when I had been hired to represent and present? And then, even more so, when I started talking
about community housing and how these would be affordable for the existing community,
Mr. Baldwin went on a tirade for over 20 minutes about how Asian landlords don't rent to the
community, they only rent to Asians and violate fair housing standards, which ignores the fact
that Asian Americans are part of this community. My client also insisted that they will follow
all laws and rent to whoever is a qualified candidate, regardless of their race. And I
and I asked if he specifically would had any evidence that my client had ever violated fair
asked if he specifically had any evidence that my client had ever violated fair housing.
housing laws. He just continued on about how the community couldn't support variances for
apartments that would only be rented to Asians. So um shockingly if you read his letter this
racism is reflected further in his letter where he points out again unnecessarily and without
any reason, my client's ethnicity and their English language skills. I believe that this case,
these variants should be granted on the merits of the case, about the existing uses and surrounding
uses. However, I did feel the need to point out this very overt racism, since this type of overt
anti-Asian racism needs to be called out and addressed, especially since this area of South
Philly is a wonderfully diverse neighborhood. And to have someone overseeing the RCO process
and affecting zoning decisions in this area that is openly hostile to Asian property owners
is very troubling to me. With that, I just want to summarize that I believe the zoning board should
grant these variances and that using each of these structures as three family dwellings is
completely appropriate given the history of the properties and the surrounding neighborhood and
the fact that these properties have been severely neglected prior to my client's ownership and that
we will renovate reactivate and rent them at affordable affordable prices to quality tenants
thank you thank you uh miss boswell you want to have your client adopt your testimony yes i
I believe Miley Lai should be on.
Can you raise your hand?
Ms. Lai, you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair.
Hello?
Good morning. Please identify yourself, spell your full name, and I'll swear you in.
My name is Mei Li Lai, M-A-I-L-Y, first name and last name L-A-I.
You swear for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Thank you. Please proceed.
All right. You heard my testimony here today and believe it to be truthful and accurate?
And you would adopt it as your own and choose to adopt it as your own?
yes thank you any questions yeah i just would you go back could you go back to the d
is there something in particular you would like i'm just looking at the purchase price it was
306,000 for all three properties I assume right 100,000 roughly 100,000 each okay thank you
uh questions from the board no no anyone else would like to testify in this case if so please
raise your hand there are no other hands at this time chair thank you planning commission
Good morning, David Fecto, City Planning Commission, Mr. Chairman, members of the Board.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing single-family zoning for these properties.
These properties received use permits for three-unit buildings in 2016.
At that time, the Planning Commission staff gave no objection to the requests for three units and a single-family zoning district at the ZBA hearing.
We recommend that the Board approve the requested variance for all three properties.
Thank you.
MI 2021-001-531-537 Jackson Street, MI 2021-001-552-541 Jackson Street,
and MI 2021-001-499-539 Jackson Street.
I'm going to recommend that the record be closed
and the board will discuss this case
at next Wednesday's executive session.
Okay, Jennifer, we'll get back to you next week.
All right.
Any other unfinished business for the 930 list?
nothing that I have nothing you just make the announcement here nothing that I have here
there's no hands up at this time what announcement is that
oh just to see if we have unfinished business with the um
Oh, just to see if we had unfinished minutes with the, um, the attendees.
Is there anyone who has not been heard would like to testify? Did we miss anyone?
Yeah, no hands up at this time, Chair. Okay. Thank you, everyone. See you back here at two o'clock.
See you later. Thank you.
and we'll give Yvette and Tanya a few minutes nope chair we're all ready
good afternoon everyone thank you my name is Frank DiCicco I'm the chair of the zoning board of
adjustment I'll be participating in today's hearing along with our board members Mr. Thomas
Holloman and Mr. James Snell. Board Administrator Yvette Benton and Board Attorney Ms. Sharon Saleta
are also in attendance in addition to Ms. Tanya Sunkit, our zoning board administrator. For those
of you who haven't yet participated in one of our virtual hearings, I'll go through some of the
basics of what you can expect. First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants
prior to their testimony. Second, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being
recorded and that by participating you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded and that the
recording will be made available to the public on the web or otherwise. For anyone participating by
phone if you wish to testify you must raise your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to
unmute yourself. I'll repeat for anyone participating by phone if you wish to testify you must raise
your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. Finally, to enter an appearance
statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address in the address of the property
at issue. I will repeat that. To enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548
and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue i would also like to remind
everyone please do not attempt to testify in the chat any comments or questions should be directed
to our board administrator today ms yvette benton with that i will read off uh requests for
continuances on the two o'clock list. Case number one, MI 2020-001309. 109 Pleasant Street
is represented by attorney Michael Phillips, and he has requested a continuance.
number 10 on our list mi 2021-001 772 6439 lansdowne avenue attorney of record is jared
klein requested a continuance uh just double checking sharon number six what was that with
number 2840 home avenue is that going to be continued or do we need to have Mr. Patterson
on no that should be read announced just continued okay so also number six on our two o'clock list
MI 2021-001-769-2840 home avenue is also continued if anyone disagrees with the request
for those continuances, please raise your hand at this time. Only if you disagree with the cases
that I've read into the record to be continued. I see no hands at this time, Chair. Thank you. I
will now ask if anyone would like to request a continuance or withdrawal for the two o'clock
list, please raise your hand. If you would like a continuance or withdrawal on the two o'clock
please raise your hand at this time and we have rachel pritzker with her hand up
miss pritzker you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair thank you miss pritzker please
identify yourself i'll swear you in uh rachel r-a-c-h-a-e-l pritzker p-r-i-t-z-k-e-r 1635
market street suite 1600 philadelphia pa 19103 thank you swear a friend to tell the truth the
whole truth, nothing but the truth. Yes. Thank you. Please proceed. Sure. I'd like to request
a continuance on behalf of the applicant for 4603 Adams Avenue. Okay. That's number eight
on our list. MI 2021-001-767-4603 Adams Avenue is continued. Thank you. Thank you. Any other
request for continuances or withdrawals on the two o'clock list. I see no hands chair.
on the two o'clock list i see no hands chair thank you without any uh other objection we'll
begin with case number two mi 2021-001774 2228 saint albin street mr bertel is the attorney of
record there is a letter of support from sasna south of neighbor south of south neighborhood
Association. He's coming back in as a panelist now, Chair. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman,
members of the board. Good afternoon, Mr. Bertil. Please identify yourself and I'll
swear you in? Steve Bertil, B-E-R-T-I-L, from Claire Harrison, Harvey, and Bransburg. Address
is 1835 Market Street, Suite 1400, 19103. You swear in a firm to tell the truth, the whole
truth, nothing but the truth? Yes, I do. Thank you. Mr. Snell has some questions for you.
Sure. Oh, sorry, I had to mute there.
Also, sir, have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance, a copy of the refusal or referral, and plans and photos five days prior to the hearing?
Yes, to all of the above.
Okay, and have you met with the RCO?
Yes, we have.
And do you have a letter from the RCO?
Yes, we have a letter of support with two provisals.
Okay, great. You may proceed.
Thank you very much. I will share my screen now.
Okay, as was stated, I'm here for 2228 St. Alvin Street. I represent the applicants and the owners of Mark and Maxine of this property who are residents and owners in this property.
We are seeking today a variance for the removal of a rear deck, but more importantly, the addition of a third story so that Mark and Maxine can maintain living in this home and allow the home to accommodate their lifestyle.
The property in question, as you can see, fronts on St. Albans Street between South 22nd Street and South 23rd Street.
Hey, Mr. Bertil. I'm sorry. Are you just showing us the
yellow? Right. You should be seeing a zoning area map. Okay. Thank you. Okay.
Let me jump to the, so this is the existing conditions of the property. As you can see,
it's currently a two story residential home for the, for use as a single family home.
They are maintaining that use as a single family home. They are adding a third story addition with a roof deck and a roof access structure. The refusals that we have are due to the setback of the proposed third story addition and originally the setback of the roof deck.
As you'll see in a second, we have agreed to two provisos and revised plans that eliminates the roof deck refusal.
So now we only have the one refusal regarding the set due to the overlay that addresses the third story additions on the property.
As you'll see, as I go through the presentation, just a little bit of context of the area, although the block is predominantly two stories,
As you can see, there has been three additions put on on properties on the immediate block and immediate neighbors.
Here's another addition.
As you'll see with our design, we are mimicking the additions that have been done thus far with a dorm or roof that addresses some of the concerns that exist with third-story additions, so it's not as imposing on the streetscape.
We did talk to our near neighbors. As you'll see, we have a petition of support for our addition
from our immediately adjacent neighbors, but also neighbors up and down the block.
The property itself, let me go to the design here.
as you can see this is the proposed design for our addition as you'll see um it's almost
um it's almost identical to some of the designs that are here and we originally had one large
identical to some of the designs that are here and we originally had one large window
window but as part of the provisals that we agreed to with the community and we agreed to do
the two separate uh dormers um to to fit more of the character we're maintaining the cornice line
as is desired uh by the community group in fact we're enhancing the cornice line because as you
saw from our um the existing conditions um currently this sort of cornice has not developed
out at some point it was taken off uh previous to our ownership to the applicant's ownership
of the property but we're going to re-establish that with this addition designed to maintain
sort of the consistency across the corners of the block we did meet with the community group
we met with their architectural committee and with the full community group and we have a letter
of support for the proposed addition with two provisos, one of which is making sure the deck
and the railing for the roof deck is set back five feet, which eliminates one of our refusals.
And the other, as I stated, is utilizing the two dormers with double hung windows,
as opposed to what our previous design was. As such, because actually let me scroll down so you
You can see it was unanimous support,
no votes in opposition.
And therefore we are requesting that the board approve
our advance request considering the support
of both the near neighbors, the community group
and no opposition as far as we know.
With me, I have a representative from the owner.
If the board could recognize Mark Nicastra.
Mr. McCastro, please identify yourself, spell your full name, and I'll swear you in.
Spell it.
Mr. McCastro, if you're here, could you please raise your hand?
But yeah, it's updated for today.
I just wanted to make sure that you can...
So just as a reminder, someone has their is not muted and we hear voices in the background.
If you can mute, that'd be helpful.
And Mr. Bertel, if we're not able to get your client.
OK, we'll stipulate you being an officer to court.
Your client would have adopted your testimony.
OK, thank you.
With that, I'm here to answer any questions if the board may have any.
Any questions from the board?
anyone else would like to testify in this case please raise your hand
this is Sharon Mr. Bertil may I ask one question the I just checked your proviso plans form in
the revised plans it appears that both of the requested provisos are incorporated into the
plan so it wouldn't be necessary to add any proviso if the board approves it other than
plans one page that's correct thank you thank you anyone else to testify in this case
Chair, we have Ms. Cohen. Ms. Cohen, you can unmute yourself and wait for the chair.
Good afternoon, Ms. Cohen. Please identify yourself with the records by your name.
Ms. Cohen, are you there?
Anyone else to testify in this case?
There are no other hands at this time, Chair. Thank you. Planning Commission?
Good afternoon, Chair, members of the Board. My name is Greg Waltman from Planning Commission
staff um my uh first name is spelled greg or gregory g-r-e-g-o-r-y lasting waldman w-a-l-d as in
door m-a-n as in man you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
um i do please proceed uh the comprehensive plan recommends this property for residential single
family use. This property is on a block that was constructed with two-story homes, some of which
have recently added a third floor. We believe that with the modifications that the property
will not have any adverse impact to the surrounding block. Accordingly, we recommend that the
requesting requested variants be granted. Thank you very much. MI 2021-001-774-2228
2228 St. Albans Street. My vote is yes with a proviso one page approved today.
St. Alban Street. My vote is yes.
James Snell, yes with proviso. Thomas Holloman, yes with proviso.
Thank you. Mr. Bertil, you're up again. MI 2021-001-969-2345 North Front Street.
Chair, this is Sharon. Since I gave you the summaries, we received a letter from Councilwoman
Sanchez in support and her, though I haven't received a copy of the RCO letter, it references
the RCO letter in support. Thank you very much. Mr. Bertil, just identify yourself.
And I can forward that over to Ms. Saleta. We've since received it.
Mr. Bertil, just identify yourself again. You're still under oath.
Sure. Steve Bertil, B-E-R-T-I-O, Claire Harrison, Harvey and Brandsburg for the applicant.
Thank you. Mr. Snell has questions for you again. Mr. Bertil, have you emailed an exhibit packet
with the required documents, proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal or