sloan folks can you unmute yourself
okay good morning can you hear me now morning sloan please state your name and spell for the
stenographer yes sloan fuchs s-l-o-a-n-e-f as in fire o-l-k-s you swear to fern to tell the
truth the whole truth nothing but the truth and we all know where you work sloan thank you very
much sir right um okay yes sir i'm just reaching out to clarify some of the things that were on
our letter uh the let our letter um that came in um based on you know the the the how the letter
was structured, how the letter is structured. The letter did say opposition, but what we did
in our submission is we split the council member's thoughts based on the outcome of the community
hearing. We do support the deck. I'm not exactly sure whether there can be a ruling on the deck
today, but I do know this is a hold case. The community had some concerns regarding the
parking rate issues. We had worked with the applicant over the past couple of months
on her submission due to the fact that her attorney did resign on her. So our office did
submit her application to the ZBA as well as the RCL. So I just wanted to be clear as far as what
our thoughts were in the process and you know what our role was you know regarding um constituent
so thank you sloan thank you for your comments anyone else in the virtual audience i see my hands
you want to take a position uh good morning chair uh and board members david fechto with the city
planning commission chairman and board members the comprehensive plan recommends a change in zoning
at this location from rm1 residential multifamily to rsa5 residential single family
rm1 residential multifamily to rsa5 residential single family this part of the neighborhood
still carries its original 1933 zoning the appellant appears to have built a deck and
installed a parking space without the benefit of permits the city planning commission recommends
the board deny all proposed variances okay so what do we what do we want to do for a timeline for
this let's at least do two weeks all right so um right now that would be november and we're going
going to close it other than I believe the amended refusal amended refusal you have to get amended
refusal what's our date uh right now why don't we try for November 4th November 4th we're going to
have a hearing you need to have an amended refusal by then okay we're going to have a vote and we'll
have a vote but I mean I'm just telling her yeah you said here what's amended refusal again you're
going to reach out to me what what you indicated oh there's no reason to get upset that this happens
all the time on that so what it is is because of the parking issue so but you might need to go to
the streets it might be longer than the two weeks i don't know but right now we're putting it at two
weeks so but just reach out you have my email that i sent to you yesterday okay i can reach out again
and so we'll you know we'll work through this this is this happens it's going to be happening
to another one that's coming up but this happens okay what it is ellen i had ellen i has to make
sure that what you're presenting is is correct and you only have one parking space so okay all
right thank you very much for coming in we appreciate it number 12 mi2026 000339 3710
Wall Street. Meredith Ferliger is the attorney. We have a letter of support from Mantua's Civic
Association. Good morning. Would you please state your name and spell for this stenographer?
Meredith Ferliger, F-E-R-L-E-G-E-R. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes i do you identify your client a relationship to
the property my client is owner pllc uh represented today by rami shrine who should be on the zoom
with us our vice chair has a few questions good good morning have you submitted your documents
and exhibits 14 days in advance in this hearing yes i did and do you weigh the reading know the
refusal and stipulate to his accuracy yes i do all right thank you you can share your screen
and proceed with your case thank you
okay good morning mr chairman members of the board the property before you today is 37 10
wallace street which sits just west of north 37 street in mantua west philadelphia the exhibit
packet in front of you today includes 15 exhibits which includes tax clearance at exhibit two
and the deed to the property at Exhibit 3. Just by way of brief summary, this proposal is for the
erection of a new residential dwelling with three dwelling units, which was reduced from the
originally requested four units. Now, starting first with a property overview, as you can see
here on the aerials up on the screen at Exhibit 9, the property sits all the way at the end of
block of the 3700 bluff wallace street directly diagonal from the property and really across the
street from the property is a church and then as you can see from this aerial photograph
just south of this property is a new 19 unit development that is currently under construction
From the south view, just out of view here a little bit, you can see here to the left a new LIHTC development with 40 units.
And then you can see here that although much of this block is two stories, this property in particular happens to be bounded by two three-story structures with no front porches.
Now, while the block itself is relatively built up, you can see that it does join a significant amount of vacancy just on the next block over on Mount Vernon Street, which you can see just at the top of this image here.
And if we look at the zoning map at Exhibit 8, you can see that the property is zoned RSA 5, but is quite uncharacteristically large for this side of the street.
most of the properties on this side of the street are are smaller than this particular lot
And although the, despite the RSA-5 zoning for this block that took effect in 2017, the area does remain a strong mix of both single-family and multifamily uses, as this board has seen with many cases in Mantua.
and although the uh despite the rsa5 zoning for this block that
And then looking at the photographs here at Exhibit 15, again, you can see the currently fenced lot here at 3710 Wallace Street, which is the last lot facing Wallace Street on this block.
And then again, directly across the street here, you can see the entrance for the church that sits on North 37th Street at fronts on North 37th Street.
And then you can start to see here that many of the structures on this block, proximate to this particular property, are not necessarily uniform in terms of their aesthetic character, which does tie into my client's proposed design.
And then if you look towards North 38th Street, again, you can see here those two closest structures to 3710, which are three-story brick structures.
And then in the opposite direction, looking towards 37th Street, and then just another view looking from 37th Street, and again, there's that church that's directly across the street here.
Like this lot, you can see this corner lot at North 37th Street here also remains vacant.
And then we did include photographs of our timely posting.
As you can see on the deed, my client purchased this property in 2022 from the Philadelphia
Housing Authority and is obligated to erect some kind of a structure on this property
to comply with their deeded requirements.
So the proposal that is shown before the board today and is at Exhibit 5 is for the erection
of a new three-story structure to contain three dwelling units.
And like I said, that has been reduced from the original proposal, which was four.
We didn't submit a revised plan.
There were no changes to the structure itself.
So if the board is inclined to grant this, we would ask that you do so with the proviso
maximum three dwelling units.
The structure itself, as you can see on the elevation, is elevated above grade by five
feet and does have a rear yard that is over double the max the minimum code requirement
floor plans are i went too far floor plans are shown at exhibit six uh very briefly
you can see here that unit one is a bi-level unit on the first floor and lower level with
1,250 square feet, which is two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms. Unit two is shown in green
and is 875 square feet with two bedroom, one bathroom. And then unit three is on the third
floor and is 830 square feet with two bedroom, one bathroom. And then there is also a roof deck
that would be private for the third unit.
Trash will be stored interior to each unit.
And then there is, again, ample room in the rear as well
for any additional storage that might be necessary.
And there is an adjoining three-foot-wide alley
that provides easy access to the rear as well.
And then we did include a rendering at Exhibit 7.
From the front, the facade is a combination of brick and gray siding.
And then as you can see here, the design really tries to capture some of the mixed aesthetic character on the block itself with the front balconies to provide ample outdoor and open air for the residents as well as the backyard as well.
And then the internal cut that you can see here in the building, which you could also see on the floor plans, provides ample light and air into all of the living spaces within all of these units as well.
Now, regarding the refusal, the proposal itself only received one refusal for the proposed multifamily use.
The applicant does submit to a hardship as the evidence has shown that this property has unique conditions warranting grant of relief.
constructing a new single family dwelling on this lot would represent a deviation from the
predominantly high density multifamily development in this area this property is much larger than
most on this side of the street and happens to be oriented along a portion of the block
that is quite mixed with some substantially high density residential as well as non-residential
uses like the church as you saw from the earlier aerials just a few feet south a new 19 unit
proposal is under construction along with other recently granted multi-family
Along with other recently granted multifamily at 3725 Mount Vernon, again just diagonally south for 19 units, and then six units between 3721 and 23 Mount Vernon, as well as multifamily across the street at 3725 Wallace.
The only new single-family homes that have been built on this block were done so as a part of a large scattered site subsidized development probably about 15 to 20 years ago.
Furthermore, as I did mention, my client is obligated under the deeded restrictions to construct a residential structure on this particular lot in accordance with the PHA requirements.
The number of units here is the least minimum to transition from the denser development surrounding the property as well as other single-family homes on the block.
This is less dense than a similarly zoned RM1 lot would allow and will eliminate an over-10-year vacancy on the lot that has led to some negative conditions for some of the neighbors.
We do submit that the proposal will not increase congestion, harm neighbors' properties, or impair light and air, particularly in light of the unique conditions of the block and this lot, which can accommodate additional density without any adverse impact to the surrounding neighbors.
And as always, a full analysis is provided in the memo of law submitted to the board at Exhibit 11, and I'm happy to touch on any point in additional detail.
So if the board chair, the administrator, look for Rami Shrine.
Rami Shrine has been promoted.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Could you please state and spell your name for the stenographer, sir?
Yes, Rami Schrein, R-A-M-Y-S-H-R-A-I-M.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Counsel?
Thank you. Rami, have you heard all the testimony and evidence that I offered in front of the board today?
Do you agree that testimony was true and accurate, and would you adopt it as if you had given it yourself?
Yes, I do.
And just because I know it will be a question, could you just address for the board how you manage trash at your properties?
I know you have quite a few properties in the Mantua area, so if you could just explain to the board how you manage that.
Yeah, we have a private hauling company that comes in three days a week and picks up the trash on those days.
Thank you.
Questions or comments from the board?
questions or comments from our attorney um meredith i just want to confirm uh maximum you said
maximum three dwelling units okay correct also we're probably going to have to have a proviso
because um the approved use was not indicated on the refusal itself in the the in the description
of it so we're probably going to have to have approved use is multifamily household living
maximum three dwelling units i don't know if we're looking at different refusals it says
for use as multi-family household living for four dwelling units at the bottom
no no that's the refusal but the description oh you're got it okay
well i either way that's fine yeah just wanted to let you know that thank you
we just noticed that this morning
questions or comments from the virtual audience
yes chair there are two hands up
Gwendolyn Morris will be allowed to speak
three hands now
Gwendolyn Morris
can you unmute yourself
I think I got it
could you please state your name and spell
for the stenographer
Gwendolyn Morris
G-W-E-N-D-O-L-Y-N
last name Morris
M-O-R-R-I-S
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth, nothing but the truth? I do. Are you a neighbor? Yes, I'm a neighbor. Please
proceed. Okay, I'm a 53-year resident of Mantua, but I'm also the secretary of the Mantua Civic
I'm also the secretary of the Mantua Civic Association, so I took the notes for this
Association, so I...
particular RCO meeting.
I am in full support of this particular development in that the more western part of Mantua,
there is, continues to be, a lot of vacant lots, a lot of illegal dumping, a lot of vacant
space, particularly on these two, this particular, these two streets.
So, we are excited that most of the development, as you all know, is taking place in the more western part of Mantua. Again, we've worked with Rami and with Meredith, you know, for years and many other developers.
We're excited as community members and community leaders to see the entire community of Mantua looking and inviting young families to move into our community.
All right. Ma'am, we do appreciate you taking the time to call us. Thank you very much. Next hand, please.
The next hand is Eman Elkoban.
Hello.
Hi. Could you please state and spell your name for the stenographer?
Sure. My name is Eman Elkoban, E-M-A-N, last name E-L-K-A-L-B-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Are you a neighbor?
Please proceed.
I attended the RCO meeting for this project, and I am in full support of it as, you know, I have my husband and our young son.
And we like to walk around, you know, and get fresh air in the neighborhood and seeing these vacant lots that, again, have become dumping grounds and they're just anesthetically pleasing.
And, you know, we have the opportunity to develop and make the neighborhood, you know, look nicer, but also provide more housing for more families.
I think a single family home on a lot that big would just be unattainable for anyone.
And so giving the opportunity to make it multifamily for multiple families to enjoy it would be the best option for this lot.
Thank you very much for taking the time. We appreciate it. Is there another hand?
There was another hand, but his went down now.
Planning, Commissioner.
Thank you, Chairman and Board members.
David Fecto 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 2017 in a community-requested map change.
There is no unique physical condition or circumstance of this property that would prevent it from being used in conformance with the zoning code.
The City Planning Commission recommends the board deny the proposed use variance for three dwelling units.
MI 2026-000-339-3710, Weill Street. I vote yes with proviso. Approve use as multiple family living, maximum three units.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with proviso.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes with proviso.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes with proviso.
Tyia Nguyen, my vote is yes with proviso.
Layla Beebe, my vote is yes with proviso.
Thank you, Ketel.
Thank you.
all right number 13 mi 2026 002 881 7372 to 78 henry avenue carrie nash uh alston is the attorney
i need to step out for a minute yeah sure of course
good morning members of the board good morning good morning could you please state your name
is spelled for the stenographer i yes good morning carrie c-a-r-r-i-e nace n-a-s-e hyphen