Good suggestion, thank you.
So we'll get back to you, Ms. Vissak.
They'll talk to you offline about how to...
All right, she...
Sorry?
Pardon me?
Let's go back to Mr. Griffin.
Mr. Griffin?
he's coming back in as a panel this year
all right mr griffin please spell your last name and i'll swear you in
that is uh g-r-i-f-f-i-n first name is jack uh jake or john
it's john everybody calls me jake so i'll take anything you want all right jake do you swear
for him to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do mr duchico i'm getting a note
here it says uh that i i don't seem to be able to uh come on video i'm not quite sure why but
let's do this let miss tenere ask you a few questions and then we'll have tech staff help
you through that and he's already sworn you're already sworn in yes yes do you agree to waive
the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy yes ma'am thank you do you have or have
you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership tax compliance a copy of the refusal
or referral photos and or plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing and have you
met with the RCO, and do you have a letter? Yes, ma'am. Okay, you may proceed. Mr. DiCicco,
I forwarded a packet roughly five days ago. I may have trouble sharing this, but I'll give it my best.
This is a situation where really all we're trying to do is legalize this situation out of the
blue many many months ago this uh individual and her uh her business which is a professional
dance studio perhaps one of the only ones in that particular area uh got cited for not being
properly zoned uh we jumped on the situation immediately uh starting addressing that filed
the necessary appeal. So we're not asking new construction, any additions, no extensions to the
dwelling, just simply to legalize that. We met with the RCO. We had a number of contacts with
them. We finally had a Zoom meeting with approximately 37 people attending, coordinated
coordinated by Celeste Hardister. And attached in the packet that I sent is a letter of support
that was dated October the 18th. We've also attached as Exhibit 2 the refusal. Exhibit 3
was the property deed. Exhibit 4 was the floor plan and elevation drawing designed by an architect
that we had retained jamie l kelly but we really don't i don't think need that in light of the fact
we're not looking for any construction we're just looking to legalize this um we've attached just
for your review seven color photographs uh i'm sorry then this is yeah is it possible to have
Yeah. Is it possible to have any pictures or anything shared? Because we have people asking questions.
any pictures or anything
Yes. Let me see if I can do that.
So if you have your documents that you're discussing open already, all you have to do is hit the green button at the bottom.
if it is a computer you're using hit the share button it's a i'm on a uh i'm on an ipad so i'm
i'm hitting the share and um then click on hit on the document
i don't see i don't see that as one of my options
once you hit the share button no documents come up for you to select no i i have them
I'm right in my Dropbox all set to go.
Yeah, I'm just having trouble.
Chair, the only reason why I requested it,
because we do have someone in the Q&A objecting to things,
but if there is nothing for the audience to review,
it's up to you how to proceed
yeah I'm just trying
Mr. Griffin
Tanya said there's someone out in the audience
who wants to speak on this case
Mr. Peter Gamillion
I believe he's
a nearby neighbor
we can allow him to speak as you wish
let's get his testimony
while we're working through the technical issues with Mr. Griffin.
Okay, Peter, you can wait for the chair to swear you in.
Good morning, sir.
Please spell your full name and I'll swear you in.
My full name is Peter Gomillion, P-E-T-E-R, last name G-O-M-I-L-L-I-O-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
Could you please proceed?
Yes. So I live next door to Jeanette's dance studio.
We're at me and my girlfriend, Dr. Kristen Whitaker at 534 Green Lane, directly abutting this property, requesting some sort of variance.
We wish to stand firmly against it. And for two reasons, I'll explain those two reasons.
starting with one their customers don't have anywhere to park and they're using the front
of our driveway as their parking lot I submitted an email showing photographic evidence of this
this blocking of the driveway happens on a daily basis and it's unbearable we're unable to get in
and out of our property. I've had to call the police a few times. And I also have been threatened
with some violence by one of her customers. And that's why we called license and inspection
before we, you know, try other means to get this activity to stop. I'm not sure if you can,
If you have that email I sent, I have an Arlo camera above our garage that shows them blocking our driveway on a daily basis.
Your objection is based on, correct me if I'm wrong, on the inconvenience that customers or patrons of the dance studio are causing you and your lady friend.
exactly it's it's it's it's the driveway it's the noise um they're operating no one lives there
but they're operating this commercial business right next to our home and you know 15 20 cars
come in daily early Saturday mornings all day Sunday and they're blocking our driveway
where there's confrontation when we're trying to get in and out of our home
um and we can't easily get in and out of our home without um some sort of confrontation
um the parents are taking their kids and leaving their vehicles and going to five three six green
lane in front of our driveway where we don't have access to the road you know in any sort of
emergency situations and also um we're inconvenienced and we're not we're not able to
enjoy our property and this commercial business next door um is a nuisance
and this commercial business next door is a nuisance.
Thank you. Mr. Griffin. I'd like to show my, I have photographic evidence and I'd like to share it.
Please. Now how, I sent it by email, would you like me to. So staff, I'm sorry sir,
do you have your information to share at the moment? I do. And it's up and ready to be put up
on the screen? It is. Okay, staff, could you please promote him to a panelist to give them
authority to share a screen? Yes, he's coming back in as a panelist now. Thank you.
Okay, so let me see. To share my screen.
Are you on a computer or laptop? I'm on a computer.
So at the bottom of your Zoom screen, you should see a button that is green and states share.
Oh, I see. Thank you.
But before you click on that, are your documents open?
They are.
Okay, so you should be able to click on a share, then touch on your document, and it should allow you to share the screen.
are you able to see my screen yes sir is the photographs you're showing is that your driveway
it is and as you can see um they don't have cars those are these two are red and black are our cars
and as you can see there's no parking for them to even do this activity they're doing
and they just get out their cars every every night you know nine ten o'clock at night kids
are screaming you know and they're just blocking our driveway we can't get out there's like 10 15
cars all all night and we can't leave and they show no respect and no consideration um for our
driveway sir excuse me is that red car in your driveway it is so okay i thought that red car
was his car the black car is a black and red car okay these are this is our this is 534 green lane
it's a townhome this is our driveway and as you can see through this evidence that they are blocking
our driveway i cannot leave the white car in the lower portion of that bottom uh photograph is not
your car it's not our car it's the next door neighbors to us to the right the dan studio is
to the left i don't know why they're pulling in front of our driveway does your neighbor
have your permission to park his or her car in your driveway
it's that white car it's a townhome i'm asking does the drug does the owner of that white vehicle
have permission to park in your driveway um if he would ask um i don't know i don't know why he
would park in my driveway he has his own driveway this is confusing isn't that his driveway that
he's parking in because it is a townhome i'm sorry can you repeat that yes the white car
is the owner of the townhome next to you correct isn't that his portion of the driveway
wait wait wait this is his where the white car is parked this is his driveway that's his
portion of the driveway correct okay so it's not someone who's not um residing in your property
or the townhouse it's your car the red and the red and black car belong to you and the white
belongs to the townhouse occupant correct correct they have their two spots we have our two spots
and your concern is in that one photo where people pull up block your driveway while they're
get out of the car and taking their kids into dance studio or or picking them up from dance
whatever they're doing whatever they're doing it's it's it's a lot well how long did the car stay
It's a minute too long. I've been threatened with physical violence. We're trying to get in and out. We can't get in and out.
I've been I've been you know we're trying to get in and out we can't get in and out we're being
ignored it was a time we were trying to get to the airport we're trying to go up the street to
ridge to get a COVID test we can't get we can't get out of our property I mean what is this but
those cars that the photograph you're showing with the red car the door is open they're not
permanently stopped there right they're discharging or picking up someone from the dance studio correct
they're they're there on a daily basis i understand but they're not parking permanently
they're just are they not parked are they not blocking my driveway sir they are for that minute
when they're letting their now it's not just a minute um because it's it's compounded it's this
minute after minute for 30 minutes a day daily understood what the rest of my life
sorry other than the parking situation do you have any objection to the activity or that the
business that is uh going on at this 536 green lane we do we do we do um and it's it's surrounding
the noise and the parking we can't we stand firmly in objection to it we stand firmly in
objection to any sort of approval with conditions because her customers have shown for the past
year that they will not find other suitable legitimate ways to carry out their business
so we certainly just are in again against it and totally all right thank you mr griffin
yes sir is your client the owner of this or did it have a lease no my client is the owner she is
present all right um we can address all these issues yeah please please proceed
uh jeanette are you uh on or someone could let her in mr chair can someone maybe jeanette share a
screen hi hi how are you yeah ma'am please spell your first and last name and i'll swear you in
And I would ask the previous witness, Mr. Gilman, Goldman.
The Million.
The Million.
Please take your screen down, please.
So, Jeanette, please spell your first and last name.
It's Jeanette, J-E-A-N-N-E-T-T-E.
And my last name is Rowling Julia.
that's r-a-w-l-i-n-g hyphen julia j-u-l-i-a you swear affirm the terrible truth the whole truth
nothing but the truth i do thank you please proceed um so just to comment um in regards to
Mr. Gamalion's comments. First of all, we're not open on Sunday at all. We're in the studio
Monday through Thursday. Our hours are roughly between 5 and 9.30 in the evening, and then
Friday, 6 to 7, and then on Saturdays, 9.30 to 1. To speak in reference to the pictures that he is
posting, I believe most of them are from last year. And last year, due to COVID, our parents
were not permitted into the building at all. So what we did was we developed almost like a pickup
line so that we could get our kids safely in and out of the building without cross-connecting
with the other group that was coming in. So no one was able to enter our building at all
other than the students. There was an issue with Mr. Gamaliel, and I did address it immediately.
I've sent multiple emails out to the parents to please not block the driveway. And on any occasion
where I see anyone pull up in front of his driveway, where their car would be butt up
against his curb, we have addressed it immediately. I have even gone out as far as to contact the
police, the Roxburgh, I guess it would be the police officer that handles community affairs
to try to address this with Mr. Gamaliel. And there was a meeting that was supposed to be set
up in the summer that never actually happened. I'm not sure why it didn't, but I was more than
willing to address this with him because we have been there for 25 years.
to address this with him because we have been there for 25 years um so of course my my first
concern was we really need to get this addressed addressed and taken care of what i will tell you
this year is that what the pictures that he is showing you that is not happening because our
parents need to actually park their car to come into the studio to pick up their children.
So our kids are not dismissed now unless a parent comes in and gets them. So they do have to legally
park. To address the whole issue with pickup, it literally is five minutes. Our classes end,
say if we have a 4.30 to 5.30 class, our class ends at 25 after 5 and our next class starts at
5.30. The whole pickup drop-off is literally five minutes at best. And we do not have classes
at 10 o'clock at night. And the kids that are leaving later at night are older children. Most
of them drive they're not out there partying on the street making a ton of noise
thank you okay mr griffin yes sir um were you able to get any photographs up or no
judge i just can't seem to be able to do it i'm having some sort of a glitch okay no no worries
all right um so your client she owns the property she's not a tenant correct
That is correct. She owns the property, not a tenant. This is not a situation where improvements are looking to be made or anything of the sort. Out of nowhere came Elle and I months back and said, you know, your zoning is incorrect.
So we look to address it. Really nothing more. Sent out notices. October 7th meeting with the RCO. Many of, I think, the members of that RCO had children that had passed through this dance studio for teaching.
um it's a wonderful uh long-standing uh tradition in this neighborhood uh and and all we're looking
to do is quote-unquote legalize it that's all understood thank you all right um any questions
from the board uh yes mr chairman do the attorney have any site plan do you have any
site plan parking pictures something to show to see what the physical problem is
we we do not have any parking pictures we do have uh three pages of an architectural design
which shows essentially the inside of the property, the basement floor plan, the ground
floor plan, and the elevation of the property. We do not have pictures of the outside of that
street area. This issue was never presented to us as an issue. It was not raised at the RCO level.
There is a free parking lot now, which is right around a corner that the parents now use that has not been around for hundreds of years.
so um this issue i think was in large part last year that was covid based uh and now all parents
are instructed to uh find a spot uh come in get your child and then leave and looking at the
photographs that that mr gomillion presented that was obviously what happened last winter
there's a lot of snow on the ground so my my guess is some of the on-street parking spaces
may have been taken up by snow piles that were put up as a result of snow plowing and stuff like