be Commerce Street. It was a vacated public street that is now a private driveway.
um as you as you would understand a surface parking lot in this location in center city
is not something that would be permitted today uh it's a grandfathered non-conforming use and
this project will actually bring the property into compliance with the zoning code for the
first time in many years um you'll hear more about the project in a in a minute but in a nutshell
it's going to be replacing the surface parking lot with a 29-story residential
multifamily building, 341 dwelling units, 103 parking spaces for the residents,
accessory parking spaces, and then 115 non-accessory parking spaces that will
replace and expand the Trader Joe's customer parking. It also will have the, you know,
typical bicycle parking loading residential amenities and the garage
structure is screened on all sides. I just want to point out that there the
I just want to point out that the project complies with the zoning code in terms of
project
use and dimensional guidelines in all respects. It is by right and no refusals. We're here today
because there is a referral, because part of the parking garage is above the average grade,
parts below and part is above, and part of the parking garage is being used for the Trader Joe's
uh to replace the trader joe's parking so it's non-accessory but that's an existing
non-accessory parking use the parking garage is screened on all sides and so from a public
perspective there'd be no visual impact i mentioned that we've already met with the rcos
and the civic design review process and through all of that process we have now completed a
community benefits agreement with Logan Square Neighbors Neighborhood Association, Center City
Residence Association, and the Murano Condominium Association. With that being said, I'd like to
turn it over to the project architect, Clara Weinberg, who can, if she can raise her screen
and introduce herself, and then you can allow her to share her screen, she'll walk you through
briefly the project. Good afternoon, Ms. Weinberg. Please identify yourself for the record. Spell
your first and last name and give us your address, please. Sure. Clara Weinberg, SCB Architects,
625 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. My name is Clara, C-L-A-R-A, Weinberg, W-I-N-E-B-E-R-G.
do you swear to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
i do thank you please proceed thank you and tony you're sharing the screen
i don't think so i stopped i think nope well i mean over clara
if you can share your screen
It says I'm not sharing mine any longer.
Are you requesting him to share his screen?
Or are you sharing yours?
I'm hoping Tony's set up to share.
Oh no, I thought you were going to.
I can find it, I think, if you need me to.
Aris do you have it I think you're on as well right I I think I have it here one second great
I apologize one second.
jeez all right i was i thought you had it to share clara but mr from our conversation yesterday it
was going to be all on your side mr forte maybe what we can do is um are there any
issues that are
that need
to be on the record
aside from your normal presentation
that you can speak
I mean you're getting support from all
the RCOs I
haven't seen anything did you get anything
from the council president's office
we did
we have non-opposition from the council president's
office so again I don't
want to you know short change
everybody but Sharon? I believe that there is a community member named Nigel Webb who was
planning to present. Yeah that's why I figure we can get to that and maybe we're having a technical
problem. Yeah in the meantime we can look for. Why don't we do this? Let me let me jump ahead.
Is there anyone who would like to testify in this case? Please raise your hand.
Is there anyone who would like to testify in this case?
Please raise your hand.
And Mr. Forte and Ms. Weinberg, just hold off until we get this testimony on.
I have Ryan Bolin.
Ryan, you can unmute.
Good afternoon.
Good afternoon.
I think you're on the road from this morning.
Just identify yourself.
Yes, Ryan Boland, and I represent the immediate nearby neighbor, the Murano Condominium Association,
which is located at 2101 Market Street. It has approximately 300 units.
As the developers council said, we did enter into a community benefits agreement this morning,
and the Murano Condominium Association supports this application for a special exception.
The developers agreed to make a lot of changes to the property, a lot of things that really
improve safety, and we're quite pleased with what has been done here.
So we would like to request that the Zoning Board grant the request for special exception.
And we're also going to request that a proviso be entered, but I will let the Developers
Council explain that.
Okay, thank you. Anyone, any board member have any questions for Mr. Bolling?
Is there anyone else who would like to testify in this case? If so, please raise your hand.
Here we have Nigel Webb.
Great to be sworn in.
Good afternoon, Mr. Webb. Please identify yourself, spell your first and last name.
this is nigel webb n-i-g-e-l w-e-b-b you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth
and nothing but the truth i do and your address 1101 green valley road brinmar pa
19010 and i'm here as an owner of one of the morano units 3202 in the morano
Please proceed
I have a new
Reason for opposition
Today which has to do with due process
As Mr. Rowland
Just testified a short while ago
Condominium Association
At the Murano
Has apparently
Entered into an agreement
With the applicant
Which includes
To quote him
a lot of changes to the property. That may be good, but it's important for the board to understand
that the condominium association, through its administrator, notified us at 1.17 p.m. today
that such an agreement had been reached, but unfortunately did not provide us with any
details. Now, I'm sure it's not of interest to the board as to the internal machinations of the
Murano Condo Association, but it is legally relevant, as I've been advised as follows.
In particular, the construction of the proposed garage, which is partly enclosed,
depends for zoning purposes on access to an adjacent easement which is physically on the
Murano property without commercial commerce street that correct correct it's actually
the easement I'm referring to is between the Murano prop excuse me is between and actually
Tanya if you have it available if you'd be so kind for the chairs to display exhibit one
that I submitted I can present it on the screen oh no I don't have that available
would you give me the freedom to present it but we're still allowing the
presentation of the applicant apologies we do have the presentation okay so we
can come back to you mr. Webb okay that's fine but just in terms of finish
the due process thought those changes are apparently material and may impact
my objection. So not having seen it and not being given the opportunity to see it, it's difficult
to know how to proceed rationally. Understood. And if Mr. Boland is still on, I'm not sure if
he's still on, I would have asked Mr. Boland to contact you so he can explain what the contents
of the benefits agreement. Right. The legal point I just want to close on is that according to the
condo agreement the condo association requires owner approval of a
The Condor Association requires owner approval of a change to that relevant easement, and that approval has not occurred.
So I would suggest to the board that it might want to add a proviso that any commitment, any approval is contingent upon an approval on that easement.
Understood. Thank you.
Mr. Forte or Ms. Weinberg?
Yes, I believe Clara is now prepared. Can everybody see my screen? Yes. Great, thank you and apologies for the delay.
So as Tony explained why we are here, we are here for the partially above-grade garage special exception for non-accessory above-grade parking.
We're going to be reviewing our existing conditions and proposed project overview,
a specific exception, non-accessory above grade parking itself, the design, the specific
conditions of use, and the specific detrimental impacts to the neighborhood or lack thereof.
Just to give you a little bit more oversight on where the project is, the project fronts JFK
and is also fronting North 22nd Street the streets are at two different
elevations creating an interesting dynamic where they're you know there
there's no way of bridging that gap it is a substantial height difference
between the two streets and our focus has been on creating an active use along
both street elevations but let me share with you a little bit more about the
streets you're looking east along the elevated portion of JFK looking back
towards 2121 market and the morano and then looking south on the right hand side along
what is the existing surface lot with the existing curb cut along 22nd street i mean the left hand
side uh correct the right hand side is 22nd street here's the curve okay your traffic okay
you're going the direction of traffic thank you yes correct and then jfk um on the left
Just to give you an overview of the project it is a multi-family residential project with 341 units,
103 accessory parking spaces, 115 non-accessory for a total of 218 stalls, and two loading berths.
The project has an agreement with the adjacent 2121 Market Trader Joe's where there are designated
stalls within this parking structure. The rest of the parking is dedicated for the
multifamily units herein. So just to give you a little bit more orientation on
the project, 22nd Street, as I mentioned before, is a big focus on creating active
use with our lobby and leasing. The Commerce Street elevation or street
frontage or Commerce Street is a vacated street, a private street with a current
easement along it. Our residents and users of the parking structure from a
vehicular standpoint will not go any further than the parking entrance of the garage.
A major focus has been put on creating a more pedestrian friendly access from 22nd street by
widening the sidewalk along 2121 and creating an improved pavement system here, improved lighting.
There have been several significant conversations and back and forth with Civic Design Review where
we made several improvements on their behest and also with input from the RCOs and the streets
department so all in towards the effort of making a this condition improved for all users the use
of commerce will remain the same for the 2121 market trader joe's where loading continues as
it currently happens today accessing from 21st street and backing into its existing birth and
exiting off of 22nd. The pedestrian experience from 22nd, as I mentioned before, is along an
improved sidewalk and striped area and a designated cross to the parking lot. And for the convenience
of the Murano and at the behest of the Murano residents, a sidewalk has been, a side, a walking
path has been maintained along the Commerce Street and south side of the Commerce Street
side. The elevated lobby on JFK also has active use all along the JFK frontage, currently
planned for residential fitness or other amenities. You see here the garage is fully encaptured
And you see here the garage is fully encaptured by active use on the street frontages, both on JFK and 22nd Street.
by active use on the
And you'll see in a few minutes, even along the Commerce Street side, it is intended to have full architectural treatment.
The residential units start at level 7 and have a residential roof garden on that level as well.
Just to give you an overall orientation of the project in relationship to the streets,
you see the ground floor and amenity levels fronting 22nd Street, again shielding the
parking garage from the prominent street, and even the remaining parking above it is
treated with an architectural treatment, which I'll share with you in a minute.
And then looking the other way, you see JFK side. Again, we are putting active uses on each side
where it's possible to shield the parking garage. The architecture is trying to appeal to the scale
of Center City and also the scale of the adjacent Logan Square with having the podium scale speak
to the smaller scale buildings and also the materiality of the adjacent museum institutions.
Just a little bit more of the podium where there's a big emphasis on street level.
And once again, this is parking garage that is treated architecturally.
And even within the parking garage, there's a terrace that activates the street level
within the building as well to provide more visual connection.
Another view from JFK.
The view from 22nd Street, where again the emphasis on street activity, pedestrian activity,
architectural treatment of the entire podium, and you're seeing glimmers of Commerce Street,
again treated as another frontage and not a back of house.
This is the Commerce Street side, where we are also creating architectural distinction
along here and made several improvements with the input of the adjacent neighbors masonry
articulation down on the ground floor down lighting along here and limiting the amount
of openings adjacent to the morano project overall materiality of the project and then
just some elevations and i'm going to quickly jump to just a little bit more articulation of
how we've got the party set up. This is the parking levels, amenity, again active use,
emphasis on street level and the resident experience arriving into their home and
very much being pedestrian friendly along this empty gap along JFK. And then similarly on 22nd
Street where the garage is very much part of the architectural treatment and it's hid behind
the tower itself. And then I'm going to turn it over here. Thank you, Clara. If we could,
I would now like to just briefly have our traffic engineer summarize the traffic study because
the code requires for this special exception that we address two conditions. The use-specific