, the 1,200 block of Oak Lane would provide parking
capacity for this facility. That's really not correct because you can't park there during
school times or it's only two-hour parking and you know unless you want to have these senior
citizens uh you know running outside all at all times of the day and weekend to move their cars
every two hours and when school opens or closes it's just not going to happen um i'll just ask
you ms young is that do you agree with everything i said absolutely okay furthermore ms young
would testify that another part of what the consultant was relying upon was the entirety
of this block of 12th street that she lives on and that they would have senior citizens parking
all the way at the bottom of 12th street um in the night and inclement weather or whenever
and i would object to that that's not what that's not what the testimony was it's not what the
testimony was uh that's all i have on this exhibit but let me um well through while it's up there
Could I cross-examine Ms. Young on a couple of points?
Let us just finish.
I'm almost done with this witness, and then you can have her.
Well, I was going to do it on this exhibit.
I can go back to this one.
I can go back to this one.
Ms. Young, is this what your street, did you take this picture,
and is this what your street looks like on any given night?
And I'm going to show additional pictures.
That's the subject property.
This is still your block.
And again, I'll object to these because we don't have information as to when these pictures
were taken.
That's fair.
Day, day of the week, my engine provided very specific information as to when he was
out there.
You can ask her that.
Can you hear me now?
What we need is for you gentlemen to stop, try to prevent yourself from talking over
each other.
and we are running close to an hour, if not past the hour.
We're not in it.
Ms. Young, I'm trying to get through it, Mr. Chairman.
I'm trying my best to plow through it.
Ms. Young, you got this email from the police department that said
at the top and bottom of your blocks on this year alone,
there was five auto accidents.
Is that correct?
That is correct.
Do you think that this is a safe driving area
or is it a tricky driving area? It is a very tricky one because coming off of that narrow