First, when directed by the chair, you must raise your virtual hand in order to be recognized to speak.
Second, if you were called to testify, you'll be prompted to join as a panelist.
Please accept the request and turn on your camera.
Third, the webinar Q&A is for questions about the hearing.
Do not comment on cases in the Q&A.
Fourth, if you're participating by phone, press star 9 to raise your hand and star 6 to unmute.
So let's see what our schedule looks this afternoon.
Number one, MI 2023-005-986-7250 Woodland Avenue.
That case is continued.
Attorney moving party.
Are there any other requests for continuance?
Good afternoon, Chair. This is Javette Benton. I'll be your co-host for this afternoon.
I see no hands at this time.
And I have one more case.
MI 2025 001-791-714-North-24th Street.
That case is continued until 3-18-26 at 3.30 p.m.
3-18-26 at 3.30 p.m.
And number...
And number five, MI-2025-001-786-2713 Federal Street.
That case has been withdrawn.
Let's go here to our...
Case number two, MI-2024-003-189-2230-32 East Venango Street.
Isaac Slepner is the attorney.
Mr. Slepner has been promoted to panelist, Chair.
Good afternoon, Counsel.
Good afternoon, Chair and members of the board.
Isaac Slepner here.
Yeah, could you please spell your name for the stenographer?
Sure thing.
My first name is Isaac, I-S-A-A-C.
Last name is Fletner, S-L-E-T-N-E-R.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Counsel, could you turn on your video where I'm not seeing you?
I'm certainly trying to.
Give me a moment here.
I think I know what I'm doing, what means to be thrown over.
Thanks.
Michael Johns, I'm present here, Mr. Chair.
I told him you're there somewhere.
I knew that.
All right.
What are those blockers?
Oh, there we go.
I have the afternoon chair of members of the board.
Isaac Klebner here.
Right. Good. And I've already sworn you in. Am I correct?
All right. And Mr. Slepner, could you identify your client, the relationship to this property?
Yes. My client is 2230 E. Venango Street, LLC.
That is the LLC that owns the property at 2230 to 32 East Venango Street.
And one of the principals of my client is here on the call, George Grove.
All right. Good.
And I noticed that there's a letter of unanimous support from Harrogate Civic Association.
19 votes total.
And Tanetta Graham, our board member, has a few questions for you.
Good afternoon.
Have you emailed your documents five days in advance of this hearing?
Yes, I have.
And do you waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Yes, I do.
Okay, thank you.
You may proceed with your case.
Share your screen.
Thank you.
I will be sharing.
so members of the board this is a pretty simple matter this is an application for
a variance to allow the use of the property as a commissary kitchen no
dining facilities not a restaurant in an RSA 5 zone so the first document that
I'm showing you now is a deed in favor of my client, 2230 E. Venango Street, LLC, and that
was recorded in April of 2023. My client obtained a tax cert last week, showing that it is compliant
as of 9-925 through 10-925. This is the letter of unanimous support from Harrogate Civic
from September 5th of 24, 19 in favor of zero again.
This is the original application for appeal,
which was filed by Sean Ward.
I have substituted appearance for Mr. Ward
since he had originally started the case.
That's the notice of refusal, again,
just showing that we are seeking a change of use in RSA 5.
These are photos of the zoning poster.
posted at the property.
It's a corner property, the corner of East Venango Street and
Danny Street. So this is a poster on the
door on the Venango Street side.
This is a photo on the Danny Street side of
the poster on one of the roll-up grates.
This is...
I guess I only have...
This is a close-up on the roll-up grate, and this is a close-up on the black door.
This is just to give the board kind of an idea of what is planned to cite.
of what is planned at the site.
It's basically a prep kitchen, a production kitchen
with tables, table space, refrigerators, sinks.
There's a restroom for employee use, hand-washed sinks,
and an office area, and then general floor space.
I was asked actually this morning to send interior photos.
We've got interior photos.
this is a photo of the office space this is a photo of some of the meal prep that's going on
at the space this is another photo you can see some of the commercial size refrigerators in there
some of the doors a photo of another angle of the office space a photo of some of the
prep area, and some of the convection ovens, the hood, and
water, the walk-in refrigerator.
And those are my exhibits.
I would like to
call my client, George Groves, who's a principal of the
ownership LLC. So, just out of curiosity,
so this has been an operation, and it's... Correct. Why are you
hear now i mean tell me what happened uh we had received a notice of refusal in i believe trying
to get a co um and i had actually taken a case over from sean ward right so
the the way it was um explained to me is it's been operating they operate um
like Meals on Wheels for Elderly
and other
charitable needs organizations.
And they are the production site
and they were using the space
to do that,
needed to get it legalized, and are now here today.
Okay, so you've been using
this and at some point you realize you had to legalize it.
Is that right? That's correct.
Okay, all right. Bring your owner on, please.
I'm going to call George Groves
at this time.
George, you out there?
Mr. Groves, please unmute yourself
George Groves, please unmute yourself
I see his name, Chair, but he's not unmuting himself
Yeah, I'm texting at him
Hello, hello
Hi, George, George, could you first state your name and spell for the sonographer?
George Groves, G-R-O-V-E-S.
All right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
And if possible, George, could you turn on your video?
How do I do that now, Mr. Chairman?
Oh, there we go.
Oh, there you go.
You did it. You didn't even have to.
I mean, you know, you didn't have to get me to tell you how to do it.
Please proceed, counsel.
George, good afternoon.
Are you a principal of 2230 Eastern Angus Street, LLC?
Yes, sir.
And did you hear all of the testimony that I offered and see all the exhibits that I just offered to the board?
Yes, sir.
And would you adopt all of that testimony and those pieces of evidence as though you would offer them yourself?
Is there any other information specifically about the use or anything about this property that you wanted to offer to the board at this time?
No, it's used as the commissary kitchen for the senior program, for the state of Pennsylvania, for the health insurance companies.
And the people who are operating are Wilson Beef.
George, how long have they been operating there?
Mr. Chairman, they've been there probably about a year.
It was a commercial property forever.
And when Mr. Higgins filed the paperwork, it came back as RSA 5.
okay thank you questions from the board yes how are you exhausting uh from the events
there's a hood in there there's a hood in place the exhaust hood in place
for exhaust and for fire suppression yes is that going up through the roof or is that going out
through the exterior there's a house okay and then how are you managing um your trash storage
at the site it's in the front there's a roll-up door a trash store there and um what do you call
commercial trash pickup three times a week and is that the same location where you're handling any
uh deliveries yes it's a it's a pretty it's a pretty wide door it's like 22 foot wide
it's a roll-up door and has there been any conversation with the neighbors in the area
And has there been any conversation with the neighbors in the area as you've been operating about issues with deliveries, whether like timing of the deliveries or the trucks?
as you've been operating.
Well, so there's there's a minor deliveries because Wilson Beef is a high end store on the Ironman Avenue, which is a half a block away.
So a large delivery, though, to what deliveries are brought over there by Wilson employees.
okay understood any other questions questions more attorney i just want to ask a council to
make sure to submit those interior photos so they can be made a part of the record
uh i will i sent those uh i would say about 12 30 today to um who had requested them at about
10 this morning but i'll resend them if you need me thank you i received confirmation that we did
received them but thank you we just wanted to double check thank you questions or comments
from the virtual audience i see no hands share um planning commission and i should should mention
nathan dorfman is uh one of our new planning representatives and this is the first day he's
working with the zoning board and we welcome him and nathan could you state your name and
spelled for the court stenographer. Nathan Dorfman, N-A-T-H-A-N, Dorfman, D-O-R-F-M-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes. Please proceed, sir. The comprehensive plan recommends no change from the RSA-5
residential single-family zoning at this location. The appellant has shown that there are unique
physical conditions or circumstances that would prevent the property from being used in conformance
with the zoning code the planning commission recommends the board grant the requested
variance for commissary kitchen thank you mi 2024-003-189-2230-32 east venango street i vote yes
my vote is yes tenetta graham my vote is yes i am mcadams my vote is yes i win my vote is
yes. Thank you, Counsel. Thank you, Mr. Groves. Thank you. Number three, MI 2024-004-386-170
Eastern Street. John Marshall is the attorney. There's a letter of non-opposition from OSACDC.
The vote was four in opposition and three in support, but it's a letter of non-opposition.
and letter of non-opposition
John Marshall please raise your virtual hand
letter of non-opposition from council member
Lozada
John Marshall
is coming back in as a panelist now chair
thank you
Mr. Marshall
please state your name
and spell it for the stenographer