We're proposing to have a restaurant in the area that's on the west side.
So this is where the restaurant is going to go.
The site, as you can see from a picture that I provided with my exhibit package, it's currently under construction.
So again, this is where the restaurant is going to go in.
This restaurant is going to be part of the Scholten Collective.
The Scholten Collective designs and operates a number of high-end restaurants in the city of Philadelphia.
Some of the restaurants that they currently operate include Sampan, Double Knot, Harp and Crown,
and Prunella, just to name a few, provided a copy of some of the renderings for the
restaurant that we're proposing at this location in your exhibit package. As you can see, the
aesthetic that Shulson is going for with this particular restaurant is going to be something
vibrant with a lot of interesting textures a lot of different colors to catch the eye.
There's going to be seating for 122 people inside of the restaurant as you can see from the
floor plan that's up on my screen. Now with respect to the referral that was generated
as part of this application as I noted before the buildings are part of a unity of use which means
that um because of that uh unity of use we were subject to the overlays that the building fronting
on walnut street is subject to so if the restaurant was simply going into i'm sorry
i'm sorry if this was not part of a unity of use these buildings um weren't subject to that then
if this was not part of a unity of use
we actually would not need a special exception but
again because of it we are required to seek a special exception as part of this application
the property zone cmx4 um it's in a number of overlays including the center city overlay
district walnut street area west which as i mentioned requires that we um seek a special
exception as part of this application just want to note there's going to be no change to the
building footprint of laurel uh and with respect to the operation of the restaurant it's going to
have hours typical for other restaurants in the city so that's going to be approximately 11 a.m
to midnight um during the week and then it will have later hours on the weekends trash is going
to be picked up daily it will be stored within the building until it's ready for pickup but both
pickup of trash and deliveries to the restaurant are going to be handled with a um using the loading
dock that's part of the laurel building moving on to the um criteria for a special exception
why we believe that we meet it the code provides that the grant of a special exception shall not
cause detrimental impacts to the neighborhood beyond which might normally be expected from a
proposed use. We're not going to be causing any additional congestion in the public streets or
the transportation system, because again, we are conveniently located off of Walnut Street.
We're very close to Rittenhouse Square, which means that there's a number of means of public
transportation that are available to anyone going to the restaurant or coming from it.
And again, as I noted, all loading for the restaurant is going to be handled
or using the loading dock that's part of the Laurel, so any trash or deliveries again will
be using the building's loading dock. The project is not going to cause any overcrowding of the land
or impair any supply of light or air to any adjacent properties, because again we aren't
changing the building footprint, we're just fitting a restaurant into this location.
The project is not going to burden any of the public facilities and won't impair the use
of adjacent conforming properties because it's instead just going to enhance and complement the
building and also be consistent with the many other restaurant uses that exist in Rittenhouse
Square. The project will not otherwise endanger any public health or safety. It's going to be
consistent with the comprehensive plan. The last thing I just want to note is that we did meet with
the affected RCO for the project, the Center City Residents Association. They did not oppose our
request. And a copy of that letter was provided with my exhibit package. So at this time, I would
like to call forward Mr. Brian Emmons to document testimony.
You see a hand in the audience?
Not at this time, Chair.
Councilor, you're an officer of the court. We will gladly take your testimony.
Thank you so much. Questions from the board? No, Mr. Chairman. No, Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I see no handshare. Planning Commission. So, we're on Bednar City Planning. Property is
currently indicated for commercial mixed use on the city plan given the site's physical conditions.
proposed use will have no more of an impact that wouldn't be expected to have given its
specific location. Therefore, we recommend that the Board grant a special exception.
Thank you. MI 2023-000733-1904-40 Sampson Street, I vote yes.
I vote yes.
Thomas Holloman, I vote yes.
James Snell, I vote yes.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes.
Thank you, counsel.
Thank you so much.
Number six, MI 2022-001-770-5021 Aspen Street.
Darlene Treat is the attorney.
No RCO letter at this point.
Ms. Treed is coming back in as a panelist chair.
Thank you.
Ms. Three, you have to unmute yourself.
It just unmuted.
I apologize.
And let me put the video on.
Thank you.
You've already been sworn.
You've already been sworn once today.
Just state your name for the record, please.
Darlene Threat, 45 East City Avenue, Ballackenwood, PA, 19004.
Could you identify your client and the relationship to the property?
My client today is ISS Holmes, LLC, and I have a representative, Mr. Samuel East, present today.
Okay. Our vice chair has just a few questions for you.
Good afternoon, counsel. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Yes, I do.
Have you emailed all the required documents and exhibits that are required to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
Yes, I have.
Thank you. Please proceed and share your screen.
Commissioners today I'm here representing 5021 Aspen Street I've submitted an exhibit
package which contains 30 pages and 11 exhibits. I'll scroll down and show the exhibits in my
package. Here is the refusal. We applied to actually legalize a two-family dwelling.
We did this in early February of 2022.
This property had been legal since 1988, and I'll show you the documents in a minute.
For a two-family dwelling, we lost our zoning during the COVID pandemic period.
We applied for an appeal to the board.
Here's a copy of the appeal.
we prepared the project information form
we have clear taxes here's the deed which uh demonstrates that iss homes is the owner of this
property. I did include some leases that I'll just scroll past. The property is currently vacant
for renovations. I just wanted to show you a little bit of the zoning history here.
You'll see back in 1988, this property did go before the board.
It was a single family.
It was approved for a two-family dwelling, and it has been in use as a two-family dwelling since that point in time.
I have some other zoning information just to show that the property has been used as a two-family dwelling for some time, which I won't go over each document.
Commissioners, here are the plans for the property.
This is just the site plan.
You can see it's a two-family dwelling.
It's not very large, and it sits on a block with mainly two-family and single-family dwellings.
Here is the floor plan.
It's very simple. There's no basement use. There are utilities in the basement.
We have a first floor apartment, approximately 500 square feet.
We have a living room, kitchen, dining area, and the bedroom.
And there's the bathroom over there.
The second floor, the layout is almost identical to the first floor.
Here's a picture of the property and the posting on this particular block.
The trash is stored in the front of the properties and taken out by the Philadelphia Sanitation Department on trash day.
by the Philadelphia Sanitation Department on Trash Day.
We have a contract with them.
We participate in that program.
Here's a copy of the,
we met with the Civic Association on two occasions.
Here's the copy, I believe, of the second posting.
That's the first posting.
That's just a view of the street,
how the,
Houses on the street appear.
Doesn't appear to be a parking problem at this time either.
It's another picture of the block and how the houses look.
There's the two meters which have been installed since, I imagine, 1988.
Here's a picture of the upstairs living room area.
bathroom, kitchen, kitchen for the second floor, front room for the second floor, and
the bathroom.
We did send out a notice on two occasions.
We met with the Civic Association the first time.
They asked us to make some changes and to come back.
We met with them again the second time.
We came back with the changes.
There's the proof of mailing.
and the Civic Association did issue a letter of support supporting our application for
supporting our application for the variance. And with that, I'm here to answer any questions that
do you have your representative of the property uh samuel are you on the line
mr east
all right you're an officer of the court we will take your testimony um could you make sure hillary
gets a copy of that letter i i don't think we have a letter do we hillary thank you mr chair
No, we do not have a copy of this letter.
So just send the copy over the letter to Hillary, okay?
I will, thank you.
Okay, questions from the board.
No, Mr. Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair, we have Cheryl.
Ms. Cheryl, you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair.
Hi, could you state your name and spell it, please, for the court reporter?
okay my name is Cheryl Morris Davis I live at 5036 Aspen Street could you do me a favor could
you spell your name please so that the court reporter can get it okay first name spelled
c-h-e-r-y-l-l the last name is m-o-r-i-s hyphen Davis all right d-a-v-i-s all right do you swear
or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do proceed okay this
particular property at 5021 has been um since 19 i mean whenever in a in 1988 was not properly
zoned as a two-story family dwelling. It's always been a one, I mean, a two-story family dwelling.
It has not been a rental unit. My concern, those pictures that were taken that says it's not a
parking problem on this particular block, there is a parking problem on this particular block.
first thing some people have two and three cars when this picture was taken was probably early
in the morning when people are going to work secondly the property was built in 1925
approximately and now they want to change the configuration of this property to be
a not a two dwelling the property is too small the property has three bedrooms on the second
floor. It's an inadequate size. And if you get a person that has a family, therefore the property
cannot be used for more than one person on the first floor and one person on the second floor.
And also in this particular block or block.
And also in this particular block, there has been an increase in shootings.
We do not need another shooting on this block.
And most of the properties on this particular block are now rental units.
I would say 75%.
Now, I know from the past, PHA, what they did was like, we moved some of the rental units to be family units for selling.
Listen to me, Cheryl, we want to concentrate on this property.
Just tell me about this property.
Oh, this particular property?
Right, that's it.
It's an applicable size to be an apartment.
And you're against the project then?
Sorry, I can't hear that well.
He's asking you, honey, are you against the project?
Yes, I'm against the project.
Thank you very much for calling in.
We appreciate your input.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, I've got my hand raised.
I'm a husband.
I guess you could hear me.
Wait a minute.
State your name, please, and spell for the court reporter.
Ernest M. Davis, E-R-N-E-S-T, middle initial M-D-A-V-I-S.
Do you swear a friend to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
And your position is similar to your wife's position?
Similar to my wife.
We just had a shooting of a house away from that property yesterday and the
density of people in the neighborhood and the type of people.
So I want you to concentrate on this property.
This property did not have a shooting of property nearby.
You're saying only a house away, right?