 Good morning everyone and welcome to the May 14th 2019 City of Columbia Board of Zoning Appeals. My name is Chuck Sally and I serve as chair of the board and at this time I'd like to introduce the other board members. To my far left is Josh Speed, next to Josh Reggie McKnight, my immediate left is Jean Dinkins and then to my immediate right is Marcellus Primus and next to Marcellus Jenna Stevens and George Schaefer. I would also like to introduce the staff at this time at the table are Rachel Bailey and Hope Hastie and also serving as a land use board coordinator Andrea Wolfe is here as well. This board is charged with hearing applications for special exceptions, variances and administrative appeals. All testimony is recorded for the record and anyone wishing to speak will need to be sworn in and come to the podium to speak. No testimony may be taken from the floor. When you come to the podium please state your name and please speak clearly into the microphone because the meeting is being recorded. Applicants with cases before the board are allotted a presentation time of 10 minutes. This time also includes all persons presenting information on behalf of the applicant. This time limit does not include any questions asked by the board or staff regarding the case. Any member of the public may address the board in intervals of three minutes or five minutes if a spokesperson for an established body of a group of three or more. The applicant then has a five minutes for rebuttal. The board reserves the right to amend these limits on a case-by-case basis. Those of you who plan to speak must be sworn so if you're here to speak in any case please stand at this time and raise your right hand. Do you affirm or attest that the testimony you will give today is the truth and nothing but the truth? Thank you. This time I'd like to turn the meeting over to Miss Bailey. Good morning. The agenda is used by the board to approve non-controversial or routine matters by single motion and vote. If a member of the board or the general public wants to discuss an item on the consent agenda that item is removed and considered during the regular agenda. The board then approves the remaining items. The first item on the consent agenda is the approval of the April 9th, 2019 minutes. Case number two for 6420 Garner's Ferry Road and lots on Thurston Street. This is a special exception to permit alternative parking surface for a temporary overflow lot. Item number three, case 2019-0023 for 1801 Sunset Drive, 1809 Sunset and 1820 Marshall Street. This is a special exception to permit an alternative parking service. And item number four, case 2019-0024 for 1501 McDuffie Avenue, a variance to the secondary front yard setback requirements. So a member of the board has recused themselves from item number four, so two motions will need to be made on the consent agenda. Item four is on the regular agenda, right? Item number four is on the consent agenda. That's 1501 McDuffie Avenue. So just to be clear that we're getting ready to vote on all of those properties in the minutes of the meeting. So if you would like anyone in the audience wants that removed from the consent agenda and have discussion about it, speak now or forever. Hold your please. Anybody on the board? I'll accept a motion. To make a motion that we approve the consent agenda subject to any and all staff comment. Second. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed. Is that just for items one through three? Yes. Okay. Can that be specified in the motion? Yes. Would like to amend my motion, like to make a motion, we approve items one through three on the consent agenda subject to any staff comment. Second. So the motion has been restated. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. That motion carries. And then they'll just need to be a separate motion without Mr. Dingens for item number four. So we'll now with Mr. Dingens is recused from voting on this. And we'll I'll accept the motion to vote on item number four. Have a motion. Second. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Motion carries. 0019 for 2413 Dillon Street. This is a special exception to permit an automotive repair shop. If the applicant would like to come forward, they are welcome to now. Good morning. My name is Shannon Stokes. I'm a little under the weather. Apologize. But I did apply for a special exception under a seat. The gentleman to my right is my father, Robert Stokes, and he is actually going to manage the property. He is familiar with the property. I believe he's been knowing about the property for about 40 to 50 years. So if you have specific questions, he will be able to address those. He does have firsthand knowledge of the property. If I don't talk loud enough or talk too loud, I can't hear on this side. So let's tell him to talk up. I'll be glad to. I was first introduced to this property, 24 Dillon Street. When I was a soldier at Fort Jackson, I had an accident. Boyd Galloway was the owner at the time. They told my car and fix it. Later on, I went to Denner Day College and I was a student there. I had a problem with another car. Got it repaired there. Different owner than I went to work there while I was a student driving tow truck. So this property has been around. It has automotive repair, towing, bodywork for a number of years. It's property is fist in has adequate storage for cars. They don't have to be parked on the street and have adequate space inside the building to do repairs. No property gets 10 to 12 cars inside the building. So there's no problem with working outside or doing anything like that. I would say that. All the experience that I've had with this property, it has been very profitable to the city, the county and to the resident as a service to the people in the area. I don't think that it does anything contrary to the neighborhood. It's not a noise problem, not a trash problem or anything like that. We're glad to answer any question. It looks like this building is, backs up to us very close to, is that the Nuttalls? It's across the street from Nuttalls? Across Dillon Street? Yes. And you stated that all of the repair activities would be inside of the existing structure? Yes. We did not. When this property came available, I encouraged my daughter to buy it because I knew the history on it. We did not know what the rules were in terms of managing property. But since I'm retired, I will be there to make sure they're in compliance. If nobody, if they're not in compliance, any tenant that they will be immediately evicted, it's not going to be a problem. All the repairs will be made as soon as I leave here, I will go there and tell them that. Any other questions from the board? Is there anyone else that would like to speak in favor or against this application in the audience? I see none. I think you did a very thorough job of answering the criteria in your application. I don't really have any further questions about it. I think I understand it perfectly. Any other questions from the board? I'll accept the motion. I have to make a motion that we approve the special exception to establish an automated repair facility. Second. We have a motion and a second. I would like to request an amendment to that motion that it comply with all of the comments of staff in the application. That amendment is accepted. All in favor say aye. All opposed. That motion carries. Thank you very much. Next item on the agenda is item number seven. It's 2801 Schoolhouse Road. This is a variance to the sign display service area and sign height for non-residential use. There are two parts to this request. So just depending on the decision of the board, you can split the motions if need be, but it's a variance to the display surface area and also a request to change height. If the applicants present, they're welcome to come forward. I am here to represent 2801, my church's first church of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are new to the neighborhood and we are really working with the neighborhood and along with Miss Brenda Oliver and the Pinehurst Community Center. One of the things that we have done outreach, so what we've done just recently on Saturday, we invite the neighborhood, not just those in the neighborhood but those in the surrounding area to come. We have free food, free clothes, free whatever you might need for your house, for your family, for someone who you may know that's in need. We also give free hot meals. So we have been working in the community to bring the community up, to be a support to the community, to encourage to whatever we can to work along with the community and along with the Pinehurst Community Council. So we are just excited that we are in the community to help serve. We are excited that so many people have welcomed us in the area and so we're just trying to build some bridges where we all know that in that neighborhood as well as several other neighborhoods within the Columbia area. There's a lot of crime. There's a lot of homelessness. We see a lot of children that's going without. So it is incumbent upon us to help our fellow man, to help lift them up, to give a hand, give an encouragement, to give whatever we can to support them and let them know that we're here for them. So we are excited. We, I have been serving with the Pinehurst Community Council. I think we have a meeting this afternoon and we're going to talk about the back to school bash. I am 37 years. I've worked in Richland School District 1 and the Lord is good. I'm retiring in a couple of weeks. So I've been an educator for 37 years and I'm excited that I'm going to be able to get out in the community and maybe do some some teaching, some after-school kind of thing. So I'm just excited that we're in the neighborhood. I'm excited that the children are excited that that we're here, that we can help in any way possible. Like I said, tutoring, providing activities, providing material for homework, providing material for projects, so many times our children and our parents and our grandparents don't understand how to work, how do how do perform per projects and how to gather material. So I've been excited and I've been able to encourage grandparents because grandparents don't know how to do stuff like this. When grandchildren come home, they didn't have that in their school. So I'm just excited that we're here in the neighborhood and so we just want to be a light. We want to be a beacon of hope to the neighborhood and to work together. It's just so important to work together. So that's my presentation. This is some pictures that we took on Saturday when people were coming in. They were excited about getting food. They were excited about getting clothes and so I just took a couple pictures and wanted to share what we've done on Saturday and we usually have these kind of outreach projects every one to two months. So this is an ongoing thing. This is not something that we've done and and just stop. This is probably the third time that we've done this. At 2801 Schoolhouse Road and I think the next one is planned for the 29th of next month. And so we're, I know one of the persons said that they were in need of bus passes. So we want to get some of those things that the community is telling us that they need. So we're just working, working and just working together and helping each other so we can better the community and better ourselves and learn more about what we need to do as a church to help others. Thank you. Any questions? Is this going to be a lit sign? The monument or is it just a wooden sign? What's the materials? It's, can you repeat that? The materials for the monument sign? The materials will be brick materials and I think it would have some glass on it as well to protect the writing and some lighting as well. Is it, I guess what I'm trying to say is the sign lit from the inside or is it an uplift from exterior lighting? The sign is on the wall of the exterior of the church, the front of the church, that's where, and then we also, I'm trying to get a bigger sign on the, on the premises of the church. It's kind of like in the corner. The monument sign you're talking about. Yes, the monument sign. So that's my question. Is that monument sign lit from the inside? Yes, sir. It will be lit from the inside. And then the sign on the church, is that also a lit sign or is that just, just lit by up lighting? It is lit by, we have lighting right now, we have some lighting up, but it's not projecting what we want. So it is lighting that's on the, the wall of the, of the, of the church, of the, the front of the wall, front of the church if I'm understanding your question. Right, so the sign itself does not illuminate? No, sir. Not, not, not in the way that we want it. We want it to be really illuminated and to really, like I said, show and be a beacon of hope or be a beacon of light. And so we want more lighting and bigger signage. I have a question for you, Rachel. So this is the total, total signage on the residential is 40 square feet. And that's including both signs, the one on the building and the monument sign. Yes, it's 20 square feet of display surface area per frontage. And this building has two frontages. So they could total it to the 40 square feet. And that would apply to the monument and any signage on the building. Gotcha. Well, is there any questions from the, the board at this time? Is anyone else in the audience here to speak in favor or against this application? So I have a few questions on your application just on the responses. If you don't mind, can you give her a copy of the, of that? So, you know, the first question is, is to describe the extraordinary and exceptional conditions, i.e. the size, shape, topography of the property that pertain to the property that would, you know, warrant the special exception, excuse me, the variance. So I guess just from that, you know, my question there is, is there, you know, it, is, is this signage, you know, visible or is this going to be, you know, is this, is this adequate for it? You know, is it too, is because you have two street frontages and you want to have one on the side of the building or one sign, you know, as a monument sign. This is visible. Is it visible now? Right. Well, sir, we're asking for more signage because we want it to be, we want it to illuminate the wall and we want it to be bigger so every, so it can be seen through, not just throughout the community, but throughout the area. So we, we want the more signage. We're asking for more signage. So it can illuminate and be bigger and provide more lighting for what, for what we want. So a question again for staff. What would be the, the signage in a non-residential area, the requirement there? Each district, some districts allow 150 square feet of display surface area. If you get into the heavy commercial, they allow 300. So it's the residential. This is about, the residential part of this is what's really restricting her ability to put up a, what would normally be a residential zoning district. So that answer is number two, I think pretty clearly. We do have the support from the community as well. I did speak to Mrs. Brenda Oliver, who was the president of the Panhurst Community Council, and she acknowledged and did a type of letter of support in our efforts. Well, I think that, you know, I think I can see the thread that you're looking at here because of the fact that y'all are in a residential district is restricting this size that you can put your, of your signage. And you are, you know, talking about two signs as opposed to one, which, you know, it's, it's also, I think, you know, appropriate. I think that this signage looks, the signage on the building certainly looks appropriate for the size of the building. It doesn't look to me like it's, it's, you know, anything over the top there at all. So I think you look good there. And I think that it's not really a detriment. I don't see it as a detriment to the public. Good. So I thank you for your presentation. I ask if there's any other questions or comments from the board. And if not, I'll, I'll accept a motion. Well, I have just a couple of comments first. I'd like to say I really appreciate the extent to which you've done outreach to the community. I think that's been very effective. And, and oftentimes we have people come in front of us who haven't made that effort. So I want to thank you for doing that. I have a concern relative to criteria number one and three for this. I really don't feel like the application clearly explains any sort of exceptional conditions that would require larger signage. And I'm also, I don't feel like smaller signage necessarily would prohibit or restrict the utilization of the property in the way that the applicant is saying that they want to use it. So based on just what I'm seeing in the application, I would be compelled to vote no on this. If I may speak on Mr. Schaefer, um, what we're, what we're, what we hear for and what we are trying to do for our church is to illuminate where we are and just let people know that at this spot where you can see what the signage and where you could see our church name and our logo that will let someone in the community or someone without in the community just know that there's hope there. So we want that to illuminate the city. So you're trying to let your light so shine is what you're saying. And, and I mean, and it's not that we can't do what we want to do without it, but we want it to, to illuminate the area. We want people to see that we hear if there's someone in need. I mean, we want that to, to, to really glow. We are really working hard in our community. And we want that, that, that signage. We want that lighting to, to illuminate. I was thinking about that, that lighthouse, you know, when you are out on a boat and your, your boat is, is reckless and you, you feel like there's no hope. You feel like there's no one that can trust. You know, you're on this boat and the boat maybe is sinking and you can see the lighthouse. You can see it's shining and it's illuminating everywhere. So I think about that when I think about people and their lives and their struggles, when they see that light, they know that's a place where I can go and get some help. So to me, that's the part of the illumination. That's a part of the lighthouse for safety and security, for hope, for help, for food. When I'm hungry, I can't feed my children. So for us, I'm passionate about this. I'm sorry. But for us, for me, that illumination brings, it draws in town, out of town. We're here for the community and we, we, we want to be seen throughout the Columbia area, not just in the Pinehurst community, but throughout whole community, the Columbia area. So that's why we ask for the bigger signage of more life. That's, that's the passion. I appreciate that. I think you tell a really compelling narrative and I wish that was one of the six criteria for this. But it doesn't change my view on, on that the applicant has not met other criteria, number one and three on this application. So George is exactly right. We, we are, you know, subject to your request has to be based on one of the criteria that's presented in the application. And that's what we, that's what we as the board have to, to work with. And I believe that you do have a legitimate claim for the variance in that you are a church in a residential area that has limited the amount of signage that would be normal for a church. And you're requesting two signs, both of which are slightly above what would be the total allowable square footage in that, in that district. And you have approached, you know, the, the, the neighbors and neighborhood about this, which I think is important in this case, because that's the, you know, the, the criteria of, of the, for the public, public good and is important. And, you know, so that's to me, if the neighborhood doesn't feel like that the signage would be injurious to them, then I feel like, you know, that, that takes that criteria. But to that point, I do agree with that the property was posted in neighborhoods and neighbors had not only is there no one here, I think there's no one here to speak against it, we've got a letter of support from the Pinehurst Community Neighborhood Council in support of this. So I'm always very sensitive to the surrounding neighborhood and the neighbors. And the fact is that you're not the opposing for the supporting it. Testing. You can hear some as well. Hello. Well, I'd like to make a motion that the board approve this request that the, the criteria for this variance have been met and that we approve the request subject to the comments of staff. Second. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. No. No. Motion carries. Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a great day. There are no other items on the agenda today. Fantastic. I'd like to make a motion that we adjourn. Second. All in favor say aye. We're now adjourned. So if one of us opposed it.