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Septemebr 25, 1996 Plan Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 <br />parking and loading areas in accordance with the standards contained in the Zoning Code. The <br />Chairperson called upon the applicant. <br />Rabbi Yosef Landa gave an overview of the proposed synagogue use. He stated that they do not <br />consider themselves a synagogue because they do not hold services on a regular basis, just once per <br />week for two hours on Saturdays. They do not have many of the other events traditional to <br />synagogues. He stated that he is confident the eight parking spaces at the site will be more than <br />adequate. In response to the possible complaint that people may park cars in the area Friday and <br />leave them there until Saturday evening, he states that would only occur if services were held on both <br />Friday and Saturday. They will only have Saturday services. <br />Mr. Solodar stated that although it may not be as much as some other practices, holding services once <br />per week for two hours is holding them on a regular basis. <br />Chairperson Solodar called on Planning Director Al Goldman to provide the staff report. Mr. <br />Goldman stated that the applicant has already received the approval of the City Council as a not-for- <br />profit organization to occupy the premises for office and meeting hall uses, with limitations on the <br />number of occupants and on non-parking uses of the parking areas. These limitations were <br />necessitated by the limited amount of off-parking available on the site. As he understands the <br />application, the Chabad-Lubavitch organization intends to hold regular religious services on sabbath <br />and holidays and may also hold daily services. The limited parking is a problem but if the number of <br />occupants is limited to correspond with the available on-site parking facilities, the synagogue use will <br />comply with the applicable criteria for conditional use approval. He recommends approval and finds <br />that the proposed conditional use will meet the standards for approval as set out in Zoning Code <br />Section 34-65 if the conditional use is limited by the following conditions: 1) The total number of <br />occupants in the building shall be limited to a total of no more than 24 persons at any time. The <br />occupancy limit shall be increased to 30 if the applicant furnishes the city staff satisfactory evidence <br />of a recorded perpetual access easement to the rear parking area from the property to the west of the <br />applicant's site. The applicant agrees to allow city personnel access to the building at all reasonable <br />hours in order to monitor the number of occupants present. 2) No outdoor functions or activities <br />shall be permitted, except a sukkah shall be permitted to be erected for the Sukkot festival if located <br />on the west ten feet of the rear parking area provided the area is reserved for such use and the rear <br />parking stalls are located 10 feet from the east property line. <br />Chairperson Solodar opened the public hearing and asked for testimony from the public. Virginia <br />Parks, 8108 Delmar stated that she is concerned about the possibility of adding to an already existing <br />parking problem. No other members of the public indicated a desire to speak, so the public hearing <br />portion of the meeting was closed. <br />Mr. Walsh asked Rabbi Landa to comment on how his use will not add to the existing parking <br />problems. Rabbi Landa stated that he does not anticipate ever having to use any parking besides his <br />own, except possibly on very rare occasions. <br />m-9-25.plc <br /> <br />