Torres, owner of Western Sales Trading Company, wants to construct a warehouse on Bakke Street and Tokcha Avenue, a plan opposed by some residents.
Two of them, Torcuato M. Castro and Jose C. Sablan, attended the Zoning Board’s public hearing on Thursday.
Castro, who was in a wheelchair, asked the board if it had a master plan for the entire island.
“If you don’t have one, the board must make one,” he said.
He and Sablan did not speak against the project during the public hearing.
Saying that he was speaking as a private citizen, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, expressed support for the proposed rezoning.
He said if the Zoning Board would not act on the proposal, he would rezone the area through legislation. He is not related to the Western Sales Trading owner, who is from Guam.
The proponents of the projects, architect Herman Cabrera, lot owner Jose C. Ayuyu and Western Sales Trading resident manager Arnaldo G. Guban, reiterated the benefits of the warehouse to the community.
“The approval to rezone the property and the company going forward with the project will further help the CNMI in maintaining and enhancing the business community that currently exists,” Ayuyu said.
George Matsunaga, whose family formerly owned the property and is currently residing in the area, also expressed full support for the project.
Businessman Ben Fejeran likewise supported the project, saying there’s a need to encourage more investments on island.
Zoning Board Chairman Diego Blanco said there were four letters submitted to the board that opposed the project.
There was also a petition against the project signed by 149 individuals but the board failed to verify the authenticity of the signatures as no one among them attended the hearing, Blanco said.
During the hearing, the board also approved the request of former Speaker Jose R. Lifoifoi to rezone from village residential to village commercial his property on Lower Navy Hill.
Lifoifoi intends to construct an apartment building at the intersection of Saluda Street and Publiko Drive.
The Zoning Board, moreover, approved the request of P&A Corp. to use the former Winners Garment Factory at the intersection of Afetna Road and Buninas Loop as a warehouse and a facility for wholesale activities.
Board member Herman Sablan, whose appointment was recently confirmed by the Senate, lauded P&A, saying the project will help solve the employment problem in the CNMI.
Hong Kyun Kim, P&A president, told the Board they will employ local residents at their plant factory that will use hydroponics in agriculture produce processing.
The Zoning Board said the corporation should be responsible for parking.
“The addition of cargo containers onto the property shall constitute a separate minor site plan. These shall be located to the back of the property and screened when appropriate,” the Zoning Board stated.
The board at the same time granted conditional use permit to Johnny Fong of the University of Loyola Press to operate a printing press on the ground floor of the Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe.
