Let's go ahead and get going.

I'll call us to order.

Welcome everybody to the July 28th, 2020 meeting of the City Frederick Zoning Board of Appeals.

Before we get started on tonight's business, I'd like to go over some information about the ZBA and specifically about our procedures tonight.

Definitely in the light that we're meeting virtually.

And even though we've run through a couple of sessions this way fairly smoothly, we might have a hiccup or two.

So just to refresh everybody's memory, we'll go ahead and go through the whole process for everyone's edification.

So it's a little bit of background.

It's the responsibility of the zoning board of appeals to authorize on appeal in specific cases the variance from the terms of the city's zoning regulations to hear and decide special exemptions to the terms of the zoning regulations, and to hear and decide appeals of agreed party where it's alleged there's been an error in an order requirement decision or determination made by an administrative officer in enforcement of the land use article of the annotated code of Maryland or any law adopted under that, which includes the city of Frederick's land management code.

We members of the zoning board of appeals, we conduct these responsibilities in accordance with the city's land management code and Maryland state law.

The members of the zoning board of appeals are all volunteers.

We are all residents of the city.

Members are appointed by the mayor, and those appointments are then confirmed by the Board of Aldermen.

The board is comprised of five voting members and one alternative member.

Board is also supported in our activities and our efforts by members of the city staff for everybody's benefit.

I'll go ahead and introduce those individuals who are supporting us tonight.

We have Gabrielle Collard and do we have Brandon?

Yes, we have Brandon Mark as well from the planning department.

We have Stephen Davis from the city's legal department.

And the most critical of our support staff, we have Jessica Murphy here with us.

She's the office manager for the planning department.

And in addition to her many, many responsibilities, she supports the ZBA and all the work that we do.

So for tonight's procedures.

Tonight's procedures will be conducted virtually due to the ongoing health emergency.

In accordance with the governor's executive orders, members of the ZBA, staff, and applicants will all be attending the meeting remotely.

Complete proceedings will be televised on Channel 99 and available for streaming on the city's website.

Public comment will be accepted on each one of our agenda items.

Those wishing to make public comment will be asked to call 301 600 1213 during the staff presentation of the item that they would like to make comment on.

If you didn't get that number the first time around, don't worry.

I have a feeling that I will probably say it about two dozen more times through the course of the meeting.

We'll remind everybody at home to make sure if somebody wants to call in that they're able to do so.

All the calls will be answered in the orders that they're received and will be transferred to the live feed of the meeting accordingly.

Each person wishing to make public comment will be asked to state their name and their address as well as being sworn in by myself before providing any testimony on the agenda item.

Note for applicants.

Seeing that we only have one item of new business and we have uh our applicant on the uh line already.

I feel that we're in good stead.

Um we call uh for your presentation after the staff presentation.

We'll ask you to announce your name as well as the members of anybody on your team who will be presenting the evening.

At that time, I will read uh the swearing-in oath, and each member of the team will be asked to state their name and signify um I thereafter.

Um remembering that all members of the team not speaking at any one time should remember to meet their microphones.

Um has been voted on, we ask that any of the applicants um promptly leave the meeting.

Once again, we only have one item on the agenda tonight, so I think that we're in good stead there.

Under these unusual conditions, board members, staff, and myself, we are all going to do the very, very best that we can under these circumstances.

We are most assuredly going to probably make some mistakes, even though we've done this a couple times already.

And we do appreciate everybody's patience and bearing with us as we work through any difficulties that might crop up in the course of the meeting.

The general order of business for each case will be as follows.

First, I will call and introduce the case.

And any staff recommendations that staff might want to share with the ZBA.

Staff members presenting will all introduce themselves.

Staff members will be sworn in.

Staff will enter the report into the record.

And as the first in our many reminders, anyone in the public wishing to give comment on this item should call 301 600 1213.

ZBA may ask questions of the staff as follows, following the staff report.

Each member of the ZBA will state their name and respond with the questions that they have or no questions if that's the case.

Fourth, I will ask for the presentation of the case by the applicant.

Applicant will be asked to state their name and also name all the members of their team who might be presenting so that we have those names for the record.

Applicant and the team members will be sworn in.

Just like with the staff, the applicant and members of the team should respond by stating their name and saying I do if they agree with the conditions of the swearing in.

Fifth, I will ask the members of the ZBA if they have any questions of the applicant.

We'll again conduct a roll call of the ZBA members, see if they have any questions.