to testify in this case if so please raise your hand i went out of order that time but
what else
no hands up
MI2020-001370
let me do that again
MI2020-001370
Hennig Street
H-E-N-N-I-G Street
my vote is yes
my vote is yes
my vote is yes
my vote is yes okay that completes the morning list excuse me this is sharon stiletta there's
actually one case that was scheduled to be voted this morning the record was closed i did not
include it on your add-on list it is mi 2020-001055 911 north 26th street um this is mr
knockamson's case he appeared before the board last week for a follow-up hearing
and you closed the record said you would vote it this morning there was quite a bit of
community input um i don't know what you would like to vote this now or
i can provide you with more information if you would like to announce it for the two o'clock list
yeah that uh or what was the position of the uh rco i'm not sure i remember there was quite a bit
of community we'll hold it till two o'clock okay thank you i apologize for not no worries
all right anyone else we're done with the list for this morning
anybody have anything to add all right okay all right thank you everyone we'll see you two
Good afternoon. Take care, everyone.
Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone.
Tanya, we'll give you a few minutes.
You'll let us know when you're ready.
We're ready now, Chair.
You are. That's good news.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, everyone.
My name is Frank DiCicco.
I'm the Chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
I'll be participating in today's hearing
along with our Board Secretary,
Mr. Confessor Plaza,
and the Board Members,
Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell. Board Administrator Ms. Tanya Sunkit and Board Attorney
Ms. Sharon Saleta are also in attendance. For those of you who haven't yet participated in one
of our virtual hearings, I'll go through some of the basics of what you can expect. First,
we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to their testimony.
Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone, we ask that attorneys and witnesses
identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying. Third, we'd like to advise everyone
that this proceeding is being recorded and that by participating, you acknowledge your agreement
to be recorded. Fourth, for anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify, you must raise
your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. I'll repeat, for anyone
participating by phone if you wish to testify you must raise your hand by hitting star nine
If you wish to testify, you must raise your hand by hitting star 9 and then star 6 to unmute yourself.
Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue.
I'll repeat that.
to enter an appearance statement call google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address
and the address of the property at issue with that said we can't begin but before we begin
we'd like to ask if anyone is requesting a continuance or withdrawal of an appeal listed
for this afternoon's hearing i will go through some of the cases that have already been
continuance or withdrawals have been requested
MI 2020-000953-2123 Dickinson Street is withdrawn
MI 2020-000312-650 East Ontario Street is continued MI 2020-000696-2408 Stewart Street
is continued MI 2020
0-0-0-1-9-9-2-0-4 North 52nd Street, that was number seven on our sheet.
Number nine, MI 2020-0-0-0-1-5-3-1-6 North South Ford, S-A-L-F-O-R-D, South Ford Street
is continued if anyone has any objection to the cases that were just read into the record as being
continued or withdrawn please raise your hand and also if you would like to request a continuance
or withdrawal aside from those that have been read into the record please raise your hand at this
time also Mr. Chairman if anyone here presenting a case today hasn't met with the RCO or hasn't
email their exhibit packet five days prior to this hearing please raise your hand come forward now
and explain to the board thank you i have no hands at this time thank you we have an add-on
which I'll read into the record and we'll call for a vote MI 2020-001055-909-917 North 26th Street
my vote is yes with a proviso three pages stamped today and Sharon I don't need to read them in
there correct because that'll be addressed in the revised plans yes that's correct
so my vote is yes with proviso three pages approved today yes with proviso yes with proviso
happen to tom but we've got majority three all right um
i think we go to um chair excuse me there is another add-on included in the um yeah i'm sorry
is that the ridge avenue it is yes is that vote vote only or resuming the hearing no no you're
resuming the hearing so it doesn't necessarily have to be first as long as it's heard at some
point i was going to hold that one to last thank you but thank you for reminding me okay okay i
I think, let's see, confessor.
We go to number four.
MI 2020.
I'll call it in.
MI 2020.
That's 0015593475 Collins Street.
Here I'm promoting attorney Rachel Pritzker.
Good afternoon, Ms. Pritzker.
Please identify yourself for the record.
and i'll swear you in rachel pritzker r-a-c-h-a-e-l p-r-i-t-z-k-e-r 1635 market street
suite 1600 philadelphia pa 19103 and do you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth
nothing but the truth yes please proceed rachel you agree to waive the reading of its refusal
and stipulate to attack heresy yes also have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required
Also, have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership,
documents, proof of ownership, proof
proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal or referral, photos and plans five days prior
to this hearing?
Also, have you met with the RCO and have a letter?
Thank you.
Okay, so I'm going to just present the refusal and then Tanya, do you see Scott Woodruff
or can he raise his hand so he can present the plans to the board?
he's been promoted thank you good afternoon sir please identify yourself on the record spell your
last name and i'll swear you in scott woodruff uh w o o d r u f f design blends architecture
4001 Main Street, Suite 203, Philadelphia PA, 19127.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
Ms. Pritzker?
Chairman, members of the board, good afternoon.
Today we will be presenting our proposed project at 3475 Collins Street.
This is an existing structure.
there is a few properties on this in this same exact address but we'll highlight that we're
looking at the rear two properties here that are existing vacant industrial structures zoned
i2 the proposal today is just for a variance for use to be able to adaptively reuse these
structures for 86 moderate income and workforce swelling units with 44 parking spaces in an
existing surface parking lot for accessory off-street parking. We believe that we have a
hardship in that these buildings have been vacant for a significant amount of time due to sort of
the shift in industry in this area, the difficulty at the location of them not really having
a proper street frontage given they're sort of in the rear of the property, and also the fact that
the code and the comprehensive plan provides for zoning relief for industrial structures in order
to rehabilitate them, we do find that we have a hardship and that we are in compliance and
spirit of the code. So I just want to have Scott go through the plans. I also, before
allow him to do that, just so the board is aware, we do have a letter of support from
the coordinating RCO, which was Harrogate Civic Association, 17 in support, three in
opposition, and three in zero in non-opposition. We also did provide the board with a letter
from the councilman who is in non-opposition of this project.
With that, I will stop my screen share and let Scott present.
Okay, I just want to do a quick aerial of the existing property.
The buildings that we are looking to propose dwelling units in are these two
large structures that are running along the existing train tracks as we spin around.
These buildings are not within the project or scope of work, it's just these two buildings
and this existing parking lot that's at the rear.
So again, looking at the site plan, proposing 44 total parking spaces in the existing parking
lot towards the rear. No large additions or alterations. The exteriors of the buildings
will be made. There is an existing kind of like bridgeway between them that we'll be
removing and then rehabbing to an actual accessible bridgeway between the two buildings, keeping
with kind of the existing character of what was there.
looking at the ground floor of the the buildings proposed mainly dwelling units that are on this
ground floor there will be an entryway a new elevator that's along Tioga Street at this
entryway and there's also a separate entryway at the parking area with the new elevator in this
back building as well with some small amenity bike storage small gym lounge space for the residents
and then also some outdoor area that will be proposed going up again just a
typical unit and as Rachel said these are moderate income and workforce units
mainly loft style again keeping the existing openings and kind of the
existing character of the building again just the exterior building will be kind
of cleaned and retreated brick pointed some of the graffiti will be removed
obviously to kind of bring the building to be a safe habitable structure.
This is just looking at a portion where we will be rehabilitating and kind of adding the new
bridge element that is existing and then just a small ground floor addition to connect these
that is existing and then just a small ground floor addition to connect these building
building accessibly.
accessibly on the ground floor.
And here's just again you can kind of see the overview three-dimensionally with that
small portion that's being proposed with the addition standpoint and just for reference
if we can see it you can kind of see there's like an industrial kind of existing walkway
that's a little I think Scott probably froze um I'll just take in from here um I want to have
all right you you kind of um froze for a second Scott I'll get I'm wrapping up is there anything
else you want me to go over you're good no um I'd like to you know see if the board has any
questions. If not, I will get Phil on to agree to my testimony. Yeah, let's do that. Okay. Tanya,
do you see Phil Balderson? Yes. He can unmute himself this morning. Hello. Hi, sir. Good
afternoon please identify yourself spell your name for the record i'll swear you in my name is
balderston p-h-i-l-i-p balderston b-a-l-d-e-r-s-t-o-n i am the uh manager of collins lofts llc
you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
i do thank you bill have you heard my testimony today in front of the board
yes do you adopt it as your own i do thank you any questions from the board
questions from the board no no would anyone else like to testify in this case if so please raise
your hand no hands okay uh planning commission
good afternoon board peter bernard for the planning commission apparently the host has
stopped my video peter do you hear me yep all right just spell your last name and i'll swear
you in d as in boy a as in apple r as in roger n as in nancy as an apple r as in roger d as in dog
we're firm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do thank you please
proceed good afternoon board this property is indicated for industrial use in the comprehensive
plan we do not feel the applicant has demonstrated sufficient hardship additionally this use is in
conflict with surrounding properties with existing industrial uses and could pose potential safety
quality of life issues accordingly we object to the granting of the variance
thank you um rachel how long has this property been empty i think it was vacant when i was
back in office back in 96. I could be wrong. I could pull up the records. It's been vacant
for a while. And to the planning commission's point, the neighboring properties are like one
story commercial and industrial uses that actually have legitimate street frontage for those
commercial uses. If you can just look at the aerial photos on Google, it's been in disrepair.
I think the zoning code is a little, the comprehensive plan actually specifically
states if i bring it up that um properties exactly like this should be the demand for
quality and affordable rental units with the district repurposed okay yeah a large because
there's a large supply of multi-story industrial buildings that are no longer favored by modern
industries uh they prefer a more horizontally oriented opportunity and as you can see just
from a loading even a logistics perspective the ability to load any industry or any commercial
industry that would want to be back behind the railroad like that i think it would be pretty
tough to find given obviously the long-term vacancy that has existed on the site um yeah okay
mi 2020-001559 3475 collins street my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes
Thank you.
July 2020-0015851800 East Moya Mensing Avenue.
Chair, I'm promoting attorney Richard DeMarco.
Good afternoon, Mr. DeMarco.
Please identify yourself with a record.
I'll swear you in, and then Confessor will have some questions for you.
Of course. Good afternoon. Richard DeMarco. Go ahead. I'm here for the applicant.
Of course.
Good afternoon.
Richard DeMarco, go ahead.