What's your last name, Richard, for the record?
D-E-M-A-R-C-O.
We're going to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
DeMarco, you agree to waive the reading of his refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Yeah, I mean, there's a typo, Mr. Plaza, on there, but we do stipulate to the accuracy,
but the examiner got the A's and B's and C's a little mixed up, but we do stipulate and waive
the reading. Also, 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? I did do that, yes. Awesome. Also, have you met with the RCO and
have a letter? We do. I did have the letter came in after the five-day period, but I forwarded it
immediately to the board. I believe it was Friday. And yes, we do have a letter of non-opposition in
this matter from Penn Support Civic Association. Thank you. Please proceed. Okay. Let me bring up
our exhibit packet. Okay, is that appearing on your screen now?
Yes. Great. So the refusal, there's some, and I don't remember exactly, some of these
lot numbers are a little mixed up, but the data is accurate, so that's why we can stipulate.
We have multiple dimensional variances. This is a subdivision of the existing Emota
empty, vacant warehouse structure at 1800 Moyamensing. It has been vacant for about
eight years. There have been one unsuccessful prior attempt to develop the property.
it has been extremely difficult to market the owner is on with us he'll testify in a little
while but there are multiple problems with the existing structure it's it's in poor condition
uh it's the roof is collapsing um we did have an earlier proposal that met with some
it was a denser proposal and a much higher proposal we were looking at significant height
variances. The community did not like it. My client, the developer, scrapped that in light
of the opposition for the neighbors and went to a duplex proposal. I'll bring up the site plan
so you could see it. Do you have any photos? I do. I can get to them in a minute. Do you mind
if I show them? This is the subdivision plan. Fine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is the
subdivision plan here. This is the site plan here, Mr. Chairman. This is a photo of the e-mode. I have
other photos I'll show you in a minute. These are our lots here, A through E, L through G.
This is Oriana Street. This is Moyamensing. Note that we are replacing an existing curb cut
with on-street parking because we do not have dedicated parking for these lots along Moyamensing.
there is dedicated parking for the lots along oriana oriana is a tertiary street which has
multiple curb cuts and no parking so we are not displacing any parking along oriana i'll get to
some of these are the floor plans i want to show you the elevation this is the moya mensing elevation
Can you rotate that, please?
Oh, boy.
You know, I'm going to ask Brian.
You know what we'll do, Mr. Chairman?
Brian Neuslanger, our architect, is prepared with screen share.
I'll finish up my introduction and turn it over to Brian.
and he should have better luck than me.
I'm not good at rotating my screen.
I got to learn how to do that.
I'm sorry.
Let me show you the photos that you asked for real quick.
This is the Emota facility. It's empty. It's in poor condition. It used to be a clothing storage facility. There was an attempt to develop it as a brewery. Unsuccessful.
There was an attempt to develop it as a brewery, unsuccessful.
The owner is on and will testify that he has been unable.
This is the roof, the hole in the roof.
And this is the inside, not great shape.
So let me do this.
I'm going to end my screen share and ask you to promote Brian Newsranger,
who should be with his hands raised.
is that okay tanya yes he's been promoted now thank you good afternoon sir please identify
yourself with the record spell your first and last name and then i'll swear you in
there i'm brian newswanger with atlantis architects and it's n-e-w-s-w-a-n-g-e-r
you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
i do thank you please proceed brian do you agree with my state did you hear my statements made to
the board um prior to this yes i did do you agree with the statements and adopt them as your
testimony yes i do all right if you could if you could share your screen and show uh the chair and
members of the board the uh site plan and elevations please sure um here we are
can everyone see that
yes yes okay that is our site plan and as rich said we have five units along moya mincing avenue
and we have six units facing Oriana Street here.
Mr. Newswanker?
We have a diet advertisement going on.
I'm sorry?
And your email.
You need to open your document and share that
because we're in your email.
Does that work now or no?
Double-click on the actual document or file.
Something interrupted your feed, Brian.
Oh, dear.
Bear with me for a moment. I'm sorry.
Can I just close out my email?
You may want to close and come back in.
There we go. Am I back now?
Okay, so we're in your actual files.
So which one you want to double click on it, open up.
It looks like you have a file open to the right as well.
Okay. Hang on.
You want to drag it over?
here we are that's not working on it
do you mind if i take control for one second sure i'm sorry let me see if i can get it
maybe i can keep moving with the testimony mr chairman weil because brian can testify without
the plan so i'll let me let me do this uh brian uh you're involved with pensport civic correct
That's correct.
I've been the zoning advisor and the board member for the past 10 years.
All right.
And there has been an unsuccessful attempt to develop this property in the past, correct?
There was.
That was probably about six years ago.
I was presiding over that.
And you're familiar with the existing structure, and from an architectural standpoint, is it unsalvageable?
It really serves no – it doesn't have any reasonable or useful life left in it at this point,
not without significant expenditure of money.
And is there a cost involved?
Does the property need to be demolished regardless of what is proposed to develop?
I would think so.
It doesn't really – its use is not really applicable to anything that we would convert it to.
Right.
And is the existing structure obviously not – it's not compatible with residential use, correct?
No, it is not.
Okay. The proposed homes that you are proposing, are they consistent structurally with
other, both new construction and existing properties in the neighborhood?
They are, with the trend in the Pennsport area. They're very much in keeping with that.
Okay. And you would know that because your office is around the corner, right?
Right. I'm a block and a half north of this site.
And we're not asking for any height variances, correct?
There's a minimal height variance, I think, of seven inches.
Seven inch height variance, right.
Correct.
And these are duplex units, right?
That's correct.
And you're replacing on-street parking by removing existing curb cut, correct?
That is correct.
Why don't you do this?
Why don't you click, Tanya, if it's okay, can we ask him to...
Tonya, if it's okay, can we ask him to stop screen share and then go back into screen share
so we can show the board? Well, you can actually see it, actually.
You can?
Before you go any further, just go back to that last slide you just had.
That one?
No, the one before that shows the...
Yeah, you got rid of it. So try double-clicking going back in.
i'm just curious a lot f is not shaded in is there a reason for that yeah yes mr chairman
the the the lot f is going to be the staging area for construction we were um the the client
matt milano who i'll will ask to testify in a moment uh was very hands-on with the neighbors
with this project and spoke to them.
Obviously, there were concerns about construction.
He's actually not developing one lot
so as to avoid impact on the street
and to neighbors while he's constructing the home.
So that is an empty lot
and is not proposed to be developed with the proposal.
Well, does that give you 12 lots to be developed?
I mean, 11 lots.
Presently, there are 11 lots, yes.
So my point is, if F doesn't get developed, that's 11 lots?
I'm sorry.
That's right.
On the application, you have 12 lots.
Well, if lot F is part of the subdivision, that would be the 12th lot.
We're not planning on developing it.
But not developed.
All right.
Mr. Chairman, we have dimensional refusals for the lot sizes,
but they are consistent with neighboring lots.
I just want to make sure.
So it'll be 11 duplexes as opposed to 12.
Correct.
I think you can move along rather quickly.
Yeah, Sonia?
Oh, okay.
We will.
We'll truncate if we will.
I will mention that there's a diagonal lot,
which is on the corner of Moore and Moyamensing,
which is also open,
but can be used for a future use
that Mr. Milano is in touch with the neighbors and will develop with their involvement at a future
date. So there's no structure proposed for that line as well. Do you want to get Mr. Milano or
whoever? Yes. Brian, we may come back to you. I think we're okay for now. Let me get Mr. Milano
on. Tanya, if you don't mind promoting. No problem. Sure, but I wanted to, Brian, if you could
maximize your screen by hitting a square to the right by the x okay um it was fine and then it
was moved that's fine i work on two screens i'm sorry so it went across two of my screens right
so can you maximize that so that it's on the full screen yes um for purposes of those who are
participating? Yep. Thank you. Is that better? No. The one that you
the one you're touching on, that's the one we need up the
site plan. Yes. And it's not the full screen. And it's not
because we do have people who wish to testify. So I would love
for them to be able to see the actual. Sure. I don't know why
we are having trouble here. You have two monitors? I do have two monitors. Yeah, that's what the IT
representative is saying. It's on your other monitor. So can you drag it over? Over there?
Drag it over to the first monitor, I believe it is. Is that it? There we go.
Okay. Thank you kindly. I am sorry. Sorry. Before we get to Matt, Brian, can you show that
diagonal lot which would be the future there you go that would be that lot here right and then lot
f is the uh the staging area correct all right okay matt milano please if you could promote him
uh does he need to be promoted or just audio oh he he cannot no he doesn't need to be a panelist
i can do okay so he could actually unmute himself and wait to be sworn in hello my name is matthew
Milano. Mr. Milano, please spell your last name for the record. M-I-L-A-N-O. Do you swear in the
firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? Yes, I do. Please proceed. Mr. Milano,
did you hear all my testimony so far? Do you agree with it and adopt it as your own? Yes, I do.
Okay. You're a realtor, right? Yes, I am. You've been a realtor for 10 years? Yes. And you're
under agreement to purchase the property, right? Yes, I am. And it's taken you over a year to get
here due to COVID and other, and you revised your plan due to neighborhood opposition to your
original proposal, correct? Yes, I have. Okay. And this new plan was developed through input.
Okay. And this new plan was developed through input, you know, substantial input from the
community, correct? Yes, it was. All right. And we met with the neighbors a few weeks ago via a
Zoom hearing and you responded to concerns and we do have a letter of non-opposition from Penn
Sports Civic, correct? Yes. All right. Do you agree that you're unable to reuse the current
structure due to development costs involved with that yes okay um as a realtor uh mr milano what
explain to the board why single family dwelling units would be difficult at this site um because