It's not that level of manufacturing.
So, again, we are consistent with the adopted plans.
I mentioned the Tioga Goals and Strategies Report and the North District Plan, and I think I've addressed the parking aspect for the granting of a variance or variances by the Zoning Board.
And real quickly, I don't want to drag this out, but I really think it's important that Mr. Miles and Dr. Furman just speak for a couple minutes.
because of the use variants here. I'd like them to speak about the need and the vision
and the limited impact of what we're looking to do here. Mr. Miles and Dr. Furman, if you could
please be brief, but you did a really great job of explaining this to the planning commission
staff when we had the zoning appeal preliminary review meeting. So I'd just like the zoning board
to hear it. Sure. Am I permitted to speak, Mr. Chair? You have to be sworn first. Okay.
I think you're muted, Mr. Chairman. Anthony, could you state your name and spell for the
court reporter? My name is Anthony Miles, M-I-L-E-S. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,
The whole truth, nothing but the truth. Yes, I do.
Pushe. Yes. Thank you, David.
And thank you, Mr. Chair, for giving me the opportunity.
This is a project with huge community impact.
The facility, again, as Davis State, has two functions.
One, manufacturing of prescription and safety eyeglasses with state-of-the-art equipment, no noise.
and also the Center for Pediatric and Adult Diabetes. Diabetes, our primary target is the
28,000 diagnosed diabetics in North Philadelphia, East and West, as five zip codes, as well as
the greater Philadelphia. We've gotten a tremendous amount of support from various stakeholders who
who have been working with us for over a year
to put this facility together and get it designed up.
Dr. Fuhrman, who's on the call,
is going to be the CEO of the facility.
Dr. Fuhrman currently operates an optometry practice
in Mount Airy, the part of Philadelphia,
with 5,000 patients.
She'll be getting another doctor to run that facility
and come over here full time.
Do you want to get Dr. Fuhrman on?
Sure. Yes, please. Real quickly.
Dr. Fuhrman, if she could be promoted to panelists, please.
Dr. Fuhrman, please unmute yourself or wait for the chair.
I'm here.
Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.
Dr. Furman yes I'm here okay could you state your name please spell for the court reporter
it is Chalice Furman C-H-E-L-I-S as in Sam E-F as in Frank I-R-M-I-N right do you swear a firm
to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth I do proceed the Tioga section of
Philadelphia and North Philadelphia in general, um, is especially at risk for the, um, epidemic
of diabetes. Um, that area, um, has about 17% diabetes, diabetics that are identified currently,
and that is, um, more than the national average. Um, the concern is in 2030, about 50% of people,
um, will be affected by diabetes and pre-diabetes, um, affecting mostly black and brown populations.
Unfortunately, only 50% of people with a Medicare or Medicaid benefit use that benefit to identify, excuse me, to get their diabetic eye exam.
The importance of eye exams and diabetes is that they are able to determine whether or not you are at greater risk for kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke.
Most people don't use that benefit. We are using this as an opportunity to capture that population.
Most people don't use that benefit. We are using this as an opportunity to capture that population
in an effort to offset the major societal damage that having a long-term debilitating disease will
create on the community at large. Currently, right now, we are very concerned. Most, if you've been
listening to any medical people, most people are concerned that in 2030, the weight of
the weight of the amount of people on the health care system in Philadelphia will definitely
strain the system. And not only that will impact the community in terms of finances,
children education, and basically how families are going to sustain themselves.
Our goal is to really change that and have a significant impact and just really become an
example of creating a small army of community educators, allowing them to educate themselves
and really try to turn that statistic around so that we are able to really impact people's
lives in general, but especially just the city of Philadelphia.
Thank you, Dr. Furman.
Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, we do have revised zoning drawings.
The main change is that on the original zoning drawings, we had the elevator only extending
to the fifth floor, and there was an elevator override at the roof deck.
It was determined during the course of getting to the zoning board that that elevator needed
to extend actually to the roof deck.
It is a dimensionally compliant elevator pilothouse.
It's less than 125 square feet.
It's more than 10 feet above the roof deck surface, and it's set back at least a minimum
required from the street frontage in the rear of the building um but we do have those um attached
at tab three of our exhibit book both a clean and a clouded version of that um so if the board i just
wanted to put that on the board's radar that if the board were to elect to um grant the requested
variances that they um that they would be subject to stamping the revised drawings um hillary uh
And I have had a conversation. We were working to get these finalized until this morning to hear the case, close the record, have the vote held maybe next week after she's had a chance to review and make sure that, you know, there's nothing else going on with the revised zoning drawings between now and then, which, you know, we're, we find, we find acceptable.
um so uh and one last thing is that uh the zoning board did i just wanted to bring to your attention
the zoning board did grant a variance for a five-story building the next block up just
recently at 3424 um the 26 north 17th street um you know similar actually more developed
residentially than our block um the height of the roof is pretty similar they were at 50 feet
were at 52 feet um and but they had a pilot house that extended uh a lot more than a lot taller than
ours um because they were at 64 feet so i just wanted to bring that that they're you know it
every property speaks for itself i'm aware of that but again the um you know this area is in need
it's a blighted area blighted properties long-standing vacancy um run down buildings
And again, being on North 17th Street, there's all the plans speak to population, bringing people to live there and bringing businesses to North 17th Street.
And that's what we propose to do. And there's clearly a great need to having this facility here and a benefit to providing the services that they're going to be providing.
Thank you.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
Thomas is on the phone he's listed in so I but I know that he's listing in
questions or comments from the virtual audience
I see no hands at this time planning commission
thank you chair Bergman David Fecto with the city planning commission
the comprehensive plan recommends a change to multifamily to residential multifamily zoning
at this location the proposal for commercial development is consistent with a city planning
commission produced neighborhood plan which recommends extending commercial development
further south on north 17th street the applicant has not shown however that providing a roof deck
is strictly necessary to enable use of this property so the city planning commission recommends
the board grant the use and dimensional variances except for those related to the roof deck
um and again real quickly mr chairman it's just it's that there's not going to be at there's
There's not going to be – we provide the required open area, but there's just not a lot of – we're trying to make this a very healthy-feeling facility, and part of that is providing some outdoor space.
we provide the required open area
And as you can see, it's it's something that's going to be minimally used during the working day and will not have a detrimental impact upon the surrounding neighborhood, but will have a benefit to the clients, customers and employees of this facility.
so we're going to hold this vote um and what i'm going to do is uh i'm probably conflicted
in this so i'm going to have our vice chair who's who's not here right now he'll watch the tape and
and he'll go over the vote and i hillary will shoot still shoot for next wednesday yeah next
wednesday should be fine mr chair at 2 p.m we'll do next wednesday but david i'm going to i'm going
to conflict myself. I understand. I understand why. And just real quickly, I think I have to
have my statements adopted by. Oh, sure. Absolutely. So first, Mr. Miles, he's already
been sworn. I'll just run through Mr. Miles and then maybe the architects real quickly.
So, Anthony. Yeah, I'm here. Okay, great. You've already been sworn. So did you hear the statements
that I made today to the board?
And I wanted to, again,
I want to highlight
that we have tried to find
properties and buildings
that allow this use
in this area of need,
but without a variance.
And they were not successful
as most of those properties
are controlled by Temple, correct?
That is correct.
All right.
And are the statements
that I made to the board today
true and correct
to the best of your knowledge?
And would you adopt them as your own?
Okay. And then I think Kurt Raymond from Cicada and then Banu Alleman real quickly.
So it's just the architect. Yes.
Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court reporter?
Kurt did the original zoning drawings, his firm, and then Banu's firm did the revised drawing. So I just wanted to quickly have them both adopt.
Can you hear me?
Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court reporter?
My name is Kurt Raymond, K-U-R-T-R-A-Y-M-O-N-D.
All right.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Proceed, counsel.
Kurt, did you hear the statements that I made to the board today?
I did.
And are they true and correct to the best of your knowledge?
They are.
And would you adopt them as your own?
I would.
And then real quickly, Banu?
Could you state your name and spell for the court reporter, please?
They would have to raise their hand.
Banu, could you raise your hand, please?
Okay, he's available, Chair.
Okay, could you state your name, please, and spell for the court reporter?
My name is Banu Otaman with Umbra Architects.
Spelling is B-A-N-U-A-T-A-M-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Proceed, counsel.
Hi, Banu.
Did you hear the statements that I made to the board today?
yes i did are they true and correct to the best of your knowledge yes they are and would you
adopt them as your own yes okay and you anything that says umbra architecture on it architects is
what you and or members of your firm prepared um that we provided to the board today correct
correct yes correct all right thank you very much thank you mr chairman bergman i thank you um
is there anyone in the virtual audience whose 330 case has not been called
all right thanks everyone good day a lot of nice work today thank you very much
thank you everybody see you next week thank you good evening all right good evening
see you later y'all have a good one have a good one all