and about their mission
and I have
stated that verbally
and then maps of the area
and we're at the corner of Hansberry
and Dwayne
and the photographs of the property
this is all us right so we're huge and we have a huge parking lot and this is the carriage house
in the rear right here wow it's a beautiful home uh this is from hansbury to the side
uh these are the hearing notice posters obviously we needed two postings because we faced two public
streets wayne avenue to the right of the property to the left of the property hansbury uh to to the
right to the left and then interior photos this is the main home obviously we haven't done any work
on the new carriage house just give you an idea of what it looks like inside and then i do believe
this is the carriage house yeah so we haven't completed the work it's going to be two units
in the car two units yeah and then just our plans and drawings you can see just from a site plan
this is the larger you know currently used home and this is the carriage house right there
And then these are simple floor plans.
You have a common living room, kitchen, bathroom.
Both of the units are the same.
You go up a flight of steps, two bedrooms.
And this is the renderings of what we hope it's going to look like.
And this all was reviewed and approved at a staff level at the historic.
And then we met with the community on September 16th.
proof of mailing application for appeal
and then most importantly deed to the property and then finally the certificate of tax clearance
uh with that being said i would ask that miss whitaker be sworn in
could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer rita whitaker r-i-t-a-w-h-i-t-a-k-e-r
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, counsel.
uh first of all have you um you heard everything i had to state today is that correct yes about
First of all, have you heard everything I had to state today?
Is that correct?
jorizoni matter and is it true and correct yes and do you adopt as your own testimony yes did
i miss anything is there anything you want to add no okay good all right just want to make sure
all right you can tell us if he missed that's okay exactly but i think i missed something
during the community meeting that's why i asked questions from the board well alan you started
off by saying you were going to let her describe the program and then you described the whole
program. I know. I can't help myself. Well, no, I think I only did a fraction of it. I'm sure I
did not give it justice. The amount of work that you do it day in and day out, how many employees
you have there? Yes. So it's 10 paid staff and 20 volunteer staff on a monthly basis. And what's
24 hour staff coverage? And then what type of programming do you do? Give an example of
something. So it is an 18-month residential Christian discipleship program for moms and
kids that are homeless. And it's not a shelter, it's a home. We call it a home. And the moms
live with us for 18 months. And while they're with us, they have to attend classes. We require
them to attend classes in parenting, life skills, finance. They also have a couple general Bible
studies. We have mentors for our moms. We have mentors for our boys. We have a wellness component
to our program where on a quarterly basis we have a massage therapist that comes in an esthetician
a woman that comes in and does facials we take our families on trips we've gone places like the
beach the opera snow tubing all of our moms have to work to live in our program so when they come
in for the first 30 days they're on a probationary period and then they have to find work within 90
days after they pass probation they have to save 50 of their monthly income to live with us but
they get all that back when they move out and the most that we've ever had a mom save with us was
over twelve thousand dollars so to come in some place homeless with your kids and leave out with
over twelve thousand dollars in your pocket is a pretty good accomplishment and once they complete
the program they matriculate into our alumni ministry where we continue to track them you know
continue to work with them but we help them to get permanent housing once they complete the program
And so the purpose of the cottage renovation is to provide two apartments for two families to transition into, because sometimes once they've been with us for the 18 months, they may not be ready yet to go out into the big belt world on their own.
So this will kind of give them another step to transition into where we could continue to be there for them and continue to support them as well.
But I mean, the program, we do a lot.
I can't really tell it.
Just out of curiosity, how long have you been in the big house?
I'll call it the big house. Yeah, I've been there for 27 years. And you were in there? Yes. And I
walked in those doors in 1998 as a missionary and I never left. And now I went in under another
organization. They closed it down and some former board members approached me and asked me if I
wanted to keep it going. And I said, yes. And they actually bought the property back for me
and gave it to me to serve these moms and kids for a dollar a month. They said, all I have to do is
raised my own monthly operating expenses so it's become my property and my ministry under life
turning point since 2020 that's and we're expanding that's amazing i do have a question
if you can go back to the rendering of the cottage sure um uh lovely cottage clearly um lovely
property um my only uh i guess uh wish is that if you could eliminate a parking space in front of
our couple parking space that's a good shot a couple parking spaces in front of this this
cottage because there's no sort of front to this right and if there was a way to just create some
green space or something so that you don't walk out the door into this do this huge parking lot
um but there's i can i can speak to that alan doesn't have the renderings of it but actually
the whole front of that property is going to be all green space that's what it's going to be
yeah that rendering was old before we started to work with the landscaper but that's going to be
all green space the actual owner of the property mr adcock said he wants us his words were take it
back to eden and so because he owns the property yes sir that's what we're going to do we're going
and take it back to Eden. You can't see it in that picture, but right to the
left of it is a commercial playground that we just got
built for our current families, and so the families that live in the cottage will also have
access to the commercial playground set, and it's going to go back to Eden
because that is the wishes of Mr. Adcock.
That's great. Thank you.
Questions from our attorney? No, Chair.
Just then they're going to use more pervious kind of surface there.
more pervious kind of surface there.
Absolutely, yes.
Absolutely, yes.
That's a good idea.
And how will the cottage trash be collected?
So we have a dumpster on site.
So yeah, the moms that live in the cottage
will also use the dumpster that our moms use.
And we're going to have to get a larger dumpster
to accommodate the families that will be living in the cottage.
Questions from the virtual audience?
Planning Commission.
Excuse me.
I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have Charles Richardson with the hand raised.
Oh, you're okay.
Mr. Richardson.
Mr. Richardson.
Yes, please excuse the interruption.
Good afternoon, everyone.
You know, I knew you'd be there because I noticed your name on one of the things here.
So why don't you state your name, and you've already been sworn, as usual.
Certainly.
Charles Richardson, R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N, Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass Room, 508 City Hall.
Councilwoman has no opposition to granting the variance.
Thank you very much for, as usual, staying around and always being there.
Thank you.
Planning Commission.
Amy Boyd with the Planning Commission.
The Comprehensive Plan recommends a change in zoning at this location from RTA 1 Residential 2 Family to RM1 Residential Multifamily.
The proposal for multiple principal buildings and multiple principal uses would be allowed under the proposed zoning.
The Planning Commission recommends that the Board grant their experience for multiple principal uses in buildings.
MI 2025-004-128-5200-208 Wayne Avenue.
the only thing what's the amended repeat he says he has an amended refusal what would the date be
oh i haven't
september 25th
so mi 2025 004 128 5200 208 wayne avenue i vote yes with proviso amended refusal dated
September 25th, 2025.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with proviso.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes with proviso.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes with proviso.
Thank you, and congratulations.
You're just doing a great job.
Thank you so much.
God bless you.
Excuse me, Mr. Chair.
Oh, here you go.
I believe Hillary Emerson will be joining you.
Hillary's coming back?
She's coming back for the remainder.
Oh, my goodness.
She knows this is the best part of the day.
I know she does.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
Can you hear me?
Of course we can hear you, Hillary.
All right, we're starting the afternoon schedule.
Good afternoon, everyone.
My name is Bill Bergman, and I will be chairing this meeting of the Philadelphia Zoning Board.
With me is our vice chair, Tanetta Graham.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Board Secretary Cheryl L. Gaston.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Board Member Michael Johns.
Present.
Michael Zares.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
And Board Member Ryan McAdams.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Also, here is Hillary Emerson, our attorney, our Zoning Board Director, Ian Haggerty, and our Board Administrator, Lakeisha Dandy.
recording this hearing will be posted on the zba website by participating you consent to be
recorded whether remote or in person if you're called to speak you must state and spell your
name and then wait to be sworn in once you've been sworn in please state your name each time
before beginning your testimony any person may enter their appearance to become an interested
party there are three ways you can identify the case property address on your zoom webinar
You can see a staff member, or you can call the ZBA appearance line by the close of business tomorrow.
Call 267-270-5548.
Leave a message that includes your email address and the address of the property of the appeal.
The following guidance is for our remote attendees.
First, when directed by the chair, you should raise your virtual hand in order to be recognized to speak.
Second, if you're called to testify, you'll be prompted to join as a panelist.
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Do not comment on cases in the Q&A.
And fourth, if you're participating by phone, press star 9 to raise your hand and star 6 to unmute.
So let's take a look at our schedule for this afternoon.
Number two, MI 2024-003-951-5518 Morton Street Continuance has been received from the owner.
Number two.
The case will be continued to 5-6-26 at 3-30.
And number three, MI-2025-002819, 2922R-24 South Felton Street.
No exhibitors at the first listing.
Council Member Gauthier has requested a continuance.
is there
Nicholas or Larissa Foschino
listed and also
Philly Permit
oh no so it's Nicholas and
Larissa Foschino
Foschino
are the listed owners
good evening
Mr. Chair this is Jason Handel
will be your calls for the session
I have a hand up from
an Eric Hodge
I will allow them to speak
Eric Hodge please unmute
yes I was
calling on behalf of Leisure's group
for the Morton Street
I just wanted to verify that
the date of our continuance