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. . . -, Street is too small to handle this size of a lot. Iris Street, this particular area is 700 feet long. The residents to the immediate sides, rear and front will forever have their peace - disrupted by the sounds of vehicle engines starting, not to mention the fumes, car doors slanuning, the flickering of headlights through the fence into their windows, people standing next to their vehicles talking at all hours of the day and night, not to mention, the intrusive outside security lighting." Mr. Finlayson said when he and his wife purchased their home nine years ago, the Hall had meetings once a week and all day and evening on Sunday. He said the Hall's activities had grown by leaps and bounds. Now there were rneetings every night and Saturdays at least twice a rnonth as well as every Sunday. Mr. Finlayson said parking for residents of Iris Street is practically non existent. He said all congregations want to increase membership and the Kingdom Hall has now "outgrown the neighborhood." He said the proposed lot would not have much of an effect curtailing the parking on Iris Street. He said the first cars to arrive park on Iris Street and then use Madison Street and Jefferson before they "reluctantly enter the existing parking area" behind the Hall. Mr. Rossi said some members come from other areas such as Belmont and Palo Alto, and some leave their cars on Iris while they carpool to other locations. He said the Kingdom Hall was well aware of the neighbor's feelings about the parking situation, but they have never shown the courtesy of parking elsewhere when possible. Mr. Rossi described how the nearby Redwood Church has constantly communicated with its neighbors and has taken action to involve the neighbors and minimize any problems that might exist. He said, "The Kingdom Hall has shown no concem as to the effect on the neighborhood this lot would have." He said this matter had nothing to do with religious freedom. Mr. Rossi - said the Kingdom Hall came into being around 1950 on a single lot surrounded by residences. He said he believed that the Hall bought the residence next door intending to demolish the residence to expand the parking lot. Mr. Rossi said he still believed the Hall could afford to fmd another location. He said two years ago other suggestions were made such as carpooling and shuttles from outlying areas but they were rejected by members of the Hall. Mr. Rossi said if the lot was approved, the message would be an open invitation encouraging other churches or institutions to buy adjacent residences on any street in Redwood City and "modifying them anyway they see fit regardless of the effect it would have on the neighborhood." Mr. Rossi asked Council to uphold the appeal. Mayor Hartnett said all the letters the Council had received were considered to be part of the public hearing record as well. Mike Vassallo, 418 Winding Way, San Carlos, said, "I am here on behalf of the three congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I am a member of one of those congregations... These congregations have been granted this Use Permit which allows us to build a 29 stall off-street parking. It does give some substantiation to the fact that the... Planning Department did approve it, obviously looking at all these objections, that they went ahead with that approval. Really, granting this Use Permit will greatly benefit the neighborhood for the one basic fact that over the past few years, many - years, they have been complaining to us about one thing. We have listened. And the REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 JUNE2,1997 MINUTES Page No. 373 PAGE 17