[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
HAVE YOU SEATED? ROLL CALL, COMMISSIONER MAROSE.
COMMISSIONER POLL, RUD PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER EDISON PRESENT.
WELCOME TO THE ELK HOME PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
BEFORE I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME SHANNON EDISON TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
MR. EDISON WAS APPOINTED, UH, BY THE CITY COUNCIL ON JANUARY 24TH.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? GOD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE THE ELCON CITY COUNCIL FOR VOTING ME IN.
UH, THANK YOU TO, UH, MAYOR WELLS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE PROCESS FOR OUR CITY.
THIS IS THE CITY I GREW UP IN, AND I'M GLAD TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER ERCO ON HIS REAPPOINTMENT.
IT'LL BE GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE COMMISSION FOR FOUR MORE YEARS.
[CHAIRPERSON’S WELCOME]
TO THE EL CAJON PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.THIS MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED ON THE CITY OF ELCON WEBSITE.
APPEALS OF FINAL DECISIONS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE THIS EVENING MUST BE FILED IN WRITING WITH THE CITY CLERK BEFORE 5:00 PM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, 2023, AND MUST INCLUDE THE PAYMENT OF A FILING FEE.
IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK ON AN A NON AGENDA OR AGENDA ITEM TONIGHT, PLEASE FILL OUT A REQUEST TO SPEAK CARD LOCATED BY THE AGENDA AND TURN IT INTO THE SECRETARY WHO WILL CALL YOU UP TO SPEAK.
WHEN THE AGENDA ITEM COMES UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME, SPELLING YOUR LAST NAME.
SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
THE DISPLAY ON THE PODIUM, AS WELL AS OTHER MONITORS IN THE CHAMBER WILL SHOW TIME COUNTING DOWN AT 30 SECONDS.
THE PODIUM CLOCK READOUT WILL TURN RED.
SIGNIFYING YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS UNTIL THE END OF YOUR TIME.
APPLICANTS AND INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING GROUPS OF PEOPLE MAY BE ALLOWED MORE TIME IF APPROPRIATE.
ALL PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO ME AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION AND NOT TO INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS OR STAFF MEMBERS.
PLEASE TURN OFF ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES IF YOU HAD NOT ALREADY DONE SO.
PURSUANT TO CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ONE 14 DASH 79, A COMMISSIONER HAS RECEIVED EVIDENCE RELATED TO A MATTER BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION OTHER THAN AN UNESCORTED VIEW OF THE SUBJECT, PROPERTY IS REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE SUCH INFORMATION AT THE HEARING.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE COMMENTS FROM ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ON ANY ITEM OF BUSINESS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION.
THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA UNDER STATE LAW.
NO ACTION CAN BE TAKEN ON ITEMS BROUGHT FORTH UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT EXCEPT TO REFER IT TO STAFF FOR ADMINISTRATION OR PLACE IT ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT? PLEASE COME FORWARD NOW.
[CONSENT]
WE WILL GO TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.A SINGLE MOTION WILL COVER ALL ITEMS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS TO PULL? NO.
STAFF, DO YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS? NO CHANGES FROM STAFF.
UM, IF THERE'S CHANGES, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MAROSE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
MOTION ALL CARRIES BY A FOUR 20 VOTE.
COMMISSIONER EDISON IS ABSTAINING FROM VOTE.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING IS AGENDA IT.
IF I MAY COULD, JUST TO CONFIRM, COULD YOU, COULD YOU ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER EDISON JUST TO CONFIRM HIS ABSTENTION? YEAH.
WILL YOU BE IAIN? I'D LIKE TO, YES.
THAT WAS, UM, BLUNDERED, I'M ABSTAINING FROM THE LAST MOTION CAUSE I WAS NOT HERE.
AND, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, COMMISSIONER EDISON, YOU HAVE, UM, WATCHED THE VIDEO AND READ THE TRANSCRIPTS? THAT IS CORRECT.
I'VE, I'VE READ THE TRANSCRIPT TRANSCRIPTS AND I'M PREPARED TO, UH, PARTICIPATE.
[Public Hearing Item 2]
RIGHT.AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE EAST COUNTY CREMATORIUM.
IT IS SEC EXEMPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS DENY AND WE ARE READY TO TALK STAFF.
THIS IS, AND AND THIS IS CONTINUED.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO OPEN PUBLIC HEARING, CORRECT? UH, WE WILL NEED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S, SO WE WOULD, UH, OPEN THE CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED FROM JANUARY 17TH.
UM, AT THAT MEETING, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION
[00:05:01]
DID RECEIVE PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND THEN DIRECTED STAFF, UH, TO PREPARE A DRAFT RESOLUTION OF APPROVAL, UH, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.SO, JUST AS A REMINDER AND A QUICK OVERVIEW, UH, THE PROJECT PROPOSES TO EXPAND AN EXISTING BUILDING AT 10 34 NORTH MAGNOLIA AVENUE AND TO PERFORM CREMATION SERVICES AND FUNERALS WITHIN THE EXPANDED BUILDING.
UH, THE EXPANDED BUILDING WILL INCLUDE AREAS FOR ONSITE CREMATION, FUNERALS AND VIEWINGS IN ADDITION TO A LOBBY MEETING ROOM AND THEN A CARETAKER'S UNIT ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
UM, FOR THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES AND USES, WE HAVE HOME DEPOT, UH, LOCATED TO THE WEST AND THEN HAMPTON IN AND SUITES AND OTHER COMMERCIAL USES TO THE SOUTH, UH, TO THE EAST IS STATE ROUTE 67.
AND THEN TO THE NORTH, OUR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES.
SO THE PROPOSED ELEVATIONS ARE SHOWN HERE.
UH, THE NORTH ELEVATION, UH, AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE SHOWS THE ENTRANCE AND THEN THE EAST ELEVATION, WHICH WOULD BE VISIBLE FROM NORTH MAGNOLIA AVENUE AND STATE ROUTE 67 IS THE LOWER ELEVATION.
UH, THE SOUTH ELEVATION IS SHOWN HERE AT THE TOP.
AND THAT'S THE, UH, BUILDING, UH, FACADE THAT WOULD FACE HAMPTON INN AND SUITES.
AND THEN THE WEST ELEVATION BELOW THAT, UH, THAT WAS THE FACADE ORIENTED TOWARDS HOME DEPOT.
UM, STAFF WANTED TO CLARIFY, UM, THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NO SIGNS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE SOUTH, EAST AND WEST ELEVATIONS, UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION ISN'T ABLE TO RESTRICT SIGNAGE, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
SO, UH, EVEN THOUGH THE APPLICANT ISN'T PROPOSING ANY SIGNS ON THOSE FACADES, IF THIS PROJECT WERE TO BE APPROVED, UM, STAFF WOULD NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TELL THEM, UM, NO, UH, TO ANY SIGNS ON THOSE BUILDING FACADES.
THEY WOULD JUST BE ALLOWED TO PUT UP SIGNS IN ACCORDANCE, UH, WITH THE REGIONAL COMMERCIAL ZONE REGULATIONS.
SO THAT MEANS, UM, THAT THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE A POLE SIGN OR MONUMENT SIGN, SO THEY CAN'T HAVE A FREESTANDING SIGN AS WELL.
SO THE ONLY METHOD BY WHICH THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAN RESTRICT SIGNAGE IS THROUGH, UM, A SEPARATE, UM, ORDINANCE OR A SPECIFIC PLAN.
SO, LIKE, AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN, UH, SPECIFIC PLAN 180 2, YOU KNOW, WE RESTRICT SIGNAGE TO TWO SQUARE FEET PER LINEAL FOOT, A BUILDING FACADE AS OPPOSED TO STANDARD COMMERCIAL ZONE PROPERTIES WHERE IT'S ALLOWED AT FOUR SQUARE FEET PER LINEAL FOOT A BUILDING FACADE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION AT THE PREVIOUS HEARING, UM, ABOUT SIGNAGE AND HOW, UM, THE BUILDING FACADES RELATED TO SURROUNDING PROPERTIES AND USES.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, UH, CIRCLE BACK ON IS, UH, AT THIS JANUARY 17TH HEARING, UH, THE APPLICANT'S TEAM PROVIDED SOME AERIAL IMAGERY AND ANALYSIS, UH, REGARDING SIX EXISTING CREMATORIUMS WITHIN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
UM, FOR REFERENCE, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME STREET VIEWS OF THESE FACILITIES JUST TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT AS PART OF YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
SO HERE AT, UH, 100 WEST 35TH STREET IN NATIONAL CITY, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS SITE IS SIGNED AS THE REGIONAL, OR EXCUSE ME, THE REGENCY INDUSTRIAL PARK.
UH, AND THE ADJACENT SURROUNDING, UM, USES ARE INDUSTRIAL AS WELL.
AND THEN SIMILARLY, UM, INVISTA, AGAIN, THE LOCATION IS WITHIN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND IT HAS, UH, OTHER INDUSTRIAL USES THAT ARE SURROUNDING IT.
UH, THE FOUR REMAINING SITES THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST HEARING, UH, ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CEMETERIES.
UH, THE FIRST HERE IS IN SAN DIEGO WITH THE GREENWOOD CEMETERY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.
AND THEN THE, THE CREMATORIUM FACILITY, I BELIEVE, ON THE LEFT.
AND THEN AGAIN, UH, THE OTHER LOCATION AGAIN AT THE GREENWOOD CEMETERY.
UM, THIS LOCATION IS THE ETERNAL HILL CEMETERY IN OCEANSIDE.
AND THEN THE LAST LOCATION THAT WAS DISCUSSED WAS THE LA VISTA MEMORIAL PARK IN NATIONAL CITY.
SO I JUST WANNA PROVIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE STREET VIEWS.
I THINK, UM, GENERALLY, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CEMETERY SITES, UM, THEY'RE LARGER IN SQUARE FOOTAGE AND AREA, AND IT, IT'S REALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE USE OF THE CREMATORIUM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CEMETERY, IT'S KIND OF ALMOST AN ACCESSORY USE TO THE PRIMARY USE OF THE CEMETERY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING MORE OF AN EXPECTATION OF THAT USE BEING IN THAT LOCATION.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF TESTIMONY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROXIMITY TO OTHER COMMERCIAL USES AND SURROUNDING USES ON THESE SITES.
SO I JUST WANNA PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT OF THOSE STREET VIEWS AND KIND OF THE INDUSTRIAL SETTING WHERE THE TWO INDUSTRIAL CREMATORIUMS ARE, AND THEN PROVIDING THE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT OF THE FOUR THAT ARE AT, UM, THE CEMETERY.
UM, SO IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, SINCE THE LAST PUBLIC OR SINCE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, STAFF DID RECEIVE A NEW COMMENT LETTER, UH, WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE STAFF REPORT.
AND IT DOES RECOMMEND THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, DENIED THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S PREVIOUS DIRECTION.
UH, STAFF DID PREPARE DRAFT RESOLUTIONS, UH, FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION, UH, FOR A C EQUA EXEMPTION, UM, AS WELL AS
[00:10:01]
APPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.UM, STAFF DID WANT TO JUST NOTE ONE FINAL TIME, UM, THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DENY THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
AND THAT'S, AGAIN, BASED ON THOSE GENERAL PLAN RELATED GOALS, UM, ATTRACTING AND RETAINING, UH, STRONG COMPETITIVE REGIONAL, UH, COMMERCIAL BASE, AND REALLY FOCUSING ON PARKWAY PLAZA AND ITS IMMEDIATE VICINITY IN ATTRACTING USES.
SO THAT CONCLUDES, UH, STAFF'S SUMMARY.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
ARE YOU ABLE, WOULD YOU MIND DOING ME A FAVOR? CAN YOU GO ON TO GOOGLE MAPS BY CHANCE FOR ME? IS IT POSSIBLE TO, TO PUT THAT UP ON THE SCREEN IF I GIVE YOU AN ADDRESS? I DON'T THINK I HAVE.
THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION IS JUST SAVED TO MY LAPTOP.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE I HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO DIRECTLY TO GOOGLE MAPS, BUT I CAN SEE WHAT I CAN DO.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT 3 74, UH, MAGNOLIA.
AND MAYBE I CAN JUST PASS THIS AROUND TO THE, THE COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO GET A LAPTOP PLUGGED IN THERE AND, AND OH, THAT'D BE GREAT.
MIKE, WHAT, CAN YOU, CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR, UH, 3 74 MAGNOLIA NORTH MAGNOLIA? OR JUST, YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE NORTH.
IS THAT NORTH MAGNOLIA? YEAH, IF IT'S WHAT I'M THINKING.
IT, IT SHOULD COME UP UNDER TWO PICK UP ON MAGNOLIA.
AND THEN JUST GO TO THE STREET VIEW.
JUST GO TO THE LAYER, UH, THE, THERE IT IS.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK THERE AND YOU CAN KIND OF SCROLL AROUND.
IF YOU COULD GO THE OTHER WAY.
SO THERE WE ARE ON MAGNOLIA STREET, AND WE'VE GOT THAT SIGNAGE RIGHT OUT FRONT, AND IT SAYS EAST COUNTY MORTUARY AND CREMATION SERVICES.
AND IF YOU SCROLL THE OTHER WAY AND YOU GO UP TOWARDS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BARBERSHOP.
[00:15:01]
MY QUESTION IS, SO THAT'S SITTING RIGHT THERE ON MAGNOLIA OF KIND OF STARING AT THE WHOLE WORLD, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK THAT THAT IS CREMATION SERVICES, YOU KNOW, NO, NO DIFFERENT THAN, UH, ANY OTHER BUILDING.THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS WITH THE OTHER BUILDING, I FEEL, IS IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE SETBACK.
IT'S KIND OF, IT'S NOT ON THE MAGNOLIA, ON THE, ON THE MAIN DRAG.
SO HAVE WE EVER HAD ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT BUSINESS LOCATED THERE, OR PEOPLE ASKING, SAYING IT WAS A DETRIMENT TO ANY OTHER BUSINESSES OR ANYTHING? UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY RECENT COMPLAINTS.
UM, I WOULD JUST REMIND THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, UM, A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST, UH, TO ADD, UH, THE CREMATORIUM AT THIS LOCATION MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD REGARDING SIGNAGE IS THAT THE CITY ONLY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE, UM, THE LOCATION AND SIZE OF SIGNAGE MM-HMM.
UM, SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, INDICATE, UM, ANYTHING THAT THEY WANTED ON THEIR SIGNS ESSENTIALLY.
UM, BUT THE DIRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS ESSENTIALLY NO, NO, THERE'S NOT A HISTORY OF COMPLAINTS RELATED TO YOU, UM, THAT USE AT THAT LOCATION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? UH, YES.
UH, ISN'T THERE A CREMATORIUM IN, UH, CHULA VISTA? AND I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT ON THE, UH, ON THE SLIDE THAT YOU PRESENTED.
SO THE, THE STAFF REPORT INCLUDES, UM, FROM THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC HEARING INCLUDES THE LIST OF ALL THE CREMATORIUMS, UH, THAT ARE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
UM, THE APPLICANT AS PART OF THEIR PRESENTATION, UH, AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING, OUTLINED THE SIX THAT I JUST WENT THROUGH, UM, AS BEING, UH, THOSE SITES THAT ARE OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO TH THAT'S THE REASON THAT I JUST WENT OVER THOSE SIX BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE ONES THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT THE PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL USES AND OTHER COMMERCIAL USES.
UH, THE REASON WHY I BRING IT UP IS THAT, UH, I HEARD, NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T RESEARCH IT, THAT, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THE CREMATORIUM CHULA VISTA WHERE THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION AND, UH, SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND THERE WAS A, A COMPLAINT MADE TO THE CITY COUNCIL AT THAT POINT IN TIME, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT RESOLUTIONS, UH, THEY CAME UP WITH.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, UH, SITUATION THAT HAPPENED ABOUT A, A YEAR AGO.
SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT SPECIFIC CASE.
UM, BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT, UM, THE EXHAUST FROM THE CREMATORIUM IS REGULATED BY THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT.
AND SO, UM, THEY WOULD, THE APPLICANT IN THIS CASE, IF THE REQUEST WERE TO BE APPROVED, UH, WOULD NEED TO GO TO THE A P C D AND GET THE, THE, UM, APPROPRIATE, UH, REVIEWS AND APPROVALS IN ORDER TO OPERATE.
AND THEN WITH ANY, UM, TYPE OF USE WITH EXHAUST SIMILAR TO THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WHERE IT BEGINS OPERATING OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH CITY STANDARDS, UM, WE WOULD UTILIZE, UM, CODE COMPLIANCE, UM, STAFF THROUGH, YOU KNOW, A WARNING AND CITATION PROCESS TO BRING THE OPERATION BACK INTO COMPLIANCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF BEFORE WE OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
WELL, AT THIS TIME, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS? YES.
UM, CAN I HAVE HEATHER BUTTERFIELD COME UP AND SPEAK PLEASE? HI, MY NAME'S HEATHER BUTTERFIELD.
I'M AN ATTORNEY AT GERSHMAN PROPERTIES.
WE'RE AN ADJACENT LANDOWNER AND WE ARE IN OPPOSITION TO THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UM, THE, THERE'S A LETTER THAT KEN SCHULBERG, WHO'S GENERAL COUNSEL FOR GERSHMAN PROPERTIES WROTE.
I JUST WANNA RESTATE ALL OF OUR OBJECTIONS FOR THE RECORD IN THERE, BUT TONIGHT I JUST WANNA KEEP IT A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLE.
THIS IS A PATENTLY INDUSTRIAL USE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'VE SOUGHT IT TO PUT IT INTO A REGIONAL, UH, A ZONE THAT'S REGIONAL COMMERCIAL.
UM, BUT THE GENERAL PLAN DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THAT.
AND I, THE REASONS ARE SORT OF OBVIOUS.
I WOULD SAY JUST GETTING TO YOUR CONCERN ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN CHULA VISTA, I'LL JUST START THERE.
I ACTUALLY WAS, PERSONALLY, I HAD NO PARTICULAR FEELINGS ON THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
MY, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY HAD ME RESEARCH IT, AND I, WHEN I GOOGLED IT, I SAW SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN, WHERE POWER WENT OUT AND THERE WAS SMOKING AND ODOR.
THERE ARE MALFUNCTIONS, WHETHER THE MALFUNCTION WAS THE MACHINERY OR HUMAN ERROR.
AND IN AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE, IF GOD FORBID SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, THE DAMAGE IS LIMITED.
YOU DON'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE HERE TO HAVE A CREMATORIUM WITH A SMOKE STACK DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR TO A HOME DEPOT.
AND RIGHT ACROSS FROM A HAMPTON INN TO ME, IS JUST SO AGAINST COMMON SENSE, BUT ALSO AGAINST THE GENERAL PLAN.
[00:20:01]
THE GENERAL PLAN, EVEN IF THIS WERE IN A, UH, JUST A REGULAR COMMERCIAL ZONE, I THINK THE GENERAL PLAN WOULD FORBID IT.UM, BUT THE GENERAL PLAN HAS ALL THIS LANGUAGE ABOUT SPECIAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE REGIONAL COMMERCIAL ZONE AND PROTECTING THE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THERE, MAKING SURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH THE ZONING THAT'S THERE.
AND SO HAVING A PROCESSING PLAN FOR HUMAN REMAINS IN A REGIONAL COMMERCIAL CENTER SEEMS TO FLY IN THE FACE OF THE GENERAL PLAN.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, EVEN IF WE WERE TO SOMEHOW SAY THAT WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE ZONING, WE'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE GENERAL PLAN, WE'RE GONNA PUSH FORWARD TO ISSUE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, THE APPLICANT'S SUPPOSED TO SHOW THAT THIS IS IN THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, NOT JUST IN THEIR BENEFIT.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE I GOT LOST WITH THEIR APPLICATION.
I UNDERSTOOD THEM TO SAY, SAY THAT HAVING CREMATORIES IN EL CAJON COULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THAT THE NEAREST ONE IS VISTA, AND THAT PERHAPS IT'S A BURDEN FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO VISTA IF THEY WANT TO WITNESS A CREMA CREMATION.
BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I SAW THAT EXPLAINED WHY IT NEEDED TO BE IN A REGIONAL COMMERCIAL CENTER OR AT THIS SITE.
I DON'T SEE HOW THAT IS TO THE PUBLIC BENEFIT.
I CERTAINLY SEE HOW THAT BENEFITS THIS APPLICANT THAT ALREADY OWNS THAT LAND, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW IT BENEFITS THE PUBLIC.
AND I THINK IT'S ON THEM TO HAVE THE BURDEN TO SHOW WHY THIS SITE IS IN THE PUBLIC BENEFIT AND ESSENTIAL AND NECESSARY.
AND THE CASE LAW THAT I LOOKED AT WAS PRETTY CLEAR THAT IF THEY DON'T MEET THAT BURDEN, IF THEY CAN'T SHOW THAT IT COMPLIES WITH THE GENERAL PLAN, THEN I DON'T BELIEVE THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THE LAST THING I WANNA POINT OUT, JUST AS A LAWYER, UM, IS LIABILITY.
IF I WERE IN YOUR POSITION, UM, I WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT CLAIMS, WHETHER FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT TRAVERSE IN THAT AREA IN PARTICULAR, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT MERCURY POISONING, WHICH THEY KIND OF SAID IS NO BIG DEAL.
BUT WHEN I GOOGLED IT, THE CDC WAS PRETTY CLEAR THAT REALLY LOW LEVELS OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME CAN LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT MENTAL DEFECTS, KIDNEY ABNORMALITIES.
IF I WERE SITTING IN NEAR POSITION, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM, I'D LOVE IT TO BE AN INDUSTRIAL AREA.
WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE WALKING AROUND AND WE DON'T HAVE A HOTEL IN A HOME DEPOT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHER SPEAKER CARDS? YES, ERNIE KASSOFF AND MR. KASSOFF, COULD YOU ALSO CLARIFY IF YOU'RE IN OPPOSE OR SUPPORT S O F F? I'M HAPPY TO BE BACK IN SAN DIEGO.
UM, MR. MILLER HAS GIVEN ME HIS THREE MINUTES SO I CAN GET THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING.
I AM THE NATIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR FACULTY CHIEF TECHNOLOGIES OF AMERICAS, BETTER KNOWN AS FT.
AND WE ARE THE VENDOR PROVIDING THE COMMISSION EQUIPMENT FOR EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
I ATTENDED THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING ON JANUARY 17TH, WHERE I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONERS MADE A MOTION TO PASS OR TO ALLOW NEW, NEW WORDING TO USE THE CONDITIONAL USE OF IT.
AND THEN I GOT A COPY OF A LETTER, UM, FROM THAT, FROM KENNETH SCHULBERG, GENERAL COUNSEL FOR GRM PROPERTIES, THE OWNER OF FLETCHER MARKETPLACE, REGARDING THE OBJECTIONS TO THE CITY ISSUING A CONDITIONAL PERMIT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE MY RESPONSE.
I BELIEVE THAT MANY OF MR. SHE'S COMMENTS ARE BASED UPON NOT BEING EDUCATED ON MODERN FUNERAL HOMES AND MODERN CREMATORIES.
HIS RESEARCH SEEMS TO BE BASED UPON SEARCHING THE INTERNET, WHICH WAS OUTDATED AND HAS MANY INCONSISTENCIES.
HIS FIR CO FIRST COMMENT WAS, THE APPLICATION IS AT ODDS WITH THE ZONING CODE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT GERSHMAN HAS INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE SHOPPING CENTER, AND AT THE SAME TIME, MR. ZACKERS AS WELL AS PLAN ON SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THIS PROJECT TO PROVIDE BUILDING RENOVATIONS THAT WILL INCREASE THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, AS WELL AS THE SIZABLE INVESTMENT ON FOR STATE-OF-THE-ART CREMATION EQUIPMENT.
MR. SHEL THEN STATED THAT A CREMATORIUM IS PER SE AND INDUSTRIAL USE.
THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT I FEEL IS NO SUBSTANCE AT ALL, AND I'M UNSURE WHERE THE GENERAL COUNSEL GOT THIS INFORMATION.
OUR COMPANY HAS BUILT MORE THAN 200 CREMATORIES IN THE US WITH MORE THAN 80% BEING IN COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USE LOCATIONS.
CREMATOR IS BUILT IN INDUSTRIAL PARK SETTINGS, DO NOT LET FAMILIES TO CONVENIENTLY PARTICIPATE IN PROVIDING DIGNIFIED SERVICE FOR THE LOVED ONES THAT THEY'VE RECENTLY PASSED.
MR. SCHULBERG ALSO MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN HIS LETTER.
IT IS A PROCESSING PLANT FOR HUMAN BODIES.
I WONDER WHAT HE CALLS HOSPITALS, CLINICS, OR CEMETERY.
I BELIEVE THIS SHOWS DISRESPECT FOR THE FUNERAL FOR PROFESSION AND THE PEOPLE THAT PROVIDES SOLA FOR
[00:25:01]
FAMILIES OF LOVED ONES THAT HAVE PASSED.HE ALSO CALLED THE EXHAUST STACK OF SMOKE STACK.
I SHOULD REMIND HIM THAT HE SHOULD NOW AGREE THAT EVERY RESTAURANT WITHIN THE FLETCHER MARKETPLACE HAS A SMOKE STACK THAT EMITS SMOKE AND ODORS FROM THEIR KITCHENS AS CREMATORIES ARE PERMITTED BY STATE REGULATORS FOR THE EMISSIONS COMPLIANCE SOAR RESTAURANTS PERMITTED BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES.
THE STATEMENT WHICH COMPARES THE SAY WITH OTHER IN THE AREA AND THE LOCATIONS HAS NO RELEVANCE AS THE OTHER CREMATOR ARE NOT DESIGNED TO OFFER THE DIGNIFIED FINAL DISPOSITION FOR LOVED ONES THAT HAVE PASSED THAT MR. ZACKER WILL PROVIDE.
MR. SHELLENBERGER STATE THE APPLICATION IS CONTRARY TO THE GENERAL PLAN'S REQUIREMENT TO SPECIALLY PROTECT REGIONAL COMMERCIAL AREAS.
THERE'S A LOT OF LEGAL MUMBLE JUMBO IN THIS SECTION.
I'LL ONLY ADDRESS THE STATEMENT REGARDING THE HAMPTON N LOCATION THAT IS KLEIN OWNS.
I TRAVEL WEEKLY IN STAY MANY HOTELS THROUGHOUT THE US THEY'RE LOCATED IN RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS.
I HAVE STAYED IN THAT LOCATION AND I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE PROJECT SITE AND HAS MINIMAL SIGHT LINES.
HOWEVER, I DID NOTICE THE ODORS COMING FROM SOME OF THE RESTAURANTS, AND QUITE FRANKLY, SOME OF THEM WEREN'T VERY PLEASANT ALONG WITH THEIR GARBAGE.
ONE OF THE OTHER STATEMENTS HE MADE WAS THE PROPOSAL SIZE VISIBLE FROM STATE ROUTE 67, AS WELL AS THE OFF RAMPS WITH THE BUILDING BEING VACANT FOR MANY YEARS AND TURNING TO AN UP KEMP PROPERTY WITH MANY HOMELESS CAMPING OUT.
I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS THE INTENT OF A GATEWAY ENTRANCE.
THE PROPOSED RENOVATIONS BY MR. ZACK WILL ENHANCE THE BUILDING AND THE EXHAUST STACK WILL NOT BE VISIBLE FROM STATE ROUTE 67, NOR THE OFF RAMPS.
LASTLY, IF THIS LOCATION WAS SO IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE GATEWAY, WHY HAS NO ONE DEVELOPED THE PROPERTY OVER THE LAST FIVE PLUS YEARS? HE THEN STATE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT NUISANCE POLLUTION CONCERNS IF A CREMATION IS ALLOWED AT THIS SITE.
AS A MANUFACTURER, FT DESIGNS EN AND ENGINEER'S CREMATION SYSTEM EQUIPMENT, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES WHERE UTILIZE THE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT CONTINUOUSLY MONITORS AND AUTOMATICALLY FUELS ACTIONS AND TEMPERATURES TO PROVIDE A FINITE CONTROL THE COMBUSTION PROCESS.
THUS, WE ELIMINATE SMOKE ODORS IN PARTICULATE MATTER COMING FROM THE EXISTING FROM THE EXHAUST DECK.
NOTHING IS FOOLPROOF AND NO ONE IN THE RIGHT MIND CAN GUARANTEE THAT ANY SYSTEM IS FOOLPROOF.
WE DESIGN SYSTEMS THAT ARE PROACTIVE, ALLOWING THE EQUIPMENT TO OPERATORS DESIGNED.
MR. SHELLENBERGER STATED THAT SMOKE AND ORDERS COULD EXIST IN THE EXHAUST ACT IF THE OPERATION FAILS TO A POWER OUTAGE.
HOWEVER, MR. ZACKER IS INTENDING TO HAVE A BACKUP GENERATOR INSTALL THIS PART OF HIS PROJECT TO PROVIDE POWER IN THE EVENT OF A FAILURE.
AS IN OUR DESIGN OF BEING PROACTIVE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CREMATION PROCESS.
I WOULD ASK MR THAT IF HE CAN GUARANTEE THAT HE HAVE PLACED BACKUP GENERATORS THAT ALL THE BUSINESSES AT FLETCHER AMERICA PLACED TO KEEP REFRIGERATION, ELEVATORS AND OTHER MECHANICAL SYSTEMS IN OPERATIONAL IN THE EVENT OF AN ELECTRICAL BLACKOUT.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES DURING MY BUSINESS TRAVELS OVER THE LAST 35 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN IN HOTELS IN VARIOUS BUSINESSES THAT LOSE POWER IN MECHANICAL SYSTEM SHUT DOWN.
THE OTHER THING I CANNOT GUARANTEE IS THE SUN WILL SHINE EVERY DAY AND WE WILL NOT HAVE HEAVY RAINS CAUSING FLOODING.
MR. SHELLEN BURKE STATED THAT HE DID A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH OF COMPLAINTS MADE AGAINST CREMATORIUMS, AND THAT BROUGHT UP SEVERAL ARTICLES REPORTING CREMATORIUMS THAT CAUSED NUISANCES BY CREATING SMOKE ORDERS AND AN UNPLEASANT HUMMING NOISE.
HE ALSO SAYS SOME OF THESE WERE CAUSED BY A LOSS OF POWER, WHICH I'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED.
MACHINE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, WHICH FT SERVICES ALL OF OUR CREMATOR, EVERY FIVE TO 600 CREMATIONS PROVIDING PROACTIVE PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND LASTLY, HUMAN ERROR, WHICH WILL UTILIZE COMPUTERS TO PROVIDE THE OPERATION OF CREMATOR, THUS REDUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF HUMAN ERROR.
ONE OTHER FACT ABOUT MR. SCHOENBERG'S RE RESEARCH AS OF 2022, THERE ARE 3,418 CREMATORIES OPERATING IN THE UNITED STATES, AND HE WAS ABLE TO FIND SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT COMPLAINTS.
DID HE MENTION HOW MANY ARTICLES HE FOUND REFERENCING CREMATE CREMATORIES THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS? SO IS IT A COUPLE, 2, 5, 10, 20? THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE LESS THAN ONE HALF PERCENT.
THE ONE ARTICLE HE REFERENCED TO IN SCOTT DALE'S, ARIZONA IS FROM 2021 AND WAS ALSO PUT UP ON A VIDEO.
THE FACTS OF THIS CREMATORIUM HAVE, HAVE, YOU KNOW, HE DID NOT FOLLOW UP ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF THIS CREMATORIUM.
THE FACTS ARE THIS CREMATORIUM AND EQUIPMENT THAT WAS INSTALLED FROM 1995 TO 2006 AND USED MANUAL CONTROLS WITH VERY LITTLE AUTOMATION IN 2021.
HOW MUCH MORE TIME DO YOU NEED? UH, ABOUT TWO MINUTES.
IN 2021, OUR COMPANY INSTALLED ONE OF OUR FT THREE CREMATOR.
IN 22 20 22, WE INSTALLED TWO ADDITIONAL FT CREMATOR AT THAT SITE.
THE CREMATORY INTENDS INSTALL ANOTHER CREMATOR LAST YEAR, THIS, THIS YEAR, AND ONE MORE.
IN 2024, BY THE END OF 2004, ALL THE OLD CREAMERS WERE
[00:30:01]
BE REPLACED.SINCE THE INSTALLATION OF THE FT CREMATOR CONSUMER COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED DUE TO OPERATING THE OLD MACHINERY ONLY ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS WHEN REQUIRED.
AS FOR EMISSIONS, MR. SHEL, MR. SCHULENBERG SPECIALLY MENTIONS THE ILITY OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION NOW, OR AIR POLLUTION IN THE REPORTING REFERENCES THAT THE RE RELEASE OF MERCURY VAPOR IS A SERIOUS CONCERN.
IF MR. SULLENBERG WOULD'VE DONE A BETTER RESEARCH ON GOOGLE, HE WOULD'VE FOUND A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IN 2015 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION AGENCY TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF MERCURY FROM DENTAL FILLINGS THAT WOULD BE ADMITTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT OF CREMATION.
IN ADDITION, STATISTICS FROM BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN CALIFORNIA WERE FACTORED INTO THE REPORT.
WHAT THE REPORT DETERMINED IS THAT MERCURY WAS USED IN DENTAL FILLINGS UNTIL THE EARLY 1970S, AND THIS WAS THE REASON FOR POSSIBLE VAPORS RELEASED DURING THE CREMATION PROCESS.
AS MERCURY USED RE AS MERCURY USAGE IN DENTAL PROCEDURES STOPPED IN THE MID SEVENTIES, AND MANY OF THESE FILLINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED DURING THE LAST 50 YEARS, ALONG WITH DUST OF MANY OF THESE CONSUMERS.
THE CONCERNS FOR MERCURY POLLUTION FROM DENTAL WILL BASICALLY BE ELIMINATED BY 2015.
ANOTHER FACT TO BE CONSIDERED AS THE AMOUNT OF MERCURY CONTAINED IN ONE LESSEN LIGHT BULB IS EQUAL TO APPROXIMATELY 1000 CREMATIONS.
SO I WAS EXPECTED ALL THE PROPERTIES LOCATED IN THE FLETCHER MARKETPLACE HAVE REPLACED ALL THOSE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS WITH L E D LIGHT STYLE FIXTURES.
DISPOSAL OF THESE BULBS IS NORMALLY TO THROW THEM INTO A DUMPSTER WHERE THEY BREAK AND THEY CAN SPREAD MERCURY VAPORS TO THE PUBLIC.
LASTLY, WITH CONCERNS ABOUT OTHER POLLUTANTS, WE HAVE PROVIDED A DIAGRAM, WHICH I YOU THINK YOU WERE PRESENTED PRIOR TO THE LAST, THE LAST MEETING THAT SHOWS A RELEASE OF EMISSIONS SUCH AS VOCS FROM DRY CLEANERS, CARBON MONOXIDE FROM GAS POWERED LEAF BLOWERS, PARTICULAR MATTER FROM RESIDENTIAL FIREPLACES AND NITROUS OXIDE ALSO KNOWS NOX BEING RELEASED FROM TRASH TRUCKS WITH ALL PRODUCED MORE EMISSIONS IN ONE DAY THAN AN FT.
CREMATOR WERE PRODUCING A THOUSAND CREMATIONS IN ONE YEAR.
THE BIG ONE IS THE KNX BECAUSE HOW MANY DUMPSTERS ARE EMPTIED EACH DAY AT FLETCHER AMERICA PLACE CONTAINING BROKEN FLUORESCENT LIGHT TUBES BY, BY APPROVING THE PROJECT, THE CITY OF EL CAJON WILL HAVE THE MOST ADVANCED CREMATORY IN NORTH AMERICA, OFFERING LOCAL FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE A DIGNIFIED AND FINAL DISPOSITION OF LOVED ONES THAT HAVE PASSED.
AND CURTISS, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YE YES, I DO.
MR. KOFF, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, A BACKUP GENERATOR.
UH, WOULD THAT BE A, UH, AN AUTOMATIC BACKUP GENERATOR? YES.
YOU MENTIONED REAL QUICK, YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, SITUATION THAT HAPPENED.
WERE YOU AWARE OF THAT SITUATION THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER SOT WAS REFERRING TO THAT, THAT MOST OF, WHEN WE, WHEN WE SEE SMOKE COMING FROM A CREMATOR OKAY.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT, THE REASON FOR SMOKE IS A, IT'S A FAILURE OF COMBUSTION, PROPER COMBUSTION.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE MACHINES ARE PROBABLY HAVE MANUAL CONTROLS ON IT, AND THERE'S AN OPERATOR THERE THAT SITS THERE AND MOVES THE DIALS AND TRIES TO GET TO DO IT.
WE MEASURE OXYGEN LEVELS AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY MODIFYING.
OURS IS ALL COMPUTER OPERATED.
WE DON'T DEPEND ON HUMANS THAT CAN MAKE MISTAKES CONSISTENTLY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
WE HAVE MR. MIKE MILLER, BUT HE SEATED HIS TIME TO ERNIE KASSOFF.
THAT'S WHY HE, UM, MR. KASSOFF WAS GRANTED SIX MINUTES OKAY.
MAY I PLEASE HAVE JONATHAN JABBAR COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? GOOD EVENING.
LAST NAME JABBAR, SPELLED J A B O R O.
UM, NOW I WANTED TO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO US HERE TODAY AND, AND, UH, ALLOW US TO MAKE OUR CASE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MRS. BUTTERFIELD AS WELL FOR RAISING HER CONCERNS, UM, AND THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT'S CONCERNS.
UM, IT TRULY, REALLY ONLY VALIDATES ALL THAT I SAID LAST TIME WE WERE HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE, ABOUT THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD SOME OF THESE TOPICS WERE BROUGHT UP HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY'RE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS IF YOU DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, MERCURY BEING TRULY OBSOLETE, WHICH IS WHY WE NEVER EVEN TOUCHED ON IT LAST TIME.
UM, AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY IS AN AMAZING THING.
THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO EVERYTHING WE DO WITH TECHNOLOGY.
IN FACT, WE JUST EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE CONS WITH TECHNOLOGY TRYING TO CONNECT TO A, A
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, HAVING TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS IS SUCH AN AMAZING GIFT.
BUT THERE'S ALSO SO MANY NEGATIVES THAT GO WITH THAT SAME, YOU KNOW, UH,
[00:35:01]
UH, TECHNOLOGY IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS.YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T KNOW SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NOW FOLKS MAKE THE BIG MISTAKE OF TURNING TO SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH IS WHY SOCIAL MEDIA PLACES ARE NOW PUTTING, YOU KNOW, FALSE INFORMATION TAGS ON A LOT OF THINGS.
AND GOOGLE SEARCHES ARE NO DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN GOOGLE SEARCH SOMETHING IF YOU LOOK FOR ANYTHING IN LIFE.
I MEAN, THIS IS A HARD FACT FOR ANYONE TO SWALLOW.
IF I GO ON A GOOGLE SEARCH AND I SEARCH NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT HAVING A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY, I'M GONNA FIND IT.
IF I GOOGLE SEARCH POSITIVE REASONS WHY I SHOULD HAVE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM, I'M GOING TO FIND IT.
UH, IT, IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS.
MOST OF THAT, THAT INFORMATION IS TYPICALLY OUTDATED BECAUSE WHEN A SITUATION ARISES, YOU KNOW, AS HUMANS BY NATURE, WE TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO BETTER OUR PROCESSES, WHICH IS WHY, AGAIN, MERCURY'S OBSOLETE.
BUT I I, I DID MY OWN DIGGING.
I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH AND I WANTED TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS BECAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, ROBERT FREQUENTLY INSTILLS IN ALL OF US IS WE, WE WANT TO BE GOOD TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
AND, AND WE WANNA UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS FOLKS AS CONCERNS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER SOLUTION THAT'S VIABLE FOR BOTH PARTIES.
AND WHEN I SEARCHED EMISSIONS, AND, YOU KNOW, I CAME TO FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, AIR FILTER COMPANIES, UH, CAN FILL, UM, HAVE SHOWN THAT THROUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, GRILLING HAMBURGERS AND THE RELEASE OF PARTICULATE MATTER IS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS FORM OF EMISSIONS.
AND YET, AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO BE COMBATIVE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, BUT NOBODY COMPLAINS ABOUT THAT IN AND OUT BEING THERE.
YOU KNOW, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO EMISSIONS, I THINK IT'S JUST FINDING THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
AND I'M GLAD ERNIE, YOU KNOW, TOUCHED ON PARTICULATE MATTER LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, AND, AND HE TOUCHED UP ON IT.
AGAIN, OUR, OUR TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO BE ADVANCED.
WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, INVEST ALL THAT WE HAVE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS SAFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, SPEAK ON WHY WE TRULY NEED IT, IT ISN'T JUST FOR EL CAJON.
YOU KNOW, I SPOKE TO HOW FAR BEHIND LOS ANGELES COUNTY WAS, YOU KNOW, DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND THEY STILL CURRENTLY ARE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, FOLKS WERE WAITING A MONTH TO MEET WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEIR FUNERAL RANGER IN SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THEY GOT THEIR LOVED ONES BACK.
WELL, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE IN SAN DIEGO TO GET AHEAD OF THE GAME AND NOT FALL BEHIND SO THAT CREMATORIES AND CEMETERIES AND OUR COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE TO WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS TO LAY THEIR LOVED ONES TO REST, TO GET TO THE NEXT PHASES OF GRIEF SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE ON TO THEIR NEW NORM IN LIFE.
SIX CREMATORIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
WE'RE ALREADY BEHIND THE BALL.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED HERE IN EL CAJON.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED IN THE COUNTY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND IT'S SOMETHING OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND, AND I THINK YOU ALL TOUCHED ON THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE OUT OF TIME.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO CUT YOU HERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU AND THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER SPEAKER CARDS? MAY I HAVE ROBERT SAKARA? COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS ROBERT ZAKAR, SPELLED Z A K A R.
I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT AND POSSIBLY ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
UM, I, I KNOW, UM, PLANNING COMMISSIONER MIRA, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT COMPLAINTS AT EAST COUNTY MORTUARY.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY, UM, YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, AT ONE OF MY ATTEMPTS TO GET A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT HERE, MY NEIGHBOR DID SHOW UP.
UM, THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR TO ME, THE DRY CLEANERS, THE PIZZA PLACE, THEY DID SHOW UP AND THEY SPOKE IN MY FAVOR OF, OF WANTING, UM, A CREMATORIUM THERE.
AND THEY ALSO DID SPEAK OF WHAT TYPE OF NEIGHBOR I WAS AND, AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE I'VE MADE BEING THERE ON MAGNOLIA NEXT TO THEM.
UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SAID FEW TIMES THAT CREMATORIES SHOULD BE PER SE, IN, UM, INDUSTRIAL AREAS.
WELL, THE BUILDING THAT I CURRENTLY OWN, IF I GO ACROSS THE STREET AND BUY THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET, NOW I'M AN INDUSTRIAL AREA.
I'M STILL GONNA BE IN THE SAME SPOT, SAME AREA.
UM, I'M STILL GONNA HAVE THE SAME EFFECTS, UM, WHICH I'M HOPING TO, THAT THOSE EFFECTS ARE NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING IN ALL THE EFFORT AND ALL THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE NEED TO, TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
UM, I BELIEVE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, OR, OR WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING, THEY'RE DEMORALIZING DEATH.
AND, AND WE REALLY NEED TO GET PAST THAT THE SAME WAY WE'VE GOTTEN PAST EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE LAST 30 YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW WITH THESE FAMILIES.
WE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA.
[00:40:01]
THESE FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO COME TO A NICE AREA, TO BE ABLE TO GO ACROSS THE STREET AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT, OR TO STAY AT THE HAMPTON AND, AND GO AHEAD AND COME THERE AND WITNESS THEIR LOVED ONE.YOU KNOW, BEING PUT TO REST IN A DIGNIFIED MANNER, IN A NICE FACILITY, IN A NICE ATMOSPHERE.
UM, WE STRONGLY, UM, I, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OPINION VERSUS, VERSUS FACTS.
AND, AND THE FACT IS THAT EAST COUNTY MORTUARY HAS BEEN HERE AS PARIS FREDERICK MORTUARY SINCE 1942 BEFORE A LOT OF THESE BUILDINGS WERE HERE.
AND EVERYONE, EVEN SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE'S BEEN CREMATION THERE AND HAPPENING THERE, ALTHOUGH IT HASN'T, THE PERCEPTION IS THERE.
BUT YET, COURTYARD OPENED UP THERE, THE SAME OWNERS AS HAMPTON, AND THEY'RE THRIVING.
THEIR ROOMS ARE THREE, $400 A NIGHT.
UM, THE RUBIOS ACROSS THE STREET, PEOPLE SIT THERE AND THEY WATCH US DO SERVICES, AND YET THEY'RE THRIVING AS WELL, SO TO SAY, OR GIVE AN OPINION.
YEAH, THEY'D OPEN BECAUSE THEY OPENED UP HERE.
AND TO SAY WHETHER A RESTAURANT WOULD STAY OR LEAVE, YEAH, THEY'LL STAY BECAUSE THEY'RE STAYING AND THEY'RE THRIVING.
UM, THE LAST THING I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH POINT ON, BECAUSE I KNOW MY TIME IS UP, IS, YOU KNOW, MS. BUTTERFIELD STATED LIABILITY.
WELL, AS FAR AS POTENTIAL LIABILITY ON THE CITY'S PART FOR ALLOWING THIS USE, IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE LIABILITY, THERE HAS TO BE DAMAGES.
WE PLAN ON BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD TO THEIR BUSINESS, TO THE RESTAURANTS, TO THE HAMPTON, TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I I THINK STAFF SAID, UM, SAID IT PERFECTLY THAT THIS CAN COME BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSIONS.
I AM GONNA INVEST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, NOT BECAUSE I'M A WEALTHY MAN OR, OR, OR ANYTHING, BUT BECAUSE I WANNA HAVE THE BEST FOR EL CAJON.
AND I DON'T WANNA JEOPARDIZE THAT.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO JEOPARDIZE THAT.
SO I AM GONNA BE THE BEST NEIGHBOR POSSIBLE, NOT JUST FOR, UM, THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, BUT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR TIME, AND IF YOU DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T GIVE US ANY GUARANTEES, AND WE'RE NOT HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF SIGN TO PUT UP, BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE ONLY SIGN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IS GONNA BE FACING, NOT NOT ON, UH, MAGNOLIA, BUT KIND OF FACING OUT TOWARDS, UH, OH, WHAT'S THAT STREET THERE? COOGAN WAY? COOGAN COOGAN.
SO YES, THAT'S THE SIGN THAT'S GONNA HAVE, UM, THE NAME OF THE BUSINESS ON IT.
BUT ON THE SIDE OF MAGNOLIA, I DO PLAN, I DO PLAN ON PUTTING THE ADDRESS, BECAUSE I DO HAVE A MAGNOLIA ADDRESS MM-HMM.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR MY ADDRESS CAN SEE THE 10 34 NORTH MAGNOLIA.
YOU GUYS GOTTA REMEMBER SOMETHING AS, AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE IN A SENSITIVE INDUSTRY WHERE SOMEONE'S LOST THEIR LOVED ONE.
SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT AS RESPECTFUL AND DIGNIFIED, AND ITS, ITS BEAUTIFUL AS WE CAN.
SO A GOTTI SIGN DOESN'T DO ME ANY GOOD AS MUCH AS IT DOES THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.
ON THE SIGN, IS IT GONNA BE ILLUMINATED? UM, YES.
SO IT, IT'LL PROBABLY BE BACK LIT.
UM, BUT, BUT I DO PLAN ON IT BEING LIKE A NICE ELEGANT SIGN.
UM, SOMETHING LIKE YOU WOULD SEE, UM, EITHER CHANNEL LETTERS OR, OR HAVE BACKLIGHTING, KIND OF LIKE WHAT'S ON, ON THE PLANS SHOW IS A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHTING.
UM, CAN YOU TOUCH ON THE CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY FOR THIS LOCATION? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, IN EL CAJON LAST YEAR.
WE SERVED CLOSE TO A THOUSAND FAMILIES, UM, JUST HERE AT, AT OUR LOCATION.
UM, 70% OF THOSE WERE, WERE CREMATIONS.
UH, MANY PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW THAT THEIR, IT'S THEIR LOVED ONE GOING INTO THE CHAMBER BY THEMSELVES.
UM, AL ALTHOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE IT HAPPENS ANY OTHER WAY, THERE IS THAT MISCONCEPTION, JUST LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS.
UM, SOME PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONE, ONE LAST TIME, OR KNOW THAT IT'S THEM GOING INTO THE CHAMBER.
AND FOR RELIGIOUS REASONS AS WELL, WE DO MANY BUDDHIST SERVICES.
AND, AND THE BUDDHIST TRADITION, IT'S CUSTOMARY FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY PRESS THE BUTTON THAT STARTS, UM, THE CHAMBER ITSELF.
UM, I, I DON'T WANT TO GET GRUESOME, AND I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT THE INDUSTRY'S DOING NOW.
I, I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BOX TRUCKS, LIKE U-HAUL BODIES PUTTING, BEING PUT IN BOXES AND TAKEN TO MAINLY LAKE ELSINOR, UM, RIVERSIDE, TEMECULA, OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE THESE CREMATORIES.
I MEAN, THESE BODIES ARE BEING SHIPPED AS CARGO.
I, I KNOW THE LAW, YOU KNOW, JUSTIFIES THEM BEING CARGO, BUT THEY'RE STILL SOMEONE'S MOM, SOMEONE'S DAD, BROTHER OR SISTER.
[00:45:01]
NOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NECESSITY, OF COURSE YOU HAVE THREE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE.YOU HAVE SIX ACTIVE CREMATORIES THERE.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE SERVING THREE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE.
YOU GO INTO NEIGHBORING, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNTIES, THEY HAVE A FRACTION OF WHAT WE HAVE IN POPULATION, BUT YET THEY HAVE MORE CREMATOR.
AND I BELIEVE I'VE PROVIDED EVERYONE WITH A LIST OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES WITH THEIR POPULATION AND, UM, WITH HOW MANY CREMATORIES THEY HAVE.
UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY, I THINK WE DO NEED MORE OF THESE.
I, I THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION THE WHOLE INDUSTRY'S GOING.
THAT'S THE WHOLE DIRECTION SOCIETY'S GOING TO BE GOING PRETTY SOON.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, ERNIE WAS SAYING ABOUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE ABOUT POWER GOING OFF OR, YOU KNOW, UM, BEING ABLE TO FUNCTION OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
ONE THING I CAN GUARANTEE YOU IS WE'RE ALL GONNA LOSE A LOVED ONE AND WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE.
SO IMAGINE YOUR LOVED ONE AND IMAGINE NOT HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY GOODBYE BECAUSE YOU LIVE OUTTA STATE.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NECESSITY, YES, IT'S THERE.
AND PEOPLE USE US BECAUSE THEY WANT US TO, FROM WHEN THEY CALL US TO WHEN WE GIVE THEM THEIR LOVED ONE BACK, THEY WANT THEIR LOVED ONE IN OUR CARE.
THEY DON'T WANT US PASSING 'EM OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? NO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING? I MOVE TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER ERCO.
COMMISSIONER PAUL RUDD, PLEASE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, UH, ANY DELIBERATION? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S CHANGED OR WHERE YOU GUYS ARE AT? WE'VE SEEN THIS, THIS IS THE THIRD LOCATION THAT THIS HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS AT THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, AND THE SECOND TIME IT WAS AT THE, THE MORTUARY.
AND THIS IS THE THIRD LOCATION.
UM, AND I'VE, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO ELCON, I ASSUMED THAT EVERY CREMATORIUM THAT I SAW ACTUALLY CREMATED BODIES THERE.
SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THEY WERE ASKING FOR THEM AT THE LOCATION, WHICH I ASSUME THEY ALREADY HAD.
BUT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY IN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION, THE CONVENIENCE ASPECT, I THINK MR. ZAKAR TOUCHED ON THAT THE SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE ACTUAL MEMORIAL FOOD, LODGING, FREEWAYS, THEY'RE ALL CLOSE BY.
THAT MAKES IT A VERY CONVENIENT LOCATION.
I DOUBT THAT VERY MANY PEOPLE WHO DRIVE IN DELCON ON MAGNOLIA COMING OFF THE 67 FIRST SEE THE MORTUARY AND CREMATORIUM AND GO, OOH, HOOF.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE ANY OF THAT PERCEPTION.
UM, AS FAR AS THE PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPGRADE A PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN KIND OF DWINDLING THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
UH, I ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND WHEN IT WAS THE RESOURCE CENTER, BUT, UH, I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT USE OF THE PROPERTY.
I DO, I DO SEE THAT, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF PUBLIC RESPONSE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE NEGATIVE.
I THINK WHEN THEY ARE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR MEMORIAL HAVE THEIR LOVED ONE CREMATED IN EL CAJON, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLEASED BY THAT.
I KNOW THAT THE RATES OF CREMATION HAVE BEEN GOING UP, UH, JUST LIKE THE PRICES OF A CEMETERY PLOT HAVE BEEN GOING UP.
AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE TURNING TO CREMATION RATHER THAN BURIAL.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS THE CITY OF EL CAJON TO GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND TO ALLOW THIS USE.
UM, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE JUST THIS ONE.
I THINK THERE ARE OTHER LOCATIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF, IF THE BUSINESS IS THERE, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I'VE LOOKED INTO THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND
[00:50:01]
THE CREMATORIUMS. THEY'VE ADVANCED A LONG WAY SINCE THE, UH, WAS IT THE NEPTUNE CLUB? SO I, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON THAT WE SHOULD WITHHOLD THIS.ANY OTHER COMMENTS? FELLOW COMMISSIONERS? YEAH, I, UM, UM, YES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DECIDE.
I SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE SITUATION.
I SEE THE, UH, POINT OF VIEW THAT THE CITY HAS REGARDING BEING THE CENTRAL REGIONAL COMMERCIAL CENTER AND WHY THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT, UH, AS PRISTINE AS POSSIBLE TO, UH, INDUCE PEOPLE TO COME AND DO BUSINESS IN, UH, EL CAJON.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME AS, UH, COMMISSIONER CERCO MENTIONED THAT THAT BUILDING HAS BEEN EMPTY, I THINK FIVE YEARS, IF I'M NOT WRONG.
AND IT HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED, AND IT HAS BEEN AN EYESORE.
AND ALSO IT HAS BEEN, UH, AN INVITATION FOR HOMELESSNESS, UH, TO COME AND BREAK INTO THE BUILDING AND STAY IN THAT PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, SO HAVING, UH, BUSINESS GO THAT GO THERE, IT IS BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FOR WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND I ALSO DO UNDERSTAND THE CONVENIENCE THAT IT DOES OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE FACT IS THAT ACROSS THE STREET IS AN INDUSTRIAL PARK, HOWEVER, IT'S INDUSTRIAL AREA, RATHER NOT PARK INDUSTRIAL AREA.
THAT THAT IS IN THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO.
IT'S NOT IN THE CITY OF EL CAJON.
SO IT'S OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO YOU COULD SAY THAT'S ON THE BORDERLINE, THAT BUILDING.
UM, AND SINCE IT IS A C U P A C P, UH, CAN BE REVISITED, UH, AND ALSO DETERMINED IF THERE'S ANY, UH, PROBLEMS WITH IT.
AND THE COMMISSIONERS CAN ALWAYS HEAR ON THAT C U P OR, OR THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
MAY I, I THINK MAYBE, UM, ALLOWING THE CREMATORIUM TO BE IN THAT LOCATION WOULD BE, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, A A GOOD IDEA.
UM, YEAH, I, I, YOU KNOW, I WALKED BACK AND FORTH.
I WAS ACTUALLY AT HOME DEPOT TWICE THIS WEEKEND AND I REALLY LOOKED AT IT AND ONE, ONE THING I NEVER REALLY REALIZED WAS, THERE'S A BIG ANTENNA RIGHT THERE TOO.
UM, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S KIND OF AN ODDBALL PROPERTY THAT REALLY IS NOT, IT, IT'S REALLY MEANT FOR PEOPLE TO, AS A SERVICE PROPERTY AND MEANING IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHERE IT IS NOW.
I KNOW WHERE IT IS, I'M GONNA GO THERE.
YOU WOULDN'T GO THERE JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET.
IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF INVITING PROPERTY THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE A FAST FOOD OR IT'S NOT GONNA BE A, YOU KNOW, ANY TYPE OF STORE LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A TON OF INDUSTRIAL ACROSS THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, THE TURF STORE, YOU KNOW, THE TURF PLACE IS THERE, THERE'S ELECTRICIANS THERE AND, AND, AND MEDIUM SIZE, UH, INDUSTRY THERE.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD USE FOR THAT SPACE.
IT'S GONNA BRING PEOPLE THERE AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THEY'RE GONNA, FAMILY MEMBERS ARE GONNA STAY AT THE HOTEL.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLACES TO EAT RIGHT THERE, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT STICKING OUT EITHER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A NON-DESCRIPT AREA.
IT'S JUST KIND OF SITTING THERE UNDERUTILIZED.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT, WHEN I THINK OF THAT PLACE, I DON'T THINK THIS IS WHERE I WANT MY OFFICE TO BE, CUZ IT'S GOT GREAT SIGNAGE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S NOT REAL CONVENIENT.
I MEAN, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT REALLY DRIVE DOWN THAT AREA MAGNOLIA, ARE PEOPLE THAT KNOW HOW TO CUT THROUGH IF THERE'S TRAFFIC ON THE, ON THE 67, YOU KNOW.
AND SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A, A HUGE AREA WHERE A TON OF PEOPLE ARE AT AND THEY'RE GONNA BE LIKE, HOLY, HOLY SMOKES, WHAT'S THIS? AND, AND THE BUILDING'S GONNA LOOK NICE AND IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF QUIET, YOU KNOW? AND PEOPLE AREN'T REALLY GONNA KNOW WHAT IT IS UNTIL THEY PROBABLY NEED IT.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M KIND OF WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND, AND, UH, I DEFINITELY THINK IT WOULD BE, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MR. ZAKAR TO, TO CONTINUE SERVICING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY LIKE HE DOES IN, IN SUCH A REVERENT WAY TOO.
I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH REGARDING LA AND RIVERSIDE AND OC AND ALL THOSE OTHER AREAS, THE AMOUNT OF GREEN AUDITORIUMS THERE ARE THERE AND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED AND WHAT THEY'RE NEXT TO.
SO I KNOW IT SEEMS A LOT OF, NOT MY BACKYARD TYPE OF THING, BUT THERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME ARE RIGHT NEAR RESIDENTIAL AREAS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE UNCONVENTIONAL.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN AREA, I MEAN, DOING PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, IT'S NOT LIKE A BUILDING THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO RENT.
IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR A LONG TIME AND THAT BEING SO CLOSE TO HOTEL AND THE AMOUNT OF HOMELESSNESS THAT'S THERE, I THINK THIS IS A, AN IMPROVEMENT TO HAVE SOMEBODY IN THAT BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, VAGRANCY WILL STOP THERE AND MOVE ON.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A WELL ADDITION TO EL
[00:55:01]
CAJON CUZ IT'S NOT, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE DRIVING THROUGH THERE.BUT I THINK FOR PEOPLE THAT NEED THOSE SERVICES, WE ARE LACKING THOSE SERVICES AND IT IS CLOSE TO GET ON AND OFF THE FREEWAY THERE AND CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN STAY.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD LOCATION IN HOW THEY PUT THE SIGNAGE IN HOW IT'S PLACED.
I THINK IT, IT IS VERY CONVENIENT FOR THE CITY AND IT IS, UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE DIE AND THEY NEED A PLACE TO GO.
AND HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB THUS FAR IN HELPING PEOPLE.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY TO CONTINUE HERE IN THE CITY.
MR. ROSE, MAY I ADD SOMETHING? YES.
UH, I WOULD ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A CONDITION OF APPROVAL THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A, A FUNCTIONAL BACKUP SYSTEM AS MR. UH, KOFF MENTIONED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ONE TO PREVENT ANY, UH, CUZ WE MAY HAVE POWER FAILURES IN THE NEAR FUTURE MM-HMM.
AND I I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE WA WAS THAT CORRECT? UH, I BELIEVE HE MENTIONED IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A PART OF THE, UH, CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
UH, MAYBE, UH, STAFF CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, THE DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT WAS PREPARED BY STAFF DOESN'T REQUIRE, UM, A BACKUP GENERATOR SYSTEM.
UM, I MIGHT SUGGEST, UH, REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, TO HAVE THE, THE APPLICANT ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS, AS WHETHER IT'S PART OF THEIR CURRENT SCOPE.
AND REAL QUICK ON, ON THAT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FOR POWER FOR A BACKUP SYSTEM, WHAT ABOUT FOR COMPUTER? BECAUSE THEY SAID EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE RAN BY THE COMPUTER, COMPUTERS FAIL.
SO IS THERE A BACKUP SYSTEM FOR THE COMPUTER SYSTEM AS WELL? YEAH.
WELL, LAST TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD IN THE LAST MEETING, HE MENTIONED THAT EVERYTHING IS MONITORED, UM, AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REDUNDANCY, BUT LET'S OPEN UP PUBLIC HEARING AND, AND ASK, UH, MR. ZAKAR SOME QUESTIONS, UH, PUBLIC HEARING'S OPEN.
SO, UH, TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION, BACKUP GENERATORS, ABSOLUTELY.
WE, WE PLAN ON PUTTING BACKUP GENERATORS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE OF 'EM, OF COURSE, THAT IF THERE IS POWER FAILURE, IF WE DO HAVE, UH, UM, A DECEDENT IN THE CHAMBER, WE COULD AT LEAST FINISH, YOU KNOW, THAT CREMATION RESPECTFULLY AND WITHOUT ANY KIND OF, UM, UH, POWER FAILURE AND, AND ANY KIND OF SMOKE TO EMIT INTO, INTO THE AIR.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE PLAN? YES.
AND AS FAR AS COMPUTER SOFTWARE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH, UH, THE FAILSAFES PUT IN PLACE WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE USING, IT'S THE LATEST AND GREATEST.
THEY, THEY DO MONITOR IT ON, ON THE BACKEND.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE FAILURES FROM, FROM THE COMPUTERS.
I, I THINK THE ONLY TYPE OF COMPUTER FAILURE WE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE IS, AGAIN, WITH THE POWER FAILURE.
UM, BUT WITH THE BACKUP GENERATORS, IF THE POWER DOESN'T GO OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM'S GONNA CONTINUE TO RUN.
UM, YOU OBVIOUSLY STORED THE DECEASED AT THE MORTUARY HERE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF COOLING SYSTEM REFRIGERATION.
UH, HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAD THE POWER FAIL AND YOU'VE, WHERE HAD TO BE? DID YOU, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO OVER THERE? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
WE HAD, WE, WE HAVE HAD, UM, POWER FAILURES.
UM, MY, MY COOLERS ARE DESIGNED, UM, INTENTIONALLY SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE CLOSED, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOORS, UM, IT MAINTAINS THE TEMPERATURE.
LEGALLY, YOU HAVE TO STORE A BODY, UM, AT 50 DEGREES.
SO OUR, EVEN WITH A POWER FAILURE, OUR REFRIGERATION HAS NEVER WENT ABOVE 50 DEGREES.
WE NORMALLY RUN OUR REFRIGERATION UNITS AT ABOUT 35 DEGREES.
AND LIKE I SAID, UM, IT'S NOT LIKE A CONVENIENCE STORE WHERE PEOPLE ARE OPENING AND CLOSING THE DOORS ALL THE TIME.
THE ONLY TIME WE'RE GOING INSIDE THE REFRIGERATION UNITS IS WHEN WE'RE PLACE THIS UNITS IN THERE AND WE'RE TAKING THEM OUT TO PREPARE FOR, UM, SERVICES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? UH, YEAH.
UH, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTION IN HAVING, UH, THE BACKUP SYSTEM AS PART OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE, UM, RE UH, REQUIREMENTS? NO OBJECTIONS, SIR.
I, I'M HAPPY TO ADD WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF EL CAJON IS COMFORTABLE WITH US OPERATING.
UM, I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE GONNA PROVE TO NOT ONLY THE CITY OF EL CAJON, BUT THE REST OF SAN DIEGO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS TYPE OF INDUSTRY IS CAPABLE OF.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF.
YEAH, I'M, I'M HAPPY PUTTING IT ON THERE.
IF, IF THAT, UM, AGAIN, UH, MAKES THIS PROCESS EASIER AND, AND MORE COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
UM, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, AND REALLY I'M JUST ASKING
[01:00:01]
YOU, BUT UM, IF WE'RE INTO, I WANNA RESERVE ALL RIGHTS FOR APPEAL, SO JUST WANNA SAY THAT OUT THERE.BUT IN TERMS OF THE CONDITIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTED WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS WAS WHEN YOU REALLY GET INTO AN ISSUE IS NOT WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE CREMATIONS THAT THE FAMILIES ARE VIEWING, BUT WHEN YOU START TAKING IN OTHER CREMATIONS TO MAKE MORE PROFIT.
AND THAT IS SEEMS TO BE WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
ZONE THESE PLACES WHERE THEY HAD BIG PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE CREMATION, LIKE THIS MACHINE CAN RUN 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND AT SOME OF THE PLACES THE CREMATIONS WERE NONSTOP, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID.
AND YOU KNOW, PLEASE GOD, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER NASTY COVID OUTBREAK.
BUT WOULD THE COMMISSION CONSIDER A CONDITION OF ONLY ALLOWING THE CREMATIONS TO BE THE ONES WHERE THE FAMILIES ARE THERE VIEWING AND NOT ALLOWING AN ONSLAUGHT OF OTHER CREMATIONS OR LIMITING THE NUMBER OF CREMATIONS OR THE NUMBER OF HOURS? I, YOU KNOW, A BACKUP GENERATOR CAN BE QUITE LOUD.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE CREMATIONS GOING ON AT ALL HOURS.
AND I THINK THEIR INTENTION IS ONLY TO ALLOW IT FOR THE ONES WHERE THE FAMILIES ARE ACTUALLY THERE IN VIEWING, WHICH I WOULD IMAGINE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DAY.
BUT IF WE ARE INTO THE WORLD OF CONDITIONS, THAT'S ONE I KNOW WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE.
ARE THERE HOURS OF OPERATION ATTACHED TO THIS? I DON'T THINK I SAW THOSE, BUT, SO, UH, FOLLOWING, UH, THE CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING, UH, STAFF DID HAVE A MEETING, UH, WITH MR. ZAKAR, UH, AND WE DISCUSSED, UH, POTENTIAL ONGOING CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
UM, HE DID NOTE, UH, THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO OPERATE ON A, ON A 24 HOUR BASIS.
UH, I BELIEVE, UM, STAFF DIDN'T PROPOSE ANY, UM, RESTRICTED HOURS OF OPERATION.
I THINK, AGAIN, FOR THIS ISSUE, UM, IF THE COMMISSION WANTS TO CONSIDER THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM MR. ZAKAR WITH REGARDS TO, UM, RESTRICTIONS.
UM, WHAT, UH, MS. BUTTERFIELD IS ADDRESSING THIS THIRD PARTY CREMATIONS? UM, I DO A LOT OF VOLUME.
UM, I, I'M BARELY GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH, WITH WHAT I'M DOING.
AND IF GOD FORBID, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PANDEMIC HITS, UH, I DEFINITELY WON'T BE ABLE TO, TO KEEP UP.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HOURS OF OPERATIONS, UM, SHOULD BE A CONDITION.
AND, AND THE REASON IS NOT BECAUSE I WANNA BE WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE AGAIN, A CULTURAL THING.
UM, HISPANIC FAMILIES, UM, SOMETIMES WANNA DO AN OVERNIGHT VIEWING OR SOMEBODY COMES IN LATE AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING A CREMATION IN, IN THE LATE HOURS.
UM, MS. BUTTERFIELD MENTIONS NOISE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TECHNOLOGY, WE REALLY DON'T OIT ANY NOISE.
AND I CAN ASK ERNIE TO COME BACK UP AND TALK ABOUT THE DECIMALS OF, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW LOUD THESE MACHINES ARE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T HEAR THE MACHINE RUNNING FROM THE OTHER ROOM, LET ALONE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
I'M NOT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT NOISE.
YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO A FREEWAY,
BUT AGAIN, EVEN THAT, LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU'RE IN ANOTHER ROOM, UM, YOU CAN'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, HEAR THE, UH, THE NOISE OF, OF THE CHAMBER OPERATING WHILE BEING IN THE SAME BUILDING, LET ALONE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING.
UM, SO I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES AND HAVING DIFFERENT HOURS FOR SERVICES.
UM, I THINK THE CONCERN THAT MRS. BUTTERFIELD BROUGHT UP WAS HAVING CONTINUOUS OPERATION, AND I KNOW THAT NEWER MACHINES ARE DESIGNED TO BE VERY RESILIENT, BUT WOULD IT BE, WOULD, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU ANTICIPATE DOING IS RUNNING 24 7? UH, I MAY HAVE TO ON, ON SOME OCCASIONS, YES.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN'T PREDICT WHEN PEOPLE DIE.
I'LL GO A WHOLE WEEK AND I WON'T GET A SINGLE CALL.
I'LL GET 10, 10 CALLS IN A DAY, AND WE'RE OUT AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SERVE THESE, THESE FAMILIES.
SO YES, THERE, THERE ARE DAYS WHERE WE MAY RUN 24 HOURS BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP AND THEY'RE NOT ALL WITNESS CREMATIONS.
IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP AND ACCOMMODATE FAMILIES WHO WANNA HAVE MEMORIAL SERVICES OR HAVE TO LEAVE TOWN.
SO WE NEED TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW, CREMATION DONE FOR THEM RIGHT AWAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE MY POLICY IS, IS THAT IF IT'S HUMANLY POSSIBLE, WE DON'T SAY NO.
SO IF A FAMILY ASKS ME FOR A NEXT DAY BURIAL OR A NEXT DAY CREMATION, I CAN HUMANLY POSSIBLY DO IT.
I THINK THERE'S A, A SLIGHT DISTINCTION THAT I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE AVAILABLE 24 7, RIGHT? WHENEVER SOMEBODY NEEDS IT.
I DON'T THINK I'M TRYING TO PUT LIMITS ON THAT, BUT WOULD YOU BE OPERATING MACHINES FROM SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT TILL SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT? THE PROBABILITY OF IT IS NO, NO.
I, I IT'S GONNA BE BASED ON ON DEMAND.
[01:05:01]
SO THERE COULD BE A FOUR DAYS WHEN YOU DON'T DO A CREMATION AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER YOU DO 20.THERE COULD BE A WEEK WHERE I DON'T DO A SINGLE CREMATION.
AND THERE COULD BE A DAY WHERE, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO GET THROUGH SIX, SEVEN OR EIGHT OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG IT TAKES TO DO A CREMATION.
SOME TAKE AN HOUR AND A HALF, A HALF, SOME TAKES THREE HOURS.
SO IF, YOU KNOW I HAVE SOME THAT ARE TAKING LONGER THAN OTHERS, THEN I'M GONNA BE THERE LONGER AND I'M GONNA BE CREMATING LONGER.
AND THERE ARE GONNA BE, LIKE YOU SAID, I MAY GO A WEEK AND I HAVE A SINGLE CREMATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? GREAT, THANK YOU.
THIS TIME I MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.
I'LL SECOND MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MOROSE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER ERCO, PLEASE VOTE.
THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP TOO.
I THINK MOTION CARRIES UNANIM.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
WE'LL GIVE 'EM TRAINED ONE OF THESE DAYS.
WE USED TO HAVE TO SAY IT NOW YOU GUYS SAY IT, SO IT'S GREAT.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO COMMISSIONER SOT YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND IT TO ALSO INCLUDE BACKUP POWER GENERATION.
OPERATIONAL, YOU KNOW, GENERATOR.
AND THEN, UM, FOR STAFF, I NOTICED THAT YOU PUT TOGETHER A PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION FOR APPROVAL.
IS IF, IS THAT THE RESOLUTION YOU WOULD WANT US TO READ OFF OF IF WE CHOOSE TO GO THAT ROUTE? SORRY.
SO THERE'S TWO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
UH, SO THERE'S A DRAFT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE C Q EXEMPTION AND THEN A DRAFT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
UM, SO SIMILAR TO OTHER, UM, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUESTS, WE COULD HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTIONS, UM, AS PRESENTED BY STAFF APPROVING.
WITH THE AMENDMENT OF THE BACKUP POWER AS WELL, CORRECT? YES, OF COURSE.
AT THE DISCRETION OF THE MOTION MAKER.
WELL, WHAT SAY YOU, OH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION APPROVING THE RESOLUTIONS AS PRESENTED AND AMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION TONIGHT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, COULD WE JUST CLARIFY AS AMENDED? UH, IS THAT AS AMENDED TO INCLUDE, UH, THE BUILDING PLANS SHALL INCLUDE A BACKUP GENERATOR? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND THEN NO RESTRICTION ON HOURS OF OPERATION? NO RESTRICTION ON HOURS OF OPERATION.
ALRIGHT, I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER ERCO, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MOROSE.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
UM, MR. ZAKAR, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SPOKE ON YOUR BEHALF.
UM, I KNOW YOU DEAL WITH A VERY TOUCHY, UH, TOUCHY SUBJECT.
LIKE YOU SAID, NONE OF US GET OUT HERE ALIVE, SO I JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY BANKING ON THIS, UH, BEING EXACTLY THE WAY YOU DESCRIBED IT AND, UH, GIVING YOU A SHOT.
I THINK YOU GUYS FOR THAT SHOT, LET YOU GUYS DOWN.
THINK WE'RE, UM, WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS THE COMMUNITY.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT IS OUR ONLY ITEM FOR THIS EVENING.
DO WE HAVE ANY STAFF COMMUNICATION? UH, NO COMMUNICATIONS FROM STAFF.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY, UH, ANY COMMUNICATION? NOPE.
WELL THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DISMISS.
YOU GOTTA SPEAK LOUDER IN THAT THING.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PAUL GRU, PLEASE VOTE.
COULD YOU PLEASE REENTRY YOUR VOTES? ALL RIGHT.