Chair, we have someone calling from a Samsung device.
They're going to come back in as a panelist, Chair.
Right.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman.
Could you state your name, please?
Yes, my name is Noel.
Spell for the court stenographer.
Yes, my name is Noel Garcia, N-O-E-L, last name Garcia, G-
My name is Noel Garcia, N-O-E-L, last name Garcia, G-A-R-C-I-A.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Our vice chair has a few questions for you.
I will note that the letter of support from the 42nd Ward Committee, the RCO, and there's a letter of non-opposition from Councilperson Lozada.
good morning sir have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that are needed
to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing i think my expediter um eb regis
um send them yes okay thank you i believe we did receive everything thank you please proceed
and share your screen all right i bought um 215 east wyoming avenue back in 2000
could you share your screen first we can't see yours we need we need to see your documents
All right. How do I, because E.B. Regis is on the other side. She's still wondering who's going to share my expediter, and I don't see her.
Well, she can share the screen, but she can't testify.
That's fine. I'm going to testify.
She needs to put the screen up.
The person with the last name Reyes has been promoted to panelists.
Thank you.
Hello, good morning. Thank you for letting me in. Hello?
Yes, but just put the screen up. All we need is a screen from you.
Okay, can you see my screen?
We see your name. We don't see your screen.
Okay, give me one second, please.
Okay, we see the screen. Sir, can you see the screen?
mr garcia do you see the screen yes i can see it okay start testifying sir
okay um i bought 4712 ls3 with my house on 2018 um
i saw that there was a lot of parking issues and uh blocks i mean we have schools we have there's uh
Right across from 4712 Ella Street, there is a park, baseball, basketball, swimming pool.
And I always had trouble finding a parking room around my house.
I have two artistic kids that, I mean, as you know, I mean, I also had problems before where they would just open the door.
you know what I mean and just run to the house um I have the um this is why I'm here today to try
to get a permit um for the two parking um on my garage for a garage for two parking the lot is
actually um attached to my house which I'm living at allow I'm the lot I'm not using it for nothing
else just i mean i'm using as a as a yard for my kids to play on garcia why don't you show us a
picture you have a picture of the of the lot sure that's um exhibit um number four
that's the rolling gate that's the lot
and that's your lot next to your house yes
my my yard is actually um opened up to the lot i'm the only one to have um a way to my lot
the other yards right next to my house is not is um it's fenced
i also have the deed that i'm the the owner of the lot which is exhibit number two okay
um we had a community meeting meeting exhibit three
and i was supported by um three
And I was supported by three people, even though we send a letter to a lot of people, a lot of neighbors.
And exhibit number five was just the proof of postal mail.
I also have the copy of the letter that was sent to them.
Back in 10-30-22.
And I have the Sowning Board Revise of Plans, exhibit number seven.
I have the blueprints layout.
mr garcia what happened was you redid it you put a fence up right you put the gate up and then
someone came out and complained that it wasn't zoned properly is that right yes it was yes but
i mean i when i did it i mean i didn't know that i mean i had to get i mean i live in i mean i used
live in puerto rico and puerto rico is different than here we used to do yes all right you went
to the 42nd ward you presented they gave you a three zero vote and the council person is in
non-opposition is that right yes okay questions from the board no chair
hello this is evie reyes um the rco that supported the um you don't remember you don't
testify okay i i said the rco supported the council persons in non-opposition yes okay um
questions or comments from the virtual audience
i see no hands at this time chair hi planning commission
thank you chair bergman sarah bond philadelphia city planning commission
the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing RSA single-family zoning at this
location. The appellant has not shown that the property cannot possibly be used in strict
conformity with the zoning code and that a variance is therefore necessary to enable the
viable economic use of the property. The city planning commission recommends that the board
deny the variance. Hillary? Yes, Mr. Chair. Can we make this a temporary variance? Yes, we can,
Chair. So that way, if they have removed it, the variance doesn't go along to the next person,
okay? Well, I mean, yeah, it would need to be renewed by whoever, but yes, we can do a temporary
variance for um we want to specify specifically for um the use well actually would go with
everything right so really mi 2022 004 780 4712 ella street i vote yes for a temporary variance
that will expire 8-1-2027
Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Number 11, MI 2023-000-561-527 West Rockland Street.
The application is for two-family household living in an existing structure.
Letter of support from the Logan Civic Association.
Chair Alejandro Zapata is coming back in as a panelist now.
Good morning, sir. Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court sonographer?
Alejandro?
Yes. Good morning.
Good morning. Could you state your name and spell it for the court sonographer, please?
One second.
Okay, my name is Alejandro Zapata.
A-L-E-J-A-N-D-R-O-Z-A-P-A-T-A.
Right.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you please turn your video on?
Could you please turn your video on?
I'm just wondering.
That's what I'm trying. Give me one second.
Okay. Okay. Our Vice Chair has a few questions for you, sir.
Okay. Good morning, sir. Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that are needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
Please proceed and share your screen.
So I bought this property 527 West Rockland.
Can you see my screen?
Yes, we see.
The property back in 2019, no, 2020, I'm sorry, as an existing duplets to family with violations.
So it also had a made safe property that was marked unsafe.
Excuse me one minute, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Zabahada, there's another owner listed.
Who is the other owner of the property, your uncle? Okay. All right. Thank you.
So the property was marked unsafe. So in the meantime, since COVID, everything was slow.
So I was taking care of the make safe first. And by the time I finished the make safe,
the use
the use spire
I applied for the
you applied for the
I applied for the
for the two families
for the use permit
for the building permits
so this
this was originally
a duplex, am I right?
And then the use expired.
Could you show us pictures of it, please?
When I applied, it got refused.
And they voted 10-3
in your favor.
Since 1944, it's been
a duplex.
Back in 2017,
it also got granted.
But like I said, since I was doing the
Maysafe, it got expired and
That's where I'm at right now.
When he shows, do you have the photos there?
Yeah, that's where it's kind of going slow.
And the utilities are already separated, right?
So that's, this is, this is the picture after the maid safe.
You can see the picture the way it was before.
So the property pretty much was marked unsafe because of the back of the house.
It was pretty much not black.
You don't see the picture in a second.
So that's how it looks right now.
The inside was already like this as well.
You're also at the end of the block, am I right?
Yes, at the end of the block.
let me show you the the picture of the uh the way it used to be before
hold on a second so that's all the photos you have no no i don't i'm trying to show you the
way it was before me.
All right.
So, Mr. Zapata, it's already been, it's all
always been zone a duplex,
right? But it
expired. Am I right?
Yes. Okay.
Questions from the board?
no mr chairman
No, Mr. Chairman.
no chair
No, Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
Chair, we have Charles Richardson.
Good morning, Mr. Richardson.
Good morning, sir.
Could you please state your name and spell it for the court stenographer?
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Charles Richardson, R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N, Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass Room, 508 City Hall.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Proceed, sir.
Councilwoman has no opposition to granting the variance.
Thank you for taking us the time to call in.
Anyone else in the virtual audience?
Chair, I see no other hands at this time.
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Chair Bergman, Sarah Bond, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing residential single-family zoning at
this location however the proposed use is consistent with documented prior use of the
property the city planning commission recommends that the zoning board grant the variance thank
you MI 2023 000 561 527 West Rockland Street I vote yes Thomas Holloman my vote is yes
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes
Thank you, Mr.
You have your votes
We're going to number one on the list