That would be helpful. Thank you. We're going to ask you to identify yourself and spell your full
excuse me chair she's coming back in as a panelist now
great thank you schlosser i'm pronouncing that right would you please identify
thank you schlosser i'm pronouncing that right would you please identify yourself with the
record spell your first and last name hi it's christine c-h-r-i-s-t-i-n-e the last name is
s-c-h-l-o-s-s-e-r you swear to the firm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes i do and your affiliation with this application i'm miss gaston's paralegal
Thank you. And you're going to share your screen with us, correct?
Yes. Yes. Thank you.
This is why I asked her to be on.
Okay. Can everyone see?
Okay. So again, starting from the top, we're going to create a unity of use here.
to create one parcel for zoning purposes.
We're going to demolish the existing building at 4639 Germantown Avenue.
As you can see, 4637 is just a vacant lot.
And construct a new three-story building at what will be 4637 Germantown Avenue.
And it will be a multifamily building.
There will be three dwelling units per floor on the combined lots, along with all the site improvements, landscaping, lighting, and safety security systems.
If you could go, Christine, to page 25, I think that'll show you, I think it's 25.
Is that 25? Sorry. Yeah, this shows the elevations for the building. And we will be, we need
a variance because it says multifamily use is not permitted in what is now an RSA 5 residential
zoning district. However, multifamily use was previously permitted when this was a C2
slash CMX2 district and the properties themselves 4639 was previously approved as a single family
dwelling and the lot which is now 4637 was previously approved for use as a grocery store
and four dwelling units and we have certificates certifications from the city which show the prior
uses that were allowed there which my client obtained when they bought the property. So
So our main argument is really we only need permission for three of the nine units, but we should have been given credit for the five units that previously existed.
There was also a grocery store, which we're converting to what would be a use which is compatible with the current zoning.
um in addition there's a concern and this was um brought up at the um uh rco meeting uh crime
and safety in the area this is uh an area where uh there are a number of vacant properties and
or vacant lots. And at the last page of this, there's a grid. Can you go to 70? Now down to the
here. We put in a map that kind of shows all the vacant houses which are around there
and also the vacant lots. So the idea of having these units with lighting and a new
building with a lot more tenants, they will have more eyes on the street, and that will be helpful
in terms of helping with the crime and safety issues, which were a great concern to those who
attended the RCO meeting. In addition, the city's comprehensive plan, the 2035 plan, encourages
City's comprehensive plan, the 2035 plan, encourages multifamily housing near public transportation, and this location is a two-minute walk to the renovated Wayne Junction train station, and it's on the 23 bus route, and it's also within walking distance to several other bus lines.
Parking is not a problem because across the street is Loudon Park. You can see from this
drawing that there's a park that's across the street. So there's no like housing along there
where you would need to deal with parking. So parking is not an issue. We have agreed
with the community group to do a brick facade for the building which will make
it look more compatible with other housing in that particular area and we
did meet with the RCO and what I just wanted to go through a little bit about
how that worked because i think there may be some things that will come up later that will
be talked about but um excuse me counselor yeah can you bring the floor plans up again please
Could you enlarge them?
Is it 26?
what is the trash plan
we're going to have of course commercial trash you know pickup
which you would have with any multi-family building
all tenants have access to the rear yard
thank you okay um uh we do have a letter of support from the coordinating um rco which is the
the Wakefield 49ers Community Improvement and Development Association. What they asked
us to do when we sent out the notification letter, the RCO notification letter, they
asked us to also have a form, which is on page 46, is it? Christine? Yes, 46. There it is.
They also asked us and my client did provide this additional letter that they asked because they said that some of the residents there are not necessarily tech savvy or might not necessarily pay attention to the letter that was sent.
They asked us to also provide this virtual meeting zoning notice and asked for people to return those to the head of the coordinating RCO, Ms. McKelvey.
So we did that as well. And we also canvassed the area, my client canvassed the area and got some signatures from adjoining or nearby neighbors, which we showed at the RCAO meeting and then provided after the meeting was over.
Ms. McKelvey, and I don't want to speak for her, but what we discussed and what she told us was
that she actually verified whether those signatures were valid by contacting those people
herself. And so there was a meeting where there were a number of people in attendance.
There was also the form that people could return, and then there was also the canvassing that we did.
And then there was also the canvassing that we did.
And then afterwards, there was a confirmation, if you will, of those approvals by Ms. McKelvey and the coordinating RCO.
So I just wanted to, and again, they did send a letter and the meeting summary form of support.
Do you have, do you want your client to adopt your testimony?
Yes. Lorraine, where is she? Lorraine, it's Lorraine Wilson.
Hi, it's Lorraine Wilson Drake, and I corroborate her testimony. I don't know if I need to be sworn in.
Yes. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you. Ms. Baskin?
If your client, if she adopts your testimony.
Yes, I do.
Oh, yes. Ms. Drake, do you swear and affirm that, you know, the testimony that I've given
is correct and adopted as your own? Yes, I do. Thank you.
Questions from the board? No. No.
Anyone else like to testify in this case? Please raise your hand.
Yes, Chair, we have a Mr. Charles Richardson.
Good afternoon again, Mr. Richardson. Please identify yourself. You're still on the roof.
Yes, Mr. Chair. Charles Richardson from the Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass, room 312 City Hall.
The Councilwoman is supportive of granting this variance. The Wakefield 49ers,
the coordinating RCO, was supportive of the project. Our office also received an email in
support of the project from the 13th Ward RCO. Our office has also received a number of petitions
and statements of support from the near neighbors. The site is actually two blocks
up from our district office in an area that has some properties that are deteriorating
and in fact one house down the street from the project collapsed down onto Germantown Avenue
from neglect. We feel that this would brighten up the area and also spur as a catalyst for other
projects that may take place going up and down Germantown Avenue. Thank you. Thank you again.
Planning Commission. I'm sorry. Hold on one minute. Anyone else?
Yes, Chair. We have a Rosalyn.
Rosalyn McCauvey, please identify yourself with a record spell, your first and last name,
and provide us with your address. Good afternoon. My name is Rosalind McKelvey. I'm a president of
the Wakefield 49ers. I live at 4926 Wakefield Street, the Wakefield 49ers. This is in our RCO
district. Ms. McKelvey, would you please spell your first and last name? Rosalind, R-O-S-A-L-I-N
is in the NCD. Last name McKelvey, M-C-K-E-L, B as in Victor E-Y. Thank you. You swear and affirm to
tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? Yes, sir. Please proceed. We were asked to be
the coordinating RCO for this project. We also overlap, so other RCOs came, Faith LLC, I mean
CDC, and we did get letter and input from 12th Ward Democratic Committee. We met, and before having
this RCO meeting, I would like to say that they had submitted some plans and had some questions
to me and other neighbors, and the near neighbors were concerned with the frontage staying in the
looks of the neighborhood. So they changed as they showed in their pictures that they were willing
to do a frontage with brick and change the windows on the avenue as to blend in more with
the neighborhood and existing houses. We did find that due to the challenge of Zooming elderly
neighbors, handicapped neighbors, and absent and vacant buildings, that it was hard to get people
to a Zoom meeting as they didn't have the technology and the ability to get to the Zoom
meeting, but they did have a letter from me and also circulated as I requested with the
cooperation of the applicant, and we got back nothing but positive answers of this.
of the applicant and we got back nothing but positive answers of the near neighbors.
I had one neighbor that's on an old Stanton asking us to please get someone in there
because we've had such crime and hanging out of the neighborhood and we've had even a dead body
and pardon me to say it on there. A new woman found one block away in a car at Wayne Junction
and um they're asking if someone could just get in there the building to be demolished
it has rodents it has uh overgrowth that's not taking care of it's empty and there's two houses
as she showed you on sylvania street and both houses have requests the owners of the houses
said they would lovely welcome what they're bringing on to the block we're hoping that if
this does for town watch reasons and for security of the neighborhood um we even had one neighbor
that moved during covid she moved to the northeast she said she just couldn't take it anymore
and also expressed and sent back and i mailed in um to with our um i mailed in
with our report um i believe there was when we say near neighbor since they couldn't come the
Wakefield 49ers is three blocks away, the headquarters, and three of our people, they also had agreed because we do the town watch and the community cleanups down at that end, along with other areas.
And I believe even Mr. Ken Weinstein, who is one block away, a realtor, and tries to help preserve the neighborhood, he said he would see where demolishing the one and getting something up down there would be good.
And we put all that in our detailed list in our summary so that they would know that near neighbors that couldn't come did signatures.
I personally walked around, met a very elderly man on Ash, I believe he was the last one at the bottom on Abbotsford, another woman on Old Stanton, the two on Sylvania, and the two at 4641 and 4631 spoke to them.
So I made sure I canvassed the near neighbors that couldn't come to the meeting, but sent in their written and checked and confirmed their support.
So we had no objection of any near neighbors on the list or within three blocks.
No objections of those.
Other people attended the meeting, but they lived between eight blocks to two miles away.
And we had no one with concern of life and death on the block or the crime, but there was a concern about the buildings.
And we really appreciate her changing the front facade as to blend in with the neighborhood where it can.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for your hard work.
Anyone else?
Something new and different?
Chair, we have Solo.
White Solo?
I think the RCO group.
yes allison weiss
can you hear me good afternoon please identify yourself with a record
yes good afternoon allison weiss solo germantown civic association a double l i s o n w e i s s
we are an overlapping rco to this you swear and affirm you swear and affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth nothing but the truth yes please proceed yes we were in attendance to this meeting
we were not aware however until just now that there was a pre-meeting to discuss designs so
that is something that we're just learning also we're just learning about absentee ballots we were
not aware that the absentee ballots were something that was an option and or bringing letters from
neighbors. We attended the meeting. There were no near neighbors at that meeting.
And I would like to point out that this property that is being demolished is on the National
Register of Historic Places. Of course, I should say that Germantown Avenue, for those who may not
know, is a National Historic Landmark and this property happens to be almost at the entryway
to the district and is right across from Loudon, a historic mansion built in 1801
by Thomas Armat for the Logan family, the same Logan family as down the street at Stenton.
the same Logan family as down the street at Stenton. So we're concerned with the preservation
of the historic fabric and character of the street, and we're certainly concerned with safety.
Nobody wants an unsafe neighborhood or to have people that don't feel welcome and safe when they
come to visit historic
Germantown.
Ma'am, not to interrupt,
but get to the point,
state your position, if you're support
or not support.
We're in opposition.
For the purpose of?
For the purpose of
preserving
the building that they plan to demolish
in order to put up
a new structure.
Has this building been vacant?
Quite a few.
we know if they have you been to the historical commission yet this isn't local it's not on the
local register it's on okay it's not all right thank you all right if you can summarize miss
weiss we'd appreciate it okay miss weiss you're going to meet yourself
Ms. Weiss?
Sorry, thank you. I just wanted to say that at the meeting there were five community members
in support, there were eight in opposition, there was one in non-opposition, and solo
Germantown Civic Association board is in opposition. Thank you very much for your time
and we favor preserving history and its importance and there's no reason that a developer can't come
into our community and try to do the same with our historic properties. We welcome development
but we welcome development that recognizes and preserves the past.
Thank you.
Anyone else testify in this case, something new and different?
Can we just ask Ms. Weiss to put her address on the record, please?
I think I did, but if she failed to do it, I apologize.
4908 Wayne Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19144.
so she is not a near neighbor either just about equidistance of wakefield 49ers hold on hold on
ladies okay thank you uh anyone else else she's unmuted here thank you thank you no thank you
anyone else no new hands here is it possible is it possible to correct
I think, hold on, Ms. McKelvey. Planning Commission?
I'm Bednar, City Planning. Property is indicated for residential use on the city plan,
given the proposed use conforms to our recommended transit priority objective adopted in our district plan.
We support the grounding of the variance.
Thank you very much. MI 2020-002-594-4637 Germantown Avenue. My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.