Orange County NC Website
APPROVED 5/10/2010 <br /> <br />OC Board of Adjustment – 2/8/2010 Page 7 of 13 <br />1 2 3 <br />4 <br />5 6 7 <br />8 <br />9 10 11 <br />12 <br />13 14 15 <br />16 <br />17 18 19 <br />20 <br />21 22 23 <br />24 <br />25 26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 46 <br />47 <br />48 <br />49 50 <br />51 <br />52 <br />53 54 <br />John Roberts: You do not have to find that is the truth of the matter. You judge her veracity in her affidavit just like you <br />judge any witnesses that come before you. If you do not find that to be the truth, you do not need to put it in. <br /> <br />Mark Micol: Do we have a statement from Craig? <br /> <br />Michael Harvey: There is no statement from Craig entered into the record. You have a statement from me saying that <br />30 days is the appeal time. The affidavit says that I can take as long as I want which denies the church due process. <br /> <br />Tom Brown: As a board, I wouldn’t be willing to state that as fact. <br /> <br />Michael Harvey: Would the board be willing to say that with respect to this matter, the board accepts the fact that this <br />affidavit says what it says but the ordinance and status are clear there is a 30 day timeline allowing an appeal to be filed. <br /> Would you be more comfortable if I said that instead? <br /> <br />Jeffrey Schmitt: The comments of the Board reflect the understanding that Section number whatever, requires a 30 day <br />notification to be made and notwithstanding any comments from anyone else for her affidavit. I guess before we go <br />further, it would seem to me that if this does go to Superior Court, that the judge will be looking for dates and the actual <br />documentation of those dates provided and on record. Either in the record or somewhere. That is what this revolves <br />around. <br /> <br />Michael Harvey: Yes. <br /> <br />Jeffrey Schmitt: John, this doesn’t revolve around the ability of the church, under the guise of the extension of <br />community building and fellowship to host and participate in this activity. This is not in contention whatsoever? <br /> <br />John Roberts: That was part of his argument in his brief submitting as part of the record that the ball field is not an <br />accessory use to the church. He argued that, there are only a couple of things in case law that have been found by <br />courts to be accessory uses, one of those could be providing a place to eat but just because a judge has not found that <br />previously does not mean it is not an acceptable accessory use it just means that it hasn’t gone to court yet and the <br />question has not been asked yet but that is one of his contentions. It was a minor contention at the end but it was <br />something he was arguing. <br /> <br />Tom Brown: Did we ever refute that anywhere? <br /> <br />Michael Harvey: There are a couple of different places where staff refutes that line of logic. We can make sure the <br />language is in there. For example, on page 3, A.iii, statements made by the applicant during the hearing indicating that <br />she did not mind the ball field as much as she minded the use of the outdoor sports fields lights associated with nighttime <br />games. Further the applicant indicated during cross-examination that if the lights were removed she would not mind <br />games being played on the ball field. She made that statement. Our position is that the appeal isn’t written in a manner <br />that says we think the ball field should go. We added that at the end but it is not timely for various reasons and <br />contradictory testimony and that is the argument we suggest you make. <br /> <br />James Carter: I am looking at these in terms of whether she wants the field but not lights. <br /> <br />Michael Harvey: If you recall from the minutes at the conclusion of the meeting, in an exchange between Mr. Schmitt, <br />John Roberts and the Shields’ attorney, essentially on page 46, line 38 reads, Jeff Schmitt ask the question, “Before we <br />ask questions, I would like to get some counsel provided. I would like to get some counsel on what it is that we are to <br />adjudicate here?” John Roberts’s response was “Between the evidence presented and the appellate brief, there are a <br />number of issues, some of which I don’t think are relevant and/or appropriate for your consideration. Some of the <br />considerations will be determined on dates and some of those dates have been presented into evidence. <br />Constitutionality, the ordinances I don’t think it is appropriate for your consideration.” Mr. Ferguson’s response was, <br />“That is all for presentation, we don’t wish to be heard on that.” John Roberts said, “That was a mention of nuisance, <br />noise.” He is not arguing that these are violations of these regulations just bringing up points. I am going to draw your <br />attention to page 047, line 10, Mr. Ferguson, “I am not arguing that the lights are out of compliance with the lighting