I'm sorry, Chair.
If you like, we can move on, Chair.
It's your call.
Yeah, well, I'll give him one more opportunity.
Tell us what it is about this project
for getting Cedar Park
the developer, what is it about this project that you object to?
I object to the way that the process has unfolded to exclude members of the community who do not support this project
I object to the way that the process has unfolded to exclude
and the way that certain entities have been elevated and other people have been excluded.
That's my statement. Thank you.
Okay, thank you.
Anyone else to testify?
Sir, Ms. Cynthia Miller has been allowed to speak.
Good afternoon, Ms. Miller.
please identify yourself with a record and I'll swear you in.
Ms. Miller, please state your name on the record.
Excuse me, I'm sorry.
My name is Cindy Miller and I live at 4725 Chester Avenue.
You swear a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Yes, I do.
Thank you, ma'am.
Please proceed.
um actually you'll be glad because i'm going to speak about a technicality of this zoning issue
that is unlike anything anybody has talked about before um i'm in total opposition to this project
and um before i speak about why i'm in total uh opposition to this monstrosity project that will
totally destroy the character of my neighborhood uh i would like to talk a little bit about the
signage the signs that were posted for zoning purposes um i've lived in this neighborhood for
35 years i live right across the street from where this project is proposed to be so it's
going to directly impact me um i've lived in this building for like eight years um the the signage
is a real problem and has always been from day one for one thing uh the signs are supposed to be
five feet high and legible when a zoning ma'am pardon the interruption are you suggesting that
it was not properly posted exactly exactly there's nothing posted at 47 20 the posting
when is the first time you heard about this project when the when the signs first went up
when which was when do you approximately uh i can't quite i'm sure it was around christmas time
so you're telling us there's a problem with the correct right now you could see it
the scientists but did you not see them back in december exactly they're behind they're behind
a double fence i am older i'm 67 so this is probably an ada issue as well they cannot
They're seven and a half feet tall.
Miss, ma'am, with all due respect, you're aware of the meetings that took place?
Yes, I've been to all of them.
So you obviously were notified?
Yes, I was notified by my other neighbor friends.
Well, could we proceed and speak to the issue of the development, the project itself, what it is you're opposed to?
I was under the impression that signage was a very important part of the zoning process.
It is, and I think you established, that you were made aware of this project way back from December.
Right. Not by the signs, but from my name.
Ma'am, whether someone told you that means someone saw these signs, you have participated in the public discussion, I assume?
No, somebody didn't see the signs. The way somebody else knew was because the developers sent out a letter.
Okay, okay.
They didn't see it from the sign.
Look, I have a question.
So did you attend any of these meetings?
I attended all of the meetings.
And you were silent?
And you were silent?
Did you not raise the issue of signage at any of those meetings you attended?
I'm sorry.
Ms. Miller, please unmute yourself to respond to that question.
Mr. Chairman, we probably had five or six community meetings.
Well, since December.
I'm saying seven months.
I can't even tell you how many meetings we've had.
All right.
Hold on, please.
All right.
We're going to go to the next witness.
Hello?
Hi, I'm Alexandra Goss.
Please spell your full name.
It's Alexandra, A-L-E-X-A-N-D-R-A, and Goss, G as in girl, O, S as in Sam, S as in Sam.
You swear, affirm, to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
thank you ma'am please proceed hi um and i want to speak only on behalf of myself i want to confirm
Thank you, ma'am.
Please proceed.
Hi, and I want to speak only on behalf of my...
that the zba has a copy of the petition against the granting of a zoning variance for proposed
development at 40th and chester on record we do all right and if you have seen that petition you
are aware that there are signatures there that's 591 near uh close by neighbors who are in opposition
83 of those near neighbors within 250 feet as defined by the cba yes i i believe so okay
incredible i want to um emphasize and confirm that everyone who signed this petition was aware
both of the cba that was being negotiated and the buy rate options as opposed to what
i thought you said you were going i thought you said you were going to speak and not testify on
their behalf absolutely no worries no worries i'm happy to continue i also would like to bring up
the southwest philadelphia district services letter which was you said you're going to speak
on you miss miss you said you were going to speak on your behalf so far you've mentioned two or
three RCOs or neighborhood groups? Speak on your behalf. Tell us what it is you're opposed to
of this project, why you're opposed to it. Okay, absolutely, Chair. Thank you so much.
There's a number of reasons why I'm opposed to this project, and I just was trying to emphasize
the fact that there is, in fact, widespread. We are well aware. And I know you're aware. I know
No, no, no. So one thing I opposed to the zoning variance, while the developer is proposing
additional parking, they have not explained how the inevitable influx of new cars alongside
current vehicles and traffic of nursing home employees, visitors, and EMTs will impact
traffic on Chester and 48th Street, two already heavily used streets in our residential neighborhood.
This development is directly along the 13th trolley line. The renters that these apartments
are meant to attract would use car and delivery services like Uber, Amazon, that will double park,
idle, and add to CO2 emissions. These vehicles would also physically block the trolley,
inconveniencing riders, particularly low-income and working-class residents who rely on public
transportation and do not necessarily have alternative options. Even prior to COVID-19,
car ridership and congestion has steadily increased as public transit use has declined
because of the continued diminishment of affordable housing and proliferation of
overpriced apartment buildings that tend to attract car owners. Our neighbors a few blocks
down on 42nd-43rd and Chester area are dealing with dangerous congestion thanks to
imbalanced density on their block. There is constant double parking by delivery and car services.
Trolleys are frequently stalled, which causes them to honk at all hours, and pedestrians and
cyclists are endangered by increased traffic and associated chaos. Jamie Gauthier's office can
confirm they have received complaints about this. The city planners who created our zoning were wise
in understanding how to create distributed density that does not overtast our infrastructure.
We desperately need a traffic engineering report to measure the impact of increased cars and traffic
on our neighborhood. Towards this effort, I'd like to urge the importance of thoughtful planning
rather than spot zoning. There have already been many auto accidents at this corner, and we fear
still more come along with trolley interference if this project is approved. Thank you and sorry
for the confusion. Mr. Chairman, I would just add there's actually no new curb cuts offered.
We're utilizing the existing curb cut. Understood. And I was going to ask the question.
In the first three plans, we had new curb cuts on Chester, new curb cuts on 48th Street. Part of
this amazing collaborative process was to this curb cut actually we got rid of the curb cuts on
on 48 and we got rid of a quarter curb cut on Chester and this curb cut here actually already
exists so that was you know again the amazing feedback that we got that made this project
better and better as we went. Thank you. Chair we do have 15 more witnesses is your part of your
Did you say 5-0 or 1-5?
No, 1-5, sir.
Oh, okay.
Well, let's hear what the next couple of witnesses have the same.
Hopefully, their testimony has something new and different.
Sure, Chair.
We have Michael Ross.
Please unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in.
Good afternoon, sir.
Please identify yourself with a record, spell your name, and I'll swear you in.
My name is Michael Ross, M-I-C-H-A-E-L.
Mr. Chairman, I have to object due to standing.
Mr. Chairman, I have to object due to standing.
R-O-S-S.
R-O-S-S.
Mr. Chairman, I have to object due to standing.
What's the nature of the objection?
The RCO notification for this RCO, that's the RCO addresses and contact information that's compiled by the City Planning Commission,
lists this, I believe the speaker and this RCO as having a home address, a mailing address,
a contact address in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, which is 30 miles away at 1557 North Valley Road.
And that's as of an hour and a half ago, that's where their mailing address, that's where their
notification address was, 30 miles away. I have to object to standing.
Excuse me, this is Sharon. Standing is not an issue at this stage. Anyone can testify at the
zoning hearing. It's an issue on appeal if the case is appealed to the court, but it only goes
to the weight of the testimony, given the testimony at this stage. Mr. Ross. Thank you,
Sharon. Mr. Ross, what is your current address? My current address, we're a registered
a community organization.
I have two addresses.
I have two addresses.
Where do you live?
I live 1557
North Valley Road,
Pottstown, PA.
My office is at 5213
Woodland Avenue.
I've been working in the community.
I grew up in the community.
I've been working in the community for the last
40 years.
Mr. Ross, your office
what is the nature of your business we are a registered community organization that's where
that's your full-time job no it's not my full-time job what is the nature of your
business you said you have your office yeah my that's where our that's where our registered
community organization office is located southwest philadelphia district services
what we do is we provide support we're going to move on tanya we're moving on thank you
this cassandra slover has been allowed to speak hello
i'm sorry you you probably have two two devices on just need to shut one
okay turn one off spell your full name and i'll swear you in okay my name is cassandra slover
c-a-s-s-a-n-d-r-a last name slover s-l-o-v-e-r you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole
truth nothing but the truth i do please proceed okay hi i've actually been to um the last sony
meeting about this and i went to the meeting and i now i'm listening this and i would just like to
say that i find it um kind of disrespectful to the community members that brett feldman has
taken up so much of the testimony time um and you know he said he would talk 10
ma'am could you speak to your opposition to this project i would speak to my opposition to this
project. So I think that this building really would amplify the gentrification that has been
stated by Brett Feldman that is taking place in this neighborhood. You know, if you Google
environmental racism, the third result is gentrification. Gentrification is the process
of changing the character of a neighborhood through influx of more affluent residents and
businesses, which I think even looking at the numbers provided by Mayor Galley and Brett Feldman
would qualify like we talked to land land um landlords in this area it's not speculation
that they would be resetting the rent like this has come from them and you know i think that
you know some of the witnesses have mentioned how the trolley lines are there are going to
take them to like the grocery stores things like that and i think that you know they're not going
to shop at the grocery stores located half a block away from them. They're not going to shop,
they're not going to patronize the businesses in this area because it's targeted at college
students. I feel like, you know, the amount of one bedrooms that are unaffordable for this area
being targeted at transient college students who will not make a community in this neighborhood,
they will not patronize the businesses in this neighborhood, they will not treat the homeless
people who live in our neighborhood that's all that's all that's all speculation with all the
respect let me ask your question would you be in support of the buy right project the duplexes
i feel like that has also been a threat kind of from ma'am ma'am ma'am slow down
kind of from ma'am ma'am ma'am slow down it is not it is not a threat yeah it is how harmful
it is not
it's going to be for this neighborhood and how ma'am can you show this how it works i'll ask
the question you answer okay would you be supportive of the duplex project that is a
buy right which is not a threat it's a buy right project no i am not in support of that
Okay. All right. Thank you.
All right.
Hello.
Hello.