ZBA Hearing - April 21, 2021

to me but my understanding through my client was that these were always going to be two unit

buildings um and is there excuse me is there a representative here from solo germantown civic

who would be willing to speak to that is there any chance that if you get together again for

i hate to say this another meeting

there may be there may be a change in your opinions miss rogers

hello hi can you put your name and address on the record and are you with solo germantown civic

yes this is allison weiss hi allison hi um i would say from hearing the testimony and from

hearing the people at the meeting that they would prefer single family

so there would be nothing gained by another meeting i don't think so but uh if there are

other people on this call perhaps you could poll them yeah i mean the only thing i would say this

is really single family it's it's only multi-family in technicality because we're not subdividing a

3 000 square foot property but these if you look at it these are two single family structures well

maybe you should subdivide your property and come back and make a presentation for the community

is there another is there another witness and and I think that'll be the last witness

I'm not saying that it's going to be the last witness but I think there were six people with

their hands up is there anyone after Ms. Weiss um yes um it's a Mr. Toomer

But because he has the old version of Zoom, it's not letting him present.

He's going to have to call in.

Lakeisha, can we promote Ms. Amazon so she can get on the record?

Sure.

Hello?

Can you hear me?

Yes, we can.

Name and address, please.

Yes, my name is Thornton Toomer.

My address is 533 West Hansberry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1-9-1-4-4.

Okay, and can you spell your last name?

Yes, T-O-O-M-E-R.

Okay, do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Yes, I do.

Okay.

So my family's been here over 40 years.

Where the lot is at, there has been a single family living there, the boys.

second thing it's impossible to park on our block because we have like he said we have the VA

we have the apartment builders on Skyler we have some apartments on Whistler Hicken and then the

commercial building that he's pointing out that he can't figure out what it is it's actually a

police station third thing the last time we had this zoom meeting we talked to Sean Thomas the

person who owns the lot and he was supposed to come fix the pavement and still never ever came

and he was supposed to come and speak to the residents and still never did that so I'm gonna

say I'm opposed because everything that he said before still hasn't happened and to the lawyer

he's saying it's gonna be one family on the lot you keep saying one family but there's gonna be

two families there. And how it was presented to me, it was supposed to be two families in each

unit. So four families all together. At least that was what I was told by someone who was

hanging up the sign at the lot. That's all I had to say. Thank you. Thank you. Are there any other

witnesses? Yes. Thank you. Good morning. Come on to Amazon. Hi. Name and address. Please

Hi. Name and address, please, and spell your last name.

and spell your last name?

Of course, Clementa C-L-A-G.

Of course. Clementa, C-L-E-M-E-N-T-A. Last name Amazon, A-M-A-Z-A-N, 123 South Broad Street, Suite 1600, Philadelphia, PA, 19109.

Thank you. Do you swear or firm to tell the whole truth and nothing about the truth?

I do.

Thank you. You may proceed.

Of course, so I did present this particular project at the community meeting, and it was always a duplex, meaning two units, and the letter that we received from Solo Germantown also describes it as a duplex, two family dwellings, so I'm not sure where the confusion comes in, in terms of having four units all together.

I think it's the single family that they want.

no i understand i just wanted to address the comments in regards to

this being a different project that was presented during the community meeting versus what's being

presented currently okay thank you does the board have any questions no yes miss madam madam chair

or whoever I'll be today. Okay. I just have a comment from the architecture look of the

building. It has one door on Hansberry Street. So it pretty much look like single family.

That's all I like to say. Well, there's one door on Hansberry and one on what's the heck in.

Do you see that now, Tom?

Yes, it's a porch, which is consistent with the other houses on the block.

No, but did you also understand that we have a separate entrance for the other unit on

Wissahecken?

Correct.

Okay, just wanted to make sure.

That's why I just wanted to make sure that there's not one entrance for both units.

There's an entrance for each unit.

And yes, we are trying to be consistent with the general feel and look at the neighborhood.

It's still your advantage to have one door on Hansberry.

Thank you. Thank you.

Are there any other witnesses? No, Chairwoman, you can continue.

Okay, Planning Commission. Thank you, Chair Tenari, Ian Hegarty from the Philadelphia City

Planning Commission. I want to address a couple things. One, the comprehensive plan recommends

no change to the existing residential single-family zoning on this block. We did consider the zoning

in this area in the 2018 Upper Northwest District Plan and found the existing zoning to be a

rational designation. Despite adjacent multifamily and commercial zoning that was cited by council

Also in this case, the entire block face on Hansberry is proposed to remain RSA 3, which

is consistent with the existing uses and forms of the single family twin homes on this block.

Since this is a use variance, the applicant's burden to demonstrate evidence of unique physical

circumstances or conditions of this property.

We don't feel that the applicant has done so.

we don't believe that any hardship stems from the previous uses on the property that were cited or

any adjacent non-conforming uses since the site has been cleared and as the applicant has testified

the planning commission therefore is going to recommend that the board deny this variance

thank you calendar number 1385-535 Hansberry Street my vote is no

my vote is no my vote is no my vote is no thank you thank you i'm gonna go back to um number four

calendar number three three one two two zero three six north grad street

hi you can hear me i can name an address please again and spell your last name my last name is

bamet b-a-h-m-e-d-1-6-2-3 colonel line havertown b-a-9-0-8-3 thank you and i don't know if i swore

you in before but i'll swear you and again you swear affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing

about the truth? Yes, I do. Thank you. Okay, you may present your case.

So, can I share my screen?

Yes, you may.

okay okay can you let me know if you see my screen

yes we can see we can okay thanks a lot so i wanted just to show you this house how it is

for starting i will try to be very brave don't take too much of your time so it's

It's a very nice house with very good architecture in Grad Street.

It's located here in this area close to Temple University in Grad Street, North Philadelphia.

So I got authorization to do two units, but I think that if we can, if you will agree

to get three units, it will be very good and helpful.

So I will try to explain why.

I put some in my in my application for appeal I put some reasons. I think that

if we will do it only for two units it will be a little bit expensive and

not less affordable for the growing student population which are which are in that area who

are almost living in that area.

And for the question about if it will be anything

concerning any modification outside,

I will do no modification outside.

If this variance will endanger the public,

I don't think so, because our work will be only anterior.

I will show it later in my plans it will not affect the property's neighbour as I showed

it up it's in the corner lot and this I will try to rent these three units to temple students

which are 10 minutes walking from the university. So I don't think it will be a problem with

trafficking or anything because very often the students are taking bicycle or walking to the

university. Right, have you met with the RCO? No. So you've not met with the registered community

organization? No, I didn't do that. You don't know how they feel, the neighborhood feels about this?

It's only students living in that room. It doesn't matter who's living in there.

You're required to meet with the RCO. I didn't do that. Ms. Saleta, can I continue this case?

Yes, it will have to be continued.

Okay, calendar number three.

Actually, excuse me, Chair, since this has started, I guess technically it will be a

resumption hearing, though you don't need to give a specific date.

Okay.

Perhaps the applicant can contact Ms. Sunkit, would it be you that he would contact

when he has had the RCO meeting?

Well, it's going to be a regular continuance.

Okay, thank you.

I'm good to hear you.

It will be scheduled as a regular continuance in August.

We have no available date sooner.

Calendar number 3312, 2036 North Grant Street.

This case is continued.

I'm sorry. Your information will be emailed out to you again. I would implore you to please read all the documentation so you'll be able to know what you need to do next.

Okay, so I cannot continue saying what I have to say.

No, you have to read all the information that is going to be mailed to you again and follow through with that and then come back to the board.

i'm going to the next case calendar number three three one seven five nine two four master street

mr levy is coming in now as the panelists

Mr. Levy, you can unmute yourself.

I believe I'm unmuted. Did that work?

I believe I'm unmuted.

Did that work?

Yes. Mr. Levy, are you an attorney?

Yes, Mr. Levy.

I am.

Okay. Hi. Can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?

Certainly. I typed it in, by the way, to log in, but it's B-A-R-T-L-E-V-Y.

The middle name is Elliott, E-L-L-I-O-T-T. My ID number is 204800.

My office is at 1500 Market Street, 12th floor, East Tower.

Thank you. Do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Yes, I do.

Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?

I do.

Have you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership, tax compliance, refusal, referral, photos, and plans five days in advance of this hearing?

And have you met with the RCO? And do you have a letter?

In all candor to this board, I was hired in the last 24 hours, though I know all that

data was sent and the RCO was met with, and we have a letter of approval.

I'm also going to need the actual applicant also to help me with the exhibits.

I just haven't learned how to upload them yet. So Mr. Nobrun, who is the manager of this project,

will also be joining me in this presentation.

Excuse me, this is Sharon Saleta. Madam Chair, I did speak with the applicant yesterday to let him know that he would need an attorney, and he had at that point already submitted all the required exhibits.

Okay, so we can move forward.

Can we have Mr. Noplin also join us, or is there some...

Yes, he may.

Yes, he would just need to raise his hand.

Look at that little hand thing underneath.

I don't know how you guys do it.

I really don't.

He's a valuable chair.

Mr. Nobram, I see that you're there.

Can you hear me?

I do?

Well, I mean, I don't see you.

I see something that resembles him being there.

Rodney Nobram?

Rodney, unmute yourself.

Mr. Levy, this is Tanya.

May I ask, are you going to present or will he present on the screen?

He will present on the screen.

Okay.

With your permission.

Okay, we'll promote him to a panelist so he can share his screen.

Thank you.

hi mr nobrum can you put are you mr nobrum yes hi good morning my name is rodney nobrun

name and address for the record and spell your last name and then i'll swear you in

sure good morning my name is rodney nobrun last name is spelled n as in nancy o b as in brian

R-U-N-A-N-C-E. My address is 55 Bailey Drive, Burlington, New Jersey, 08016.

Do you swear if I'm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

I do, yes.

Okay. Now I know who you are, Mr. Levy, now that I see you.

Thank you.

Okay.

I hope.

So someone proceed.

Okay. So I will proceed with sharing my screen.

Okay.

Okay.

Good morning. I'm here to present on 5924 Master Street. I am the owner. It's in my

company name, Nobel Legacy LLC. And today we'll be presenting all of the documents that

was forwarded over to the ZBA more than five days ago. It was sent over last week. It's the property