Yes, I do.
Mr. Williams, are you a neighbor?
Yes, I am.
Please proceed.
Yes, I just wanted to go on the record that I do not think this project is a hardship.
We have had in the 32nd Ward, the 23rd Division over the years, rehabs and developers like the Friends.
Over the years, rehabs and developers like the Friends Development Group did a project on 31st and Burke Streets.
And throughout the neighborhood that is now becoming gentrified, there's been no problem with total rehabs and the developer recouping their funds.
We've on my block here in the last five years has sold the property has been bought for over $200,000 on two separate occasions of rehabs. And I just want to be on record that there is no hardship with this project. And I'm going to like to see our neighborhood stay with single family units. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to call. Is there anyone else in a virtual audience?
um yes anyone else yes mr chair i have a clayton brothers with their hand up
i've allowed them to speak you please state your name and spell for the sonographer
playton brothers c-l-a-y-t-o-n-v-r-o-s-t-h-e-r-s you swear affirm to tell the truth
told truth nothing but the truth i do are you a neighbor i am are you in favor of this project
or against i am in favor of it thank you for taking the time to call us we appreciate is
Is there anyone else in the first audience?
Ken Ellis.
How many more hands do you have, Jase?
Just that one.
Just that one.
Okay, thank you.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer, sir?
Hi, my name is Kenneth Ellis, K-E-N-N-E-T-H, last name Ellis, B-L-L-I-S, and I'm in favor of this project.
Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Do you swear for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes. Thank you. And your testimony is?
I am in favor of this project. Yes.
And you're a neighbor, sir? Yes.
Thank you very much for taking the time to calls. Planning Commission.
Thank you, Chairman, and good afternoon. David Fechtow with the City Planning Commission.
Chairman and board members, the Comprehensive Plan recommends no change to the RSA-5 residential single-family zoning at this location.
The city changed the zoning maps in Strawberry Mansion in 2014 in accord with recommendations in the Comprehensive Plan.
At that time, this property was zoned RM-1 residential multifamily.
We are aware of six other legally non-conforming duplexes on this block face.
the city planning commission recommends that the zoning board grant the proposed use variants for
two dwelling units you m i 2024 001 331 3144 euclid treat i vote yes with proviso no household
living in the basement michael johnson my vote is yes with proviso cheryl gaston my vote is yes
with proviso i am wondering my vote is yes with proviso
thank you thank you council thank you and happy holidays members of the board sure thanks thank
you number 18 mi 2024 003 732 1040 wall street joseph consul is the attorney
there's recommendation of non-opposition from the lower moin mensing civic association
We're coming back as a panelist.
Good morning.
Mr. Consul, could you state your name and spell for the court stenographer?
It's Joseph Consul, J-O-S-E-P-H, last name C-O-N-S-O-L-E.
We're a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client, a relationship to the property?
Mr. Dialsinger, he's the owner.
Can you stipulate to the reading of the refusal and agree with this accuracy?
Yes, just that we submitted a proviso with modified plans after a couple of meetings with the RCO.
So one of the refusal issues, the vacant commercial space is not relevant, and the two-unit has been upgraded to a three-unit residential.
I'm back, Chair.
Okay, thank you.
Hillary, how do we stand with this amended refusal?
Yeah, Mr. Consul, the refusal will need to be amended with those changes because the scope is kind of changing and, well, the scope is changing and the refusals are changing.
So we can hear this today because it appears from the materials that you submitted that your new proposal is what was presented to the community at the last meeting.
However, we will need to hold for an amended refusal that reflects what is now being requested.
that reflects what is now being requested.
All good.
All good.
Please proceed, counsel.
Okay, Joe Consul, I am here for Mr. Donnell Singer,
the owner of 1040 Wolf Street.
Mr. Singer bought this property in 2020
in an extreme state of disrepair.
These properties, there's four of them on the caddy corners.
In this part of South Philly, you have a lot of two-story properties, but the four corners, here's our property on the left and the property on the right, here's across the street, the two corners, these are all three stories.
The two properties that you're looking at are zoned commercial on the first floor with two residential units above.
The property directly across from my property that we're here to talk about, which is 2300 South 11th, is approved for six residential units.
That was approved in 2018.
My client originally sought approval to match the commercial spaces across the street.
So it would be a commercial on the first floor with two residential above versus going for more units like the property across from him.
He wanted to do the commercial with the two residential.
However, we met with the RCO three times in total.
The neighbors did not want another commercial space on that first floor.
They wanted only residential.
My client was not interested in trying to do six units, which his property is the same as the one that was approved for that.
But that seemed like a ridiculous amount. So and plus, he's planning on moving into the property himself.
But he's asking for three units, one on each floor.
We submitted a revised proviso plans form stating that we were removing the request for commercial unit on the first floor,
replacing it with a residential unit making the total residential unit count equal to three we
submitted these updated architecturals that show the layout there's no living space in the basement
strictly storage and utilities the three floors reflect a unit one two bed two bath 912 square
feet. Unit 2, one bed, one bath, 482 square feet. And Unit 3, two bed, two bath, 1616 square feet.
Like I said, after the third meeting of the RCO, we got their non-opposition after we submitted
these revised plans
and we had several
neighbors show up in support.
The ones
that didn't sent us
did I unshare?
Hold on. Sorry about that.
We got a letter
of a petition of support
from a client as well
which was in our packet.
you guys have that
hold on one second
for some reason
my sharing
disappeared here
let me get it back up
all right
let me try that again
so the goal is
to get approved for
three residential units
let's try
this should be my packet
it again. Did I pack it back up? It's back up. Okay. Sorry about that. So here's my proof of
mailing. The RCO meetings. We did three times. So it is the exterior.
A deed to my client and his wife.
Reality transfer tax, project information form, tax compliance certificate, currently
valid.
Actually, we had a couple of petitions in support.
There's one, and then there was a letter that was written directly to the RCO from the next
door neighbor.
um i understand we're waiting for an amended refusal uh but i'd like to call my client in
to adopt my testimony mr singer can you raise your hand i hear it mr shenger
I hear it.
Mr. Singer?
I've been allowed to speak.
Hello, Mike.
Could you please, could you, sure, could you spell your name for the stenographer, please?
Donyell, D-O-N-I-E-L-L-E, Singer, S-I-N-G-E-R.
I'm a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Please proceed, counsel.
one mr singer did you hear my testimony just now regarding your property at 1040 wolf street
i did does that accurately reflect um your understanding of of your project and do you
adopt it as your own it is accurate okay nothing further board questions from the board
so to confirm this is uh proposed for a three unit property is correct yes sir
okay thank you the questions from the board
questions from our attorney hillary emerson
not at this time mr chair questions or comments from the virtual audience
yes mr chair i have another hand up to miranda i have not them to speak
hi could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer alicia miranda
that's a-l-i-s-h-a last name m-i-r-a-n-d-a
where or a firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes are you a neighbor yes please machine cool i just wanted to understand if there's been any
efforts to engage with the neighbors about uh the rental unit proposal uh i know that we were
against the commercial but has there been any close communication with neighbors about what
we would like to see in this neighborhood for that building uh yeah we had three rco meetings
where we sent all the the exhibits out and on top of that and my client can speak to it
he spoke to near neighbors regarding the use of the property and um because no one wanted commercial
and there we don't believe that the uh six unit that was approved on the same size building
makes any any sense he believed that a three unit was appropriate and the rco had submitted it's not
opposition for that we had neighbors present and forgive my ignorance but how did you disseminate
the rco information as i did not get any of that uh we the the city gives us a list of addresses
that we have to um serve of a certain radius of the property and each one required us to send out
215 pieces of mail, which we did three separate times for those different, different meetings.
Okay. And then my last question is, are there any efforts to research what the possibility of
affordable housing could be for these units, considering the income of this neighborhood?
I could have my client speak to that. It hadn't, it hadn't come up previously.
I don't know if he's prepared to address that.
We believe that we set up a handicap unit on the first floor would be very affordable as well as the second and on the third floor of my family would be living in that one.
Cool. And then are these mixed bedrooms?
Is there a mix of one bedrooms, two bedrooms, three bedrooms, or how do you envision the layout to be?
I have the layout on the screen right now.
Ms. Miranda, first floor is two bedrooms, the second is one bedroom, and the third unit is two bedroom.
Got it. Thank you.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Planning Commissioner.
One second.
You're saying that the second floor is a one-bedroom unit, but you show a bedroom at the rear with the kitchenette.
Yeah. Mr. Singer, is the third unit a bi-level between the second and third floor? Am I remembering that correctly?
That's correct.
So, but on the second floor in the rear, when you come up the step there, there is a bedroom with a kitchenette.
That's included with the third floor apartment. So the third floor is a bi-level apartment.
It exists with the entire third floor and the last room on the second floor.
So, Donnell, Mr.
John is referring to something labeled as a kitchenette in this back bedroom here.
But there's also a kitchen on the third floor and another one on the second floor.
and another one on the second floor right there and one on the third floor so
Right. There's four. And one on the third floor.
it is just a uh a sink area it's not really a kitchen kitchen it's just a sink
any other questions planning commission thank you chairman and good afternoon david pecto with
the city planning commission chairman and board members the comprehensive plan recommends no
change in zoning at this location from residential single family uh five the city planning that city
changed the zoning in this neighborhood in 1996. this proposal has a documented history as ground
floor commercial space with dwelling units above the appellant seeks to change the previous ground
floor commercial space into a dwelling unit this proposal will bring the property closer into
conformance with the residential zoning the city planning commission recommends
of the board grant the proposed use variance for three dwelling
Right. Mr. Consul, we're going to hold the vote on this. Otherwise, the case is closed. Am I correct, Hillary?
Yes, it's closed except for receipt of the amended refusal.
Thank you, Mr. Consul.
Hillary, just briefly, how do I achieve that between now and the held vote? Pardon my ignorance on that.
you can send me to send a letter um to to rcozba and board council requesting permission to amend
and explain why attach attach a copy of the existing refusal all right i'll do it right now
thank you also is there a roof deck on this
mr singer okay there is yeah we we have access to a roof got it okay all right thanks thank you
Thank you. Number three, Mr. Schirmer.
Mr. Schirmer?
Mr. Schirmer will be back in as a panelist.