would that be helpful mr hallman we can go there okay
up hand corner
yeah that shows the building um and the vacant site in front which was approved and chose the
residences that run along 15th street and uh chose an existing apartment building which is
about the same height as our building is going to be that's to the north and you can see the
balconies on the south side and the north side which don't really face the rear of the
residential properties on 15th street you can clearly see the uh excuse me uh sir you you see
the the photo shows me existing conditions but your site plan doesn't show me propose
so this is a rendering these are what's only there is just the two stories it's not i understand what
i'm i understand what you're saying and i'm not disagreeing with what you're saying i'm
i'm just clarifying it here um is this is actually a rendering of what we're planning what's there is
um is this is actually a rendering of what we're planning what's there is is the is just this
two-story um site this is this is proposed conditions this is not existing conditions
excuse me counselor what i'm referring to is how do you address the appearance of the driveway
your building i see i see your building right and i see and i see the houses
across the driveway right here yep so now so so how do you address your building in
opposition to those buildings what how is your physical treatment of that driveway is it you're
going to let the state remain or you're going to do something proposed to it a site plan would show
me that you mean are we going to like rehabilitate it and sort of repave it whatever whatever you're
to do i don't i think we just have an easement for it i don't believe that we have um yeah but
see your parking space parking lot is across from a residential area and you're required to do some
kind of treatment some kind of landscape or something you don't show that let me let me
jump in if i could uh i think you said earlier uh correct me if i'm wrong rachel that that where that
park i guess it's a parking garage we're looking at yeah right here it is currently a surface
parking lot it's it's currently a two-story parking lot it's not it's not in operation but
it's an existing okay it was was used at one time as a two-story um excuse me this is sharon
saletta mr hallman i just emailed you the plans if that makes it any easier for you to review them
thank you that would be helpful thanks sharon so what was existing at one time that garage
use of that garage would then be used by your proposed development for the tenants correct
correct correct with the it's a common area or shared driveway with the homes on 15th street
yep i'm trying to orient yeah yes it would not be for um public parking
it's the building is back here if you can curve cuts there already everything is there and
at one time it was a factory or whatever i guess was standing there and they used the
they had off street parking parking garage excuse me counselor my understanding is that once you
do something to a building you searching for a permit for it you have to bring it up the codes
and do something with the adjacent property or the driveway uh we haven't gotten to the streets
department phase of this just for the addition to the existing structure and for the multi-family
use that that's this is what the city has provided us as far as asks are concerned we've not had
we've gotten you know stamps from streets if it was relevant we wouldn't have gotten to this point
if we weren't providing, you know, whatever L&I streets department, the planning commission would
need for this building. So it's not like we bypass any of that. This is, I'm providing you
with what we have. And in the event that we're required to make any sort of improvements, I don't
see why we have any issue doing that. I just don't know that we have full ownership of it and would
need to kind of coordinate with both this owner. And I would assume based on reading the deeds and
easements these owners as well um so i think it's sort of a shared in my understanding it's an
we have an easement but we don't have ownership over it um and i know alan uh could probably weigh
in on the ownership piece of it as well because it was part of discussions but it's not something
that's um that the city has required excuse me excuse me do your plan call for you your site
using that driveway it just for access
we don't have ownership of it the prior use of that garage
uh what ingress and egress was it out from that driveway i believe so i don't see that there's
another way you're not creating um correct me if i'm wrong i'm not putting words in your mouth
it doesn't you're not going to be creating an ingress and egress no from that drive lane
correct it's already existing it's already there all we're doing is rehabbing this building and
adding on two stories that's it understood thank you
all right tom any more any more questions no i still have to get the uh
so all right um mr richardson are you still there i am can you hear me yes i can uh okay
Yes, I can. I don't know if we cut you short or not. I apologize if we did.
i don't know if we cut you short or not i apologize if we did
Not a problem. That was quite helpful.
I wanted to try to bring a little clarity to this.
The green portion in front of the building that Ms. Pritzker is referring to is that building that was approved that will have 37 apartments there.
So that will be filled in with an entire building there with the parking lot on the interior.
a surface parking lot. Beyond that, on the left-hand side of the property, that driveway
that is the driveway for North 15th Street. And that is the, from our understanding, is the front
door for the, or the public entrance for that property. That's what they're proposing. And then
on the right side, which borders with the properties, the businesses on Old York Road
slash Broad Street, that is a shared driveway, which also will be shared with 1419, which is
Mr. Knockamson's property, and further up now, that would be the entranceway for the 47-car
barrage that Ms. Pritzker is proposing. So just to clarify, let me start with, because
we went over this early this afternoon, once we finished getting all of the
uh pertinent information uh 47 apartments by right it would be denoted at 38 feet they're
asking for it to be additionally additional uh feet added to it the councilwoman feels the
proposed structure is still too tall and what they're attempting uh to come in uh by a by right
proposal they need to adhere to the height restriction as well with regard to the parking
the proposed use of the shared driveway with businesses on north york road and the approved
237-space parking lot for 1419 Grange Avenue.
The Councilwoman has concerns about the traffic that will be caused by 1419 using that driveway,
as well as the proposed 68 parking spaces that Ms. Pritzker's, rather 47 now, 47 parking spaces that are being proposed.
Our offices personally observed truck parking in the driveway yesterday, making deliveries and blocking the driveway.
So that would also be another issue because while they tried to indicate that deliveries are made by the front, they're actually also made in the back as well.
The community entrance in the rear driveway, the homes of the 5800 block of North 15th Street.
Councilwoman has concerns for foot traffic that will take place walking up and down,
going in and out of what was originally just a private driveway, Uber drivers, deliveries, etc.
In the driveway, she feels will negatively impact the residents of 15th Street.
So as such, she is opposed and she is supporting the RCO and the community in opposing the granting of the variance.
Thank you.
Rachel, what is the height proposal on your...
I want to, Ray, do you have it in front of you? It's with 60.
I'd also wanted to bring the owner. I think he could speak a little bit to the alleyway as well
on greens with some of the traffic flow. I wanted him to jump in if possible.
Is it at any point the RCO, I have pictures of what we are concerned about up to when including
a truck loading in those curb cuts that we're concerned about if we are at some point allowed
to present i really would like to well i we we started you started to present and then we but
you won't let me present you keep making right letting rachel speak no because she objects and
then you you look you start arguing we don't want the argument well i'm i've been quiet
Letting her speak.
I just asked for the same time.
I hear you.
I hear you.
I've just asked a question.
I'm waiting for an answer.
As long as at some point the community can be heard.
We've waited a long time.
Yeah, I understand that.
But actually, your community has already spoken.
You can speak some more to it, but through the Councilwoman's office.
So, again, what is the height that you're proposing?
50 feet, 11 inches.
50 feet, 11 inches.
11 I saw 51 feet roughly all right all right number of units is down from 63 to 47 all right
let's hear from the community again and I would ask you to stick to the issues
I think we we understand and my board members could correct me if I'm wrong
that there actually has been communication there has like significant been communication
than communication. How do you submit a six-page letter talking about all the issues of concern?
How do you submit a six-page letter?
I'd like to tell you. Okay, let me hear it. Okay. I'd like to tell you. Okay. Because it's on a
separate screen, I'm going to share with you the total sentence that we were given about the
project about uh beyond the email but let's just stick with the property right now if you look at
the at all the way to the end of that driveway that is the 1400 of conlin street that is a
residential block at well in the front of those are commercial buildings that we're looking at
excuse me rachel let me finish are you ma'am are you speaking to the photograph in number three
The photograph in number three, the top photograph where you see the driveway and you see where.
So at the end of the driveway is the 1400 block of Conlon Street.
That is a block of residential homes.
Right.
The building that you see that extends above Rachel's property is, in fact, the Eli apartment building.
It has been the source of much unrest and violence in the neighborhood.
um we testified previously for 1419 about the degree of violence that is already occurring
because that area is saturated and it has become a very unsafe neighborhood bloodshed and and and
people running um from gun violence down that driveway if you can let ma'am i we respect that
But if you can limit your testimony to the project.
The project is proposing a height that is above and beyond what is allowed to further saturate, populate an area that is already overpopulated and is a troubled area.
We would not like to see, never suggested to Rachel that we were interested in having anything that was not permitted.
We asked her in the questionnaire that we sent, how many units could you provide with the allowed height unit, with the allowed height?
And that just doesn't get answered.
But we would not like to see any more structure than what is allowed.
which would be pretty consistent with the one alongside it.
That is a troubled area.
We do have additional pictures, but the traffic,
if a tenant has to get a pizza delivered,
to get coming in and out of the building,
they all have to traffic through the driveway.
Rachel did provide...
Let me interrupt you if I could respectfully.
What is the height of that existing, the highest point of that existing building to the right in Photograph 3?
Does anyone know?
Mr. Roller, do you happen to know?
Yeah, that's 1906.
Approximately 20 feet is the existing parking garage.
No, and the building behind it, where the smokestacks are.
He's talking about behind it, the taller building behind it.
Yeah, forget the smokestacks, the building itself.
What's the height of that building?
I haven't measured it, but I estimate it to be about, I would say, 42, 44 feet.
We're about the same height as it is.
It's a four-story building, but our fifth floor is sunk down.
The parking garage is sunk down.
So our cornice lines will pretty much line up.
Well, that's what I was getting at.
So you would be pretty much in line with that.
Your roof line, your top of your building would be pretty much in line
with that taller building in photograph three is that correct that's correct yes except that the
lot in front is going to have a a a 34 unit building so the i understand man we understand
but we're talking about 14 0709 right and you and you raised you raised an issue about the height
So I wanted to know what the proposed height of 14.07.09 would be in comparison to the structure that already exists.
And it seems to me that it's going to be about the same height.
About the same height adds more units to the property.
I understand that. We're talking about height.
They did reduce the number of units from 63 to 47.
but it is in the that might not be acceptable to you but we listen we listen to a lot of testimony
about can you hear me because i keep getting cut off
can you hear me because i keep getting cut off i can hear you okay we can hear a lot of testimony
about light um and um it is clear that the residents in in the 50 um in in this block
this residential block will be cut off from light if this structure is allowed to be any higher than
And it shouldn't be there at all.
But we absolutely oppose it being higher than it is allowed by Wright.
Let me ask you a question.
Are you familiar with that neighborhood to be able to speak to the empty lot in front at 1419?
What was on that lot at one time?
um i actually it was a it was a apartment buildings that were so miserable that they
burned i'm asking it was it was a residential property it was a it was a residential apartment
how many stories how many stories was that um now that i don't i don't know but i think it was two
two story building all right we'll look at the archives we'll take a look
Okay. All right. So again, we are indicating that there is, let me just scroll down so that I can show you.
We're concerned about the density in the area.
As you scroll down, you will see the complaints that we were sending to you, Mr. DiCicco, about the noncompliance of just saying that there was not communication, there was not this discussion that we had.
there was numerous complaints by the RCO. And if you scroll down to page 7, 8, it goes on.
So let me just go. If you go to page 10, that is the front of the apartment building that is in
that driveway um there is a trash issue um with this this this property that ma'am ma'am again
we need for you to just talk about the issues you mentioned you mentioned density 47 units and
correct me if i'm wrong rachel i think i've already asked you this a couple times is a buy right
correct the units are by right the height is not and and the height will add what makes
we want less units because we want less density the apartment building that they're building next
to is a nuisance property page 10 shows you what it looks like um living in the conditions that
they're proposing to add to this is that goes that will go away they're not going to have an
empty lot there any longer yeah no no no this this is at the end of the driveway that i tried
to show you where the other building connects to this one um at the old conlin street that is what
we are living with um already and she's she's this the proposal of this property is adding salt