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Approved 1/11/2016 <br /> <br />OC Board of Adjustment – 11/9/15 Page 18 of 48 <br /> <br />there was a trend. I haven’t appraised the barn; I haven’t appraised the property out there. I was only coming in as a consultant to 1 <br />give my opinion as to what I felt like the impact would have on the neighboring values and on the…. 2 <br /> 3 <br />Barry Katz: Right, you qualified what you based your opinion on and you’ve given us your opinion…. That’s fine. 4 <br /> 5 <br />Karen Barrows: David… 6 <br /> 7 <br />David Rooks: John, did you actually find any contiguous properties? Contiguous to a wedding barn facility, to incorporate into your 8 <br />study? 9 <br /> 10 <br />John McCall: No, I did not. 11 <br /> 12 <br />David Rooks: And are you aware the standard you’re testifying to is whether the used will maintain or enhance the value of 13 <br />contiguous properties? 14 <br /> 15 <br />John McCall: I was, for the contiguous properties, yes, I understand that but I did not uncover anything. 16 <br /> 17 <br />David Rooks: So, you found no evidence, one way or the other, with respect to contiguous properties. 18 <br /> 19 <br />John McCall: That’s true. One way or the other. 20 <br /> 21 <br />David Rooks: Thank you very much. 22 <br /> 23 <br />Karen Barrows: If there are no other questions for John, thank you. Anything else Sharron? 24 <br /> 25 <br />Sharron Linn: Yeah, I just have one more witness. I’d like to introduce Miss Gerard, the realtor. 26 <br /> 27 <br />Melanie Gerard: Hello. 28 <br /> 29 <br />Karen Barrows: Could you state your name again and tell us...? 30 <br /> 31 <br />Melanie Gerard: Melanie Gerard. 32 <br /> 33 <br />Karen Barrows: And have you been sworn Melanie? 34 <br /> 35 <br />Melanie Gerard: I have been affirmed. 36 <br /> 37 <br />Karen Barrows: Ok. 38 <br /> 39 <br />Sharron Linn: Mel, could you tell us about your background, and qualifications and your role in this project? 40 <br /> 41 <br />Melanie Gerard: Yes, I’ve been a realtor since 2000 and I started my own company in 2011 so broker in charge there. I have one 42 <br />other agent under my license at my firm. Kara and I became acquainted through a mutual friend, and she told me what she was 43 <br />looking for and I live in Chatham County but, I’ve done most of my work... Well, my work is split between Orange and Chatham 44 <br />County. I wanted her in Chatham, so we looked a lot there. Lest there’s lots of rule of property and lots of unrestricted property 45 <br />there. We looked over the course of maybe a year and a half, almost two years of different things. And when this property came up 46 <br />it fit the budget requirement, it fit, it was bigger, the partial was bigger than what we had hoped for. Or thought we could afford at 47 <br />the time, it had lots of trees and it was perfect for being able to isolate the venue, in a way that would not, in our opinion, negatively 48 <br />impact other property owners. 49 <br /> 50 <br />Sharron Linn: I’d like to qualify Melanie as an expert in real estate and realty services. 51 <br /> 52 David Rooks: I’m going to object, but we’ll just defer any further moving on it until later. I’m not sure what’s she an expert in. 53 <br /> 54 <br />Melanie Gerard: Well, I have had a real estate license, for 15 years. 55