ZBA Hearing - February 2, 2022

As stated in the notice of referral, we're seeking a special exception to allow for the

complete demolition of one existing educational structure that is currently vacant on the

lot and the erection of one detached structure with a cellar on the same lot.

The, again, the special exception is required because we are, we're in the RSA 1 zoning

district where educational facilities are permitted as a special exception.

Because we are essentially removing, demolishing one educational facility structure, replacing

it with another educational facility structure that's larger in size.

with another educational facility structure that's larger in size, the special exception is required.

I'm showing on my screen just an aerial photograph of the Father Judd's high school campus

um where i have my clicker here is the uh existing uh structure that is proposed to be demolished

um at the front of the site you can see the what i would characterize the primary high school

building and at the rear of the side you have the the field and adjacent to that is a field

house that was construction constructed a few years ago i'm showing uh the current site plan

along with the construction of the proposed two-story building we are proposing some related

site improvements, including some improvements to the storm water management system, an additional

approximately 42 parking spaces. And it's important to note that the proposed facility, educational

facility, is intended to accommodate the operations and programs involved with the

Father Judge High School's, let me get this right, career, sorry, my screen is, it's a career

pathways program with essentially as a program geared towards providing vocational skills to

the existing student body at Father Judge High School. As our economy shifts, I think you pick

up the newspaper weekly, you'll see a story about the number of vocational jobs that are coming to

market and individuals retiring and how those jobs aren't being filled because we do not have

adequate person being trained with these skill set.

Sorry, my computer is running a little slow, but on my screen now is a architectural rendering

of the facility and another rendering of the facility because because you know

we're essentially replacing one educational facility with another

educational facility we don't anticipate that the proposed use will you know have

any negative impact on the surrounding property or the community. We met with the Holmesburg

Neighborhood Association on December 14th and shared with them the details of the proposed

site improvements and response. We received a letter of no objection, and Councilman Heenan's

office, thereafter issued a letter of no objection in support of the project as well.

At this juncture, I do have two witnesses, one being Mr. Brian King, who's the president.

So I think, Mr. Ransom, I think you should call the president of the school and get your

testimony adopted. And then if anybody has, you don't have to call the architect. If anybody

has a question, we'll call on them. But I think the key thing right now is to get the testimony

adopted. Mr. King, if you can raise your hand.

brian uh that's you you have me we can is that you you can't hear yes i can do could you please

state your name and spell for the court reporter brian patrick king b-r-i-a-n p-a-t-r-i-c-k-k-i-n-g

k-i-n-g do you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth

do you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth

yes i do proceed counsel

mr king um you uh you heard my testimony that i previously provided regarding the

proposed site improvement in the related uh application for special exception yes

uh uh would you uh adopt the testimony as uh uh true and accurate statements yes i would

thank you questions from the board no mr chairman

no mr chairman no mr jim questions from the virtual audience

i see no hands at this time chair any commission good afternoon chair bergman members of the board

David Fecto, City Planning Commission. The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the residential single-family zoning at this location. The applicant has shown that the proposed school expansion will have no more of an impact than a school might be expected to have here. So the Planning Commission recommends that the board grant the special exception.

Thank you. MI 2021-004453-3301 Solly Avenue. I vote yes.

Harold Tenere, my vote is yes

Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes

James Snell, my vote is yes

Ishmael Shahid, my vote is yes

Thank you very much

Thank you, take care

Okay, you too

Our court reporter, why don't we take a five minute break

And then we'll come back

And then what we're going to do when we come back

Is go right through to the end, okay

So five minutes and we'll be back and running

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

We have to go.

MI 2021-004-246, 3629-51 North Smedley Street.

Vern Anastasio, RCO 13th Democratic Ward, Letter of Opposition.

Mr. Anastasio is coming back in as a panelist now, Chair.

Afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board.

Just state your name and you've already been sworn.

Vern Anastasio, it's V-E-R-N.

Last name is A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-O.

Our Vice Chair has a few questions.

Hi, Mr. Anastasio. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate your accuracy?

I do, Madam Vice Chair.

Thank you. And it also appears as if you have submitted all the required documents. Is that correct?

I have, yep.

Thank you. You may proceed.

Thanks. This is the relocation of lot lines, nine lots from one.

We're proposing a multifamily dwelling here, six units along several lots, triplexes, and then one larger multifamily building.

And I want to get to, by the way, the zoning district is I-1 right now, which prohibits any household living whatsoever.

And we're going to have our architect walk you through the plans.

But here they are as a matter of record.

And here is the survey plan as a matter of record as well.

This is what we're looking at.

This large swath of land right here, sandwiched between other multi- and single-family homes.

I'm going to pull out and show you that this area has experienced considerable depopulation.

Here again is the proposed lot.

We've got empty lots right in the immediate area and right behind.

And so, in fact, there is, you know, there has been some sort of de-investment in the neighborhood for quite some time.

Here is the letter that went out to the community.

We did have a considerable amount of dialogue with the neighbors.

And 13th Ward, I believe, is the RCO in question.

And Mr. Karn is the leadership of that RCO.

So there was an opposition letter sent.

There was an opposition letter sent to the board, and I want to also show proof of 148 individual pieces of mail that went out to all immediate neighbors.

Before I, we do also have, we did run pro formas, which we are going, you're going to hear a testimony on today with respect to why, in fact, the number of units for this vast vacant space just makes financial sense.

But also you'll hear testimony as to the number of single-family homes that have been built in this zip code in the last 10 years.

But I also want to bring to your attention approval for 23-unit building, literally several hundred blocks away, by foot at 3424 North 17th, in this very same neighborhood, 24 units on a block that is very much like ours, that has in fact been depopulated for quite some time.

much larger, taller building, but in fact, permits were, in fact, granted, variances

were granted for the, you know, for the 24 units.

I, one is the designating zoning district.

Before I bring on, I have, I believe, two, perhaps three witnesses.

I want to make sure you understand that as a matter of right, what we could build here,

We could build a warehouse or warehouse distribution.

By the way, this is a residential block.

We could build horse stables.

We can rent the land to contractors for building supply materials.

We can put a parking lot for cars.

We can put a parking lot for boats.

We can do vehicle repair and maintenance.

We can do vehicle sales and rental.

We can put a gas station.

All as a matter of right. None of the uses, by the way, are supported by the local community folks, the immediate neighbors, and none of those uses would be conducive to a residential block that's thriving.

Okay. With that, by the way, I represent Galley LLC. I would like to call my first witness,

which is Ian Toner, who's the architect of the project, so that he can walk you through

the actual plans. Mr. Toner, if you're available.

Mr. Toner, you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair.

sir please state your name and spell for the court reporter sure ian toner i-a-n-t-o-n-e-r

from toner architects do you swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but

the truth i do proceed thank you mr toner i'll i'll use my uh you know the uh exhibit as i have

it up if you'd like to talk about the design of the property uh the trash storage uh and um you

know and the um the tweaks that you've made uh in accordance with the impact from the community

sure so we have um one large parcel we're proposing to divide into nine parcels

eight of those parcels will be three unit buildings those are the dark blue

and then the gold and then the sort of blue-gray unit on the left.

The green unit in the middle, the lot is twice as wide,

so it's going to be six units altogether in one building.

So it's a total of 30 units on nine lots.

Every unit is two bedrooms, and they stack up,

so that plan you're seeing there is the same plan that you –

basically the same plan you're going to see on the upper two levels.

The basement is going to be unoccupied. It's going to be used simply for maintenance and utilities, but there's also, at the bottom of the stairs, a common trash room for all the tenants to use so that there's trash control since there's going to be multifamily living here.

dimensionally i believe we are complying with the dimensional i don't know that we have any

dimensional refusals but the height is a normal 38 foot height for a residential block

so it's not going to look out of character to what you would expect

going to look out of character to what you would expect the new residential development to look like.

the new residential development to look like

Do you want to talk about this easement, sir?

Sure. We have an egress easement through the back of the property,

so it connects all the lots and then goes out to the street.

So for safety and egress, everybody will have access to that rear through that alleyway.

And is there a trash plan?

Yes, there is a trash room in the basement.

And I'm sure the property owner can talk about collection routines, but we're providing a physical space for trash to go.

so it's not in people's units and obviously that'll be a ventilated room that'll be sealed

against any kind of uh pests and odors very well anything else to add mr toner

uh i don't think so at this time thank you uh next uh client i i'm sorry a witness i'd like

to call is mikhail mary mikhail

Michael, Mary, you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair.

Could you state your name and spell for the court reporter, please?

Yes, it's Michael Mary, M-I-K-H-A-L, last name Mary, M-A-R-Y.

Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?

Yes, I am.

Proceed.

Thank you.

Ms. Mary, are you a real estate professional in the area?

Yes, I am.

Are you a realtor?

Yes, I'm a realtor for 16 years now.

Okay, and you understand that this lot is zoned Industrial One, is that correct?

That's correct.

And you understand that what we could do by right here are things like automobile vehicle repair, sales, rental, gas station, or parking lot.

Is that right?

That's correct.

And there is no way in which we could build any residential housing here without coming before the board today. Is that right?

That's correct.

Not even single-family homes. Is that right?

Yes.

And speaking of single-family homes, where in this zip code has there been a brand new, from the ground up, single-family home built in the last several years?

none zero okay can you please speak very loudly and clearly as to the only from ground

single family homes that have been built anywhere near this property yes so the only single family

home that is right now is active or sold in the nearest um um area is one mile from this property

and a zip code of 19129.

So it's a completely different zip code.

Is that right?

That's correct.

We are 19140.

This is 19129.

Very good.

And what about any others farther out?

If you're looking at new construction condos,

the only condos that are as close as they are

to this development is 1.8 miles.

and again in a different different zip code of 1912

are you there yes can you hear me okay very good and if single family homes were built here

would there be trash management uh a trash plan and property management

for a single family home that's right uh if it's for sale no it's not going to be

of course okay and of course uh the development as we propose will have in fact exterior lighting

it's automatic trash plan and a comprehensive local uh local community property management

company is that right that's correct okay and there was in fact a 24-unit property just approved

by this board recently just a couple uh feet away is that right yes that's right on 17th

mm-hmm that's right okay anything else to add mrs mary um just the the only thing that i wanted

to add is um in 2019 two triplexes were sold um on 16th street 35 35 mil 16th street also uh two

triplexes also all the units were two bedroom two bath same thing on the 1700 block of venango

um all the unit two bedroom two bath um so we are no different from any other project that

all the units, two-bedroom, two-bath. So we are no different from any other project.

um came up in the past three years in this neighborhood thank you very much and did you uh

speak to miss ellen douglas who is the uh block captain of this block yes ellen and i have been

in contact since the first day i i uh purchased this a lot and she's been a great help to me

Every time I need to clean the lot or there's something going on on that block, she notifies me.

I've been cleaning the lot since I owned it, every time it's needed.