lined up to get into the premises. What it is, is more of a community space that is to be for,
and what I'm going to do is I'm going to bring up some of the plans that I have.
as soon as I get to that. Let me open that up. And there we go.
And hopefully that will allow me to share it.
Green button on the bottom. There you go. There you go. What we have here is this property is
located on the corner of old york road and conlin street as you'll see the entrances are in the front
along here can you see my pointer there we can um and there is a large front area that um also there
is a um what would be a it's what will be used as sort of a dj kind of booth thing for you know if
there's a wedding or a retirement party or that kind of thing that booth already existed when it
was a furniture store. I have a feeling that back in the days of the furniture store, that was
used to oversee the floor where the furniture was and be able to see customers and interactions.
Towards the back, there are double bathrooms. They intend to put a kitchen in eventually,
but for now, it would be a premises that would be catered events. My clients intend to also
open this up for community meetings to support the local community. These guys are, these three
gentlemen are locals. They are from the area and they are familiar with the area. And this is,
as I started to say, this is being defined as a as a nightclub because that's what the
that's what the code defines it as. And I'm going to pull up a picture of the exterior of the
neighborhood, and you will see that essentially this neighborhood is, whoops, there's nothing to
show there. That's not good. This neighborhood is a commercial. It's a CMX2. This is directly
in front of the building uh there is a gas station across whoops um there is a gas station across
the street let me see if that'll come up is that coming up yeah okay great yep um and then you know
That is directly across the street. Let me bring up some of the other photos and I apologize I
have to do this one at a time. I am technically challenged as apparently Mr. Levy was and I feel
for him. This will also show you this is across the street and we have as well.
would you show the property itself could you do that sure i can
this is a um
this is a small picture of it it is the black building on the side
okay and i should have a better picture of that but you will see next door
is um a clinic i believe it may be a methadone clinic
This is an entirely commercial area except when you get to behind the building.
And you will see that the objections raised by the community and by Councilwoman Bass's office
and you'll see this is along the sidewalk of the building. This is standing directly
in front of the building that shows you down towards where it meets up with Broad Street.
So this building, previously a furniture store, is, as I said, is CMX2.
This is a building that, for purposes of the code, it's considered a nightclub or a private club,
but it's going to be used more as a community banquet hall type of place.
Eventually, a kitchen will be built so that caterers can have additional use of some facilities.
uh the inside of the premises has counsel counsel counsel let me ask you a question yes
The inside of the premises has been wallowed.
Can I cancel? Cancel?
so what you just said to us was that case made to the council person and also the rco
and they just didn't agree with yes yes it was and and their their problems really are about
their concern and this is something that you as a board can do and you can issue an approval of this
with a proviso with it with a with a proviso that if this property changes hands and my clients are
no longer running this place it's no longer going it it will have to be um they will have to come
and ask for new zoning i understand yeah what they're i think i think the greatest concerns
of the um of the neighborhood are that this is going to be it become just just another bar
just another place where um where people are going to congregate okay they have issues
excuse me with my dogs barking um so what we have here is we have three guys that um are looking to
uh better their community and do something within their community and at what i would like to do is
So I would like to have Naeem Muhammad come in and explain to you their –
So what do you do – well, listen to me.
Listen to me.
Why don't you put – get him to put his hand up, and then what we'll do is he'll adopt your testimony,
and then you'll give him a chance to say –
Absolutely.
So why don't we bring him up?
Absolutely.
Chair, we have someone by the name of Andrew Lane with their hand up.
I'll allow them –
Is that yours?
No, it's Naeem Muhammad.
Mohamed, unless he's coming in under a different name.
Let me...
Mr. Mohamed.
If you want, I can allow them to speak.
Yeah, why don't you let Mr. Lane in?
Mr. Lane, you're free to speak.
Hi, Mr. Lane, could you state your name and spell for the court reporter?
My name is Lane Mohamed.
I'm sitting next to Andre Lane, the co-owner.
Wait a minute.
hi hi could you state your name and spell for the court reporter my name is naim muhammad
n is a nancy a i m is a mary last name muhammad m-u-h a m is a mary m is a mary a b is in david
right you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes proceed counsel thank you uh mr chair uh mr muhammad i have you and mr lane and mr jackson
been listening into the hearing up to this point? Yes. Okay. And have you heard all of the
testimony that I've given to this point? Yes. Okay. And to the best of your knowledge and
belief, is this testimony that I have been given true and correct? Yes. Okay. And would you,
for the purposes of this, adopt my testimony as your own? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Mr.
Mohamed, why don't you tell the board a little bit about the project in your own words from
where you and your partners are coming from?
Well, about two years ago, my partners and I, we got together and we sat on and we wanted
to do something for our families in the community as well, as far as having something for our
With COVID and everything that was happening, a lot of our family events and a lot of plannings
we had you know for get-togethers and thanksgiving and and other sort of things like that um were
canceled and uh we thought that you know um together uh we would come together and try to
make an event space you know somewhere close to um our neighborhoods somewhere close you know to
where we grew up with to um whole personal private events um community events things of sorts of
natures um where we didn't have to actually like come into hotels or high price uh venues you know
to come in and bring it back to our neighborhood um just to have peaceful quiet events we had with
your family um other than that uh we really uh we had no other use uh for the building um
that's basically it i mean in a sum to all right thank you questions questions from the board
no mr chairman i have none no mr chairman questions or comments from the virtual audience
chair we have charles richardson hi mr richardson good afternoon again mr chair
so it's it's almost nighttime but that's okay good evening mr you've already been sworn
to state your name and we'll take your testimony charles richardson from the office of councilwoman
and Cindy Bass, room 312 City Hall.
Mr. Chair, this has been a long case.
Mr. Chair, this has been a long case, just like this day has been a long day. The gentleman
approached me back in, I believe it was January or something along those lines, and they were
trying to go pro se. They did not do, they did not understand what they were supposed to do,
and then they did not read and understand that they would need to get an attorney.
So once we had a meeting scheduled, then I told them that they had to get an attorney,
and then had to continue the case, and it's been ongoing and ongoing. We did end up eventually
having an RCO meeting that I conducted. Also, the two RCOs in the area concerned the community,
which I believe Ms. Sandra Broders will probably be coming on after me, and Westo Glen Worcester
were also parts of the meeting as well.
It was well attended for that community.
In actuality, we had 27 individuals that voted against it.
One individual voted for it.
The two RCOs are also against it as well.
There is no real hardship here with granting this special exception.
Only hardship is that the gentleman signed a long-term lease
without any contingencies in the event that they were unsuccessful in securing the granting
of the special exception. It's a bad project. I mean, we salute that they're trying to become
entrepreneurs and things along those lines, but the project is bad for that location at that
place. Laurie has tried to broach this as being a commercial area, but there was fully residential
in backup including an apartment building and and and residences along uh common street and
15th street that will be affected by that by this they have no parking plan they have nothing they
you know the only thing that they have is is is an idea uh and they actually had did the work prior to
uh getting getting this done and unfortunately when i guess when they tried to do it the
covet hit and they've been being hit with the uh rental fees ever since then so it's made it a very
much of a situation
where they're trying to rush this through
and it's just not rushable because the neighborhood
does not want it. Councilwoman is vehemently
against it. Okay.
Thank you, Mr. Richardson.
Mr. Chairman, if I could
just...
Listen to me.
Why don't I let anyone...
Let's finish this if there's anybody else in the audience.
Then I'll come back to you, okay?
Anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair, we have Sandra Votas.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the court reporter?
Can you hear me?
I can.
Okay, very good.
My name is Sandra, S-A-N-D-R-A, last name Broadus, B-R-O-A-D-U-S, and I am presenting on behalf of a concerned community association.
Okay, all right, okay.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Proceed.
To make this simpler, we did submit a statement.
I'd just like to submit it for record, if that's okay.
At the required RCO meeting on 6-30-22, a concerned community association met with this
applicant and community residents who unanimously opposed a variance for a nightclub, stating
that the location is too close to residential homes in a struggling, in a neighborhood
struggling with pre-existing burdens and saturation from SEPTA's Broad and Isle
Transportation Hub and Business Corridor Extension. Also, this applicant is a tenant
And community members do not want a revolving door of nightclub and event rooms to be permanently zoned into this challenge location while creating an additional burden for local police to monitor.
Other concerns are a 40-unit apartment building right next door with a dangerous shared driveway behind the building noted for drugs, prostitution, and gang activity.
Multiple apartment complexes are within two blocks.
There is no off-street parking.
near blocks already need permit parking just to park into their home. A nuisance trash dump site
exists directly across the street as a result of the tight location that is also shared with a KFC
location that is also shared with a KFC on the corner and confusion about.
on the corner.
Why don't we do it, Ms. Brodus, do me a favor. Concentrate on this property. I don't want to,
we don't want to talk about other properties. Okay. Next door to this property, might I just
add, is a methadone clinic, a large child care center down the street. And the block is the
pathway for half school elementary students to come and go to school with a crossing guard
halfway down the street. Traffic and septa buses will be interrupted as cars double park
to unload event guests in front of the building because there is absolutely no parking. We have
established that it is common for event attendees to circle and park in near neighborhoods up to
three to four blocks away. All blocks are residential that extend west of this property
where event attendees will have no choice but to park. Local homeowners are primarily seniors
who will actually be unable to leave or return to their homes when event parking crowds their
blocks. Local blocks have driveways where entrances will be blocked. Okay. Mrs. Broadus,
let's safe to say you're against this project. Totally. I'm against it. The community is against
Thank you. Thank you for calling in. We do appreciate your comments. Is there anyone else
in the virtual audience? Yes, Chair. We have Sherry Cohen. Hi.
Ms. Cohen, could you state your name and spell it, please, for the court reporter?
Yes. Hello, Chair and members of the board. My name is Sherry Cohen. That's S-H-E-R-R-I-E.
My last name is Cohen, C-O-H-E-N. Right. Do you swear for him to tell the truth,
the whole truth nothing but the truth yes yes okay thank you well uh i'm a neighbor i live a
few blocks away i also graduated elementary school from how elementary and um unlike the photos
presented by counsel for the applicant you know this is a very residential neighborhood i mean
just to review a couple points that Sandra already made is that, I mean, it's right next door to
a major apartment complex with 40 units. There's multiple apartment complexes within two blocks,
lots of residential housing. We are already an overburdened neighborhood. I lived, I think I
said, just a few blocks away. We have a methadone clinic next door. We also have a stop and go down
the street. I'm sure you've heard about the incidents that's occurring at the Broad and
Only Transportation Hub, where we have children coming every day from across the city to attend
Girls High and Central High. And we don't need any more negative institutions in our community.
So, Ms. Cohen, it's safe to say you're against this project.
Absolutely against, yes.
And thank you so much for your call.
We appreciate it.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair.