throughout this process have been fulfilled thank you thank you good
afternoon chair um the fifth district's position is to support the community in
their ask for additional time. So we are asking for a continuance. We're not opposed to this
parcel or this development at all. We just want to give the committee more time so they can speak
with the developer. Rachel? Sure. Thank you. So as mentioned, I represent PHA. We have had a RCO
meeting on april 29th that we sent out notice and we met with the community we got a continuance in
front of this board already to have more time and then over the last couple months it was made aware
that the project was being sort of the support for the projects that are in front of the zba
are being held up because of another matter related to village park which i'm not involved
with so i don't want to misspeak on or um i don't have all the details on that but that matter is
not in front of the zoning board of adjustment so we we just um want to keep this moving forward
because the conversations that need to be had don't actually relate to what's in front of the
zoning board and on top of that as the board well knows there are timelines that have to be met for
HUD financing for 9% tax credit deals that require a zoning permit as part of the application.
Those applications are due in November.
So my request would be that while PHA, and they can speak for themselves, is already
expressed in writing that was sent to the board, the board's attorney, and as part of
the record, they are happy to continue meeting regarding the concerns on Village Park.
that these two projects don't get held up as sort of leverage.
that this these two projects don't get held up um as sort of leverage to deal with those issues so
that we can move forward with the zoning that's in front of the board and also make sure that we
don't miss deadlines for state and federal mandated applications for low-income housing tax credits
for affordable housing um and we're i'm committed to to meeting with the community if it has to do
with the zoning projects at hand but i can't meet or speak to anything else they're also
just so the board's aware, was a request for a meeting on May 25th that the community had said
doesn't count or they didn't want to do because it wasn't aligned with the RCO process. But
after a first meeting where you do notice, you're not required to have another meeting where you
have to notice the neighbors in the same way. Any subsequent meetings do not have to follow
the same protocol. They can include state reps, they include other people. And so I believe there
was a request to have a meeting on may 25th that was over a month ago but um that wasn't fruitful
so um we're kind of in this like log jam and impasse and if there isn't some kind of an
agreement related to village park this whole process will continue to be held up as a result
of that if the board's inclined to give any more time i would ask for a 30-day must be heard because
we don't want to miss an application um for for 9 tax credits for affordable housing that nobody
has an issue with are you ready to go today yes i am all right could you step back and let the
state rep take your sheet a minute sir could you please state your name and spell it for the
stenographer no i'm the chairman and board members my name is the state representative keith harris
and also rco president of the 28th award do you swear referring to tell the truth the whole truth
nothing but the truth i do please proceed um yes the the um community meeting was held with um
members of the community and myself or i think it was april 29th that we spoke about just like
the attorney said um another meeting did take place which i um and the community have north
ben baptist church rco in the room also and some members of the community have committee people
that represent a direct community where Elizabeth Park is and also where the development is New
Kurt and Dover Street also right there in the room also they support the project so although
the other entities are saying that they support the housing part so but that's like in like limbo
well not even limbo that is so the whole project isn't really the whole project because the housing
project is actually what we're talking about but the village invent park pha has committed 300 000
right to develop the park without any money from any other rcos or entities and they've committed
to that um what's held is being held up is a commitment that they won't build on the property
for 99 years and do a 20-year partnership with the if i'm speaking correctly partnership with
all in the family which i thought that it would hinder the process right they've committed to do
and i'd say we we've got to the finish line we we need we are um all the family have done a
tremendous job along with myself i was in these meetings for 10 years going to having meetings
and things like that any side conversations that was about those have been part that i wasn't privy
to then you know i wasn't prepared but the meetings was held with rev marshall of north
Baptist Church RCO, other community members. We've done this for over 10 years. So any new
subsequent asking of a letter for a community minister agreement, they're willing to do it
with the 28th Ward RCO, but I'm not asking for that. I'm trusting the PHA to do the right thing
to build community. They're going to build the housing. We need the housing. I'm a representative
committee person in the housing part i'm the 28th ward seventh division committee person
also anita roberts is in the room she's my partner and then the village event space the
representative is in the room for that that committee person which is nadine anderson these
so their constituents represent and vote for these people also ricky um he really lives on
the same hundred new curtain dover he's in the room he's supporting the project so it's i the
whole process with the village event park and also the housing part is a win-win for the community
it's it's it's process it actually is not perfection it's progress and that's why i'm for
this process project and i think that uh hopefully the board recognizes that and give us the green
light so we can give the community something tangible so they can see because this has been
This whole community has been blighted. Things have been torn down for years and it's time.
this whole community has been blighted things have been torn down for years and it's time to
get a community something tangible they can touch and say so thank you very much um we have two more
cases and then what we're going to do is we're going to go on today and hear these two cases
right we're going to hear the dover street cases today and what will happen is i have two cases to
hear first so if everybody would just step back and then what will happen is there'll be uh if
if you so choose you can have some community input when we go to the the audience okay but
we are going to hear the cases today all right thank you um we're going to go with uh number
one first right correct yeah mi 2025 007 792 6048 baltimore avenue phillip walker
what's that sure
we have also who's joining our panel is emily persico persipico um she's the designee of the
planning and direct uh director's office please thank you for coming in today as usual
so we're baltimore avenue right something i couldn't hear you
sir could you please state your name and then spell it for the stenographer
philip walker t-h-i-l-i-p w-a-l-k-e-r right do you swear or affirm the tell the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth i do our vice chair has a few questions for you sir
good afternoon um have you submitted i'm right here have you submitted your documents and exhibits
five days in advance of this hearing yes i submitted through the whole portal and i also
have them you know find it okay um so you're going to have staff assistance going to help you
um so you're here because you want to have a two-family household living and in your um
as in a zixir structure trying to legalize two two family household living correct yes ma'am okay
and you've been refused because you're in uh the property is in the rsa five zoning district
AND IT'S PROHIBITED TO HAVE TWO FAMILIES. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? THAT'S WHY YOU WERE HERE.
THAT'S YOUR REFUSAL. YOU UNDERSTAND, RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO YOU CAN JUST START YOUR
PRESENTATION. YOU CAN TELL US WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. AND YOU CAN CHECK THE SCREEN,
BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO SHOW YOUR PHOTOS AND YOUR DOCUMENTS. OKAY? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
yeah this is Ian Hegarty I'm uh loading the documents now I'll have them up shortly
sit down it'll come up on the screen
and she'll be right out
Okay, all right, your documents are up.
is that it oh that's one of them yes okay let's see so um when you start again so talk about what
you're doing here okay so what am i doing here i purchased a multi-family property back in 2022
on 648 baltimore avenue and the whole strip the whole side in that that community was originally
built as multifamily. I don't know what happened, but get closer. I don't know exactly what
happened, but at some point in time, it reverted back to single-family residential. So I'm trying
to come here and get it zoned back to multifamily as it was originally constructed. Is it still
as it was originally constructed.
Is it still set up as multifamily?
set up as multifamily? Everything's exactly the same.
Everything's exactly the same.
It's still set up as multifamily.
I have pictures, exterior, interior to show that.
We'll go through the pictures with you now.
Will we go through the photos?
There I'm showing the multimeter box on the exterior side,
the back side of the house.
There I'm showing the two-car garage, two-car driveway, two AC units, two hot water heaters.
I'm showing the foyer area.
Unit number two is upstairs.
You can come in and walk upstairs.
The other apartment is at the bottom.
That's apartment number two upstairs.
Apartment number one downstairs.
That's upstairs, bathroom.
two water heaters again uh one of the bedrooms upstairs
i'm showing both bedrooms now upstairs two uh two bedroom one bath that's upstairs again
that's the uh living room set up upstairs that's downstairs unit that is vacant uh
showing the that's first floor first floor unit showing uh living room kitchen area
You can see two bedrooms in the back, and the bathroom will be off to the right.
And that's the downstairs bathroom.
Basement's just a garage.
Anything else?
Basement's garage, storage area.
It has a set of washing and dryer for each unit, storage area.
And is the rest of the remainder of the block still all multi-units?
All multi-units.
everybody on there got multiple meters on this uh all right questions from the board
yep so what do your tenants put their trash tenants put the trash the same as everybody
on the block as far as storage well i have storage containers inside the uh the garage
and we set it out on the driveway when it's time for our trash collection and they both
have access to the garage right everybody has access to the garage other questions
you're good questions from our attorney no questions questions or comments from the
virtual audience i see no hands at this time chair planning commission
lena solomonic with the planning commission do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the
whole truth and nothing but the truth? I do. Go ahead. The comprehensive plan recommends no change
in zoning at this location from the current RSA 5 residential single family. This property has
been zoned single family since 1970, and there is no evidence that the two-family condition was
created legally. The Planning Commission recommends the board deny the requested variance for two-family
house of living mi 2025 007 792 6048 baltimore avenue i vote yes michael johns my vote is yes
tenetta graham my vote is yes and mcadams my vote is yes hi i win my vote is the end
thank you sir you have your votes thank y'all okay all right mr chairman we need to go back
to the first add-on i can't hear you we had an add-on okay yeah the first one here we have it
yeah yeah we're good we're good the next case is 14 could you please come up and i'll i'll quote yeah
I got it.
There is here?
That's the one.
Good clock.
You got the new one or the old one.
I got the old one.
Where's the new one?
The new one is on page 44.
What's it say?
Oh, where is that?
Where is that?
Where is that?
Where is that?
Where is that?
Where is that?
I can see you right here.
There's one here, right?
Right now, that's 14.
That'd be it.
This is the new one.
Which one?
I'm trying to think.
Oh, she said that.
I'm sorry.
Said I lost the other one.
Right with you 1 minute. Um.
This is an add on we have here and my 20, 26, 0, 0, 1.
1, 3, 9, 37, 34 and North 16 street.
That case has been moved to Wednesday, August 5th at 2 PM.
Now, we're going to go to number 14.
MI 2026-003-295-4703-Basin-Bridge-Rode.
Catherine Misner, or you're going to do it?
Why don't you go on the mic?
Yeah, it's getting on.
State your name and spell it for the stenographer.
Thank you.
Thank you. Hercules Grigos, H-E-R-C-U-L-E-S, last name G-R-I-G-O-S, Claire Harrison, 1835 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, here today representing Basin Bridge, LLC, owner of the property located at 4703 Basin Bridge Road.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
All right. Vice Chair has just a few questions.
good afternoon have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing
we have and do you waive the no the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy we do okay thank you
you can share your screen and proceed with your case thank you very much um i have with me today
my partner catherine missomer um from rhodes uh industries and basin bridge llc uh ryan cahill
Caroline Voitsburg from Pannonia Engineering, as well as, I believe on screen, Tom Howland from BSI Construction, the construction manager.
Basin Bridge LLC is an affiliate of Rhodes Industries.