sewing and culinary classes they will have regular community meetings in the facility
and they also do a holiday food distribution program around the christmas holidays
the hours and days will be monday to friday typically the programs will be three to
8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and then Saturday late morning, say 11 o'clock to 1 or 2 o'clock.
So that's the gist of what I have. I'm going to ask Ms. Tate to be admitted as a participant.
Mr. Kerr, just for a note, there are three what we believe
provisos. Interior trash storage and trash stored must be stored in the rear yard for both units.
no household living in the basement
and a certificate of occupancy to be
obtained. Is your client okay
with that? I'll have
if we can just ask her, Ms. Tate, are you
Odessa Tate?
Odessa Tate
Ms. Tate should be coming.
Ms. Tate should be coming back into the Panama Trolley Council
Yeah, I don't think there's a problem with those provisos
but I just want to clarify with Ms. Tate
Let me swear in first, okay?
I'm here, how is everyone?
Hi, I'm fine, Ms. Tate, could you
state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Sure, it's Odessa Tate
first name
m-o-d-e-s-s-a last name t-a-t-e could you turn on your video please
thank you very much do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth of nothing but
the truth yes please proceed counsel yeah miss tate have you been uh on the on the zoom this
afternoon for the entirety of this uh this hearing yes i have been and you've heard all
my statements to the board yes and do you adopt them as accurate and your own and as your own
testimony yes but there's one thing that i want to clarify for the upstairs floor everything is
already existing but in the back space is no intention to create another bedroom it's just
all still living room space that's it okay the basement will not be a bedroom correct the
basement will not be a bedroom okay uh did you hear the provisos that the chairman just read
yes i did and you're okay with those with the with the exception that the basement will have a
a living room but not not any any let me let me figure this out so the first floor
is a community center right owned by the corporation we'll say correct the second
floor is an apartment yes and then you're saying you want to put a living room in the basement for
for for the apartment or for the business no there's no living room space that's going in
the basement the basement is just going to solely be for storage more so for ram equipment no living
room. Okay. So the proviso is no
household living in the basement? No.
Right? That's the proviso. Right.
Okay. So it will just be storage in the basement. I'm trying to get back
to that basement screen.
Yeah. That's the basement space,
correct, Ms. Tate? Yes. And there's no
dementias or anything listed because the stairs are broken in the basement so naturally if you're
not going down there to do work you don't want to go down there and do an assessment just to look
okay so that proviso is uh acceptable mr chair okay um questions from the board yes can you walk
us through the apartment layout i think the the survey plan doesn't really delineate what's
happening where or where there's bedrooms. Okay, let me get back there without jumping around too
much. That's the first floor. Okay, here's the second floor. So, Ms. Tate, what will this
room be? So, that room is the bedroom. That's 179 square feet. And when you leave out of the
bedroom and you make a sharp left that is the bathroom space and when you link in there yes
it's a sink it's a toilet and the bathtub is right in that rectangular section yes
right in there okay yes so when you leave out of the bathroom those are the stairs leading down
and then it's another sharp left and there is the kitchen when you leave out of the kitchen
this is the hallway area and as you move further back this is just extra living room space here in
this area and the area that says space inaccessible that's additional living room area and there are
windows there and then closets in the back and that is the first floor apartment the second
i'm sorry second floor apartment okay so this entire area will be available for use as as
occupied space then correct yes even even the area that says space inaccessible yes it was a ton of
boxes there and it was just stuff out of the ceiling so they didn't walk back there okay that's
an architect's note then okay okay so it's a one bedroom one bath correct okay and then where is
this tenant going to store their trash and how do they get to this unit separate from the what's
And how do they get to this unit separate from what's going to now be the community center office use on the first floor?
going to now be the
Okay, so if you don't mind, if you go to the first floor plan, and then with the trash, they'll be storing their trash out in the yard.
So the yard space is about 100 square feet or a little larger, but they'll have access to the yard too to be able to store their trash.
so as we look at the first floor this first part the opening on 26th Street
this is the actual office area that's the separate entrance so here is where
folks this is another way to get to the back rooms where we'll be meeting or
doing different programming it's a hallway that gets you through to the
other side and then also coming in the apartment entrance it has its own
separate entrance going up in the middle of Gordon Street, there is a door there as soon as
you come in that leads into the other space, but that's going to be closed off. And that person
will have the opportunity, their space would be, you know, going up these stairs, that's their
one entrance. And then also we're going to make sure that there is a fire ladder outside the
second floor window. That way, that will be another way for them to get out as well.
Okay. So when they use their key, where's going to be their secured door? Because even right here with your entryway, are you closing that entrance into the 184 square foot room off? Are you sealing that doorway?
I don't think that it'll be completely still, but it'll be where they still have their privacy.
No one will be going through this entrance unless it's the person that lives in the apartment upstairs.
So folks won't be able to just go in on this side and use this entrance to get into the program area.
And then also they'll be able to enter off of Gordon Street side as well, going around the back to have like a second entryway into the first floor.
but go back so so you're gonna have to walk through the first floor somewhere right
yes space to get upstairs to get upstairs well to get upstairs in the middle in the middle area
of gorton street that is the direct interest to go into upstairs so i recommend mr kirk could you
move the presentation up to the pictures where they could see the side of the building the gorton
street view because you'll be able to see the door but go back to what what ty has said to you
the the 84 184 square feet that's not going to be closed off right the 184 are we talking about in
the back of the second right right here will there will there be a door right in this area
well yeah it's it's a it's a door there to get into the other side but people that are coming
for programming won't be going through this entrance because it's more
like a private entrance. You know, this entrance is private to go
upstairs. So let me ask you a question.
So this entrance here on the corner, this will be the entrance
for the community center, correct? Yes, that's the entrance
for the office to go in. And folks will come in here and then
come back through this hallway area, correct? Yes, that is a hallway
through right yes and then the residential area for the residents you'll enter here off of gordon
street this will be a door that's that's closed theoretically um and then the resident will the
resident will just go up to the second floor and have access to the apartment correct correct
which i understand but that's not a legally separated unit unless there's another
entry door at the top of the stairwell so that was not okay let's go okay let's go to clarify
i got you i see what you're playing this is what happens when you're trying to do it i think you
got i think you got to be clear that if you're defining the entrance to the upstairs that there's
not a door into the downstairs from that entryway. You need to close that off, right? And if you
need to provide a second means of egress out of your first floor, you need to provide it somewhere
else. Either that or you got to put a door at the top of the stair, which I know you don't want to
do because it messes up your old layout. Right. Everybody's trying to tell you, right? You're
coming into the side and you got a door that's going upstairs, but then you got this opening
on the left which does not comply to any code right because you can't exit in from people going
in there and be able to go upstairs so if you stop it right there stop stop stop stop stop stop
slide down or you can keep that this needs to be a sealed off wall
Slide down. Or you can keep that. This needs to be a sealed off wall. Period. That's it. That's it. It's sealed off. First floor is a one unit. Second floor is completely separate. The door there doesn't work. So just understand that. So that's the problem that everybody is kind of hearing. Coming into this unit on the first floor, you're accessing everything this way. That's it. And that's all. Right?
you got to provide second egress out of that first fourth you do it someplace else that's all
everybody is really kind of telling you right that's it thank you okay yeah that that and that
makes sense i understand that any other questions i believe actually that would be a requirement of
the building permit process anyway so i get you it's going to be a ceo requested so is it right
anyone anyone else with a question hillary our attorney questions or comments from the
virtual audience i don't have any questions mr chair okay mr chair there are no hands raised
for this matter planning commission strawberry mansions oh all right mr chair i'm sorry strawberry
mansion uh community concerns have been allowed to speak i'm sorry okay good afternoon um you've
already been sworn once today just please yeah bonita cummings okay miss cummings proceed i just
wanted to um for the record state that story mansion community concern was the coordinating
rco for a community the public meeting which was um attended by a community resident supporting
this project. We did a site visit, and it was our understanding initially that that area would
be closed off. I don't know whether maybe there was a little confusion about it, but the first
floor is a walkthrough where you come in one way, and then you can get to the back area,
and then there was the understanding of the ladders that would accompany anything
happening on the second floor so we you know we looked at it from the standpoint of a visual
and at the second floor bedroom is bigger than many of the zoning developments that we see come
before this board um okay so um the only thing i wanted to uh also um the the city code the
philadelphia zoning code section 14904 with all of those windows there you know the required we
We just wanted to, as part of the proviso, understand why that 20% would not be or can't be a part of the proviso just so windows are not, you know, like there's not excessive marketing or advertising.
We have problems with that in terms of some of the commercial corridors, so we'd like to start to try to keep those windows in compliance with the code.
Thank you very much for your call. We appreciate you getting back to us.
Planning Commission.
Nina Solomonic with the Planning Commission.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing zoning of RSA 5 single family.
The proposal for one family above non-residential matches the apparent configuration of the property.
Therefore, the Planning Commission recommends the board grant the requested variance for multiple principal uses and community center.
MI-2025-000-689-2325 North 26th Street. I vote yes with proviso. Interior trash storage and trash
stored must be stored in rear yard for both units. No household living in the basement and a
certificate of occupancy to be obtained. 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 provisos.
I am Wynn.
My vote is yes with provisos.
Thank you, counsel.
Okay, thank you.
Good seeing everyone again.
Take care.
Number three, MI 2025, 000690, 5942 Tallahill Street.
Devin Upta is the attorney.
There's a recommendation of support.
No explanation of HMC squared RCO.
The vote was nine in support, one in opposition, five abstain.
this is a legal request for legalization
good afternoon mr chair uh devin just for the record state your name you've always been sworn
no devin ukda uqdah could you identify your client the relationship to the property
yes um sorry one second um my client is michael
Yes. Sorry, one second. My client is Michael Clark, but the property is owned by an LLC. He's a sole member of the LLC.
Thank you. Do you do you waive the reading of the refusal and do you agree with its accuracy?
Yes, Mr. Chair. Why don't you start your presentation?
Sure. Can I share my screen?
Please.
let me know are you able to see my screen i we see it sir okay all right so um this property
is 5942 kylo hill street um this is a legalization of a duplex um a client um found out that the
property the property was always used as duplex but he found out that it was not zoned correctly
so he's seeking to legalize the duplex um so we'll go through the letter of refusal
there's a letter of refusal the proposed use to family household living is expressly prohibited
rsa we have that we have that devon all right um we have the deed we have everything we have all
your exhibits okay um so just just pictures of the areas rsa5 yep um here's pictures of the
outside of the property, they met with the RCO,
they got the support.
Again, this is just details about the property.
This here is a ground floor versus the second floor.
I'll zoom in.
Try to zoom in, sorry.
So this is the ground floor, it's one unit,
ground floor is one unit, second floor is another unit.
It's two bedrooms, one bath on the ground floor.
and also two bedrooms one back on the second floor um there's the first floor pictures of
the inside of the property i'll zoom out a little bit so you can see it better
uh pictures of the inside of the property uh this is the second floor again pictures of the
inside of the property really well maintained and well kept um it's currently um it was purchased
So basically, when it was purchased, it was marketed to him as a duplex.
He found out that the zoning was not accurate.
So although it was maintained as a duplex, we're seeking to legalize the fact that it is used as a duplex.
Legalized current use is not new construction.
Again, when it was acquired, he was told that it was a duplex.
But upon looking into the zoning, he found out it wasn't.
Again, it was used as duplex, so it had minimal impact to the community.
um notice to the neighbors that was sent out on a meeting was held um proof of mail proof of mailing
to the neighbors it's just all this is just proof of mailings all the the affected neighbors
it's going to go down to the