I'd like to call this a special meeting of the Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals. Now, is this a
formal meeting or an executive meeting? Yes, this will be a formal meeting. Okay, so to order. And if
you would kindly call the roll. Sure. Margaret Clements. Here. Skip Daley. Pamela Davidson. Here.
Guy Loftman. Here. Jeff Morris. Here. Okay, so we have four members attending in person and a quorum.
Is there a motion to approve the agenda? I move to approve tonight's agenda. Today's agenda. Second.
It's been moved and seconded to approve tonight's agenda. A vote yes is a vote to approve the only item
on the agenda, which is administrative business findings of fact for VAR-25-48. A vote yes is a vote
to approve the agenda. Pamela Davidson? Yes. Guy Loftman?
Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Okay, motion is approved, four to zero. If you would kindly
read and allow the introduction of the evidence for tonight's hearing. Yes, I'd like to introduce the
following items into the evidence. The Monroe County Development Ordinance as adopted and amended.
The Monroe County Comprehensive Plan is adopted and amended. The Monroe County Zoning Ordinance and
Subdivision Control Ordinance as adopted and amended. The Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals Rules
of Procedure as adopted and amended. And the cases that were legally advertised and scheduled for a
hearing on tonight's agenda. I move that we introduce that evidence. Approve the evidence. Second.
Okay, it's been moved and seconded to approve the introduction of evidence as stated. A vote yes is
a vote to approve. Guy Loftman? Yes. Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Pamela Davidson? Yes.
Okay, that motion is approved, four to zero. Okay, and the first item on our agenda is administrative
business and that includes the findings of fact for VAR dash
VAR 25-48A and VAR 24-48B concerning William J. Huff and Nicole E. Huff's request for variance approval.
And I'll make one quick correction. The second
iteration is VAR-25-48B. It was incorrect on the paper copy, but it's correct on the screen. But if
we want to just take a moment, I will scroll through these if you want me to read them out loud or we
can take a moment to just read them individually.
Personally, I'm reading them and I will understand them better if I read them than if I listen to somebody
read them. They are extensive and I made it to paragraph 25. Okay. I'll go ahead and scroll through
these for the audience online. Oh, excellent.
What is it? Reach in there.
Well, since this is administrative business, we don't have to hear from the petitioner, but I wonder
if you have questions for staff or for legal. I've got several little things I'd want to address. It's
some of what you're ... Anyway, in paragraph 15, huffs are parties to a lawsuit.
I would just like it better if that had a citation. It just seems to float out there. And if somebody
wants to know what this is about, is there any reason not to do that? No. No. OK. I would ask that that
be inserted. In paragraph 25, the last line
be the least amount of land disturbance, should be the least amount of land disturbance. It's not a
lease we're discussing. Just above 26, the last portion of that has a typo. I edited it. Thank you.
Oh yeah, there it is.
And in paragraph 28, there's another typo, which is the new road, not he new road, which should read
the new road.
They've included that citation on their petition for judicial review, so we'll take it right off of that.
So are we, I got a couple of more little things, are we still looking at the, okay. Page four, the first,
the top printing where it says C, I think there's an omitted important word, the character, the property
included in the variance, should that, would not be altered? Or is that, wouldn't it? That's what it's
supposed to say.
But, and I'm, I think we can just take that out because I don't, I think I didn't put any findings in
there to address that even though I think it would be beneficial because there's a typo in our ordinance,
at least in the version I have. If you can, yeah.
It should say would not be. Yeah, I think it should be would not be. Yeah. Oh, I think you put that
in brackets rather than parentheses. I don't have either. No, but I mean if the original ordinance has a typo.
It's the same on yours. So, yeah, we'll just take, we'll strike that out. Okay, strike out. We'll strike
out C because I didn't put any findings related to that anyway. Okay. After I saw that. Except that
I think that's an important. So, can you just put in brackets like SIC and brackets not or no?
Okay. If we were up against anybody else. Yeah. Okay. Just so I understand it, this is a quotation from
our ordinance and the ordinance where we might in retrospect wish that it included the word not, didn't
include the word not, right? Yes, that's correct.
So it's awkward to find, you know, so I get it. And I have now stricken paragraph C at the top of page
four. That standard is almost replicated in a following criteria. And so I've kind of used that perfect
to cover the same thing.
Perfect. So a little redundancy sometimes is helpful. And we've covered it in a redundant, quasi-redundant
portion. So it's another reason we don't need the benefit of this misleading and flawed ordinance. OK,
I'm done with page four. Page five. I'm glad for your editing skills. Yeah. I'm glad for you. Me too.
Well, thank you.
Page five, I've got nothing. Page six, paragraph 68 seems to be incomplete. What I'm proposing here,
and I'll ask Justin for your input on this, one of the things that I meant, one of the findings that
I meant to put in but I didn't get in relates to
private agreements where we say the Board of Zoning Appeals doesn't enforce private agreements and does
not consider private agreements in determining whether to grant a variance. And we could stick that
in there because I left that out. I think one of the issues in this case is whether the private easement
agreement that might preclude the clause
the house from developing, accessing the Chumley property through easement one. You know, I think there's
case law that says, hey, when there's private covenants, private agreements, the Board of Zoning and
Appeals doesn't consider that because that's up to the private parties to enforce and it's not part
of the ordinance. So that's why. That's certainly our practice in my understanding. I don't see, so
what would
paragraph 68 say after R. The other roads and drives in the area are? Well, that was something that
I had put in there and then I did the next two and forgot to take 68 out. Okay, so we want to delete
68 and renumber appropriately. We can renumber appropriately and if you want to have that statement
about the BZA does not enforce private agreements,
and does not consider such agreements when determining whether to grant a variance, I can stick that
in there. I would rather have that in there. Does that make sense to you? Okay. How about you? Yeah,
yeah. I know I don't like it like it is. And if it's, if you want to say, so it's going to say something,
well, it can either be. He's going to work it out. Yeah, yeah. Stick it right. I'm sorry.
So do we need to know what the language will be or can we leave it to you to fill something in? We're
going to type it right now. We're typing it right now and we can print a new version off pretty quickly.
Well, I don't think we'll need to do that unless it's quite long. Let's see what you can do and then
we can probably do it by oral. The seventh page will be re... But I mean, I think we have to sign this
before we leave. Oh, I see. Oh, okay. Yeah, well, right. It can be reprinted.
Justin, is there anything I left out? We'll drive that far. We'll take two days. Okay. No, you're still drafting.
Okay, so we've made the change that I'd like to go over with you all. So we deleted 68 and then we added
what's on the screen is 75 and I'll just read that out loud. It says the BZA does not enforce private
agreements and in reference CDO 801-4C.
and does not consider such agreements when determining whether to grant a variance. So that's from our
ordinance that the board does not have to enforce private agreements. So that's the addition. Okay,
so. I think we don't enforce private agreements and I think that's good to have in here. Is that what
it was gonna say in 68?
No. I was thinking about, I've got to put something in there about the roads. And so I started to type
and I went down and saw some of Jackie's findings and I just took both of them and stuck them on there
and I forgot to take what I wrote on. That was a placeholder that was going to refer to private easements,
but it didn't. Okay. I've used those a hundred times and then said, why is that there? Okay. So we're
taking out 68.
putting in a new 75, would you mind reading it to me one more time? Sure, 75 reads as the BZA does not
enforce private agreements, CDO 801-4C, and does not consider such agreements when determining whether
to grant a variance. But I like that, and I now, I have nothing else to say except when we're ready, I move.
Anyone else have any questions or comments or revisions? I want to compliment the staff for how thorough
this is. It lays out things in a very matter of factly, findings of fact recitation, and I appreciate
that. You do? Yes, we all do. So with that being said, I think since the discussion is concluded, if
someone would like to make a motion?
And do we want to wait till the reprinted one gets here? Are we all going to have to sign it today?
Let's just wait till we have the corrected one, because I don't think it's going to take any longer
if we're going to have to wait anyway. I would rather have the final one in my hand, because I don't
think it's going to take long to vote. I don't know the outcome, but it won't take long to vote.
beer in there? No. Oh darn it. You might be out of luck. I took the gold beer down yesterday for that
party and I have some more beer in my bar for them. That doesn't do anybody any good. No it doesn't.
by definition, not warm. It's not hot, it's not cold, it's not cool, it's not... Especially in the summer.
In the winter, it's not so critical. But in the summer, a cold one is really good.
In the winter too. In the winter too. I will be drinking one or two tonight. There's just a question.
I find that braising lamb shanks in Guinness is better than braising it in wine. That would be so good.
It's so good. When we were in Dublin, we went to the Guinness factory and we were the last people to leave.
Even the draft Guinness in Bloomington is nothing like the draft Guinness at Guinness.
That's right. But at the time, that wasn't even an option. But if it is in a keg and it's taken six
months of transport, it's not the same thing. What it used to be. It was just so delicious. That would
be a very good idea. Very good. Oh, it's really good. Braised with carrots and potatoes and Guinness. Yeah.
and bay leaf. I'll just add the recipe here. Are we still on the record? Yes. And some thyme. If you
want the recipe, you have to put some thyme in there and some bay leaf as well. That's delicious. That's
really good stuff. Sounds delicious. Do you have a bay leaf plant? No. Should I? We're right on the
border of where it can grow and survive through the winter.
Generally, it would die. So I find myself a frustrated gardener. I would like to have a bay leaf. Well,
Eve has one that's this big. Who does? Our daughter. But where does she live? With us. Oh, she lives
with you. Yeah. So I can come get her. Anytime. I can't take you to Thanksgiving in Georgia, but you're
welcome to come over for a bay leaf. Not this year. The bay leaf, you can come over this year. OK. You
can come over.
You know, call, make sure we're home. What does she do special to keep it alive in the winter? Well,
she just bought it. OK. Yeah. But it's inside. It's in a little pot. And all the literature says you
can raise bay trees in pots, and they'll live a long time. Yeah, because I'm in my garden. And then
in the winter, you put them out. In the summer, you put them out. Yes.
You know, some people have relatively big ones that you can roll in and out on a car. That's like an
aspiration. But this is one that you can pick up and carry with no trouble whatsoever. I aspire to that.
Well, I think, why don't you tell Santa? Santa? I think she spent like $12. But I don't know.
I'll see if I can find out any substantial information about the bay leaf project. Twenty years. We've
been living together for 20 years. Absolutely.
Connie can fry catfish filets. He made an amazing potato, spinach, feta cheese, dill, chicken, ground
chicken soup. It was just astonishing. We had it for the third day in a row. We wish we had it every
day. Show you a photo.
And chicken fajitas. I want to show you a photo from Switzerland of the cheese case and just the section
for raclette cheeses. I mean, and there are so many other cheeses. Let's get back here. Could you bring
any home or could you not bring it in your factory? Cheese, I didn't bother because there are so many
other things to bring home like chocolate, you know. But cheese has to be kept.
Yeah, you can get some okay cheeses. If you must suffer, you can get the cheese from Kroger, you know.
We're working on it, yes. You know, there's a lot of little things here. And if there's any time I don't
want to have it not right,
What is that? This is the case to the, dot the I across the D. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna, okay. So,
swipe here, you'll just see all these raclette types of Jesus. Oh my God. It's just for raclette. It
doesn't include Gruyere, it doesn't include Comté, it doesn't include, this is just for raclette.
And what is raclette? Melted cheese. So that's like fondue might be. No, it's not. Fondue is different.
So it's just like if you're going to take it and put it in the oven. You take a wheel like this. Yes,
right. And you have an apparatus that has a flame. And you heat the cheese. And somebody scrapes it
off the wheel of cheese onto your plate. And you eat that. Fondue has wine and garlic and. Right.
And a different cheese. Now, here you have to choose between the cheese made from the cow that is in
the mountains or the one that is in the valley and which type of grass they eat. Yeah, how they've been
yodeled to. You know, you just, how heavy are the bells around their neck? You know, you just,
it's just, look at this.
Did you eat cheese every day? Every day. Every single day. That's the grocery store. Okay,
I don't understand. Are these little paper bags full of cheese? Those are packages of cheese and down
on the bottom it's the round of cheese that you would put on that apparatus that you would scrape
This looks like a big bowl that's got a lot of things in it. That's a refrigerator case. And just in
the left corner, it looks like little paper bags. Yeah, that may have had, that particular one may have
had a blend. Okay, I see. We have now changed and I'm looking at the one you wanted me to look at,
the wheels, got it, the raclette wheels. The raclette wheels.
It's a different kind of cheese. That says made in USA, no. But I was there for five and a half weeks.
I was Swiss. Where did you stay? With my friends. I said, I'm going to go, I said to France and Italy,
and they said, no, stay here with us. And they convinced me. And then we went to 11 concerts, one play.
If you go to seven cities in Switzerland, I take it the longest one is an hour and a half. The farthest
one is an hour and a half.
I've been there before. I have a friend who lives there. Stay with friends. I did. They want me back.
Of course they do.
Yep. Well, good. Pretty luscious. You know, the John Adave Foundation had an exhibit of Picasso and
Monet paintings. There was an exhibit of Polish Impressionists that I'd never seen or heard of before.
And their style was slightly different than the French and American Impressionists.
And then the Rosengart Foundation in Lucerne had a wonderful collection of Picasso's clay, Chagall.
It's just lovely. It's dreamy. Usually when you go to a country, it's three or four days, so the thought
of staying
For me, because I had lived in Italy for eight years, it was like going home to be in Europe again.
I've known these friends for 25 years. They've been here, I've been there.
They did. Yeah. Good friends. It's wonderful. Yeah. So that was nice. All those cheeses. And then I
come back home and I go into the Kroger cheese gates. And it's generous for. And it's so much better
than it used to be. There we go. Murray's. But they've cut down at least the South Kroger as a fraction
of what it used to be.
The east side has a big section, doesn't it? It's big, but it's not what it used to be. And they're
quite expensive compared to ... They'll tell you, we'll sell you this cheese today, but it's not ready
for two more days.
but you can buy it today, but don't eat it for two more days. And that's with the camembert and the
brie, it's not ready, sorry. They mark it down because there's only got two days left? No, they're waiting
for it to be sold to us. Right, but then does it become overripe eventually?
what they're doing. The tariffs are hurting. 85% of their groceries are grown in country. They don't
export their wine. They drink it internally. No, this was specifically the cheeses. I heard something
say that the Swiss cheeses were good.
It's not, to them it's not. There are other markets, you know, their product is in demand. Good point,
yeah. Yeah. They're engineers, so they have a lot of machines, you know, that might have a big territory.
The little device that shaves the raclette is a knife. A knife and a heating element that you bring
out onto your table top. And it rotates the cheese over the flame
until it's melted, and when it's melted just right, scrape it off onto the plate. I've never experienced
that. Raclette. Raclette. Here they sell machines where you can put the little squares underneath the
broiler and assimilate the effect.
Did you ever mimeograph? No. Geez, what a process. I had an English literature seminars where there
were 14 people in the class, 12 to 14 people, and every week you'd write one, I don't know how many
page paper. Probably, in my mind I think it was a 20 page paper.
every week and we mimeograph it off for every other member of the class. So we'd have to go in before
class and mimeograph it. You had to cut it on a stencil. You had to write it on a stencil. Oh my God.
My own manual typewriter that I brought. That is cruel. That is absolutely cruel. Did you have an Olympia
typewriter?
I did too. Still do. I still do. My high school graduate. Thank you. All right, this is the old one.
Well, I'm going to compare them.
I'm going to write old on it. And then we'll have a motion. Yes. And then we'll have a motion. I'm comparing.
I'm sorry. I'm this way. It's OK. We love you. We're glad you're that way. You're keeping us straight.
minutes are going to have a recipe in there. I hope to move to strike the comments made while we were
off the record to declare that off the record. Exactly. We didn't talk about this before, Dave,
but on 79, the very last one, the Huff
variants, requests, or denied, is that a summation of everything that's come before? Is that why it's
short and sweet like that? Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you. I've reviewed my suggestions, and
I think they've all been properly incorporated, so I am ready to proceed to the final vote. Okay.
If, do you have a recommended motion or shall we just do it? I don't have the cause number before me,
but if, Guy, if you're able to make a motion. Sure. I move that the, we approve and adopt the, as written,
the Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals written findings of fact and conclusions
On docket items, variance 25-48A and 25-48B, William J. Huffs and Nicole Huffs requests for variance
approval as presented to us for our consideration. I'm going to second that. Okay. It's been moved and
seconded to approve the Monroe County
Board of Zoning Appeals written findings of fact and conclusions for docket items VAR-25-48A and VAR-25-48B.
A vote yes is a vote to approve the findings as amended and presented to you via paper and on screen
here. Jeff Morris? Yes. Margaret Clements? Yes. Pamela Davidson? Yes. Guy Laughman?
Motion is approved, four to zero. And are we going to sign one master copy? Yes. Or do we sign all of
these? Just sign one copy. OK. I did the right thing. So we've got one going around here. There we go.
It'll work.
Do we make a motion to adjourn? Do we have any other business before us? We do not. I do not have any
reports or other business. Can I seriously say that from the time that we asked for it to be reprinted,
we've had a lot of personal conversation on many issues, some of which, and I move we have that stricken
from the record until we come back to consider this.
I think the tech services was muted during that time period, but we can check the record. Well, it certainly
appeared here when we were talking about the qualities of draft as opposed to canned Guinness. I see.
We might not be able to omit certain parts of the record, but we can look into that and see. Well, we
were certainly off the record, though we may not have gone formally off the record. There's a recipe
in there, kind of, so the public is interested.
They're welcome to it. Well, thank you very much. I'm going to stop the share. And is there a motion
to adjourn motion? I move that we adjourn this special meeting or this normal special special regular
special. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, thank you.