office of councilwoman cindy bass i was a little surprised with the low attendance for that meeting
um and as uh cheryl had mentioned allison comes to everything and uh they did not show up so you
You know, they have no representation here today either.
So I'm kind of wondering whether or not they actually received the notice.
And if you're going to hold this, perhaps we might want to try to see if we can have something else with the community.
Because it really was a very low attendance at this meeting.
I don't object to that, Mr. Chair.
i mean again this is the community's plant that uh that they were busted so i'll be happy to meet
again okay um we have the time okay do we want planning to take a position or you want to wait
okay um maybe you're with the planning commission yes i can speak to the new proposal
um the planning sorry the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the rsa5 residential
single-family zoning at this location this property has a documented history of gone for
commercial and second floor residential the conversion to residential is more in line
with the residential zoning of this property however four units is not the least minimum
the planning commission recommends that the board grant the proposed variance for multi-family with
proviso max two units. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the input from the Planning Commission as always
to ask for two units on the property this large would basically give us two single family homes,
which would not at all be affordable for this community. Okay, thank you. So
at all be affordable for this community. Okay, thank you. So, Hillary, the way I look at this
would be a resumptive hearing, am I correct? I don't think we need to do that because we have
had public testimony today as well as the recommendation of the Planning Commission,
but I think we can leave the record open for any additional feedback from the public based on the
revised proposal as well as the question i'm having really is the date um at least probably
about 30 days before we voted we would vote this um it should take no more than that to get a revised
refusal so yeah yeah um and so in the first week in july we do not have hearings um so july we
could say july 9th at 2 p.m all right we're going to continue this to july 9th at 2 p.m
it's closed other than additional information from the rco am i correct yeah for it then the
information from the public regarding the revised plan and then the revised use proposed use and
then the amended refusal okay okay thank you thank you and um verne i think i have one more here yep
MI 2024-006-537-3740
North 18th Street
There's a letter of unanimous opposition
from the 13th Ward RCO
Vote was 7-0
Why not just state your name
and our vice chair has a few questions
good afternoon counsel do you agree to either read another refusal or stipulate to its accuracy
i do have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that's needed to
proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing i have thank you uh council please
proceed thank you i believe i'm sharing my screen already this property is here's proper posting
This property was initially proposed to be a three-family dwelling.
It's a three-story building on a street with, although a significant number of single-family
homes, also two- and three-family dwellings.
We had a series of meetings.
After the first, it was requested that we reduce the size to a duplex, which we did.
We had a second meeting with the same folks who proposed it.
The idea that they've sent a letter of opposition is inconsistent with the feedback that we've received thus far.
So I'm not. Of course, we did not. I did not get that letter.
But 137 households were, in fact, mailed.
And let me show you the.
The rest of the.
Property.
Mr. Chair, just for some housekeeping, there is a tax certification issue that needs to be
clarified. Attorney Emerson has informed me that the vote would be held until that is sent over to
you. Here's the basement. Basically, it's no living space. That's about, here's your washer
and dryer and it's stairs for the first floor apartment. Up the front of the stairs into the
porch there's an entry. If you make a right after when you get to the entry and up to the hallway
you'll be led upstairs to the second and third floor. If you go straight you'll be led into the
first floor unit, where you'll have a large living room, large eating kitchen, full
bath, and a bedroom. Trash storage in the rear.
we go to the right and go up the stairs
we'll be taken to the second
floor unit
which leads you into the eat-in kitchen
we have a little
study nook
and a living room
the full bath
and a bedroom
in the back of the property.
The top floor
is a little family room area
for TV, for gaming,
For TV, for gaming, and the master bedroom with the master bath at the top.
and the master bedroom.
So these are the revised plans as a result of the first meeting.
And it was my understanding that that was the request of the community.
Vern, can I interrupt for one second?
I have a letter from the 13th Ward and a meeting summary that was received as of the 28th, and it says that seven support, support with provisos, seven individuals supported from the RCO committee.
and uh that was my understanding as well i don't know if mr richardson has to be identified for
the translator for the trend i think our translator knows okay good and i just wanted
to confirm that we did receive that letter just this morning and i was going to mention that in
my comments that wonderful okay that we yeah they changed it was initially opposed okay so then
that's consistent right yes then after yeah then yes we just got that this morning that they are
okay so that makes more sense all right great thank you mr richardson thank you mr richardson
thank you attorney emerson yeah that makes sense then i'm no longer scratching my head internally
so which is great so um that's the property here's some interior
property is renovated uh when my client purchased it he's tearing out one of the kitchens
to make sure that
this is a duplex.
You know, but
can you hear me?
I thought you were sending me something.
Here's the letter that was
mailed. The address is
to which the notice went.
And 137 households met.
Because my client worked tirelessly with the neighbors in this
particular one to reduce the number to a living space that
makes sense for both the community and the owner because my client purchased this as a triplex and
is willing to convert it to a duplex and because we enjoy now overwhelming support of the neighbors
and I'm assuming the support of the community council member's office supporting the RCO's
position I'm requesting respectfully that this board grant the variance with that
Mr. Travis Glover, if he could raise his hand
and be recognized, I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
We should be coming back in as a panel shortly.
Thank you.
sir could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer
my name is travis glover that's t-r-a-v-i-s glover g-l-o-v-e-r
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,
tell the truth, nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you.
Mr. Glover, did you hear what I said
to the zoning board today?
Yes, sir.
Is it true and accurate, to the best of your knowledge?
Yes, sir.
And do you adopt it as your own testimony?
I thank you.
Thank you.
I'm looking further.
Questions for the board?
Yes, I have a few questions.
One, how are the second floor unit going to have access to the trash that's stored at the rear?
Let's take a look at the plants.
They're unable to get to the rear from the outside. I believe that trash will be
held inside based on the community request that there be a closet somewhere built out
on the second floor for the trash okay i didn't see one and you didn't it wasn't pointed out yeah
i usually highlight it if it's there um but that was the request of it and
um but that was the request of it and that's the that is the trash plan for the second floor unit
okay so the three bins that are shown on this on the first floor plan are only for the first
floor unit that was that was originally uh with one for each unit originally we didn't pull out
one but yes generally it's to show where the first floor would put their trash okay then my
second question is what is going on in the basement now that it's been revised to a duplex
because we didn't talk about it in this presentation first floor will have access for washer dryer
and i'm assuming maybe some storage but no living no living space is that mr glover if you could
just confirm what i just said to the board that is correct thank you and then so uh just trying
to recount how much work has been done. It looks like the property was purchased in 2023 and all
of the listings show it being listed as a single family property with six bedrooms and three
bathrooms. So I just want clarity on like what has happened since sale. Well, since purchase,
when he purchased it, it was all built out for the multi. Mr. Glover, would you like to explain
this to the board member as well that's that's exactly as it was when we purchased it everything
was already separated what we're doing is taking out a kitchen to accommodate the community thank
you so all the lni violations had been cleared before purchase
to the best of my knowledge okay so there was like no structural no nothing when
purchase? No. Oh, no, no.
They should say closed out.
They should. They do, but they say that
it was sealed, so I'm trying to wrestle with the fact that
the listings show a property that has not been
renovated, and the photos that were being shown of a renovated property are saying that's what they were
at sale, and that's different than every listing at the time of
it's there on the internet so yeah other questions well the one issue that i bring up every time i
see plans like this is that you've got to go through the bedroom to get to the backyard which
is a horrible living situation to have friends and family having to go through your bedroom to
uh to access trash now your trash is in your backyard you have to bring it through your
bedroom. It's just a horrible layout to have it set up that way. So you clearly have a breezeway.
There's an opportunity to get a doorway out to the side and not have to go to one's bedroom to go
to access the yard. Well, actually, as a correction, if you would, Vern, if you would
show the entrance to the first floor unit.
When you come in and you turn to the left,
I mean, you turn to the right before the entry into the unit,
right to your right between the first and second floor
is space for a vented closet to go for first and second floor.
And it's right next to a window as well.
That would be right in the front there where the first entry door is to the right of it.
Here, Mr. Glover?
A little further over to the right into the corner.
That corner there is enough space for two garbage cans and a vented unit.
I mean, a vented closet.
That is what we discussed with the RCO.
okay i'm just not based on the scale of your plan though that that what you just described won't
work but nonetheless the issue is not having to go through the bedroom to go access the backyard
and perhaps used to that breezeway might be something we can do as well
once we get to the building code the building plan uh building permit uh phase of this
uh questions or comments from our attorney
Not at this time, Mr. Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I do not see any hands, Mr. Chair.
Planning wants to take a position now.
Am I correct?
The only thing we're going to hold for is taxes.
Am I right?
Amy Boyd with the Planning Commission.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning at this location from the existing
residential single family.
The appellant has shown that there are unique physical conditions or circumstances that
would prevent the property from being used in conformance of the zoning code.
The Planning Commission recommends the board grant the request variance for two families.
the planning commission recommends the board grant the request of variance for two families
okay um hillary are we going to give a date or they'll notify us when they have the taxes straight
once we receive it then we'll okay good okay thank you ver but mr richardson has his hand raised