Zoning postpones hearing as some residents complain they’re not notified

The Commonwealth Zoning Board postponed the public hearing set last Thursday on a company’s application for a conditional use permit to build a $15.5-million, 11-storey condotel or condominium hotel on Isla Drive near Whispering Palms School in Navy Hill.

Zoning board member Bruce Bateman in an interview said they decided to hear the Beacon Hill Condominium’s case perhaps in their next meeting or at some time when proper notifications of all the residents in the area of the project site have been made.

Bateman said the law requires that notice be made and that they simply require the developer, Prime Pacific Properties, Inc., to make that notice to all residents in the area within 300 feet and post the appropriate sign.

“When they do that and bring that proof to the Zoning administrator and the Zoning Office, then we hear the case. We just postponed it,” he said.

Some people who attended the scheduled hearing expressed that no appropriate signage was posted in the area.

Bateman said there is a procedure that is supposed to be followed.

“There is actually a sign off sheet where each person within the 300 feet radius literally signs that they have been notified, that they receive notice of the day, the time of the public hearing,” he said.

Bateman said apparently, the developer’s representatives went around and could not find anybody.

Bateman said there are residents out there so the developer has to work little harder in getting that notice and bring that proof to the board.

Christopher F. Fryling, president of N15 Architecture Co. Inc. who filed the application for Prime Pacific Properties, said they will definitely meet with any of the neighbors that didn’t get contacted.

Fryling said he understands that his staff did the notification requirement.

“So we will meet with them and we will meet with the board administrator and address their concerns on the technicalities of the project,” said Fryling, who admitted that he is one of the investors in the Prime Pacific Properties.

He said they went around with the signage and followed the protocol.

Fryling said they have been making projects for years and probably completed about 100 applications.

“We know how to do it. I don’t know what happen with this one,” he said.

With a site area of 14,632.97 square meters, Beacon Hill Condominium will have 68 guestroom units with swimming pool at the ground level. There will be seven units of three-storey villas with swimming pool, and eight units of two-storey villas with swimming pool.

Fryling said they are going after the upper level market in Garapan or targeting those in the middle—the executives, managers, consultants, and others.

A condotel or condo hotel is a condominium but is operated as a hotel.

Fryling said if all permits are obtained, they are planning to immediately start construction this year.