I think our executive director will provide some assistance. Yes, please. Thank you so much.
Here we go.
That's just, yeah, I was hoping somebody was here for that.
We keep them in the back. We bring them out.
I feel like that's an asset right there.
Who do you want? Oh. Oh, hello. Um, I can you please state your name? My name is Shahida McIntosh. Um, I currently. Oh, Shahida. S. H. A. H. I. D. as in dog. A. H. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth? The whole truth. Nothing but the truth. Yes, I am a petitioning to open up a group home.
I currently work for DHS and felt the need for a transitional home between the ages of 16 through 21
for youth that are aging out of any type of services. I currently have a building that
has been fully renovated and ready for occupancy. I have overwhelming support from my co-workers,
my supervisors, and things of that nature because right now what I do is hands-on with that
demographic of children most times. It will be a fully staffed 24 hours with conflict
resolution training and all the bells and whistles that is needed in order to open up
the facility successfully. I have been told that I would have even more support with the
local churches and things of that nature, which I also will reach out and try to add
to. There will be financial training for them to be able to move forward into the CTA program where
they can move into their own housing afterwards. So we're connected also. The whole goal of my
facility is to get people life ready, my children life ready. There's a need there right now,
whereas a lot of kids after 18 are unfortunately not in position to do so, and I'm hoping to fill
that need okay we're here um i can go into well we got to share we sharing already
so open up first don't share first okay let's open first
I'm going to share, desktop, share, just share, share, hold on.
should be a green button there somewhere see it yeah i had to allow y'all
all right we have someone else yeah we here here we go here we go there we go all right let's see
If we full screen it, though. All right. So this will be the first floor.
This is the after the entrance is behind us. This is where the cooking will be made. All children will.
after the entrance is behind us this is where the cooking would be made all children will eat
upstairs but cooking will be done by staff made just for cooking downstairs first bedroom
that's a bedroom one at first floor yes how many bedrooms all together five and how many
seven you want seven students yeah i don't want even though the facility could maximize at like
eight or nine honestly nine i want to go seven six because i don't want to have people over
top each other one one comfortable um two bathrooms also and i want to facilitate towards women well
girls so second bedrooms and also an exit i was considering um mandating this to more staffing
i don't want no one sleeping is a 24-hour walk facility so i don't want to make an area for a
lounge, but because that's also an exit, I feel more comfortable potentially making that an area
for clerical and things of that nature. This is the downstairs that you saw. That's just the
basement. So you saw two bedrooms. You saw a basement. The basement will be a library and
schoolwork area. No bedrooms in the basement. No bedrooms in the basement. Just schoolwork
and things of that nature. And then we have the second floor.
Not yet the living room in the 1st floor. That's just a bedroom potential 2nd bedroom in where they will be cooking was on the 1st floor.
This is the 2nd floor.
You might want to talk about where you're going to have your referrals to.
I'm sorry, your referrals out for how would you get people?
oh dhs um i am after they say yes that's what i'm praying for i can go ahead and start with
my contract to dhs okay and i'm just trying to get you a second video here it comes
this is the second floor
as you see it goes straight up door to door
that's the another bedroom in the back
closet space things that nature filling in second bathroom
This will be the lounge and eating area for the children.
And washroom for hands and cleaning up the areas.
I removed the second stove that was there.
I don't think it was necessary, but dishes and cleanup will be up here.
Again, living area, eating area.
And then to the next, it's the, the next two bedrooms, this is the primary, it's very large
and then it's one where it's going to come at the end.
and that's the facility in a nutshell on the outside so the bathroom is on the first and
second floor yep okay first and second floor is the bathrooms only now if we can find this back
um if you would like to see pictures at the front of the building
that's open all right there we go
there we go front of the building
and that's the front there's no need to change anything inside of everything's ready all i have
do now is buy the beds and the furniture and the things that the children will need and that's okay
questions from the board what's your what's your staffing uh ratio to children to staff at all
times uh the ratio is one to six but um i've so it needs at least two i depending on the budget i
I will also try to keep a third in there will always be a cleaner on site so that does not that's not going to be a part of the ratio, but they will be important is to step in as in having all the clearances and all that good stuff if needed.
if needed so it's always going to be two with the also staff of the cleaner
So it's always going to be to with the also staff of the cleaner.
what about you what's your role are you going to be there
yep i'm an active administrator certified administrator so i'm the person so i'll be there
most times okay question all right um so you've never run a facility like this before no i've
I've just worked for. And have you worked at facilities like this? I have. Okay. And can you give me a little idea of what you've you've done? Well, I worked for Brightside. I was helping run the one in Germantown where it was children younger for sure. Um, that's why I went into DHS and started working with older children because I felt as though I need that, that, um, that history for myself in order to make sure I'm comfortable with the demographic. Although I ran facilities for children,
younger it was you know i i felt so that ran close enough and with the added two and a half
years almost three years at dhs i knew i could kind of put the two together okay and so what i
heard you say is this is going to be for um residents who are like 16 to 21 and you're going
to try and just do uh this will be for uh young ladies okay all right for sure and then um i guess
i'm trying to get a sense of where these bedrooms are so okay did i hear you correctly that there's
one on the first floor okay and then there are two on the second floor second floor has one and then
two on the third but it's actually two on the bottom but again i was saying that i don't think
i'm going to utilize that second bedroom because it's also an exit i have to talk to i want to i
actually want to talk to somebody in dhs more or less when i get the contract if that's even if
that's a feasible thing i personally think it's not so it's a good chance i'm just going to use
the four bedrooms which is the one on the first floor one on the second two on the third again
which will maximize it at probably six if i do that so yeah so you're talking four bedrooms yeah
And six kids then occupants, not seven.
Not seven, if I don't use that last one.
And you said that you are going to have like a library study area in the basement?
Correct.
Is there any kind of bathroom facilities in the basement?
It's just right above the steps of the basement is the bathroom.
All right.
And then the bathrooms are on the first floor and the second floor.
Correct.
Okay. So you're going to have two bedrooms on the third floor, but there's no bathroom up there.
Correct. There's no bathroom on the third floor.
Okay. So then you're going to have three residents sharing the one bathroom that's on the second floor. Is that how this is going to work?
No, because they can also use the one upstairs. It's not like they're...
No, what I'm saying is...
I'm sorry.
If there's no bathroom on the third floor...
Oh, yeah, they're going to be coming down. Yes.
they have to come down yes the one on this yes correct yep all right so you're going to have
basically well however many how you're going to do this with the ratio of sharing and what have you
um you're going to have uh more of the residents using this one bathroom that's on the second
floor then you would have in terms of just the whoever has access to the first floor bathroom
Both bathrooms will be fully accessible for everyone. So it's up to whether or not they want to come down to the first floor from the third, they probably would prefer to go to the second floor. But second floor can come down to the first, third can go to the first. Everybody will have both ones. I'm not going to say you can only go to these bathrooms. It's literally for both of them. So they can go to either one. There is no, you know, designated like that.
Thank you.
Any other questions?
questions from our attorney um yes um so the lease that you provided to us was only for one unit
so it appears that you're using both units okay so in order for the board to to vote on this
matter we need proof that you can or have permission to lease both units i gave you a letter
so we need a lease but the lease okay so it's supposed to be for the whole thing that's there's
no two units seriously because it's not zoned for two units so he only put the one because
it's considered one right well he doesn't have a rental license for two units right so it's
but it's divided into but it's divided into two there was a zoning like there was a zoning permit
issued for that previously um but so it specifically says unit one and it says two
beds and one bath on your lease does it yes so we need to we need a lease that indicates you are
does it yes so we need to we need a lease that indicates you are leasing the entire building
i can get that now yeah so so we can we can finish today's hearing but the board just won't
be able to vote until we receive that because that is your proof of standing to be here okay
so she's willing to supplement what she submitted yes no and that's we can get the lease i'll get
it like now yeah no that's that's that's fine that's fine but i just wanted to bring that to
attention because what was what was in the paperwork was not consistent with what you were
presenting okay so yeah and i and i i see where there's it was the property was split up but it
hasn't been right leased as two units so but it didn't say those rooms so i understand what it
just it just needs to say yeah it just needs to indicate the entire structure and not a particular
unit because it says unit one two bedrooms one okay so how does that work just look what okay
what we'll do is we'll vote next week oh okay next wednesday right yeah as soon as we get
the lease we can vote the next hearing day okay that's fair thank you yes no problem questions
or comments from the virtual audience i see no he's at this time chair any commission thank you
chairman and good morning david bector with the city planning commission chairman and board members
the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the rsa 5 residential single family zoning at this
location in 2014 the city rezoned this neighborhood in a council supported map change
the appellant has shown that the proposed group living will cause no detrimental impacts to the
neighborhood beyond what might reasonably be expected the city planning commission recommends
that the board grant the proposed special exception for group living thank you so um what
we'll do is we're going to hold this to next wednesday we'll an executive session we'll view
the lease it's closed everything else is closed relative to this and we'll handle this one next
wednesday morning at 9 30 a.m okay all right maybe we'd be excused oh you most certainly could
Thank you.
Thank you.
Number 15.
okay number 15 mi 2025 006 494 216 durant street
Mark Hanala is the owner. There's unanimous support from West Mount Airy Civic Association.
Mark, last name starting with H, will be joining us as a panel.
Hello. Good morning, everyone.
Good morning. Good morning, Mark.
Could you please state your name as spelled for the stenographer?
Yes, it is Mark Hanala, last name spelled H-A-N-N-A-L-L-A-H.
Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
This application is for the erection of a rear deck in the existing structure.
DEX MUST BE CONSTRUCTED THAT ALL VERTICAL SUPPORT ELEMENTS ARE LOCATED A DISTANCE OF 18 INCHES
FROM ALL LOT LINES WHEREAS THE PROPOSED UNIT IS A MINIMUM DISTANCE OF 18 INCHES FROM ALL LOT
lines. Our vice chair has a few questions.
Good morning. Have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing?
Hi. Good morning. Yes, I have.
Okay. And you heard the chair read your referral. Do you stipulate to its accuracy?
Okay. All right. Thank you. You can share your screen and proceed with your case.
Mark, is the deck up already?
Yes, it is.
Okay. All right. Thank you.
Great. I'll share my screen.
There you go. You're coming up.
Great. Here we go. I can just start by quickly speaking to why the...
Why don't you tell us what you're doing? We'll start there.
Okay. Yeah, so I am building a deck.
I initially started the deck process through the easy permit process.
and I passed the initial kind of footing inspection of the easy permit but then when
but then when it came time to review the the final deck um the the inspector said oh it's
it came time to review the final deck
built differently than the easy permit way you actually need a building permit so now i'm going
through um through the building permit process and and there's a zoning uh permit requirement
as as part of that so um here is a picture of the deck um in this picture you can see
you know part sorry part of the necessity as to why the the posts are where they are
this is a driveway that goes into the the back you know garage and the post is placed just to
the the side of the driveway if we look throughout the neighborhood we can see this is consistent
with how all the decks are built these are the driveways and the posts are to the side of the
driveways. I have a couple examples of this. The West Mountain Aries neighbors, the RCO group,
all support this and I also have signed signatures from the neighbors to the left
and the right of me that say they have no objections to what I'm trying to accomplish here.
uh is there any other details you'd find helpful questions from the so ellen i stopped you right
ellen and i told you to stop to get the zoning um yes they told me that i cannot proceed with
the easy permit and that i needed to proceed with a building permit okay good um questions on the board
questions from our attorney not at this time mr chair or since or comments from the virtual audience
i see no hands at this time chair planning commission thank you chairman and good morning
david vecto with the city planning commission chairman and board members the comprehensive
plan recommends a change in zoning at this location from rsa 5 residential single family
to RSA 3 Residential Single Family.
This deck is proposed to be built to, looks like, replace an existing deck.
However, the proposed deck will increase the current nonconformity.
The appellant has not shown that they would suffer an economic detriment
if they are not allowed to expand the existing nonconformity.
The City Planning Commission recommends that the Board deny the proposed dimensional variance.
Thank you.