07-12-2001 Regular Meeing and Public Hearing

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Zoning 1 Board of Adjustment • Minutes of July 12, 2001 Page 2 Staffs recommendation was to deny the reduced setback portion of the Special Exception request and to consider granting a reduction in the off-street parking requirement with conditions similar to those outlined in staffs report. A. PROPONENTS Chairperson Grant swore in Earnest W. Weatherford. Mr. Weatherford is the owner of 9406 Spencer Highway and states his building addition was built without a permit because the -City has "flagged" his file. He claims to have had difficulties in' obtaining permits from the city due to this "flagging". He explains he built the addition to help alleviate the noise (sound) complaints from neighbors and at the suggestion of a police officer responding to one such call. Since he owns the majority of the property behind the club site and the residential buffer would not benefit any property but his, he would appreciate the Board's assistance in reducing the standard setback to eight feet (8'). Mr. Weatherford said most of his teens do not drive and cars are only on site for drop-off and pick-up by parents. Since its inception iri 1998, his business has had 30,000 people come through the doors. With 125 teens inside, there have been cases where only eight (8) cars were parked on site. As the most successful club in the Houston area, he feels the more appropriate use of the land would be to allow additional building area and that the Special Exception issues being considered tonight would help him develop. the existing business to its highest potential. In addition, having to reduce any portion of the addition would result in an economic difficulty for him. Questions were posed to Mr. Weatherford. B. OPPONENTS Fina and Joe Rodriguez were sworn in. Mr. and Mrs. Rodriquez live behind the club property to the west. Each person addressed the Board individually. Both feel the club is a firetrap. At midnight and later, cars are parked in their neighborhood and teens are seen outside.' In addition, the music can be heard in their house even with doors closed and the television on. The music vibrates the house and the music they play has foul language/profanity. When the teens are outside talking and. smoking cigarettes, they can hear their language is asbad as the music itself..