And we're looking to erect there on a new structure, which would have a two-bedroom
apartment on the second floor, together with a two-space parking garage with accessory
storage for all three units on the first floor. So the new refusals or corrected refusals indicate
that we require 480 square feet per unit, and that, you know, in late that five are requested,
we need 2,400 square feet. We're only requesting three, and the lot is 2,400 square feet.
So therefore, we're permitted 4.1 units or four units total based upon the square footage.
I remind the board that years ago, we obtained zoning board approval for an addition that would result in four dwelling units in the existing front building, whereas the garage unit in the back would go away.
That was never implemented, never constructed, and never pursued.
So, until this day, we are only seeking a total of three units on a 2,400 square lot, and therefore, we believe that this refusal is either non-applicable, incorrect, or, you know, otherwise, you know, the board can either grant relief or disregard it.
The next one is the roof deck.
As we all know, roof decks must be set back five feet from the front property line.
If you look at the plans, the roof deck is on the new structure, which is at the far rear of the property.
The lot is 100 feet deep.
The new structure is 36 feet long from the rear of the property.
So we submit that the rear setback for the deck is at least or plus or minus 64 feet from the Orthodox Street front property line.
If the board is of the mind for us to set back the deck at the rear by the distance of five feet, we have no objection.
And if that's the case, we would either withdraw that variance request or the board can, you know, make the appropriate, you know, relief.
OK, the next is the ADA parking space.
We submit that we did prepare plans and show plans that we could, instead of having two interior parking spaces in this new structure, we could certainly make it just one ADA accessible space.
However, you know, pursuant to discussions with the RCO, you know, I mean, that accommodation can always be made if we have an ADA tenant.
But in any event, it would decrease the number of off-street parking spaces made available for this three-family dwelling.
You know, considering one person can park out front on Orthodox Street and two persons can park in the newly constructed interior garage.
The next refusal is no commercial use on the first floor as required in CMX 2.
We submit that there's never been commercial use on the first floor of this building.
It's always been used residentially.
So we submit that it was previously approved and it's an existing condition and therefore may continue as such.
And then on, I'm sorry, page two of the revised or corrected refusal, the maximum occupied area would be 1,500 square feet at 75%.
We are slightly over at 80, roughly 80% at 1,608 square feet.
So we're seeking a small variance of 108 square feet, which, you know, quite frankly, is about the size of my office that I'm sitting in right now.
And then the rear setback of the structure, this structure fronts on a shared alley running behind Orthodox Street or parallel with Orthodox Street.
running behind orthodox street or you know parallel with orthodox street currently the
existing garage runs right up to the property line uh what we have done is uh propose a new structure
that is one and a half feet off the property line which aids in the assistance of the turning radius
from the alleyway into the two you know the two parking space garage so we we believe that's a
de minimis variance. It is a rear alley. It's not the street front. If it was the street front,
it could be right out to the property line, just like the existing building. So that is the sum
and substance of the revised or corrected refusal. For the record, I spoke to Bridesburg Civic
Alliance, Yvonne Stevens, and she did share an email yesterday reasserting their support of
this application that email was forwarded to the board and the city planning commission and i
believe at the last hearing one of the reasons we had to have a resumption hearing was because
planning commission at that time did not put on the record its recommendation as to this application
okay when do you bring your client on to adopt your testimony all right hang on one second let me
stop chair
alright as you can see for the record
behind me is Joe Ramos
Joe please raise your hand
Joe could you please state your name
and spell it for the stenographer
state the name
state your name and spell it for the record
oh okay
Jose Ramos
last name is R-A-M-O-S
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth nothing but the truth
Yes, of course. Please proceed, counsel. Thank you, chair. Joe, you've heard my representations to the board today. Yes, I did. Are they true and correct to the best of your knowledge, information and belief? Yes, they are. Would you adopt those representations as your own testimony? Yes, I do. Thank you very much. Questions from the board.
questions or comments from our attorney hillary emerson yeah i just want to acknowledge mr ward
yes there's still some issues um with the refusal but we can work with it as is um and um the board
can just note it's actually not i thought it was it had been amended but it actually was corrected
so it you can just note that it's per refusal dated if the board or whatever the vote is per
refusal dated. And then if the board does grant, indicate that it is for three dwelling units at
the property, not five. Yeah. And for the record, Hillary, the date of the corrected or corrected
refusal is March 28, 2025. Yes. Yes. That's what I have as well. Thank you. All right.
Okay. Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
i see no hands at this time chair planning commission amy wood with the planning commission
the comprehensive plan recommends a change in zoning at this location from the current cmx2
commercial mixed use to rm1 residential multifamily the proposal for no ground floor commercial would
be allowed in the rm1 district and matches the character of the block the proposal for three
units would be allowed by right in both districts the proposed roof deck would be on the back
structure and not visible from the street and the proposal for 80 occupied area is a de minimis
divergence from the acquired 75 percent the impellant has not demonstrated why they cannot
comply with the accessible parking requirements the proposed rear yard setback is existing and
in the character of other properties sharing the back driveway the planning commission recommends
that the board grant the requested variance for roof deck setback no ground floor active use
occupied area rear yard setback and grant the requested variance for a multi-family with
proviso max three units and deny the requested variance for accessible parking thank you
mi 2023 002 457 23 for 23 64 orthodoxy i vote yes um per corrected refusal dated
3, 28, 25, maximum three dwelling units, and all the other board members will certify that
they watched the video on May 15, 2024.
I, Cheryl L. Gaston, certify that I watched the video recording of the May 15, 2024 hearing
in this matter, and my vote is yes with provisos.
i excuse me i ryan mcadams certify that i watched the video recording
that I watched the video recording of the May 15th, 2024 hearing in this matter,
of the may 15th 2024 hearing in this matter
and my vote is yes with provisos.
I tie a win, certified that I watched the video recording of the May 15th, 2024 hearing in this matter,
and my vote is yes with provisos.
Okay. Thank you, counsel, and glad you're back.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Have a great afternoon.
Sure. Number six, MI-2025-001-088, 1518 Moore Street.
Vern Anastasio is the attorney.
There's a letter of support from the East Point Breeze Neighbors Association,
and there are several provisos.
Vern Anastasio will be rejoining us.
Sure, thank you.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, Counsel. You've already been sworn, just for the record, state your name.
It's Vern Anastasio. I represent Ms. Lindsay Everett.
Okay. Janetta Graham, our board member, has a few
questions, sir. Good morning. Have you submitted your
documents five days in advance of this hearing? Yes, ma'am.
And do you waive the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy? I do.
All right. Thank you. You may proceed to share your screen. Thank you.
Chair, first, I'm going to start with the letter that I'm moving into evidence from East Point Breeze neighbors.
They have a letter of support asking for two provisos commercial trash service, which, of course, we agree to, in addition to some of the music limitations on time.
10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, closing at 11 p.m. Sunday through
Thursday, and 1 a.m. following Fridays and Saturday nights. We have no problem with any
of those provisos. So I want to make sure that that is moved into evidence. Okay. I also want
to move into evidence. Can you confirm you see this screen? We do see this. Okay, great. We've
got lots and lots of immediate neighbors signatures of support for this. It's basically a small venue
for events. And as you can see here, my client went door to door using the addresses given to
us by the planning commission back in May and got signatures from everybody that she possibly could
in support of this small event space.
Moving that into evidence as well.
The application, it's a referral, CMX2,
which as you know means we're not here for a variance.
We're just here for the special exception for the event space.
And we'll get right to it.
This is property and I'm moving into evidence.
In addition to the documents I've already shared with you, I have an additional 50 pages of evidence that I'm moving into, exhibits that we're moving into evidence today.
This is basically the layout of the space.
Photos do it a better justice.
It's just one large space.
It's about 30 by 16, a little under 502 square feet.
So not a very large space.
Not really for big parties, but here is a large bathroom for ADA compliance.
And as the property history shows, decades of use as either a restaurant, a bar, a tavern, that's what it's always been.
We won't be serving any alcohol, per se.
Folks will use the space.
They'll bring their own food just, you know, as far as for catering burners to warm up.
But there'll be no cooking and no alcohol being sold.
That's the space. As you can see, it still looks like a commercial space because that's what it's always been.
Even has the old 70s glass block that was pretty popular back in the day, even though I was a little kid.
I do know that taverns and things with glass block in the 70s was quite a thing.
So we have a letter here that was mailed to everyone, not only inviting them to the zoning hearing, but also inviting them to the RCO meeting.
We have already sent over separate proof that all taxes for real estate have been paid.
As you can see here, it's right on a commercial area, CMX2, adjacent to other CMX2 properties.
as you can see here it's right on a commercial area
And it's a fairly dense area in South Philadelphia.
And my client has experience in running venues like this.
She has a degree in entertainment management from the University of South Carolina.
You're going to meet her very shortly. Here is the property history from, you know, way back.
Restaurant and one family dwelling. And then it became a tavern and other sorts of entertainment, food sort of uses.
My client also was a venue manager for Comcast SpectreCore.
Not only here, but also in Georgia and Iowa.
So she also went abroad to become a general manager of a hotel.
So she has extensive history of hospitality management.
She also has worked in marketing and entertainment.
She was a project manager for a while with real estate.
She has organized block parties in Philadelphia, like many of us, and has worked in Philly with many different community-wide efforts.
The information in the East Point Breeze letter clearly states that she's very involved in the community.
And as such, they feel like she'll be a good steward with this property and in the future.
because of her extensive background and professionalism because of the overwhelming
support we have from immediate neighbors and because we are more than happy to agree to
what we consider to be reasonable provisos i'm going to request respectfully request the granting
of this special exception for this subject property and with that i move everything into
evidence and call my clients to raise her virtual hand, Ms. Lindsey Everick. Thank you.
Lindsey Everick has been promoted to panelists.
Hi, Lindsey. Could you please state your name as spelled for the stenographer?
Hi, my name is Lindsay Everk, spelled L-A-N-D-S-E-Y, last name Everk E, B as in Victor, E-R-K.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Lindsay, did you hear my presentation to the board this morning?
True and accurate to the best of your knowledge?
Do you adopt it as your own testimony?
Thank you.
I have nothing further, Mr. Chair.
questions from the board? Yes. Is the event going to have, I mean, the event space going to have
a dedicated entrance into the building? Yes, it will. I'll show you the plan and Lindsay can
speak on it too, if she'd like.
When you say dedicated, you mean an exclusive entrance?
correct okay main entrance is right here where my cursor is which is on the other side of the
large window and that's on so on the moore street side facade because this is a corner property
that's correct okay other questions and so i'm sorry for the so the residences are going to
remain at the property yes that resident is me yep and lindsey lives above it so okay
and that is an exclusive entrance that's on the what is that the mole street side yeah
that's correct okay and then are all deliveries and load-ins for the event space going to happen
on Moore Street?
Lindsay?
Yes, they are not connected.
So anything that would need to go inside the event space
would have to be loaded in on Moore Street.
And then is there a basement to the property?
And how do you intend to use the basement?
Go ahead, Lindsay.
If it needs to be used, I'm not sure if it does.
um but if it needs to be used it can be accessed by you can see the bilco doors right there
so for storage it's not going to be used for event space oh no that's correct okay
and the bilco door is the only access into the basement from the event space
From the events place, yes. The other entrance is via the Unit 2.
From the event space, yes. The other entrance is via the unit two, which, again, they are not connected.