ZBA Hearing - August 6, 2020

Absolutely.

Do you do that with L&I?

Yes.

Do you do that with the Planning Commission?

Yes.

Do you do that with the Historical Commission?

Yes.

Yes.

Now, the buy right lot coverage and building mass for RM1 is what percentage?

Now, the by-right...

80% coverage for storage.

I'm sorry, I can't hear the answer.

I'm sorry, I have to mute myself between questions.

Okay.

Actually, I'm going to try to use the speaker on my computer.

I'm going to take it off the headset.

Okay.

Yeah.

Are you all able to hear me?

Yes.

Okay.

What is the permitted percentage of lot coverage at this site in the RM1 district?

80% for quarter lots.

Does the plan before the zoning board fill the 80% that's permitted by right?

Only on the first and seller.

Is it less than 80% on the upper floors?

Yes.

On the floors above the first floor?

Second, third, fourth floor are less than 80%.

Right. And are we pursuing a variance for building mass?

No.

Only for height?

Is that correct?

Yes.

Okay. And to reiterate, you've answered a lot of questions about parking.

But to reiterate, what is the existing curb cut at the property?

51 feet, six spaces.

And what will be the curb cut when this plan comes to fruition?

20 feet.

How many spots will the neighborhood pick up on street parking?

Minimum one, potentially two, depending on how cars are parked.

Thank you very much.

Mr. Chairman, those are all my redirect.

have any other witnesses or is there any other follow-up Mr. DeMarco or Mr. Boland

I don't have any more questions Brian Boland I have nothing thank you all right Mr. Miller

your next witness please yes Mr. Chairman Iman Elkaban please

you're going to unmute yourself and you're allowed to speak hello hi

uh iman al-kaban yes uh ma'am please spell your name and excuse me please identify yourself spell

your name, give us your address for the record? Sure. My name is Eman Alkoban, E-M-A-N-E-L-K-A-L-B-A-N.

And I live at one Franklin town, just a few blocks away from 2000 Spring Garden Street.

Thank you. Ms. Alkoban, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Yes, I do. Okay. Thank you. Mr. Miller, please proceed.

Thank you. Ms. Elkhoban, are you familiar with the current property at 2000 Spring Garden Street?

Yes, I am. I walk past that property almost every day on my way home from work.

And where do you work?

I work in University City.

And are you familiar with the plans for the development of this property?

Yes, I've been following this project closely. And I actually, I had the opportunity to attend

the meeting last year with the Historical Commission. And I was also given the opportunity

to speak there as well. And I presented the Historical Commission with a letter that was

signed by over 25 members of the community who were unable to attend the meeting.

um so i've been following the project closely and i i just want to say that um it was really

disheartening to just hear about the next door posts being so undermined um because there are

so many of us that were really in favor of this project and i understand that this is a zoning

board meeting but the rco meeting that was held earlier this week myself and several others raised

our hand to speak and we were denied the opportunity to do so. Would you please explain

how that happened? Were you on the Zoom conference? I was on the Zoom conference with my

how that happened. Were you on the Zoom conference? I was on the Zoom conference with my hand raised

from very early on, and the meeting was conducted in an extremely biased manner.

Several people were allowed to speak in opposition, and when one person spoke in favor of the project,

it was very immediately, abruptly closed. The meeting just suddenly ended, and nobody even

understood how that happened um so that was really um discouraging and disheartening to feel that

you know we take out our time as community members to follow these developments and attend

these community meetings and we're not given the opportunity to speak are you aware of the

feedback that the rco has received on this matter other than what you heard on the zoom conference

how could she possibly know that that's an improper question objection well it's

mr chairman the point is the rco operates in the shadows and the the the public has no idea

whether the rco is accurately reporting the sentiment of the community and that's what i

agree that's what i'm well there's there's there's a lot of obviously there's a any rco with

anything there's any rco there's always a matter of trust well did you i i wasn't there i mean the

lady was on uh the zoom call uh that's her opinion i'll accept it as her opinion but i don't

necessarily want to suggest that spring garden is acting in in the dark in you know in the dark

and not giving people an opportunity i i i can't speak to that none of us can't unless we were

I have another question. Ms. Elkaban, did you hear any sort of vote called by the RCO?

No. And that's what we were anticipating, that by the end of the call, there would be

votes taken. And again, the meeting ended very abruptly. No votes were taken. And there was no

resolution or, you know, what had happened there. It was a bunch of opposition. They painted a really

like you know dark picture of this property and that nobody's in favor of it and all these people

who had their hands raised weren't allowed to speak and that's why i'm saying it did feel

one-sided and and if that is my opinion that's fine but the fact was my hand was raised and i

wasn't allowed to speak and if you were given let me ask the question so in addition to yourself

miss alcabon alcabon yes other folks had their hands up but were not recognized correct and i

think some of those people are on this call today for that reason do we know there's no way of

knowing if those folks were either going to be in support or opposition to this absolutely i agree

with you yeah okay and i want a question you said you live in in franklin one franklin town yeah

is that a condo building or an apartment building an apartment building so you're a tenant you are

not an owner no i'm not okay and how long have you been there four years okay thank you oh one

more thing that i'd like to say that also because i've been in the neighborhood for as long as i

have i know because again i've been following this project closely the proposed project started last

year the scaffolding has been there for at least three so the idea that this is all on hold and

because of the proposed project is putting her work on hold. It wasn't on hold for the two years

before the project even became in the picture. So that was just something that I've noticed as

just, you know, living in the area. Thank you. Ms. Elkaban, if you were given the opportunity to speak

at the RCO Zoom meeting, what would you have shared? I would have shared that I do believe

that the new proposed project is going to be an asset to the community it's the current building

there is unsightly it's not anything that matches historically or just aesthetically to the block

and i'm all in favor of making our community as beautiful as possible and i really believe that

this proposed project you know they are following all requests to appease both the community and

historical commission and it's been revised multiple times to meet you know whatever

requirements were asked of them so thank you very much sure no problem thank you any cross

examination to this witness yes uh marco yeah thank you mr chairman mr out the bond can you

hear me yes i can hear you all right one franklin town is approximately uh a half a mile from the

the project that you're speaking about would you agree with that um i never calculated exactly

I never calculated exactly how far away it is.

i just did i just

I just calculated the walking distance, and it's 0.4 miles away.

Okay.

So, first of all, Mr. Chairman, note my objection to the legal standing of this individual.

She's almost a half a mile away from this proposal.

Don't note it.

Ms. Alcoban, you testified about my client's scaffolding being on hold, not being on hold prior to this project.

Did you hear the testimony that this project has been before the Historical Commission for over a year or more?

Actually, that's not the testimony.

The testimony was, the evidence was that the Historical Commission process began in the second quarter of 2019,

and that it concluded on September 30th.

So it hasn't been before the Historical Commission for a year.

Ms. Alcabon, that's incorrect.

But Ms. Alcabon.

I don't know.

Is it really worth belaboring the point as to how long that scaffolding has been up?

Well, I certainly agree with that.

But there's been testimony about it.

My client's under attack.

I need to do something about it.

No one is attacking here.

That's also something.

Ms. Alcabon, that's a legal terminology.

It's just a shame, Mr. Chairman, that the legal strategy in this case is to attack my client.

And, you know, the developer has, and note my objection, my client's not seeking variances.

And my client's scaffolding is due to a process that's been put on hold due to this project and how dare these people.

Again, I really don't want to belabor this part.

Let's move on.

Let's move on.

All right.

You can unmute yourself.

Am I unmuted now?

Yes.

Thank you.

So you don't live along Spring Garden, Ms. Alcabon, right?

No, I do not.

Okay.

And you're building a high-rise?

It is.

All right.

You enjoy a very good view from your high-rise, right?

I do.

Right.

And you wouldn't want somebody erecting a structure that partially blocked your view,

your wonderful views of the city, would you?

That's not something that I would have the power to stop.

It's all I can say.

If someone, you know, sought variances and they were approved and they want to build a building, I can't.

That's not the question.

Okay.

You would certainly object if someone was seeking variances that partially or completely blocked your light in there.

You would want the right to object to those variances, wouldn't you?

i think that the right to object an easement like an easement for a view is not something that is

enough to completely you know take down a project that is otherwise following every single rule

that's there it's that's a personal issue not a community one so you have to you have to be fair

like if it's going to block my view on the 10th floor well people on the fifth floor don't have

of you anyway you know so that's that's something that i wouldn't that's me being personal then

miss alcaban you're saying you don't you would not want you would not exercise your right to

object to a variance that impacted your views of the city and your light and air

no no i don't think that that's something that is enough of a you know of a reason to completely

you know attack another project okay i have no further questions okay the bone

just one brief question um ryan boland um miss alcovan how did you end up participating in the

rco process and finding about the meeting on monday um i saw the uh posts on next door

and um again because i have been following this project i wanted to attend the meeting and voice

my opinion i i actually spoke at the historical commission meeting last year so that's how i knew

about the rco meeting and how did you first find out about this project um i'm actually just in

general i'm interested in real estate and development and i found out about this project

last year uh through a friend was it anyone affiliated with the developer no i have nothing

further. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Alcoban. Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity

to speak today. I appreciate it. I appreciate you taking the time to be here today. Thank you very

much. Okay. Call Walenska-Stanke. And I need screen control, please.

Hey, I'm here, Valeska.

Hey, I'm here, Valeska.

Okay.

Ms. Stunke, you're an architect, is that correct?

Yes, I am.

Architect and urban planning.

Mr. Miller, I need to mute you.

Ma'am, would you please identify yourself with a record, spell your first and last name,

and give us your address?

Yes, my name is Valeska Stunke, W-A-L-E-S-K-A-S-T-A-M-D-K-E.

and uh what else i live in philadelphia and powilton village thank you do you swear and

affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes i do thank you please

proceed mr miller all right can she put her address on record 433 north 32nd thank you

are you able to see the screen before you yes okay at my request did you analyze the and compare

the image to the left provided by the next door neighbor uh the llc mooring properties the owner