2003-02-21 tkamuela - Laserfiche WebLink

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GALDONES:All those opposed, say nay. Motion carried. Could we have the Applicants, Corporation Counsel and the IntervenorsÓ representative, please come forward? Mr. Figueiroa, I have already sworn you in. For the other two parties, could you please raise your right hands? Did I swear the rest of the parties in? TESTIFIERS:Yes. GALDONES:IÓm just having a senior moment here. Okay. Mr. Figueiroa, as the representative of the Applicants, you may have the first opportunity to present oral arguments. FIGUEIROA:I see. Just for a point of clarification, would that mean, also, that I would have the opportunity to give the concluding argument, pursuant to your rules? GALDONES:Yes, as a rebuttal, yes. FIGUEIROA:Do you wish me to proceed now? GALDONES:Yes, you may proceed. FIGUEIROA:Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Commission. My name is Roy Figueiroa. IÓd like to clarify that IÓm not an attorney. IÓm one of JehovahÓs Witnesses. Now IÓve known many of these people about 40 years ago I walked this same area, going from house-to-house, when I lived on this island. And I really enjoyed the hospitality of these people and the people in the community. So the point is that the members of this congregation, many of them have been here a very, very long time, and still they donÓt have a permanent place to observe their worship. TheyÓve been moving from place-to-place trying to establish a place that they could carry on their worship, and they found that itÓs not easy to find. Even the Planning Director testified that itÓs hard to find zoned locations where churches which is why, according to the Director, they look favorably upo an agricultural district. Now he does have some opinions on the limitations that would be placed on this but, as he said, it could be a special use in an agricultural district. So what we have before you, then, is an application for that special use. The question came up during the proceeding is does the Planning Commission have the right to approve that use? It sounds like the Planning Director believes so. The Hearings Officer, also, believes that. But the Intervenors would have you to believe otherwise, that you donÓt have the right. They believe that the right was taken away by Ordinance No. 889, and their belief was discussed in the course of the hearings; but that opinion was rejected by the Hearings Officer. After all, the State Land Use regulations say you have the right to approve Special Permits for lots less than 15 acres. The County Charter enabled you 12