2008-04-04 TMIRANDA - Laserfiche WebLink

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WATANABE: Thank you. Any further questions for the testifier. None. Seeing none, thank you for your testimony, Mr. Rybar. And I guess you can expect a response from the Department, and I suppose we’ll have some inspectors out there eventually. RYBAR: Thank you very much. WATANABE: Okay. Mr. Domingo? DOMINGO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I surely concur with the Planning Director’s appraisal of the whole situation. And I think with regards to the so-call violations that were mentioned perhaps the only ones that I would look at is anything that is within the right-of-way that goes to the property and beyond. I think anything else that’s on the property in itself, you know, this is a contractor’s baseyard, contractor’s baseyard; and knowing the function of any contractor in construction, or steel works or whatever you’ll see, there would certainly be a lot of equipment/materials that may or may not be stacked out properly or neatly, as indicated by some of these pictures that we see here. But I would defer to the Planning Director’s comments; and if warranted, that they would do it. But, you know, I just, at the outset, I’m looking at this as a contractor’s baseyard. And if anyone would go and see a contractor’s baseyard in the Industrial area or wherever, you know, you probably would find the same conditions existing there and then out at Mr. Miranda’s property. I can think of one situation in which it’s not a special permit but it’s a use in a residential area, probably two lots away from a restaurant, that is cluttered up with iron works and materials of that nature, and which certainly is or may be an eyesore to people who drive by there. But it’s a use that has been granted. You know, that’s my whole appraisal of things and my opinion. WATANABE: Okay. Well, we’re in deliberations now; and it doesn’t seem like anybody has any pressing comments. But let me make this comment. You know, aesthetics is a real individual thing and times have really changed. There was a time when having a lot of junk around wasn’t, you know, pardon the expression but “wasn’t frowned upon.” But this is why I specifically brought up the issue of Condition No. 2 which states that they will comply with the Planning Department’s Rule No. 17, Landscaping. Because to Mr. Miranda some of these may be an organized mess and to Mr. Rybar’s client maybe it’s just a plain eyesore and a junkyard. I think these things would be very difficult and subjective. So, you know, I think the Planning Department went through great lengths to try and mitigate this by adding this in because really Rule 17 is a little, I think, little more than would be typically asked for in an agricultural area. And assuming that the plan approval process is going to address this Rule 17, the landscaping issue, I think you will have a tendency to mitigate much of this. I think the real issue here is whether Mr. Miranda now recognizes that the world has changed and, you know, it’s not a cowboy town anymore. We have different people moving in. You have to be a good neighbor so you minimize complaints. And what used to go before, you know, in the sixties you could pave right up to the State Highway and nobody would say anything about a permit, that’s not true today. Okay? And so, you know, it’s an adjustment for everyone, I think, culturally and also aesthetically. With that, if there are any other comments -. Yes, Mr. Rho. It seems like you’re ready. EXHIBIT A 20