On July 19, 2023, at 2:15 PM, the Tempe Board of Adjustment convened to consider an appeal of the Zoning Administrator's decision to deny a reasonable accommodations waiver for a group home at 2604 South Siesta Drive. The appellant, Northsight Recovery LLC, sought to increase the number of residents from five to ten. The board voted 5-2 to deny the appeal, upholding the staff's decision.
Welcome to the Board of Adjustment, City of Tempe for July 19th, 2023. I would like to start by reading the Board of Adjustment Preamble. So the City of Tempe Board of Adjustment is authorized by the Arizona revised statutes and the City of Tempe zoning ordinance. Its function is to grant relief where a literal enforcement of the zoning ordinance would result in an unnecessary property hardship to interpret provisions of the zoning ordinance variances and to hear appeals from any person or city official aggrieved by the decision of a person responsible for the enforcement of the zoning ordinance, uh zoning administrator or hearing uh officer abatements. The board uh has the city of Tempe's community development staff summary reports on the item being considered uh at the meeting today, and we'll use this report uh in our deliberations. All app all applicants and interested citizens uh when your request is called or when you wish to address the board, please make sure that you filled out one of the citizens' request forms located at on the table by the doors, and then step to the microphone, state your name and city of residence. Please submit the form to a staff member uh before you begin speaking at the microphone. I'd like to introduce uh the staff that is here. Um, most of the staff that's here. Um, our director of community development, Jeff Temilevich is not here tonight. We have Ryan Levake, Deputy Director, Community Development, Steve Abrahamson, Principal Planner, Jennifer Daniels, Administrative Assistant 2, and Jason Wolf with our media. So I would like to introduce the board members to my left. We have board member Morrow, Board Member Gans, Board Miguel Member Key. I am Chairman Watson, I have a vice chairman Confer to my right, uh, board member Palmer and Board Member Miller. Okay, so our first item is to approve the meeting minutes uh for the June 21st, 2023 meeting. Um I have a motion for approval. I move to approve. Okay. Move second, second, second. Okay. Approve or motion by board member Palmer or second by board member Kege. Um all those in favor, please raise your hand. Okay, we have a vote of five. We have two abstentions. Uh the two other board members were not here for that meeting. So it'll be five zero with two abstaining. Uh staff announcements. Before we get to the staff announcements, I'd like I would like to announce that our principal planner and gracious leader, Steve Abrahamson, will be retiring after 26 years with the city. We thank you for your service. We thank you for your coaching and the work that you've done as part of this board. It's made my work as as the chair and my participation in the past uh very easy. And and you've done a fantastic job. So thank you. Thank you. Appreciate the kind words. Uh in a way, I'll miss this. So thank you very much. Very welcome. Are there any other staff announcements? Mr. Abramson. I'm sorry. Are there any other staff announcements? Uh we do not have a meeting yet scheduled for August. There is a potential for a variance case from Mr. Jasper. Uh that's the uh I meant to ask you about this before we left the office. I don't think it's gonna make it to that. Okay, so maybe you'll get uh august off and and uh we'll have a September meeting. You'll have a September meeting.