ZBA Hearing - July 8, 2026

is multi-family even to this day and the last known use was six units so the the executive

board which which is very sophisticated all vote and support voted in support thought this was a

really positive use of the property and a responsible use of the property the four

members of the community that were there did not think so they wanted you know single family use

ON THE FLIP SIDE, THEY WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO SOME PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WERE LIKE, OH,

YOU CAN MAKE THIS INTO A MILLION-DOLLAR HOUSE. WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE. AND, YOU KNOW,

AGAIN, THERE'S AFFORDABILITY ASPECTS AS WELL IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND, AGAIN, COMFORTABLY,

THIS WOULD BE THREE UNITS AND IT WOULD BE A POSITIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS AN OLDER HOUSING

STOCK TO BEGIN WITH. AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE FROM THE VOTE, YOU HAVE THE RCO BOARD, THREE,

and support the community for, again, not a well-attended meeting.

So my clients, again, have owned, you know, through the family on this block for multi-generations,

and they're still very involved.

But you'll see all the addresses here on Hazel, on that block, all of them in support of this matter.

and then again i want to show you from a property history perspective the last known use was six

units again two per floor we're looking to do one per floor and then not out of character either and

again i believe that these are only properties which have rental licenses so we're not showing

you they're being used as multifamily and they may or may not have a rental license

these are properties in addition to ours which have not just a history of multifamily use but

have rental licenses for multifamily use for in addition to 4704 which is our property 4700 hazel

4701 0208 12 13 17 18 29 30 32 34 35 36 so there are 14 other instances just on this block

that are multifamily in nature and then the property which is right next to us on hazel is

a mirror image of what we're expecting to do there's three units there is basement living but

there's an exterior set of steps which we have as well which we would use it's multi-level on the

first floor in the lower level and there's adequate walkway where you can store trash outside we would

just mimic exactly what they would do. And I think that makes sense. Again, we want to

give you all the rental proof of all the rental licenses for all these properties, and that's

in our presentation packet. And again, we're only asking for three. You see there are not

just threes, there's fours and sixes. So we're asking for something that I think is the least

modification possible under the Philadelphia zoning code. So you see a lot of fours and

sixes and fives there's threes but you know there's fours fours maps of the area again uh

we're we are mid-block um we are in our rsa five section of the neighborhood i think in name only

RSA 5 section of the neighborhood, I think in name only, because there's multifamily all around us, and there's even RM1 next to us.

because there's multifamily all around us.

And then you can see here, I believe this is Lancaster or Baltimore Avenue, but again, we're next to our commercial corridor, helping support that commercial corridor with that extra density.

And then photographs of the property is beautiful outside. It's been taken care of well. It just hasn't been used for a long time.

and so it's been unoccupied not inhabited and you know cam is now older when he got the property is

much younger and um he wants to you know develop it uh and you know keep it alive in in the family

name this is hazel to the right of the property to the left of the property and this is just the

example of the property next door to us so you see how they have those exterior steps leading

down with a separate door we would do the same thing this is covered up obviously and you can

You can also see there's a garbage area, an exterior garbage area.

We would do the same thing.

So that's just a different angle.

So we would have exterior garbage.

We also have a humongous backyard where we can stir the garbage as well.

So this is proof of posting.

And then these are our plans and drawings.

We'll start going first floor and then we'll go back to the lower level.

So you walk into this common vestibule area.

You make a left, you have a dining room, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, sunroom.

You can see there's a ton of light and air with all these windows.

We're not changing that up.

Can we make this a little bit bigger?

Oh, sure.

Thank you.

Can you see that better?

All right.

So here you're walking in.

You have a dining room here, two windows in the front, a window right here.

You're walking in.

You have more windows.

You have a living room.

You have a closet area, too.

Then you have the kitchen.

You have another closet area.

You have a bathroom.

You have a bedroom.

And you have a sunroom, right?

Instead of going into this, and then we'll just go back to the basement, because then you go down the flight of steps.

Let me just make sure.

You go to the basement level, and you go down these flight of steps.

You have a family room.

You have your own laundry room.

You have another bedroom and a master.

and a bathroom and a closet specifically and then you have these egress wells but you have

a separate exterior entryway with a front door or i guess a back door depending on the circumstances

the property to next next to us is completely configured the same way we're no different than

the property as legal as a three unit we're just asking to be a three unit rather than the six

unit we were previously because we are RSA 3 and we let the use lapse for more than three years

without rental licenses. That's why we're here today. But there's never been a single family

use for this property. Or at least the last known use. Now let's go up a flight of steps, right? So

we go up a flight of steps and again many windows with the bay windows right here. But we have a

dining room, a living room, a kitchen, and then you have that's I guess one unit.

And then you have the other unit, which is a kitchen, a living room, and a dining room.

And then you go to the third floor, is the interior staircase, as you go up in a flight of an interior staircase, and you have two bedrooms, a bathroom, which is next to the bedrooms, a washer and dryer.

And then the mirror image is right here as well.

So everyone has a bi-level, right? Whether it's the first floor and the lower level or the second and third floors. And again, many windows because we have that breezeway where there's, you can see windows throughout all the living rooms.

We met with the community on June 16th. Again, there were four members of this community that showed up, but there were three sophisticated board members that gave a detailed history and explained why this use was a responsible use and fit well within the fabric of the neighborhood.

It actually was more in line with the wants and needs of some of the community members that were in there saying, we want affordable housing.

Well, a million dollars house is not affordable.

I think I did quick math saying 6% interest rate, principal plus interest, plus taxes, plus insurance.

You're looking at a mortgage of like, I can't remember at the time, I think it was like $6,000 or $7,000.

That's not affordable.

that that would create a situation where it would make it unaffordable for a lot of members of this

community we had a three-bedroom and two two-bedrooms a three-bedroom could be used for a

family and the rates that we're looking for rent are in low 2000s and for the two bedrooms like

1850 so which would make it much more affordable for people in that neighborhood with a nicer

housing stock that's currently there this is proof that we emailed the notice a few weeks

stock that's currently there this is proof that we emailed the notice a few weeks before our

community meeting we mailed that notice to 98 addresses these are the addresses we were given

by the city planning commission proof of mailing to those addresses our application for zoning

variance notice refusal the project information form the deed to property showing that's my

clients names so they're not holding they're not hiding behind an llc this is a family-owned

property it's been a family-owned property i'll ask cam how long it's been in the in the family

name and they want to keep it as a family-owned property you know yeah i i talked to them after

the meeting said you know there are people who are saying that this you can sell this for a million

dollars and he's like there's no way he's like but we don't want to get rid of this we love

this property there's so much history there the people who are still on the block are are still

friends they're still friends with and so the people on the block want this to remain family

owned and to be multi-family and they think three units is more than appropriate for the

under the circumstances certificate of tax clearance they're on the payment plan for this

property um i think that's it um i would ask that uh can be uh sworn in sir could you please state

your name is spelled for the stenographer. Kenneth Glover, K-E-N-N-E-T-H, last name Glover, G-L-O-V-E-R.

You swear or affirm that tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? Yes. Counsel?

Cam, you heard everything I had to state today about your zoning matter. Yes. Is it true and correct?

Yes. And do you adopt this your own testimony? Yes. Do you know how long the property's been in

your family's name? It's been over 60 years. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Questions from the board.

I have a question. So can you go back to the basement? And the question is, are the two window wells the only windows or light that will be coming from the basement? I don't know if the door would.

The door as well.

The door. So it's just the two window wells and the door?

Yes. It mimics the property right next door.

And that's not the way that the first floor tenant would enter their apartment, right? That's just a way that they can.

No, that's just another way to exit, yes.

Yeah, I'm going to see if there's any photographs of that alleyway.

I don't see any good photographs from our direction.

But the property next door to you, you're mimicking what they are doing.

They have a bi-level, too, with a first floor and lower level with exterior steps.

And I think if it's the other picture, that one.

Wait, the windows right here.

Yeah. Where you see the railing, that's actually the door. I just had that covered so no one could go down there. But it would literally mimic the property next door where they would have an entrance, well, a way to get out. The door is going to be there and then it would have another window lateral to parallel to the one next door.

Yeah. And you do have windows. It's just a window well. So there are built in windows, two windows down there. Yeah. It's just you can't see from the picture.

And the twin house, are they in support of what you're trying to do as well as the other house to your left?

So the house directly next door, I spoke to the program manager because it's actually a program now.

I couldn't get in touch with the owner, but the program manager was in support.

And the other side?

And the other side, yes, absolutely.

Thank you.

Other questions?

I'm going to ask a question my other board member usually asks.

what are we what are we doing about the trash well so good question uh so there's two ways we

can do it we can mimic what the next door neighbor is doing because it's a common walkway

and i and i believe i showed that picture but let me just do that again

just trying to find it oh right there well you can see it from two angles there's a there's a three

foot common walkway between the two properties they have a trash area towards the front that's

enclosed this is the different angle we would do the same but we have a huge backyard we have a

backyard i think the open area the rear yard it's like around uh let's see it's 20 feet

rear yard so it's like 500 square foot rear yards so we can put that in the back but we

would agree to a proviso uh trash stored outside other questions questions from our council

No questions at this time, Mr. Chairman.

Are there comments from the virtual audience, or is it what he is here?

Yes, Chair. I have a hand up by Kathy Dowell. I'm going to allow them to speak.

Yes, Chair, I have a hand up by Kathy Dowell.

Okay.

Good afternoon.

Hi. Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?

Yes, my name is Kathy Dowell, K-A-T-H-Y-D-O-W-D-E-L-L.

You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

Yes, I do.

are you a neighbor uh i'm with the rco okay and yes i'm a neighbor just a few blocks away

sure please proceed um well thank you mr nachmanson for your for your kind words about our

rco we try and and do a good job um and i think you made a very fair presentation of the issues

here um i came to this meeting to speak to some related issues um number one i know that we cannot

change the notification requirements in any way but we're finding in our neighborhood that

the letters are getting sent out and thrown away by people I don't know I

wanted to encourage attorneys and all of us to just think about can we put a

sticker on the envelope that says zoning notice and closed or I just think we all

should be thinking of a way as as snail mail becomes less and less a way for

people to communicate it is still the way people get official notices from the

city and so we in the neighborhood will try and remind people that they should

open their mail but I just wanted to raise that as an issue for you guys to

think about a little bit and that's directly related to the other issue

which is the issue of petitions I've spoken at these meetings before we tend

to take a very dim view of petitions in our in our neighborhood because we've

had some bad experiences with them we've had them used by applicants who were

unhappy with the results of a public meeting and did a petition after the fact um you know they've

just generally been poorly executed in this case that's not true in this case the owner took the

petition around himself i spoke with a couple of the neighbors um and and one of the neighbors i

know fairly well and she and i spoke at length about this um and i think the issue is really

that in this particular case the petition ended up doing the opposite of what i think the owner

was trying to achieve. The person that I spoke to didn't remember receiving the letter. She's

an attorney. I would think she would have paid attention, but she didn't remember. But she saw

the petition, and we talked about it. And after the meeting, I think what happened is that all

of the people who signed the petition felt like they had done their job. And so none of them

attended the meeting. And so the public meeting, which is the record of neighborhood input on this

project was all negative and so i feel that in a way the petition worked against the issue um

so i just wanted to raise those two issues for you guys to think about thank you um thank you

for taking the time to call us we do appreciate it is there anyone else in the virtual audience

there are no more hands at this time chair planning commission amy boyd of the planning

commission the comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning at this location to the existing

rsa 3 residential single family the property has permits dating back to 1953 for multi-family

the planning commission recommends that the board grant the requested variance for three

family household living mi 2026 000 871 4704 hazel avenue i vote yes maximum three units

Charles Gaster my vote is yes

with proviso

Tanetta Graham my vote is yes with proviso

Brian McAdams my vote is yes with proviso

Layla Beebe my vote is yes with proviso

thank you

thank you

Armstrong