sam has been a lot to talk mr michael stamm please spell your last name and i'll swear you
in sure uh stamm is spelled s-t-a-m as in mike m as in mike we're a firm to tell the truth the
truth, nothing but the truth? I do, yes. Mike, could you tell the board your connection with
this project? We're the owner and developer. Okay, and you've heard my presentation,
Okay. And you've heard my presentation, my testimony. Would you agree it is true and accurate and you would adopt it as if it were your own?
my testimony. Would you agree it is true and accurate?
I would, yes.
I could just briefly comment on the parking. As I mentioned, it is accessing the rear area. And is there a demonstrated and no need for parking in this area?
Yeah, no, absolutely.
Okay. Thank you. That's all I have, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. Any questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
no no anyone else would like to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
see no further hands at this time sir thank you planning commission
good afternoon chair peter bernard for the planning commission
this property is indicated for multi-family residential in the comprehensive plan
this proposal already received approval for five mixed use units additional requests for off-street
parking accessed from the front of property privatizes existing on-street parking accordingly
the planning commission recommends the board deny this variance thank you mi 2021-001-867
1754 wiley street my vote is yes professor plaza my vote is yes dame snell my vote is yes
Thomas Holloman my vote is yes thank you case number five MI 2021-000637
2626 West Lehigh Avenue Joseph Consul is the attorney of record there is a letter of support
with provisors from the strawberry mansion community concern
Mr. Consul we'll be coming back as a panel sir
hi everyone joe console here please i'd spell your full name and i'll swear you in
joe console that is c-o-n-s-o-l-e you swear for him to tell the truth the whole truth
nothing but the truth i do my address has questions for you i'm sorry
Counsel, you agreed to waive the reading of its refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership,
proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal or referral photos and plans five days prior
to this hearing?
And have you met with the RCO and have a letter?
Thank you.
Please proceed.
All right.
I got my screen share here.
did my packet come up yes all right great hello everyone joseph consul consul madison
1 west 3rd street suite 204 media pennsylvania 19063 i'm here on 2626 west lehigh avenue
it's uh lehigh between 26 and 27th this is the external of the property and uh here
is a view of the block. At one time, as you can see by all the storefronts, etc., this block
was zoned commercial. There's several non-operating storefronts and several operating
multifamilies. It was rezoned RSA5. My client, Kyle, from Eugene Mickens, LLC,
um has submitted a request to convert this property to a two-unit property there's our
refusal got the refusal for two-family living being prohibited in this district um as i said
uh there's uh you can see all these old storefronts etc properties in need of tlc as is
uh the rest of the block um we're seeking to put in uh two two bedroom one bathroom units
he purchased the property in october of 2020 we originally went in front of strawberry mansion
rco uh in april this year at that time the community was supportive generally but um had
some concerns regarding a trash plan and security and cleanup measures. So we continued the ZBA
hearing and scheduled a second RCO meeting. Between then and now, my client has met with
the RCO twice, once at the property, and then once we had another meeting on Monday evening.
and that's where we got our letter of support here with provisos the the meeting went went well
the meeting went well and they asked us
and they asked
at least to read on the record that my client agrees
to limit the exterior facing and finishing
to either black, gray or beige
to match the other new buildings that are being built
in this section of West Lehigh Avenue.
Scan briefly, if there's anything else that's worth adding.
I just have some photos of the property.
As you can see, it's in need of some love.
It's a shot across the street, which I just showed you. It's a shot off the block.
That's across the street.
And here's our plans.
They asked us to eliminate any living space in the basement, which we agreed to do.
We've got a first floor, one bedroom. We've got a trash plan.
the first floor is access to the rear yard for trash second floor has trash receptacles built
space built into their entryway and then the second floor has two bedrooms and one bath just
like the first he's going to install security lighting and he has been maintaining the property
keeping it clean that sort of thing and that that seemed to be to the to the liking of strawberry
mansion uh mr council excuse me did i think did you misspeak i thought i heard you say one bedroom
on the first floor oh i'm sorry it's there are two two two bedrooms okay wanted to make sure thank
you i thought that's right uh all right so i'll call uh kyle malson if i can please raise your hand
Hello, this is Kyle Mawson.
Sir, please spell your name and I'll swear you in.
K-Y-L-E-M-A-L-S-O-N.
Order for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Yes, I do.
Thank you.
Please proceed, Mr. Consul.
Good afternoon, Kyle.
Did you hear my testimony right now?
regarding 26 26 west lehigh avenue yes do you adopt it as your own yes is there anything you'd
like to add to the board no okay with that we we rest thank you questions from the board no mr
chairman no anyone else like to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
you know further have wait i got a call on user with the hand raised i'm not going to speak at
this time.
I put the hand down so you can proceed Mr. Chair.
Okay, thank you.
Planning Commission.
Good afternoon, Chair.
Peter Bernard for the Planning Commission.
this property is indicated for single family residential in the comprehensive plan
we feel the applicant has failed to demonstrate sufficient hardship
accordingly the planning commission recommends the board deny the variance
all right mi 2021-000637
West Lehigh Avenue
my vote is yes
Professor Plaza my vote is yes
James Snell my vote is yes
Thomas Holloman
my vote is yes
number six on our list
MI 2021
that's 001898
Sears Street
there's a letter from the
Pennsport Civic Association
and a letter from Councilman Squilla in non-opposition.
Mr. Chair, Mr. Nockmson has been promoted to panelist.
Good afternoon, Mr. Nockmson.
I believe you were, were you on this?
Yes, you were on this morning.
You're still on the oath.
Please identify yourself.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the board.
Alan Ockamson, N-O-C-H-U-M-S-O-N, 123 South Broad Street, Suite 1600, Philadelphia, PA, 19109.
Mr. Plaza has some questions for you.
Mr. Ockamson, you agree to waive the reading of his refusal and stipulate to the tag person?
Have you emailed an exhibit package with the required documents, proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance, a copy of the refusal or referral photos and plans five days prior to this hearing?
Have you emailed an exhibit package with the required documents, proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance?
Yes, we have.
And have you met with the RCO and have a letter?
Yes, we have a letter of non-opposition from the Penn Support Civic Association, as well as a letter of non-opposition from Mr. Squilla, Councilman Squilla.
May I share my screen?
yes please
so in front of you you'll see a packet of materials for 308 seer street and 307
erp street we're in the pensport section of philadelphia all we're trying to do is
reconfigure these two properties one each of these properties is a small lot all we're trying to do
is equalized a lot. Currently 308 Sears Street is 864 square feet and 307 Earp Street is 545
square feet. We're just trying to equalize the size of the lots to build a single family structure
on each property. You'll see from our packing materials this is not uncommon to have sizes
of these type of lots on this block of Sears and Earp. So my packing materials includes the
deed to the property, certificate of tax clearance, notice of refusal, as well as the description of
the nearby RSA 5 lots and their lot sizes. Our application for appeal, maps of the area, which
will also show how we're trying to conform to that block. Photographs of the property in the
surrounding area, architectural plans and drawings, as well as a letter of non-opposition from the
Penn Sport Civic Association, as well as a letter of non-opposition from council member Mark
It's going to increase the size of this so you can see better.
Here's our data to the property, showing that my client owns the property.
Certificate of tax clearance showing my client's good standing.
Our notice of refusal, again, each of these properties on Sears and Herb Street are RSA5 properties.
All we're trying to do is put a single-family structure on each.
If you notice, other than the lot size, we have no other dimensional variances, and we're just essentially trying to equalize the lot sizes.
See all the properties in the surrounding area on Sears Street and on Earp Street.
On average, these lots are 650.72 square feet.
We're proposing to have 308 Sears Street be 703.4 square feet, while 307 Herb Street would be a proposed 678, both larger than nearby lots in the area.
Our application appeal to the Zoning Board of Adjustment, along with our Notice of Refusal and Project Information Form.
uh again showing where we are in uh the neighborhood uh we're essentially between
wharton and reed and third and fourth street we're in this little nook where sears is and
where erp is but as you can see the other properties in the area primarily are subdivided
in half between one property facing sears one property facing herb and we are also separate
lots. We're just trying to reconfigure them. The Google map of the area, photographs of the
property, 308 Sears Street from the front of the property, 307 Herb Street from the front of the
property, Sears Street to the right of the property, Sears Street to the left of the property,
Herb Street to the right of the property, Herb Street to the left of the property.
Our plans and drawings, again, typical single-family home with modern construction,
uh brick facade if you look at the floor plans it's just an example they're kind of similar
but you walk into an open floor plan uh you have a living room down in the lower level
upper level you have second floor two bedrooms and the bath uh third floor you have a master
suite essentially master bedroom and master bath and then you have a roof deck same thing for the
other property we did meet with pensport civic association and again this is their letter of
non-opposition as well as the letter of non-opposition from council member mark swilla
along with our proof of sending a notice for that meeting and our proof of mailing
and with that being said i would ask that bill archer virtually raise his hand so he can adopt
my testimony
Mr. Archer, please spell your last name and I'll swear you in.
archer a-r-c-h-e-r for him to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
Archer, A-R-C-H-E-R.
Word for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing.
yes thank you mr markinson yeah mr archer you heard everything i stated today yes and is it
true and correct yes and do you adopt it as your own testimony yes thank you any questions from the
board no mr chairman no no anyone else would like to testify in this case please raise your hand
Chair, Mr. Dominic Savini has his hand raised. I will allow him to speak at this time.
Thank you, Mr. Savini. Please spell your full name and I'll swear you in.
Sure. This is Dominic Savini, D-O-M-I-N-I-C, S-A-V as in Victor, I-N-I.
We're affirmed to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Yes, sir.
Please proceed.
Yes, so I am the committee person for Ward 1, Division 17, and also the owner of 309 Earp Street.
We as the residents of Earp Street, Sears, and surrounding Oriana and 3rd Street object and oppose the plan submitted for the dimensional variance between lots 307 Earp and 307.
eight Sears. Reasons for is the proposed plan squeezes two three-story houses with
roof decks that will tower over surrounding two-story homes and will obstruct views
and natural light to existing residences. These houses do not submit to conform to the block
in existing houses. They are a story above and a rooftop above that. I also have visual
renderings if you uh can let me share my screen yeah um Mr. Chair the only thing I would object
to I have no objection to Mr. Savini's testimony as an individual I do object to
his characterization that others in the neighborhood object I actually have several here
uh all of them have Mr. Mr. Savini you may speak on your behalf if there are others on the line
and they will have an opportunity to testify.
Thank you.
You can unmute yourself.