to be pleased with the way my uh client has been operating uh he's very responsive and sort of you
uh very responsive and sort of you know trying to ingratiate himself into the community
know trying to ingratiate himself into the community
community.
so no we were uh we presented it as you know we had our trial run we do hope that they're happy
and if they are we were seeking to make this permanent
all the questions questions from our attorney
no questions at this time the comments from the virtual audience no hands
planning commission thank you chairman and good afternoon david effecto 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 rezoned this neighborhood in 2019
and a council requested map change this is a primarily single-family residential block face
the city planning commission recommends the board deny the proposed use variants for junk
and salvage yards and buildings.
So MI 2026, 002, 716, 3539 to 45 North A Street.
I vote yes.
Temporary variance.
That expires.
10-22-31.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Taya Nguyen, my vote is yes with Proviso
Layla Beebe, my vote is yes with Proviso
Thank you, counsel
Thank you
Is there anyone in the audience whose case has not been called?
We see anybody?
No hands
Sorry, no hands, Chair
Okay, that's fine
Okay, see everybody at 2 o'clock and thank you
Thank you.
Do we have Mattione?
Mattione's the Adam, right?
I didn't see him like he was.
Right?
Who's one of the ladies tomorrow?
Whatever.
How many in the audience?
No, that's not many people.
Okay, everyone.
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Bill Bergman, and I will be chairing this afternoon's
meeting. With me is our Vice Chair, Tanetta Graham. Present, Mr. Chairman. Our Board Secretary,
Cheryl Gaston. Present, Mr. Chairman. Board Members, Michael Johns. Present, Mr. Chairman.
Aya Nguyen. Present, Mr. Chairman. Brian McAdams. Present, Mr. Chairman. Layla Beebe.
Present, Mr. Chairman. Also, here is our Attorney, Lynn Reuter-Uber,
our executive director, Ian Haggerty, and our board administrator, Lakeisha Dandy.
This hearing is being recorded and will be posted on the ZBA website. By participating,
you consent to be recorded. This is an in-person meeting with remote participation. Whether in
person or on Zoom, if you're called to speak, please state your name and spell it for the
stenographer and then wait to be sworn in. After being sworn in, each time you testify,
If I start with stating your name, to enter your appearance, indicate the address on the
Zoom webinar, speak with a staff member, call the ZBA office by the close of business tomorrow.
call the zba office by the close of business tomorrow please call 215-686-2429
and provide your name email and the case address remote participation raise your virtual hand
when directed so that we can call you to speak when we call you make sure you click the join as
the panelists button, use the Q&A for the procedural questions, nothing to do with any
case. If you are joining by phone, press star nine to raise your hand and star six to unmute.
In-person participation. If testifying, get close to the mic so that all attendees and the court
reporter can hear you. No talking, eating, or drinking during the hearing. Aggressive behavior
will not be tolerated in the case of in an emergency um follow staff instructions um the
nearest um in the back the double doors is the exit that you should use and the nearest stairwell
is to the left once outside in an evacuation please go to love park and please stay there
so that we can account for you later let's look at our schedule for this afternoon
we know what that is oh yeah that's okay she's got her phone on back there
okay number one mi2026 002 452 30
30 17 germantown avenue um this case has been continued till 1 6 27 at 2 p.m
Number two, MI 2026-003-894-7511-15 Loretta Avenue.
We have no exhibits.
Amen, Enterprises, listed.
Kay Khan is the listed appellant.
Do you have anything on that?
Yes, good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
this is just and i will be your host for this session i do not see any hands raised for the
matter and no one answering to either so mi2026 003 894 75 11 to 15 loretta this case is continued
until 1 6 27 at 2 p.m and mark must be heard are there any other requests for continuances
yeah i do not see any hands okay we're going to move to our add-ons
number one mi 2026 002 245 39 16 brown street
I vote yes. Proviso. Revised plans, one page, stamped by ZBA on October 21st, 2026.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with Proviso. Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Taneta Graham, my vote is yes with Proviso. Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Tywin, my vote is yes with Proviso. Layla Beebe, my vote is yes with Proviso.
Number two, MI-2025-007-410-310 Moore Street.
The vote on this has been moved to 11-4 at 2 p.m.
number three mi2026 003 791 1311 to 13 irving street i vote yes michael johns my vote is yes
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Iowyn, my vote is yes.
Layla Beebe, my vote is yes.
Number four, MI 2026-004-175, 2230 Spruce Street, I vote yes with proviso.
Use limited to one-story portion of existing structure.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with proviso.
Aneta Graham, my vote is yes with proviso.
Ty O'Wynn, my vote is yes with proviso.
Layla Beebe, my vote is yes with proviso.
Number five, MI2026-000449-1233 South 58th Street.
This is a request for reconsideration and rehearing.
I vote no to reconsideration and rehearing.
I vote no to reconsideration and rehearing.
Michael Johns, my vote is no to reconsideration and rehearing.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is no to reconsideration and rehearing.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is no to reconsideration and rehearing.
Taya Nguyen, my vote is no to reconsideration and rehearing.
Okay, we're going to go to our regular list.
Number five, MI 2026-003-763-1000, Ritten Street, Sean Whalen is the attorney.
This is a hearing hold, am I correct?
That is correct, Mr. Chairman.
Counselor, could you please state your name and spell for the sonographer?
Yes, good afternoon.
Sean Whalen, W-H-A-L-E-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Could you identify your client, a relationship to this property?
My client is Alex Abdallah.
We'll be representing Cosmo's daycare and grooming salon.
Our vice chair has a few questions.
Good afternoon.
Have you submitted your documents and exhibits 14 days in advance of this hearing?
Yes, I did.
And do you weigh the reading of your refusals and stipulate to their accuracy?
Mostly.
But mostly with agreement with ZBA counsel.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
You can show your screen and proceed with the case.
You should see it already.
Thankfully, this is, I know you hear it a lot, a straightforward matter, but this one is actually fairly straightforward.
First, you'll see just, you know, the map to show you kind of where this is.
This is a very strange 1,700 square foot triangular parcel, kind of at a multipoint intersection here at South 10th, West Wyomissing, South Alder, and Rittner Street.
you can see here zoomed in it's about 38 feet at the edge and then about 87 and a half feet
along Ritner Street and 95 and a half feet along West Moyamensing. We are zoned CMX1 all
everything around us is either CMX1 corner property or RSA5. So we have a request this
is a long-standing you'll see a photo in a minute vacant dilapidated building we're seeking to fix
it up no additional height it'll still be two stories and we are seeking to put animal services
a doggy daycare on the first floor and to put dog grooming and animal grooming on the second floor
we have two refusals the first is that we have animal services are not allowed on the second
floor in CMX1. This is not appropriate. This building would not be appropriate for a residential
use upstairs. It has a separate staircase going upstairs, and that will be for the dog grooming,
which again will be above the doggy daycare. And the open area requirement that we have is 20%.
Because we are this very odd triangular parcel, it becomes very difficult to do that along with
anything that uh uses the property correctly we received a six to zero vote in support
uh from the lower yam insing civic association so we have full support
and here's the zoning plan again what we'll have is
What you'll see, and this will be shown better in renderings, there's an outdoor staircase
on this backside, which allows people to bring their dogs directly up to the dog grooming.
And essentially what's inside of this red area will be interior space. The basement will have
only storage, and all of the dog daycare activities will be on the first floor.
there is an outdoor space here that's going to be covered for the dogs so that even in
inclement weather they can be outside we are showing one uh one parking space in the evenings
the hours of the operation will be seven to seven in the day for this location the parking space
here will be vacant during the day because this is actually the um they have a small band that
they use that goes around and picks up and drops off most of the dogs in the morning and the
evening. And so overnight it will be parked there in the gated area and then during the day it will
be moved so that that becomes an open area for the dogs. Here are the existing photos. You can see
it's this blue and gray building. It's in an extremely dilapidated state. The neighborhood
gray building it's an extra in an extremely dilapidated state the neighbors were very
excited for us to move this forward so you can see these are some of the interior photos
basically a complete gut job has to be done
but there again there won't be any new digging no additional height it'll stay the same
overall size although we are putting the second floor it is an addition extending out over
what is currently that parking space is now open to the sky but in order to continue to be able to
use that for the dogs and inclement weather we're covering that over and allowing that for the dog
grooming so we have again we have trash only storage right here basically at the corner
with a staircase down nothing else will be happening down there and then on the first floor
you come in here there's a reception area at this hard angle at the corner
there's an open play area for the dogs there and then this is that outdoor play area like i said
it will be accessed as a parking space overnight from the top of the screen that's
Rittner Street going in here.
And then on the second floor, what you see is there's an employee area at this hard edge,
basically right above where the lower level reception area is.
And then what you see on the left-hand side in the blue are the dog grooming tables.
These are the proposed renderings that we show.
and again it's you know you can see especially here that hard that hard angle you have to sort
of figure out what to do and make of so with regard to hardship we believe we have a hardship
here simply based on the small triangular size of this parcel it is existing so it's not something
we're creating this building size it's a small floor plan in order to have a viable economic use
at this commercial corner, which again, the neighborhood and the RCO explained to us,
they've been having a lot of problems with vagrants and drugs and things of that nature
at this location. So they're very happy to see it, you know, conformed into or turned into a
viable commercial space. So that's what they're looking to do. Again, we did agree, I skipped
past it. We agreed with the provisos presented by the RCO, which are private trash collection,
non-illuminated illuminated signs. We're going to put in as many street trees as possible as
allowed by the streets department and no steel security shutters. So that way it looks nice and
open to the community and it's an active space. Again, there will be about 15 to 20 dogs during
the day in the dog in the lower area. They will be taken outside in smaller groups to make sure
that nothing gets out of control there are multiple employees on site at all times this isn't
you know going to be where one person's trying to do everything and then essentially separately
i think i skipped over it
will everybody please shut their phones open
so the so the main access you can see on the front here in the top left
that's the access into that reception area and then goes back into the doggy daycare
Again, virtually all of the, there's really no traffic or congestion here because virtually all of the dogs are either walked by local neighbors or they are actually picked up and dropped off every morning and every night by this operator.
This operator has another location, so this is just an expansion of that first location.