Zoning OKs Big Boys Marine Sports shop

The Zoning Board approved Thursday last week a conditional use application by Big Boys Marine Sports for a vehicle and repair maintenance and paint and auto body shop.

Big Boys is currently renting the property on Chalan Monsignor Guerrero Avenue as a commercial garage, owned by Masanari Yasuda, and is proposing it to be changed to a repair shop.

Marlon Castro, who supports the project, said he has known Yasuda for almost 20 years and has been his long time friend.

Castro said he feels that Yasuda should be issued the permit once all concerns on environmental issues are addressed in an “orderly fashion.”

Felipe Atalig, who earlier opposed Diamond Water’s application to move to Gualo Rai, expressed support for Yasuda’s project this time.

Marizel Hiponia, who was representing her family, opposed the application’s approval due to Big Boys not having a sublease contract with her family.

Hiponia also noted that the area isn’t large and that traffic and environmental issues could cause problems for the neighbors and an apartment complex located nearby.

Hiponia said the lease agreement between her family and Big Boys has not been resolved yet, and that they have no capacity to do anything on the property.

“They do not yet have a valid sublease agreement for the property so providing approval to Big Boy would be illegal,” Hiponia told Zoning board.

Zoning’s legal counsel Kate Fuller told the Zoning board that they don’t really have the expertise to interpret people’s leases.

Board chair Diego Blanco said he only wants clarity on the lease agreement.

Zoning Board member Herman Sablan asked Yasuda if he has a valid lease agreement. Yasuda confirmed that it had been signed and noted that the commercial garage was dirty and broken and that he had fixed it.

Atalig said they had covered the shop to prevent fumes from escaping and have a machine that prevents the fumes from leaving the garage.

Hiponia noted that broken areas of the shop still cause the fumes to escape the area. A neighbor of Hiponia spoke about fumes and its harm to his children and of cars coming in and out.

After deliberations, Zoning’s administrator Therese Ogumoro added one more condition to the original nine conditions for the permit—that the applicant must obtain a permit from the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality to address concerns on the fumes prior to beginning their operation and ensure that fumes are controlled.

After the approval, Yasuda told Saipan Tribune that he was happy they approved his application.

Hiponia stated that she will talk with her lawyer on the issues and further actions that they may take.