They're the equitable owner of the property located at 650 Fairmount Avenue.
We're here today with an application for construction of a mixed-use multifamily project with ground floor retail, accessory parking.
And I have with me today David Perlman and Tony Maris, owner and developer, or equitable
owner and developer of the project, as well as Emily Johnson of ISA Architects.
If David Perlman could be promoted, I'm going to have some testimony from him later on.
In the meantime, I'm going to share my screen.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Let's see if I can try it again.
Let's see if that's visible.
So the property is essentially 177,000 square feet.
It's over four acres, and the address is 650 Fairmount.
To the east, it is bound by 6th Street.
To the south is Green Street, and to the west is 7th Street.
And the former Marshall Street runs through the middle.
This is formerly open on city plans since been stricken and closed.
And this area here, as I'm showing, is the existing Helping Hands Mission Church.
currently on site is a you know mid 20th century late 1960s former affordable project designed
sort of as a garden garden style apartments that is mostly vacant at this time it's about 25
percent occupied and it is in severe disrepair and at the bottom of your screen you see the
Helping Hands mission. We're really excited to be here today proposing 404 new units, and I'll get
into the diversity of the housing stock, but ground floor commercial on 6th Street, underground
parking, 40 affordable units. We have community benefits agreements with the coordinating RCO as
well as with the Helping Hands mission. Community benefits agreements, you know, just establishes
PRDC's commitment to long-term relationships in the community with Helping Hands Mission and
support what they do for the neighborhood, as well as Kearney Elementary, which is adjacent.
Some of the things that we'll talk about, PRDC is including scholarships, internships for training
for construction, as well as development for residents of the 14th Ward and students. And
we're really proud of the work we've done with the community. As I said, the site is
uh about four acres and it's currently zoned rm2 which is a unique zoning classification i don't
think is typical um in your uh typical in um the um this area of um of the 14th ward bounded by
northern liberties palton etc um i think that rm2 is sort of a garden style apartment and it was
probably a result of corrective remapping and as you can see you know adjacent properties are RM1
CMX2 IRMX and CMX3 and as such we've designed something that is sort of in the middle of a RM1
and a CMX3 IRMX and we really sort of tried to break up how we put our density closer to the
wider 6th Street and a more low-rise on 7th Street. Here you see some history of
the area. This is 7th Street from the 1960s Marshall and Fairmount. You can see
the row home character and then somewhere in the late 60s this sort of
garden-style, you know, gated apartment community was built and really doesn't
apartment community was built and really doesn't match the urban fabric that we see today in more
match the urban fabric that
traditional planning. Here's another example of the conditions with Marshall Street opened
into the 60s. This is the middle is the condition that is now and you see the church there and then
to the right is what we have proposed with an array of single family duplex and triplexes in a
more low-rise row home setting to the west of Marshall Street, which is proposed to be reopened,
and then a denser multifamily with ground floor commercial at the corner of 6th and Fairmount
and Green, and sort of the Helping Hands Mission Church, which dates back to the turn of the 19th
and 20th century, sort of in the center and the buildings respecting that historic building.
This is just some 3D modeling, and here you can see how the project lays out with the church in the middle, the multifamily wrapping the site, wrapping the northern portion, as well as a multifamily building at Green Street, and then the array of singles, townhomes, triplexes, duplexes.
Just for, we're proposing 21 single-family homes, 56 duplex units, 327 multifamily, which are broken up in 297 units on the west of Marshall Street, which is in the multifamily buildings and about 30 triplexes on the left.
on, I'm sorry, on the west side of Marshall and the more dense is on the east side.
Here's your site plan. And you can see as we've opened up Marshall, which we believe will be
a great through connection as opposed to a super block. We have entrances to a garage and below
grade parking and sort of our back of house and loading is handled there. And then we have ground
Floor Commercial at Green and on 6th Street.
I'll just sort of get to the good pictures.
This is the view at the corner of 6th and Fairmount.
You can see the commercial there.
I think this is really the hallmark of the site, how we've wrapped the buildings around
the existing Helping Hands Mission, open space commercial, and we think that that
It will be a great, great spot for commercial and outdoor dining or some other type uses.
This is the reopen Marshall Street as we believe it will be a great pedestrian access.
And here we are at the corner of I believe this is 7th and Paramount.
um some more here's here's the reopen marshall street so you know just in terms of um procedure
um we started this project a few years ago um and really um you know met with with the community
met with councilman clark's office and really looked at how do we best design you know four
acres um in the city and um you know if if mr perlman is on maybe i can get him to sort of
go through that history and we could talk about it but we really started with um you know over
a thousand units and we got feedback from the rco from the councilman's office you know the project
was too dense and you know large multi-family project was just too dense so we really um you
know, worked with feedback from the community, with Helping Hands Mission, and really to create
a project that we thought was consistent with the context of the neighborhood, had lower density on
the 7th Street side, more density on the 6th Street side. And I think it's important to note
6th Street is approximately 70 foot wide here. So that's wider than Chestnut or Walnut Street
and Center City. I mean it's really a significant width that I think can handle this the height
and I think it's also important to note you know we're a block from Spring Garden Street where you
have the CMX3 and you have some new high rises. So I think this is a good step down as we get into
the neighborhood and as the neighborhood changes. I also want to note that you know in the RM1
I also want to note that in the RM1 calculation, in terms of density, you would be at about 370 units, and you go up to 420 units in a straight RM1 multifamily with a green roof.
calculation.
We're at 404, and I just note that we have underground parking, we have significant community benefits, and we also have the affordable component.
I want to note, let's see, we met with the 14th Ward on numerous occasions.
We're really proud of the community benefits agreement.
Here's their letter of support.
And I think that's in the packet that was sent to the board.
We also had significant meetings with Helping Hands and have worked with them.
In terms of refusal, you know, it's really a result of the RM2 zoning, which, as I said, is really not consistent with the neighborhood.
And, you know, it requires, you know, 56-foot setbacks and, you know, 37-foot side yards.
And we think this was corrective remapping to match what existed at the site, whereas we think what's more appropriate is something between the RM1 and the CMX3, which is what we're proposing.
I mean, we're not even close to the density of a CMX-3.
I think we're right in line with the density of the RM-1.
And we're really proud of the community engagement we had and the support that we have from the 14th Democratic Board.
It's the coordinating RCO, as well as Helping Hand's mission.
We've met with the school.
We've met with everyone.
And if I could, I'd like to ask for David Perlman to be promoted to a speaker.
Good afternoon, Mr. Perlman. Please identify yourself with a record. Spell your name.
David Perlman, P-E-R-L-M-A-N.
Thank you. You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. Please proceed, Mr. Griegos.
And David, I know you've heard my testimony. I like to, what I've said so far, and if you would affirm that,
And then maybe we could expand on sort of some of the history from when you started this project and how you came about the design.
I affirm your testimony to this point.
This project we put under agreement approximately three years ago.
um we've been working on a project across the street of 43 townhomes that are almost complete
we have the last uh three or five units to deliver across the street and you know we've gone through
probably 25 designs of this. Met with the RCO. Met with Daryl Clark's office. Originally had it
designed for almost 1200 rental units. Didn't feel that the site would fit for that. Didn't feel the
market would fit for that thought rethought that out after the presentation um and we knew how
successful we were across the street um with the 43 homes and then we took talked about putting
all townhomes there and just didn't make a lot of sense to to put just a ton of townhomes
high price, you know, that people couldn't afford. Then I came up with the idea with the architect's
support. And the idea is that we use Marshall Street as a dividing line. And we have price
points now for units there from $299,000 to just over a million dollars. So we could cater to
anybody or any market that allows, you know, homeownership there. You know, before COVID,
the commercial was a great idea. We had tremendous interest in the commercial on the first floor here,
hoping after COVID leaves, we'll get that interest back over time. We're committed to keeping it that
way. Believe the street is there for it. We've had a great relationship with helping hands through
We've had a great relationship with Helping Hands through the process.
the process
they've
They've been a great ally to us.
The 14th Ward, the Kearney School.
I mean, we're just really excited to get this.
Tell us about some, you know, I know that there's, in addition to sort of the long-term relationships with Helping Hands and the 14th Ward,
um you're also committed to doing some some some training and some uh internships we have we will
have a job fair that will have a preferential to the people within the community um from interns
all the way through development uh people that we will be hiring there will be a uh training program
program for the construction side where we will be hiring people and training them to learn the
trades. We also have a scholarship program that we put together for the school board
to award a scholarship to somebody within the 14th Ward.
And we have full-time positions that will become available
that once we operate these buildings and run these buildings,
that the people from the community will have the opportunity
to apply for those positions also.
So a lot of thought has gone into this.
I mean, the most thought I've ever put on any project.
um and you know we're we're we're really really excited for the partnerships and
getting property done david i i mean i i just want to ask i don't know if you want to put
your camera on so everybody can see your face but um uh i don't know how to do that oh okay
just if you could summarize it would be helpful uh that's great and i just from a from a perspective
of the rm2 with the 50 foot setbacks i mean i don't think that's you really couldn't do a
viable project on anything that you know you would build or someone would would want to buy
in terms of for sale but with what the project is currently zoned you know the current zoning
for that property just doesn't fit in today's market you could never rebuild that and it's
in its disrepair and be successful you know as a as a developer thank you i just want to um uh i'm
to finish up. I just want to say the requested variances or the minimum relief necessary
will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood as mixed-use projects are
consistent up 6th Street and Spring Garden and will not impair appropriate use or development
or adequate light of adjacent properties based on the large width of 6th Street. Will not be
Dentistry of the Neighborhood is evidenced by a letter of support from the RCO.
If the board is inclined to approve, I wanted to note that we have revised plans with five pages.
The changes are de minimis.
Really, as we work through the process, we discovered that some of the calculations on the FAR were not correct, so we corrected that.
There was no increase in GFA.
the project was just on um there was some errors in the plan so we've included that and we've um
you know in refining the designs in the open space and the loading um we've had a reduction
in parking from 223 to 221 um but like i said for um more you know well well over um i think we're
at 404 units well over a um a one to two parking ratio um additionally um if the boards uh i spoke
to share and say a lot about this.
We applied for this with commercial uses as CMX2.
I don't know that that made it onto the application,
or onto the refusal,
but I'd ask the board to consider for the commercial uses
to give us a proviso uses as permitted in CMX2
is what we've always presented
and what we noticed to the community.
And with that, I believe that Diane Monroe
Regina Farrell and Adam Bruckner from the 14th Ward and the Helping Hands Mission are here.
I don't know if they want to speak.
And we're happy to answer any questions.
And I did want to add one more thing.
In addition to the affordable housing, underground parking, and all of the things that we're doing in the community benefits agreement,
We are doing significant traffic upgrades.
We've worked at the streets department on all four intersections, speed bumps.
on all four intersections speed bumps improving signal timing we've we've had a tremendous amount
of input from the streets department back and forth i think it's important to note the amount
of traffic improvements that will be resulted from this project and i think that was discussed
in cdr this project came through the civic design review committee with with one meeting and it was
uh praise for its design so i wanted to make sure i included that as well and i'll turn over to the
board to ask questions and um i believe the rcos and the neighbors are here as well thank you
questions from the board no
no no anyone else like to testify in this case please raise your hand uh with all due respect
we do appreciate i think hercules said there's several people on uh if you're in support of it
Your comments would be brief.
We'd appreciate that.
Chair, Mr. Bruckner, please unmute yourself.
Good afternoon, sir.
Please identify yourself with a record.
Spell your name.
Provide us with your address.
Adam Bruckner.
I'm with the Helping Hand Rescue Mission, PO Box 37005-19122.
Spell your last name, please.
B as in boy, R-U-C-K-N-E-R.
Thank you.
You swear for I'm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Please proceed.
I'm the director of the Helping Hand Rescue Mission that has been referred to as the Mission Church, sitting on the same property.