How many people?
We can tell how many people are going to get on by how many people in those lines.
Thank you.
We're ready to start.
Good morning.
My name is Bill Bergman, and I will be chairing this morning's ZBA hearing.
With me is our board member, Cheryl L. Gaston.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Or board member, Panetta Graham.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Or board member, Michael Johns.
Michael?
We see you, Michael.
Okay, so Michael should be on very shortly.
Our board member Ty Wynn is here, and our board member Ryan McAdams.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Also present is our board attorney, Hillary Emerson, and our board administrator, Lakeisha Dandy.
A recording of this hearing will be posted on the ZBA website.
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Let's look at our schedule for today.
Any requests for continuances?
Good morning, Chair.
This is Fatina, and I'll be your co-host for this morning.
I see one hand, and that's Mr. Vern Anastasio.
Right.
Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the board.
Council, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Yes, sir. It's Vern, V-E-R-N, Anastasio, A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-O.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Could you give us the status of this case?
MI 2025, 000432-5118, North Broad.
Yes, sir. We're working with some of the immediate neighbors to come up with a plan together.
And as a result, I do need a brief continuance.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
So MI 2025 004-3251-18N Broad Street, this case will be continued to 9-16-25 at 9.30 a.m.
Thank you very much for calling in.
Thank you.
Great.
And number six, MI 2025 002-546-911 Northeast Boulevard, there is a letter of withdrawal.
This case has been withdrawn.
We're going to start with number three.
Number three, MI-2025-00-318-527-East-Chelton Avenue.
Alan Notkinson and Alex Goldberg are the attorneys.
Good morning, Mr. Goldberg.
yeah he's coming back in as a panelist yeah he's sitting right here we said
could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer
alex goldberg a-l-e-x-g-o-l-d-b-e-r-g do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth i do um so this is a a resumptive hearing mr goldberg
um this is the order of uh we believe how this will go updates from the applicant regarding
plans and layouts questions from the board and council public testimony and planning commission
will then make a recommendation so could you start your presentation i can
okay so i am here representing madison ventures phl2 llc um the last time we were in front of
the board which was on april 30th we had a version of the plans from a prior iteration
of the project that essentially proposed the enclosure of the front porch that you can see
on the screen um that's no longer part of the plan and there are the uh the architectural floor
plans are are reflected to show that so i'm just gonna go right to the plans um the the sort of
important points of the project have not changed we're proposing a two-family dwelling in an rsa
zoning classification on a block that the Philadelphia 2035 plan proposes to convert
to RM1. Under RM1, this lot would actually allow four dwelling units. We're only asking for two.
This block is lined with multifamily living. There's industrial and manufacturing directly
behind us. There's a church across the street. Variances were granted for three consecutive
of triplexes adjacent to us, or not adjacent, but one over. And we're proposing a two-bed,
one-bath with no living in the basement on the first floor and lower level, just laundry and
utility and storage down there. And then on the second and third floors, a four-bed, two-bath.
Both units are over 1,000 square feet, between 1,300 and 1,500 square feet each, so they're
rather sizable um they'll be self-managed um and um mr chairman and if you'd like to me to sort of
contain my presentation to that i'm happy to bring my client on to adopt my testimony
bring your client on um carlos messa should be in the virtual audience
mr goldberg as we're waiting is there a rear exit on the first floor
I'd ask my client.
Yeah, I believe there is more planned to be one.
I'll ask Carlos once he joins the virtual audience.
We have a caller, a phone number ending in 3930.
He's able to speak.
Please unmute.
Good morning.
Could you please state your name?
It's Bell for the stenographer.
Caller with the phone number ending in 3930, please unmute.
You're free to speak.
You could press star nine to unmute.
Or try star six caller.
Okay, can you hear me?
yes could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer
yes carlos messa c-a-r-l-o-s-m-e-s-a
stenographer did you get that
yes chair okay thank you um do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the
truth yes i do please proceed counsel hi carlos did you hear my testimony today
yes and was it true and correct yes and would you adopt it as your own
Yes. And regarding the first floor, I'm not sure if you heard the chairman's question. Is there currently or is there a plan to be either either or a side exit from the first floor or a rear exit from the first floor or both?
yes and regarding the first floor i'm not sure if you heard um the
uh there would be a back exit entrance at the back in order to enter the backyard okay
thank you carlos and one yeah go ahead one more note i forgot to mention for the board um you know
we do have a small side yard that has access to the rear and we'd agree to a proviso for trash
stored in the side yard all right questions from the board does the basement only um have access
for the first floor unit because i do see that there's a front facing door yeah there's a there's
a door that exits directly out to the front that's sort of but only the first floor tenant it's gonna
have access okay all the questions from the board yes where is this rear the rear i believe this is
sliding door back here the rear exit is out of this bedroom in the back oh okay um i'll i'll leave
that to uh board member johns uh and then uh on the uh for the second unit the first floor of it
um my pet peeve where you have to go from the bedroom there in the back through the kitchen
and the living room to get to a bathroom is that what i'm seeing there i back here yeah yeah so um
oh you're saying for that person to get to the front to go to the bathroom yes um i mean
it's a large kitchen living space and dining area i think it's probably feasible with the
square footage about a 1500 square foot unit to put a bathroom in there i think that's reasonable
yeah yeah i i really have a problem with that whole idea that you have to kind of get up in
the middle of the night and wander through the kitchen and the bathroom the kitchen and the
living room to get to a bathroom that's fair okay thank you other questions on the board
do both tenants have access to the rear yard since there's access on the side yeah so there's
and i'll go to a front facing photo okay there's a there's a gate here um that goes directly through
the side yard and into the rear and we'd have you know depending on what sort of trash storage
container we get uh it would either go in the rear or in the side obviously we don't want to
you know interrupt passage from front to back but that's where we'll have the trash door where are
the pico meters currently located i believe in the basement and there's a there's a plan for
utility room direct to that door through that door into the you know from the front of the facade
so are the utilities for the pico for the second floor also going to be that's my understanding
okay just the suggestion i would make the utility room close so that both tenants have equal access
to that space if they're both going to have their utilities okay down there meaning sort of seal this
off and it just be a standalone space yeah all right any board more board members
questions or comments from our attorney?
Just a quick clarification. There's no
parking at the property, is this correct? Okay. So then there was a refusal
missing for accessory parking since it's RSA 3. Okay. Thank you so much.
Questions or comments from the audience or the virtual audience?
Chair, we have Charles Richardson.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, Mr. Richardson.
Bright and early for you today.
Yes, sir.
Could you please state your name and spell for the court's sonographer?
Certainly.
Charles Richardson, R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N, Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass Room, 508 City Hall.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, sir?
Please proceed.
The Councilwoman has no opposition to granting the variance.
Thank you.
anyone else in the virtual audience or the current audience
one more thing mr chairman i believe it was on the record at the last hearing but we do have a
letter of non-opposition from the rco okay sure yeah i see no hands here planning commission
amy board with the planning commission amy boid do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the
whole truth nothing but the truth i do the comprehensive plan recommends a change in
The Comprehensive Plan recommends a change in zoning at this location from the existing Residential Single Family, RSA 3, to Residential Multi-Family, RM 1.
zoning at this location from the existing resident
The proposed two-family use would be allowed under the recommended zoning.
The Planning Commission recommends that the Board grant the requested variance for two-family household living.
Thank you. MI 2025-000318-527 East Cheltenham Avenue, I vote yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
um tie away my vote is yes
okay that's it where you have your vote so we're going to go to number four
mi 2025 000 415 832 winwood road alak sakalov is the attorney
Mr. Chair, Mr. Fellis is here to present the resumption hearing on this case.
What's that?
Gabriel Fellis is here to present the resumption hearing on this case.
Counsel?
Good morning, Chair.
Good morning. Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Gabriel Fellis, G-A-B-R-I-E-L. Last name is Fellis. F as in Frank, E-L-L-U-S.
Do you waive the reading of the... Oh, I'm sorry. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth,
the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
And counsel, so this is a resumptive hearing?
Correct.
We see is applicant will present supplemental information.
There'll be questions from the board, public testimony, and then a planning commission
recommendation.
Could you please proceed?
Do you guys see the notice of refusal?
We do.
Great.
Thank you, Chair.
So Rarita is seeking the approval to legalize the existing use of the property as a four-family
dwelling i just wanted to remind the board the current owner bought the property in its current