ZBA Hearing - August 20, 2024

I'll be brief as Mr. Reuter summed up many of the things I would have said.

But I just want to briefly say that this is a house of worship, and it was a facility used for religious worship.

Now, it might not be religious worship as mainstream religions would recognize.

As Mr. Reuter pointed out, there's no centralized, say, chapel where prayer would happen.

But nonetheless, it was a facility that was used for religious worship for ISKAN.

It was their only facility used for religious worship.

used for religious worship. This is where they would congregate. Mr. Hoy testified that he would

This is where they would congregate.

Mr. Hoy testified that he...

hear chanting. He would see them cooking, you know, the vegetarian meals, which is a very

important part of the Society for Krishna Consciousness. And then they moved in 1977 to

a new house of worship, as Mr. Boyder noted, over at 41 to 51 West Allens Lane. And I will note,

this is a matter of a public record, that the zoning use permit for that property reflects

house of worship with accessory grooming house. Living there is an accessory use. It's not the

principal use. The principal use is a house of worship. So to the extent that the accessory use

wasn't permitted in the 70s is irrelevant. Here we're looking at whether the principal use as a

House of Worship is documented. We have a documented use in the zoning files. Dr. Farnum,

as the Executive Director of the Historical Commission, did additional research into

the ISCAN religion and determined that, yes, this was a House of Worship. It had a documented use,

and therefore it satisfies the exception. Thank you. I want to thank all three attorneys and

and also the witnesses.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, sir.

I hate to interrupt,

but I did want to move my exhibits into the record.

I thought you did, but I thought I wasn't going to remember.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I want to thank all three attorneys and also the witnesses.

We're going to take this to executive session next Wednesday.

We will vote on this at 930 a.m. next Wednesday.

Thank you all very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Is there anyone in the virtual audience whose case has not been called?

Thanks, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Sorry, excuse me, Mr. Chair.

We have a hand raised from a Hanny Budnick.

I don't know.

Oh, their hand goes down.

I'm not sure what case they were here for.

But they have lowered their hand now.

Thank you.

Their hand's down?

Their hand is down.

Okay. Thank you, everyone. See you tomorrow.

Thank you.

All right. Bye-bye.