I didn't even know I could do that
have I got the right one for you
do you like the first floor
or the second floor
I'm trying to figure this out
that's the first floor on the bottom
as you can see you come in through
here right
you've got this door
which opens the foyer of the first floor
this other curve line here
that's another doorway
and you go up through there
let yourself up the steps
And now you're in the living area of the second floor, which is at the top.
Does that help?
All right.
I can get more of it in that.
Just amazing technology.
I just can't believe it.
And how many?
What is in the crosshatched part?
I'm sorry.
What's there in that crosshatched part of the first?
That's a good question.
I don't understand the significance of it because there's nothing about the floor or anything like that that's missing now.
Mr. DuPont, can you tell Ms. Gaston what the significance of the crosshatch work is?
That's this here on the first floor.
So right here?
Yes, sir, right here, like on the first floor as you come in, because I believe there's
already, there's still, there's floor there now, right?
Yes, there's floor there.
So other than just artistic license, can you tell the board what the significance of that
cross-hatching is there?
This is the main entrance.
or from 19th street as you as you walk in as you said it's still it's properly correctly there's
a door to go to the first floor can i can i cut in there's a there's a note that says hatch location
of floor to be constructed in accordance with detail whatever the detail number is
so it's it's it's obviously for building permits that's what the note describes that hatch area is
for. Is this a one-bedroom apartment? This is shown as a two-bedroom. Two-bedroom each floor.
Yeah. All right. Okay. Thank you. And that leads to my point. The floor as a two-bedroom.
I know this is zoning, but there's no light, air, or ventilation for what would be the living
rows, so I would be definitely opposed to two bedrooms.
If I may respond.
That's my opinion.
I don't think there's a response to that.
Well, the response to it could be that we'd be glad to provide ventilation as a proviso
of this construction.
No, no, natural air, natural air and ventilation for a living room.
natural air and light
and ventilation to a living room.
On the first
well, they're right.
Because both sides of the house
are sealed, the only
light would be... Unlike the second
floor unit, which has a living,
although small, it has
a space that has windows and
you know, it's an open area.
Right. And some light and natural
light and ventilation.
So I guess my question is, the block is kind of one of those mixtures where you have a majority two-story homes and most of those two-story homes are single family.
And then you have three-story homes on the other side of the street.
So this home is on the two-story side where primarily most of the houses are two-story single family.
So what is the hardship in creating, you know, just leaving it a by right single family home here?
Essentially, for the investment that is going to be required to restore this building, this property will not be able to compete and get the return a single-family dwelling would give.
That's the financial reason why we need a two-family dwelling in order to make the kind of investment at the cost.
a two-family dwelling in order to make the kind of investment
at the cost presented today.
The reason why the neighborhood organization approved it
on the family was because they recognized the need
for this type of housing for the neighborhood.
They saw the value of having two beautifully prepared units
like this offered to the public.
As I said, it's a very, very neat-looking neighborhood.
The vacant lots are completely well-groomed and tripped, but there just aren't an excessive number of housing opportunities there.
And these are simply more affordable.
And they're more competitive to the marketplace.
It's more what the marketplace needs.
And our return will be enough to overcome, of course, the interest of the taxes and investing this money in the property and keeping it and maintaining it successfully.
Okay. And my last question is, I know that RCO issued some provisals and just wanted to know where you stand on the provisals that they asked. I know some of them are unenforceable from the zoning context, but where do the clients stand on the provisals?
Do you think they're modest provisals and they're completely amenable to them?
Other questions from the board?
Questions or comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
not at this time mr chair i should check comments from the virtual audience
oh chair i have one more question um so the who gave you the meeting you actually had a
had a community meeting or did you just talk with this rco because the coordinator so you
weren't able to get in touch with right we tried a couple of times and i i believe there was a
community meeting though i did i didn't myself attend it but i believe that this was basically
So can you ask your client if he presented this to the community at some point and that the RCO just didn't make a phone call to the RCO?
Mr. DuPont?
Yes, the very first time we have the meeting, the RCOs, they actually came out to the properties.
I met them there.
They went through.
And after that, they said they will make the decision.
So was the community there?
Did the community take a vote?
Or did you do a presentation to the neighborhood in general?
Yes, yes, we did.
Questions or comments, virtual audience?
Planning Commission.
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Meg Kavanaugh, Planning Commission staff.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing RSA-5 residential single-family zoning at this location.
The application is not supported with evidence of unique physical circumstances or conditions of the property that would prevent it from being used in conformance with the zoning code.
The Planning Commission recommends that the Board deny the variance for two-family households today.
I-20-24, 000-427-2549, North 19th Street. I vote no.
I vote no. My vote is no.
Charles Gaston, my vote is no.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is no.
Tywin, my vote is no.
Ishmael Shahid, my vote is no.
Thank you, counsel.
Thank you.
Number five, MI 2024-004-453-6465 Germantown Avenue.
Corinne Weiss is the attorney for the tenant.
letter of unanimous support
from East Mount Airy Neighbors, RCO.
Thank you.
Corrin?
Ms. Weiss?
Here I come.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Could you please state your name and spell for the course
stenographer?
Corin Weiss, C-O-R-E-N-W-I-S-E.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth,
nothing but the truth? I'm counsel for the applicant, Mr. Chair. In the audience should
be Jennifer Hilson, H-I-L-L-S-O-N, on behalf of the applicant, Little School on the Hill, LLC.
on behalf of the applicant little school on the hill llc and our vice chair has a few questions
good morning counselor do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal or stipulate to its accuracy
yes sir have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits as needed to proceed
with this case five days in advance of this hearing yes sir thank you council please proceed
and show your screen thank you
green button on the bottom yeah there we go okay thank you um let me just get this to the top here
so uh good morning mr chair and uh members this is 64 65 germantown avenue uh located at that um
address is the Second Baptist Church of Germantown. And this is an application for a daycare,
a group daycare at that location. You'll see on my screen and in your records, the refusal that
was issued, which we've waived the reading, but I did want to note in the refusal, the notes to
the zoning board, and just show you that this space has been previously approved as a daycare
child care center and were before you only because it's been vacant for more than three years. So I
represent Little School on the Hill LLC. Little School on the Hill is a daycare that's been
operating in the neighborhood of East Falls. Their current address, 3585 Indian Queen Lane,
has been a child care center for probably 10 years or more. I know my sixth grader
went there when he was a preschooler, so it's been at least that long.
The application is to issue the variance for a group child care center at the location there
at the Baptist Church and move Little School on the Hill from the East Falls location into
into that church location on germantown avenue um moving through the exhibits i should say we
there was a meeting with the east mount airy neighbors you should have a letter from the
meeting from november 19th uh stating unanimous support for this uh for this use uh this application
let me try and page down here
okay so uh just paging through the application so no modifications at this location will be
required it was previously a daycare and it's fully intact and i want to show you the photos
where that's obvious here's the lease for the property uh between the applicant and the church
for the daycare spaces and just moving through uh the taxer wasn't available on the appropriate
website, but we have the printout from the revenue site showing there's no balance. I hope that's
sufficient. I don't know why the cert wasn't available, possibly because this is a church
property, maybe, not sure. So let me flip this. Here's notices on the gates of the church.
And the church in the background, you also see the parking lot,
uh which is a huge amenity when it comes to daycares let me flip back
so notice is posted on all the street facing frontages so here's uh the one of the classrooms
um as part of this application you can see uh plug and play here ready to go
This is the presentation slides that were presented to the neighborhood group, just highlighting that the operator, Ms. Hilson, is licensed and certified with experience as a child care provider.
There's not any modifications to the space needed, and the variance doesn't impact the health or safety or welfare of the community.
Miss Hilson has a background and education in child care and has been operating the little
school on the hill for a number of years. Here's the here's the plan with the highlighted areas
the entrance on the bottom left stairs up with the three classrooms comprising 1175 square feet
as well as a kitchenette and a bathroom in the space.
as well as a kitchenette and a bathroom in the space.
These are the happy children of Little School on the Hill
at the current location.
It's a Montessori-based program.
The template for the RCO meeting, I won't flip that,
but here's here's the uh east uh mountain airy neighbors mr chair you've received this i believe
we do okay thank you uh you know so unanimous they stayed at the bottom their approval of the
application here's the proof of mailing of the notices which the mount airy letter confirms
and that's
And that's the, those are the.
Why don't you bring your client on, Mr. Weiss.
Ms. Hilson, just raise your hand.
Jennifer Hilson has been unmuted and allowed to.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
My name is Jennifer Hilson, J-E-N-N-I-F-E-R, Hilson, H-I-L-L-S-O-N.
We're a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Yes, I do.
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you.
Ms. Hilsen, have you heard my testimony, and do you adopt it as your own?
Yes, I do.