We have no dimensional variances.
Our lot size is 798 square feet.
Alan, could you increase that a little bit, please?
Make it a little bit larger.
You know what?
Let me show it a different way.
This would probably be more helpful.
hold on let me stop sharing and let me share again let me if i can hold on let me get all
right let me share that again and there's a different way of showing it that's actually
easier for you to see so let me just
having computer issues today
okay is that big enough or do you need a bigger mr chair a little larger please sure
what about uh does that work yeah that's good okay yeah so we're an rm1 property
um and all we're trying to do is build a two-family household living so a duplex um
our lot size is 798 square feet again if we were um just a typical rm1 property we'd be we wouldn't
and be here today, but we're required to have 850 square feet of lot size. So we did meet with the
community. Their issues were a couple fold. The first is that, you know, we did discuss,
they asked us, we're in a temple area of Philadelphia, they asked us if we're providing
student housing. And we indicated likely, but no guarantee, like, you know, we're going to market
the property, we think it's a beautiful property, where it can either be like just people,
generally from the neighborhood, young professionals, or student housing. So that was
their initial objection. The secondary objection was there's a front setback on the roof of the
fourth level where they were concerned about having outdoor living. So we had our meeting
last night with them. So we revised our drawings to account for the elimination of the roof deck
access because there have been issues in the temple area with outdoor living like that on
the roof so that was the first thing uh the second thing was there was four bedrooms in the second
unit they were concerned that we were trying to get some type of like group housing by having
selling renting by the bedroom that was not our intention but just to alleviate the situation
we we actually are eliminating the fourth bedroom in on the second level i mean the second unit
so there's not even an issue in terms of that as well for illustrative purposes. By doing that,
there was a fourth story that was half of the building structure. We completely eliminated
that by way of this revised proviso plan that we're submitting along with the revised Z1,
which is zoning planning one.
And I provided that to Ms. Saleta prior to the hearing.
And then after that,
we have the application for appeal
that we filed with the zoning board of adjustment,
along with the notice of refusal,
and then the project information form
we submitted to the city as well.
And then after that, I'm trying to get through this.
We have the zoning map for the area.
As you can see, we're all orange, it's all RM1, right?
So if this board did not grant a variance
by allowing a duplex to be here,
it would be out of character
for this section of the neighborhood.
and then you can see we're between 17th and 18th and Norris and Burks
and then there's a photograph of the property as well as properties to write as you can see
there's three story structures which and it's a mix of two story structures but you can see
there's new construction which is what we're offering is not out of character from the
neighborhood. And then here are our plans and drawings. So if I could just decrease it a little
bit because it's a little large. You'll see that what we're proposing is to have a brick facade
on the first two stories to kind of match the roof line of the different structures on our block
and then to have a more composite metal material on the third story. This was what the neighborhood
on the third story this was what the neighborhood was concerned about was this first fourth story
was concerned about was this
fourth
with an additional bedroom as well as the the deck in the front we have eliminated both by way of the
revised proviso plan form that we submitted then let me just decrease the size a little bit
that's 75 all right and then we have the floor plans here these are more pictures of the
surrounding neighborhood. Let's just go over the floor plans. So we'll start it with the first
floor. First floor, you walk into a vestibule area. You can go right into unit number one or
up the steps to unit number two. This is at the unit number one, which is unit A or the first
floor unit is a three-bedroom, two-bath. There's a bedroom here, a bathroom, an area for laundry
and utilities, as well as a bedroom over here. If you go to the lower level,
we do have a living area in the kitchen and the bedroom, and we do have secondary steps,
so like, you know, for access to the rear of the property. Now, if you go up a flight of steps,
you get in there and it's an open floor plan of a kitchen and a living room with a bedroom and
one bath and then the second floor or the third floor it's just two bedrooms one on each side
and then two baths and then each unit has its own washer and dryer
and then here's just another illustration of what the property looks like
just ignore we had our meeting last night so we submitted you know we had the architect
update the drawings to this morning so this does not exist anymore but you can see that our
building structure is actually less in height than the surrounding building structures in the area
we're going to go down to 35 feet or some of them so we did meet with the community and this is the
letter they they sent to us again it was not a highly attended meeting there were two board
members they were evenly split one of support one opposed and then the two members of the community
opposed it and if you look at the letter it really was the community opposition was focused on the
issue of student housing would you enlarge that oh yeah sure
can you see it now mr chair yes thank you okay uh yeah so the opposition was the community
opposition was focused on the issue of student housing this community has been oversaturated
with student housing as we indicated to them it's not our business business model to merely
rent to student housing. Is that one avenue? Yes. But we are also looking at young professionals,
potentially even condoing this sometime in the future as well, depending on how the neighborhood
turns out and how the economy turns out. The second issue was the fact that the second unit
had four bedrooms versus three. And that's why we eliminated the one bedroom. And then they also
wanted us actually just to reduce the deck on that fourth floor that front deck we decided to
eliminate it completely so that wouldn't even be an issue but during the meeting they did you know
when i spoke when we spoke to the community at large as well as the representative from the
courting rco they understood that this is something that's not out of character with
the neighborhood in terms of asking for two units so they didn't really focus on the zoning related
issue. You know, is this out of character for the neighborhood? I mean, because having a single
family home would be out of character for the neighborhood, as opposed to a two unit for an
RM1 structure or property. Here's just the notice that we sent to the community. As you can see,
we had our meeting yesterday at 530, you know, at Cecil B. Moore Avenue, you know, at 1510 Cecil
be more avenue so and then just here's you know the addresses the number of addresses we sent it
to proof of mailing and then the addresses we actually mailed it to um i do have steve stafford
the owner's representative on the uh online so steve can you virtually raise your hand
and while steve is getting online i will say that this property is going to be self-managed
by steve and the ownership group as well and steve is a is a licensed broker real estate broker in
real estate broker in the city of philadelphia
in the city of Philadelphia.
steve have you are you i i know he's online because when they were calling the list
and my name he was like where are you okay cool all right sir good afternoon please spell your
name for the record and uh hello yep can you hear me now i can yep sorry i'll get closer to the
to the mic here what name uh steven stafford and spelled s-t-e-p-h-e-n-s-t-a-f-f-o-r-d
we're infirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
i do please proceed mr notkinson yes mr stafford uh you heard everything i stated today
correct and is it true and correct it is yes and do you adopt it as your own testimony
Yes, I do.
I have no further questions.
Thank you.
Questions from the board?
Anyone else would like to testify in this matter?
If so, please raise your hand.
Mr. Chair, I have a Craig Dwyer whose hand is raised.
I will allow him to speak so he can be sworn in now.
Good afternoon, sir. Please identify yourself with the record, spell your first and last name, and provide us with your address.
My name is Craig Dwyer. My address is 1957 North 24th Street in Philadelphia, PA, 19121.
And you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
do you i think your address your live beyond about 200 you live beyond 250 feet
um i yes exactly um i'm i'm the owner of um 1955 as well and then that's also the variance for
duplex so i'm on i'm the owner of 1957 and i'm requesting a duplex as well what happened i
I met with the RCO board.
I'm sorry.
Sorry, so you're in the wrong.
We're asking about 1718 Arlington Street.
So you'll have to wait till we get to you, okay?
All right, anyone else?
Planning Commission?
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.
I have Ms. Mary Jones here.
Oh, sorry about that.
I figured. Good afternoon again, Ms. Jones. You're still under oath. Please identify yourself for the record.
Yes. Good afternoon, Mary Jones, Council President Daryl Clark's office.
Yes. Our office is in receipt of the RCO's letter in opposition.
And we do support their concerns about the oversaturation of student housing in the area.
We just ask that there's some kind of proviso added that there will be three bedrooms in the lower unit, not four, as they requested, as well as the removal of the roof deck.
So noted. Thank you.
and i believe mr notkinson your plan the revised plan will show that there is no fourth floor no
upper floor correct that's correct mr chair so that's actually we address both concerns of the
community as well as the councilman by eliminating the front rear uh the front roof deck as well as
that floor which would account for the fourth unit i mean the fourth uh bedroom okay all right uh
planning commission good afternoon brian one rick planning commission staff this property is
indicated for residential multi-family use on the comprehensive plan with the removal of the four
story fourth bedroom and roof deck we have no objection to the granting of this variance
thank you and al it's one page it's one page mr chair thank you mi 2020-001868
1718 arlington street my vote is yes with the following proviso
revised plan one page approved today maximum three units in the second third floor
excuse me maximum three bedrooms in the upper floor unit the second and third floor will have
a maximum of three bedrooms my vote is yes with proviso yes for proviso yes for proviso yes with
Supervisor. Thank you. Thank you. MI 2020-000664.
MI 2020-000664, 1000 East Erie Avenue.
1000 East Erie Avenue.
No hands, Mr. Chair.
Thank you. MI 2020-000664 1000 East Erie Avenue is continued. MI 2020.
I'm sorry, Chair.
Oh, sorry.
If I could make a request that this application be a must be heard since it was since November 2019.
Okay. All right. Go back to MI 2020-000664. 1000 East Erie Avenue is continued. Must be heard. MI 2020-002-119-109 West Rittenhouse Street.
i am back on mr chairman good afternoon again ma'am you are still under oath but please
identify yourself with the record yvonne b haskins attorney for the owner okay and please
proceed ms haskins ma'am you agree to waive the reading of its refusal and stipulate to attack
accuracy yes also have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents proof of
ownership, proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal, photos and plans five days prior to this
hearing? Yes. Have you met with the RCO and have a letter? Yes. It was sent in the package.
Okay, please proceed. Okay, I'm going to try to quickly share the screen. I'm hoping I'm getting
a little better at this. This is a long-standing two-unit building. In 2003, the board had approved
it to have a commercial unit on the first floor. Ms. Haskins. Yes. I'm sorry, it's Tanya. If I could
ask that you um unshare your screen and then first open up the file and then share so I'm
going to take your screen down now and if you could go to the actual file double click and open
it then share your screen oh unfortunately I think um I think I have it up there if you could just
let me find the file I think that's the only unfortunately it went on to the share I'm not
trying to share this with you, but it's the, it's, it's the, it's where I find the file.
Can I do that real quickly? Sure. Okay. Um, I just want to define the pictures
real quickly. All right. 109 photos. Um, now I will, now I could, I do a new share.
and then share this if the picture have the pictures come up for you
uh-huh and i think i've got it coming for you okay first let me unshare you and then you're
going to share again and you're going to click directly on the picture file the actual pictures
here we are
is it there do you have it did you click on the pictures okay there we go miss haskins okay
all right good this is the front door of the file but before i start to show you the picture i wanted
to explain that this this this is one that you approved also in 2017 for two commercial two
residential units. And what you did in 2017 was to approve the first floor as a residential unit
because you had approved it in 2003 as a commercial unit. Unfortunately, this too lapsed. And
And we are here to try to reinstate what you approved in 2017.
This is the front door to the second floor unit, but now I have to rotate this.
This is the building. The refusal indicates that it is attached when it is not. On this side is the neighboring property's yard. On the left side facing the building is a small alleyway that goes between our building and the adjacent building.
This is the building.
the refusal indicates that it is a
the first floor
this is the entrance
to the building and I think
I believe this is the