Hi.

You ready, Gus?

Okay.

Tell me when you're ready.

Do you want to leave it there for minutes like Dennis, leave it here for minutes?

Dennis.

Almost two months, no problem.

Counselors, would you take your seats?

We're going to be getting beginning in a moment.

Anyone that wants to speak, there is a sign-up sheet at the podium at the door.

If you'd like to go sign up.

I know some people have signed up already and some haven't.

So if anybody wants to, we'll leave it there for a couple more minutes.

So anybody want to sign up?

And the new people that just walked in the door, there's a sign-up sheet if you'd like to speak.

You can sign up at the at the podium.

Okay, counselors take your seats.

Thank you very much.

This is a committee on appointments and briefings.

It is January twenty-eighth, twenty twenty-six and is seven oh three.

No, this meeting is being live streamed and recorded.

City Council and commit committee meetings can be viewed on the CW Bedford's homepage under quick links, then meetings.

So today in the chamber we're joined by a counselor at large, Ian Abro.

I saw him, I walked in with him.

He's not in his seat.

Counselor for Ward 2, Scott Pemberton.

Council for Ward 1, Leo Choquette, Council Ward 5, Joseph Lopes, Council at Large, James Roy, Council for Ward 3, Sean Oliver, and Councillor at Large, Jane Burgo.

Thank you all for coming.

And I'm Naomi Carney, Chair of Appointments and Briefings.

And thank you all for coming.

Would you like anything to read in the record?

Nothing.

Okay.

Item number one is a written motion, Councillors Oliver requesting that the Committee on Appointments and Briefings schedule a meeting prior to Thursday, February twelfth, twenty twenty-six City Council meeting for the purpose of allowing the residents of Illinois, Ohio, Jerry, Maryland, and Appleton Streets a forum in which they may voice any concerns regarding the proposed ordinance amending chapter nine comprehensive zoning specifically as it relates to parking requirements under appendix C.

Table of Parking and Loading Requirements to be referred to the Committee on Appointments and Briefings.

Um be it as it may, there may be some miscommunication or whatever um that the neighborhood might have uh felt uh slighted as far as representation when it came to the the drafting and um uh ultimately voting on this ordinance.

Um most of that obviously had uh circled around a proposed development that's um floating around the idea uh is floating around in for this neighborhood, so they had some additional concerns as well.

Um those two things, uh this ordinance and that development were are running in two different um tandems and in two different venues.

Um I felt it necessary for folks to still come in and uh voice those concerns.

So here we are uh with a additional forum in which that neighborhood can do so.

Um but with that being said, although they have concerns with the development, um it's this is a citywide ordinance.

Um it's not gonna be a uh uh it we have to almost take a one-size-fit-all approach, knowing fair well that it's not going to fit every neighborhood, and that's why we have other mechanisms in place, such as the planning board and zoning board and inspectional services that are going to oversee any developments that come to be anyways.

Um but this is their opportunity to voice what their concerns are with this ordinance.

Um I just hope that the the folks I see it looks like they're here to take advantage of that, so I'm happy that it ended up working out and uh appreciate the opportunity for them to come in and give us their feedback on it.

So thank you for the opportunity to uh counsel Abrew.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Um of the points I was going to made my make my esteemed colleague from War 3 already made, but just to kind of piggyback a little bit off of that, um, just to be clear and transparent.

Um there's no killing of this ordinance tonight.

There's no killing of the China buffet development proposal.

I don't want to make sure anyone's being misled.

That's not the purpose of this hearing.

This purpose of this hearing, which I voted for and I supported, as I believe it was unanimous throughout the entire body, was for folks to come here and speak and speak their piece and give their opinions and views, and it's going to be opinions and views that are well taken because as Sean, or I should say, excuse me, uh the Ward 3 counselor had said, and he's correct.

When this development, no matter what goes on at that China Buffet property, whether it's uh uh uh you know uh fast food joint, whether it's the housing development which is being talked spoken about now and talked about, this will have to go before the planning board called site plan review.

That's where restrictions can get put in place, like parking, lighting, signage, all of that.

Um so that's where this stuff sort of gets litigated.

But the points that are going to be brought forward to us tonight, I think could be points that could be well taken and used in that hearing for the site plan review that we could use and testify on behalf of the neighborhood if and when this development does go forward.

So I just wanted to be clear on everybody so everyone understood, you know, uh the balls and strikes here tonight.

This isn't getting killed, it's not getting stopped.

This is just uh discussion where we can hear the concerns and then we can move forward from there.

So with that I'll yield.