compliance which you should be able to get if the agreement is current ah i see yes yes so
So I tried to get, like I said, I tried to get that confirmation from Revenue prior to the hearing, but unfortunately I was not able to get it.
So, and it didn't, and it wasn't showing up on the city's Philadelphia Tax Center website that these taxes were under agreement either.
So I know sometimes that takes a little bit of time too.
So, yeah, good luck getting something from Revenue these days, but I hear you.
Let's, let's, let's, we're going to move on here.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
no further answer mr chair planning commission thank you chairman and good morning david effecto
with the city planning commission chairman and board members this proposal completed its civic
design review in september 2024 the civic design review committee's advisory recommendations
are not an expression of the city planning commission's recommendation or opinion regarding
zoning variances, special exceptions, or other discretionary approvals associated with this
proposal. The comprehensive plan recommends a change in zoning at this location to RM1
residential multifamily. However, during a 2016 zoning map change, the civics requested IRMX,
industrial and residential mixed use. We'll also note for the board that the appellant submitted
a waiver paying a $4,200 fee in lieu of planting replacement trees. The appellant requests
use and dimensional variances to enable the preservation of the remaining buildings on
this historic site. This proposal conforms with the comprehensive
plan's goals to promote adaptation of vacant buildings for
mixed-use development and to reuse industrial buildings to create
new neighborhood anchors. The City Planning Commission recommends the Board grant
their proposed use and dimensional variances. Thank you.
Mr. DeMarco, we're going to have to hold a vote on this.
We're back January 8th.
And we will bring this up at the 930 meeting.
Yeah, we'll get you to what you need right away.
All right.
Thank you very much, Mr. DeMarco.
Thank you for your patience with the testimony.
No, we're fine.
Thank you.
Mr. Toppin, could you please come back?
You have one more case here.
MI 2024, 001-331-3144 Euclid Street.
uh it's been so long since we've met just for the records please state your name
yes my name is Sherman Toppin spelled t-o-p-p-i-n last name you uh please uh identify your
client a relationship to the property yes my client is Bryant Watson he is the sole member of
bja real estate llc and he is here on the line as well so if you if you see watson then that's
who my client is at this time vice chair has a few questions yes
Chair, I'll be recusing myself
from this case.
Counsel, do you
stipulate to the reading of the refusal
and do you agree with this accuracy?
I do. I do.
Please start your presentation.
Well, members of the board, it's a pleasure
to be here with Mr. Watson.
I think this board has been acquainted with him previously on a different matter, but we're here today on 3144 Euclid Avenue.
The property is right before you today.
I have my exhibit packet that we'll go through, but we'll center on the conversations of the property's condition and the conversations at the RCO meeting, which brought support.
So here we have the refusal again.
we're simply seeking two family proposed use in the existing structure unlike other hearings that
have had today their construction has not proceeded this is all a proposal we have plans which we'll
go through pretty soon here the property was purchased just in 2023 last year and so the
client is interested in making sure that this property is done correctly to code he's started
the right process got his contractor and got our firm involved to help him through this
so the issue with the continue the property is excuse me mr topman i'm so sorry to interrupt
i just want to make sure board member johns is is back on for this case because
johns is is back on for this case because um we don't have board member shaheed or and board
we don't have board members shaheed or
member graham has recused herself so just to make sure board member johns is back oh okay
yes i'm sorry board member johns are you there
let me reach out to board member johns okay
excuse me chair yes um this is fatina i don't see mr johns in attendees or in as a panelist
but we still do have a quorum is he necessary to proceed is is is you on the phone
i'll check now we need it we need this bottle of wine
yeah we do not have we do not have a quorum because in this
that's correct no he's not he's not here
mr chair i do see uh mr johnson the uh panelists uh lineup but must be muted
at this time all right let's see if we can hold he's not answering the phone ish i mean uh hillary
i am trying to reach him mr chair
all right right see if you can get back on because we don't have enough people
right it's trying to get back on now
and i'll back up mr chair to uh yeah if that's the case
can you hear me who's that mike michael good okay please start as you'll be on too okay great so
again, we're here for 3144 Euclid Ave. This is the property that you see before U2. It's vacant,
unoccupied. It's really in shell condition at this time. We'll talk a bit about the property
in a bit. And now our typical exhibit list is here. We'll walk through these exhibits and
center on the conversations at the RCO meeting and the plans for what is proposed here.
As we mentioned, we waived the reading of the refusal. But in this area, as RCO 5, we're only
looking for two-family use from single families. So that is the one refusal that we are here to
discuss. Our client has only purchased a property since last year, April of last year, and with the
intention of making sure this property is renovated. Now, as far as variance, as far as
his hardship upon purchasing the property, the difficulty was what would be the proper economic
use for a property that has been unoccupied for so long in its downgraded condition.
And the only feasible way that this particular client can do it is by creating two units,
which enables him not only to create affordable housing for that neighborhood that needs it,
but to bring this property up to speed. And we'll see some pictures of what the block looks like
in a bit. So here, this is our product information sheet. We went before the RCO. They required this
form but we don't need to go over that form in particular this entire area is rco5 and our
our property is sort of mid-block almost just favoring one end of it and as you can see from
the top from the aerial views there's a lot of vacant lots in this neighborhood a lot of vacant
lots and a lot of properties that have not been uh restored in this area so you know this is what
the block has looked like for some time so it's it's this blight that's creating the the economic
hardship to create any kind of single family or new single-family use in the
property. So here's an example just of the side-by-side view of the
property to which it shares a party wall. You can see both properties have the
Both properties have the same appearance, very aged, very in need of renovation, both unoccupied, and vacant lot at the end of the corner.
same appearance, very aged, very in need.
And you're looking down the street, this is what you're looking at.
A lot of need for infill, no new single-family properties in this area as a result of the blight that's existing here.
If you look the other way down the street, you see more of this. It's a narrow street altogether, only one way parking on one side. But here, you have a vacant property here or property that's, you see a lot that's present here. As you move down, much of what you see on the front continues down this Euclid Ave.
Now let's look at what's really inside. So when you walk onto the porch, you can see the condition starts to speak for itself. You open the front door and this is what you've got. The property is completely uninhabitable at this time. It's a complete shell. It's sturdy in that it doesn't need to be demolished. The integrity of it is not compromised in that way, but it just needs complete renovation for it to be livable.
There's no place in the property that you can even discern areas so much so.
This is going upstairs and you see more of it.
Time has really battered the property and it just needs complete renovation.
And it's at that tender spot where, if not completely renovated, demolition would have
to occur here.
And so here's just more visuals of pictures of the inside as you go up to the second floor.
and to the top floors and more of that, more of the same.
So I'm just kind of going, this is the basement, lower level.
So again, nothing has been done here.
It is all pending this process that we're pursuing here.
So let's talk about what is exactly envisioned by this developer.
So I'm going to move this over to the right, come down a bit so that you can see what's envisioned.
So what is envisioned for the property as you walk up onto the porch, this is the middle, this is the, that there'll be an entrance to a first floor unit and there'll be a second entrance to the upstairs two units and no living space in the basement.
As you go into, so as you go into the second floor, you'll see that there's, I'm sorry, let me just move down to the next panel. It has actually descriptions of what these spaces are.
It's a little cleaner here. So again, from the porch, if you walk in from the porch,
there'll be an open space, open concept with a kitchen and a single bedroom studio on the first
floor. That is the entirety of the first floor unit with some space going downstairs with just
mechanicals only. No living space envisioned in the lower level. As you move up from the front
face of the property, a second door will take you upstairs. And in that space upstairs, you'll have
sort of open concept from the kitchen here with a bedroom in the back and on the upstairs there's
two further bedrooms as you can see one's in the front and one's in the back so it'll be a three
bedroom um a dwelling unit for the upper two floor unit and then a one bedroom for the first unit
is what is envisioned by these plans we had a we had of course we submitted uh properly to the rco
in the area let me make this bigger so the board can see let's go back to the middle
here and in that for that meeting we sent notices out to the 150 affected neighbors
of this very densely populated area and here's our addresses and proof of mailing there was
no there was no question of that people received these mails and of course notice of this particular
hearing was posted on the property and we have tax compliance showing zero but let's get back to
what happened at the rco meeting so at the rco meeting the strawberry mansion did provide us
with a letter of support for this to family use this was a well-attended meeting i think it was
a companion to another property we had last week very well intended and the vote of the meeting
was recorded. It was 13 in support and only 5 opposed and 5 abstained and the entire attendance
of the meeting was 30 people. So this was not many folks were there for this count for
the two affected RCOs involved and both of them came out in our support. So we feel that
the community wants to see this property renovated, wants to see and clearly by the show of support
They are in support of this particular development as two units and the way that we've described and presented it.
So what I'd like to do at this time is I'd like to bring Mr. Watson on as a panelist to...
So what I'd like to do at this time is I'd like to bring Mr. Watson on as a panelist to adopt my testimony and to ask any questions that the board may have.
Thank you.
Let me see his hand again.
Yes, Bryant Watson.
All right, they've been allowed to speak.
Am I on?
Mr. Watson, Mr. Watson, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Bryant Watson, B-R-Y-A-N-T, W-A-T-S-O-N.
Where are a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Please proceed, counsel.
Yes, Mr. Watson, have you been listening to this, my presentation on your behalf for this zoning experience?
And is the testament that I've made true and accurate and complete with regard to your zoning application?
and would you accept my testimony as your own if you were testifying yes okay well we'll let now
entertain any questions the board may have questions from the board a question uh just
uh confirming that there's no uh basement living uh yes there well no there isn't i'm confirming
that there is no basement living yes for storage only for the first floor unit or how is it i'm
to go down to that picture just to show you what the plans are showing for the basement
mr johns so again all this is just let me just get further down so you can see that for yourself
again here so the basement is going to be mechanical and only there's going to be you
know the the hvc related they won't be finished at all it'll just be basically this appearance but
cleaned up and with mechanicals heading servicing the upstairs units okay and the plans the plans
show the same and i'll show you that quickly here other questions from the board what size
are the units um the first floor unit is almost like a studio if you will but what size is that
and then besides for the second and third floor which looks like it's a bi-level yes correct yeah
correct correct miss gaston and mr watson if you know those right off hand we can i know i think
you can provide that answer to miss gaston here yeah so first floor is a one bedroom
with kind of like a master bedroom, one-bedroom apartment for the full bath.
And the upstairs unit is three beds, two baths.
And what size?
Oh, so I think it's the first floor is 600 square feet.
And the second and third floor is probably like maybe 900 square feet.
Well, it's stacked.
It would seem like your math would lead it to be 12.
But the upstairs is not the full length.
The third floor is not the full length.
okay okay i see great thank you the questions from the board
questions or comments from our attorney hilli emerson
not at this time mr chair questions comments from the virtual audience
i'm yes chair i have a hand up from tyrone williams i've allowed them to speak
Hi, Reverend, could you please state your name and spell for the court stenographer?
Yes. Good afternoon, board chair, board members, and those on the line.
My name is Reverend Tyrone Williams, Tyrone, T-Y-R-O-N-E, Williams, W-I-L-L-I-A-M-S.
We're affirmed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, sir.
Yes, I do.
Please proceed.
We're not opposed to this project, provided that there's a proviso of no basement living
and that there's a trash plan that has been discussed.
Other than that, the Strawberry Mansion CDC is in support of the project.
Thank you for taking the time to close. We appreciate it.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Calvin Williams. I have allowed them to speak.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Yes, my name is Calvin Williams, Calvin, C-A-L-V-I-N, Williams, W-I-L-L-I-A-M-S.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?