ZBA Hearing - January 22, 2025

or any disturbances that were reported on your text chain

or any other sort of disturbances reported to you?

No, we haven't had any issues with any of our neighbors.

We've had over 100 stays.

And as you mentioned before,

it's been a pretty seamless relationship with all involved.

Great.

And did you hear the testimony I provided to the board?

I did.

Was it true and correct?

It was.

Okay. Do you adopt it as your own testimony?

I do.

Do you have anything else to add?

I would just like to say that, you know, we've been through this variance process before.

I feel that we've done everything in our effort to be accessible, to be on site, to be responsible owners.

And again, going through this process a second time has been somewhat of a burden.

And I'm hoping that we can move forward without having to do this again.

Okay.

Thank you.

I'd like to now move all my exhibits into evidence.

Okay.

And questions from the board?

No, just a comment.

It sounds like the short-term rental is going well.

Now, I hate to think that this process is burdensome because it was agreed to give just a limited permit for the use.

And I think it's critical that the limited time be given so we can see if there are any issues come about.

And it sounds like there hasn't been, so that's a good thing.

um so i think this is just a necessary part of the process if you you don't want to you know

carry on that type of agreed i just was um perhaps not quite clear uh initially that i would have to

do this process again so um that's not your responsibility that's mine so i take ownership

of that and uh for for what it's worth i believe uh uh mr rogers like most people wants to spend

as little time with attorneys as possible so uh uh which i can certainly relate to

but thank you any other questions for the board yes i have two questions one do you know if any

of the other condominiums in your complex also have short-term rentals well it's not a condominiums

there are separate ownerships um it's there's no hoa and there are other property owners and

other renters. Okay. And then, so with the courtyard, do your guests have access still

to that courtyard? The courtyard is always unlocked for not only our guests, but for

all visitors, homeowners, renters, and visitors. Okay. And then my second question was, there has

been some expressed opposition from near neighbors and was wondering if you could sort of expand on

any commentary that you might have heard and anything that you might have from direct

adjacent neighbors? The one neighbor is kind of hard to describe, but has a property in the

next street over, I believe it's Montrose possibly, and her party wall is above us,

and she has a deck kind of behind us. I was unaware that the previous owner had sold it to

a new owner and she was just unaware that we were using our property as a short-term rental.

There's no way for our guests to access her property or her, our property. I think she was

just uninformed and we offered to share our information. And so it wasn't really beyond

beyond that. I think it was actually to our credit that she did not know that there was

short-term rentals because we haven't had any people create a ruckus or concern for her.

The other guest, sorry, the other homeowner has been there for a number of years.

I don't know how to articulate this in the best way, but she seems somewhat unfiltered and off

a little bit and apparently has had issues with other residents.

apparently has had issues with other residents who own a rent on the courtyard.

So, and she has no, had no, hasn't had any direct criticism of our property.

And I've offered multiple times to offer my accessibility for whatever concerns she may have.

thank you i have no other questions any other questions yeah everyone has access to the

courtyard is there some formal written agreement that all the owners to share maintenance or

whatever for that area there is not um and in fact i make an effort to when i go there

sweep or leaf blow or address, uh, the, the courtyard. So we, um, there's no prior history

that I know of, of, um, kind of shared maintenance for that. As a matter of fact, uh, on my text

chain, I did, um, get as many people as possible to participate in paying for, um, their share to

repair the front gate, we had to have it welded and cemented and painted, and most of the people

were in agreement and participated in supporting that effort. Okay. Questions from the virtual,

questions from our attorney, Ryan McSherry? No, Mr. Chair. Questions or comments from the

virtual audience. I see no hands at this time, Chair. Thank you. Planning Commission.

Thank you, Chair. Sarah Bond, Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The comprehensive plan

recommends no change to the existing RM1 residential multifamily zoning. The appellant

has not shown that the property cannot possibly be used in strict conformity with the zoning code

and that a variance is therefore necessary to enable the viable economic use of the property.

The City Planning Commission recommends that the Zoning Board deny the variance for visitor accommodations.

Thank you. MI 2024-005-635-412 Bamer Street No. 1, I vote yes.

Temporary variance that will expire 2-1-28.

Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.

Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes

with Proviso

Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes with Proviso

Taya Nguyen, my vote is yes

Ishmael Shahi

my vote is yes with Proviso

Thank you, Council

Thank you, members of the board for your time

Have a great evening

There's anyone in the virtual audience whose case has not been called

I say no hands at this time, too

Thanks, everyone

We're an hour earlier than last week

I just want everybody to know that

And I want to thank Ryan McSherry for coming to Hillary's Rescue, and we appreciate you here, as usual, and thanks to everybody.

Thank you.