an amenity terrace above and I think this this slide here is something that was really important
that the design team did a great job with of really setting back the project as we got to
Phillips Street you know those balconies and you can see the building steps back each way as you
go along Phillips Street which is a more narrow street I think it's shown here as well I'll try
to get a rendering but this is the 3D in concept and you see the 10-story show we're building
catty-corner to us. I'm just going to skip to some of these renderings. This is the
ground floor open area public space and this is you can
ground floor open area public space and this is you can see a shot that we're sort of redoing
Phillips street and the condition on Phillips street the goal here was to create stoops and
create eyes on the street and really create sort of the row home feel as you step back
on Phillips street and this is some of the murals that we hope to incorporate and work with the
community to have murals that respond to the history of the community as well as the commercial
space. So let's talk about the refusal quickly. We originally were at, as I said, 319 units. We've
revise this to 286 units. Our parking is now at 93 units. At 286 units, I believe with the calculation reductions, I believe our parking requirement is 75 parking spaces required, even if you just did a straight 3 to 10, we're above that.
So at an ICMX 1 to 2, with the reduction, it would require 75.
We're proposing 93 spaces.
Off-street loading, we've added the loading, and I can show that.
We have two spaces, two loading spaces shown.
I'm sorry, one loading space shown here, and this shows how we get into it.
Eight loading spaces is maybe for an industrial building or something much larger based on our square footage.
is not necessary for a multifamily building of this style, this size. And then finally,
the height, we are proposing 66 to the roof line and that one portion that goes above the 76. We
think it's consistent with the IRMX and we're not seeking any bonuses for our affordable housing,
but we think it's consistent. And the fact that we're on a 120-foot wide street, we think that
the height is appropriate. This is just the changes that we've made.
This is just, for the record, a letter from a licensed broker confirming that
you know, uses under the ICMX would not be economically feasible. And just put that in
the record. This is our letter of support. We had three public meetings with NARA Square. We had
additional meetings with West Girard Progress and Zulu Nation. And we feel that we've responded
to um all their concerns um we got to the affordability that we wanted which i think
was most important to north square um uh the 66 feet we think that we're good there we really
meet the spirit of that and that's been the feedback um additionally um we've we've prepared
shadow studies or we're preparing them and we'll work through those but i think we submitted those
early on um or presented those early on in some of the meetings but we think that the
The proposed building with the setbacks has less impact than a by-right 60-foot ICMX building with no setbacks required.
Additionally, there was a request for 100 parking spaces.
We got to 93.
We think it's appropriate.
We think it meets the spirit of the code.
And frankly, I think it's the right thing to do.
I think adding any additional parking at the expense of commercial space, we just believe that's not the best thing for North American Street.
Additionally, this property is about two and a half or three blocks from the Burke Street L-stop, and it's very well transit-oriented.
Are there 286 residential units?
286 residential units.
Okay, thank you.
We believe that the proposed project will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood.
Mixed-use retail residential, we think, is appropriate for this portion of North American Street.
As it changes, we think that adding the considerable amount of affordability and a deep affordability at 40% AMI for a portion of it is really a game changer.
We don't think it will impair appropriate user development or adequate light based on the thoughtful design and the step backs and additional design features.
will not substantially increase congestion and will not be a detriment to the community as evidenced by our
uh substantially increased congestion uh and will not be a detriment to the community as evidenced
by our letter of support um i also wanted to say one one of the one of the big changes that we made
was um as we went through the process was to remove the curb cuts off of phillips street and
have one curb cut come off of nar street um and we think that was a a good decision um that came
from the community. So we're very happy that we got through this process. It's almost a year
process. We had three public meetings plus additional meetings with two other RCOs. We had
a meeting on community benefits, and we've just tried to go out and really respond. And, you know,
I laid out the changes from where we started to where we ended up, but I could probably show you 20 more slides of all of the in between and the back and forth and really, in a sense, to try to be responsive to all of the concerns.
And we hope that this project, we can agree and work to have local hiring for not just the construction, but the permanent jobs that this will create. And we're also want to work with the community on the tenants and for the commercial space and hope that we can find local businesses that want to occupy the space.
With that, I will ask Scott Baldessari, ask him if he's heard my testimony, put his name on the record, and affirm my testimony, and offer Stuart Rosenberg to answer any questions.
Rosenberg, please identify yourself with the records by your name and your address.
Scott Baldessari, is he on?
I don't know if my witnesses have been promoted.
While you're waiting for that, let me do this.
Questions from the board?
Kirk, were you able to get your folks?
If not, I'll ask.
Let me ask this anyway.
If there's anyone else aside from Mr. Grigos' witnesses wishes to testify in his case, please raise your hand.
Pardon me.
Sloan there?
I think the councilwoman's office.
Whoever that is, can't hear you.
Static.
Sounds like Tanya.
Tonya I'm sorry yeah I think my client raised his hand
mute yourself for a minute maybe that's we're getting some feedback
what's your client's name Scott
Baldessari, B-A-L-D-A-S-A-R-E.
Did that work?
We hear you.
Okay, good.
Scott, have you heard my testimony?
Can you just –
Hold on a minute, Craig.
Let me get his name on the record, please.
Spell his name.
Scott Baldessari, B as in boy, A-L, D as in David, A-S-A-R-E, 801 South 47th Street,
philadelphia pa19143 thank you do you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing
but the truth i do thank you please proceed scott have you heard my testimony and do you adopt it
as your own yes great anyone else who wishes to testify in this case please raise your hand
a lot of static
Nothing but static
whoever that is.
There we have a Sloan folks.
Okay, Mr. Folks.
Good afternoon.
yeah just identify yourself again and then you're already sworn in so just identify yourself
yes sir uh sloan folks uh slo pna f as in fire lks the office of maria caona sanchez uh councilwoman
Councilwoman, room 508 City Hall. Good afternoon, Chairman DiCicco and the CBA Board. The applicant has met with the RCO and has garnered a letter of support requesting the adherence to revise those listed in community benefits agreements.
room 508 city hall
Yes, please.
The Councilwoman supports the letter from the North Square Community Alliance and is
pleased that the developer has agreed to those requests.
The Councilwoman would like to thank the RCO and the community residents that work together
to reach community senses about the project.
Councilwoman would like to thank the developer for listening and recognizing the need for
affordable housing, supporting community, and minimizing the impact of the project
on residents. Presently in City Council, the Councilman is working on a mandatory
20% requirement for the American Street Corridor to ensure more
responsible developments. The Councilman believes the agreement sets an
appropriate tone for collaboration. The few zoning-rated matters should be
before the issuance of permits should the project move forward. Our office looks
forward to working with everyone to accomplish a transparent CBA agreement
that can be enforced. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else on this case, please raise
your hand. Yes, Chair, we have Stuart. This is Stuart Rosenberg speaking.
Rosenberg, please spell your name for the record.
R-O-S-E-N-B-E-R-G.
And your address?
230 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102.
And do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. Please proceed.
He's just here to answer any questions. He's the project architect.
I'm sorry.
That's okay. I'm glad we got him in.
Thank you.
All right.
Anyone else who wishes to testify on this case, please raise your hand.
Yes, Chair, we have Mr. Stanley.
Mr. Stanley, you can unmute yourself.
Okay, Chair, we just have one more.
Ms. Morales you can unmute yourself and talk. Hello can y'all hear me now? Yes ma'am
please identify yourself spell your first and last name and your address. Sure
sure I am the RCO Tenorah Square my name is Elizabeth E-L-I-Z-A-B-E-T-H
My last name is Segarra, S-E-G-A-R-R-A.
I live in the area of 2161 North Phillips Street.
I am an employee, the RCO2 Norris Square, and also a resident in the area.
Swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Please proceed.
I wanted to kind of piggyback on what the lawyer was saying.
I wanted to say that we just got an update that the developer reached out to this agreement upon a green disagreement.
I wanted to add number 13 to that bottom list is sign the CBA in the next seven days.
The developer reached out to an RCO agreement to address this condition.
So we did come into an understanding.
and we're we're gonna meet and we we've agreed to everything and we look forward to um signing
that cva and working out um but we we've agreed to the uh number of units um and the plan is the
number of units and the plan is the plan which if the board is inclined to
plan um which if
approve this will stamp the plan which responds to the dimensional issues and
we've we really we feel great that we've acted we've had great back and forth and
we appreciate the RCOs willingness to to me and we appreciate you too thank you
Thank you ma'am. Anyone else?
Yes, there's someone here to testify. One of the residents.
Thank you.
Sasha, you on?
Hello?
hello please uh state your name and address please spell your name for the stenographer
my name is patricia de carlo capital p as in peter a t-r-i-c-i-a capital d as in dog e
capital c as in cat a-r-l-o i've been a resident of this neighborhood for over 35 years that was
I need to interrupt you.
Do you swear to them to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
All right.
Please proceed.
So I've been a resident of this neighborhood for over 35 years.
Back in the days when the Philadelphia Inquirer dubbed us the Badlands.
And it sure did look like the Badlands.
And this organization, North Square Community Alliance, made it the point of making sure that the neighborhood reflected what the community wanted, what residents wanted.
And that was the mission, to move the neighborhood into a safe neighborhood where kids would get a good education, bilingual education.
They would have plenty of sports and entertainment, parents would have jobs, and more than anything else people asked for was affordable housing.
So now, after all these years, we built a lot of housing, affordable, both from ownership and rental, and now all of a sudden, we have a new invasion.
It used to be the Badlands, now it's the Gentryland.
So it's this invasion of developers, gentrifiers, who really do not care much about the neighborhood and its residents, but making money. So opportunities on the tax abatement.
This is my concern. There is nothing, nothing in the books that allows for zoning of 300 units of housing in this neighborhood.
The one that was attempted, the overlay, was pulled out recently, as you would recall, and for a very peculiar and particular reason.
The developer found out, after the fact, it's a shame, that the lot was seriously environmentally contaminated.
it. Across the street from that lot is a Superfund site that the federal government provided a lot of
funding to clean up. That other site, which has been a metal dumping ground, recycling, whatever
you want to call it, this particular project is right across the street from that one.
What makes us think that that isn't another super site?
Where do we go from a variance, which the word says, it varies.
It's not a total change.
It varies.
This isn't a variance.
There's nowhere near any zoning allowing for 300 units on American Street.
That was intended to be, under the empowerment zone, the area to provide employment, jobs for the neighborhood, business development. That's the purpose. This rush into approving a, quote, variance without any zoning, without any testing, without any planning to see how much of American Street is contaminated.
this used to be the heart of the industrial revolution this neighborhood has one of the
highest percent of cancer you know why because every time we tear down a house or something
like that or they build out a basement and pull it out the contaminated dirt that's been here for
over 50 years comes up this is a rush to judgment i'm asking you
comes up. This is a rush to judgment. I'm asking you to stop it right now. The developers have
Thank you.
tried, and you know, and it's this little majita, you know, little cracker here, little cracker