these are signatures of the nearby neighbors it's a total of 71 of them
Also, I wanted to bring to the panel's attention that there are several multi-units on the
block that are four units, three units, which is attached.
we have the tax clearance and then we have uh evidence of ownership
again property was purchased in july uh july 9th of 2025
and then this is the proof of the proof of mailing along with the uh community meeting
that was held last uh last week so i would like to call my client i think they're still
on the call uh mr and miss mr and miss wobbly uh for the purpose of adopting my testimony
chair mr and mrs wadley will be joining us as a panelist hi thank you
jermaine what what do we think was there before four units you're saying it was four units there
it was before it was this is how it was fitted out exactly as the plans are that's how they bought it
thank you
audio i'm trying to start the audio okay we should can you see us
i'm trying to start the audio okay we should can you see us no okay hello who who wants to testify
my husband will testify sir could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer
conneal whatley c-a-n-n-i-e-l w-a-t-t-l-e-y you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth
and nothing but the truth yes counsel okay so mr wiley did you hear the testimony that i just gave
uh in front of this board yes uh do you agree with the testimony that i have just uh presented
to this board yes okay uh so that means that you adopt what i've just said correct yes as if as if
you are to testify and and you don't necessarily have to but if you if you
have anything that is there anything you want to add to what I just presented to
the board well you don't have to just say pretty much everything you said yes
we agree with everything you said okay and we would open it up for any
Any questions that the board may have for myself or the representative of Wally?
Questions from the board.
What is the trash plan for these four units?
Right now, currently, the old tenants, they have a platform in front of the building
where they take up the whole staircase along the whole front of the building.
So the plan is to take that down and put back and we do the original stairs that is there
now and build a compartment right by the windows to put garbage containers and stuff right
on right on that side of it.
So it could contain the rodents and stuff like that.
So you want to store the trash in the front of the building?
Yes, right on the side.
remove the platform that they have with the staircase and stuff right there from the other
side of the building. Okay. So is there a way that you can find another space to the store
besides being in the front, which presents a lot of clutter and kind of trashing up the
neighborhood? Have that trashy book? Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, right now, I mean, you
know um once i remove that steps that that platform that they have it would be pretty
much right on the side and it won't really cloud it up at all um well yeah i know 16th street
there's an issue with uh the trash in the re in the front so um i would suggest finding another
place to store the trash okay i i i think they would would you consider basement storage yeah
we can do basement because the basement is um gonna be um empty as is just for storage anyway
so we can do the basement i don't know how everybody's gonna have access to the basement
there's a separate access to the basement to the basement in the plans say it one more time
there's a separate access let me pull up the plans but there's a separate access
yeah there's a separate access that everybody can access for the basement okay so and so so
that everybody can access the basement and store the trash in the basement yes from the entryway
okay um i've got a couple of questions um from what i understand um you read in the real estate
listing that this was a quadplex but did can't really hear you that well i'm sorry okay i said
according to what i'm reading here you saw this as the real estate listing said this was a quadplex
correct is that what you were under the impression of that's what we was told yes okay and um but
Did anybody check the zoning records at all? And has there been any effort to look at the records as to the prior use of this property?
I mean, our realtor did check into it, but she couldn't give us a definite for some reason.
Okay, I see. And I guess I'm having a problem with the, well, I'm having a problem with the layout, and I'm having a problem with the number of units.
Well, I'm having a problem with the layout and I'm having a problem with the number of units. I'm not sure because I can't see enough here about the square footage for these units, but it seems to me like that first floor unit is a little overcrowded here with having it being a two bedroom unit.
And I don't understand the second floor layout. I don't understand what a one-bedroom studio is. Studios, I thought, didn't have specific bedrooms or whatever it is. It's a space, and it's got a kitchen, and it's got a bathroom and some space where you can kind of live.
So I'm having a little problem with the terminology. And I just think that it's a kind of overcrowding here of the space. And particularly since it's basically a shell. I mean, it's not like you can actually tell that this was used this way before.
or you haven't, I don't, you're not presenting any kind of records to show that it was ever
used this way before.
I'm having a little problem with the number of units that you're really asking for here.
It was, they did have five meters, four for each unit, which is their existence right
now, which is where we bought it.
Where are they?
the meters let me yeah yeah hold on i'll show the pictures of that okay
because i did i did show that when i showed the basement i believe okay hold on
oh yeah you want past it
yeah there were five yeah they have yeah they have five meters one for each unit
and one for the common space okay all right um i have a question about the backyard it looks like
only the first floor two-bedroom unit has access to the rear yard yes um i mean i think that's
typical but i will say like that's a lot of maintenance of a yard to put on the single
tenant and given the fact that the backyard does have i mean sorry the basement has universal
access to be able to figure out a way to give the entire building access to the
rear yard would be nice to see and I will just state it I know you guys are
from out of town but as a now Philadelphian I think the decision to
get rid of the porch is a terrible one and I would strongly advise doing that
just because that is the context of the community I mean that that would that
was just part of the thought process was to put the garbage but since we could put the trash in
the basement it don't have to be removed um can i get sworn in and say a word
what's that ma'am can i get sworn in and say a word do me a favor please state your name and
spell okay regina watley r-e-g-i-n-a w-a-t-t-l-e-y do you swear or affirm to tell the truth told
truth nothing but the truth i do please proceed okay so the other buildings on the block have
no structure in front no porch so it appears that the previous owners created that porch
and all of the other buildings on each side and across the street store their garbage outside so
we can certainly modify that and store garbage inside the other part of it that i wanted to add
to what my husband said is that all the um there were it wasn't a complete and utter shell there
were there's evidence of that they had the five meters that are still there and also
they had the the front floor the first floor as a as the as an apartment and they had two
apartments on the second floor and one apartment on the on the first floor they were the two
apartments on the second floor were studios the one apartment on the top floor was a studio
and the the two bedroom was on so we didn't change anything from what they had been using
it for and also the part the as our attorney said the property was represented as a multi-family
and um we were told that it wasn't you know uh change converting it that it was a multi-family
when we purchased it and that um when we saw the properties across the street that were also
multi-family um i guess we made an assumption you know that that's a that's another
I guess we made an assumption, you know, that's another thing, but we made an assumption that it wasn't an issue to have it consistent with the rest of the units on the block, and so that's why we wanted to come to the board today to make sure that it is consistent with what's on the block.
and as far as the backyard i i wanted to um clarify um i i know you said something about
access from for other um for other tenants from the back i said to the rear yard so i said it
you know four units is a lot of density in a part of the city where there's not a lot of recreation
space one having one tenant be responsible for the complete maintenance of the of the yard yards
this neighborhood are relatively sizable that to have access for all of the units in the building
to the rear yard would be a nice amenity if absolutely but the um the backyard is pretty
small um and the tenant would not have the responsibility for maintaining that that yard so
uh just um wanted to add that that was not a zoning thing that was just a suggestion oh yeah
while you're here we'll let you know there are properties on your block that have the same
porch setup and that porch setup is typical to that neighborhood in philadelphia so it is not
the only unit of the one the front porch um area because we didn't see any more really
okay okay so i'm sick thank you any other questions yeah i just i just would agree with um
of the other board members regarding the density.
My biggest concern, I guess, of the units
is the one on the first floor.
That living area is really just too small
for two bedrooms.
It just doesn't work.
It doesn't show any furniture.
So I doubt if you could put a sofa or even a love seat
and have a place to eat.
It's really just a kitchen.
So that unit is problematic.
i i guess the only thing i would say uh mr johns is that i i guess you may have a concern about the
two bedrooms but if need be i guess because it's fitted out the way that it's fitted out they may
in fact have to do practically they may have to make that a one bedroom the large one bedroom
maybe yeah all right questions from our attorney not at this time mr chair questions or comments
from this audience to the virtual audience no hands at this time chair planning commission
amy boyd with the planning commission amyboid do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the
whole truth nothing but the truth i do please proceed the property was remapped from rm1
residential multi-family to rsa5 residential single family in 2014 in accord with recommendations
from the comprehensive plan.
The multifamily household living is in character
with this side of the block face mapped RSA 5.
However, the requested variance for four-family
is not the least minimum.
If the property were still mapped R1,
the parcel would allow two units.
The City Planning Commission recommends
that the board grant the requested variance
for a multifamily with proviso max two units.
So MI 2026-006-727-2250, North 16th Street, I vote yes with proviso. Per refusal dated April 21st, 2026, maximum three units.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with proviso.
Tynetta Graham, my vote is yes with proviso.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes with proviso.
Ty Owen, my vote is yes with proviso.
Thank you, counsel. Thank you. Sure. Is there anyone in the audience who had a 930 AM list case?
No chair. I see no hands at this time.
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Bill Bergman. I will be chairing this meeting of the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment. With me is our board vice chair, Tanetta Graham.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Board Secretary Cheryl L. Gaston.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
board member michael johns president mr chairman board member tyah winn president mr chairman and
board member ryan mcadams president mr chairman also here is our attorney uh hillary emerson
and our zoning board director in haggarty and our board administrator lakeisha dandy
a recording of this hearing will be put on the zba website by participating you agree to be recorded
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rally point is love park directly across art street please remain there so we can count for
you. Let's look at our schedule for this afternoon. Number five, MI 2025 007533 7000 Caster Avenue.
That case is being continued to 7-8-2026 at 2 p.m. Are there any other requests for continuances?
no Jay I see no hands at the time thank you we're going here's our add-on cases number one
MI 2025 002849 2418 North 29th Street I vote yes with proviso maximum two dwelling units
Michael Johns my vote is yes with proviso
cheryl guest and my booty shots with proviso
ryan mcadams my vote is yes with proviso
ty when my vote is yes with proviso okay number two mi 2025 is zero zero seven three seven seven
fifty six thirty six angola tourists i vote no michael johns my vote is no
Cheryl Gaspin, my vote is no.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is no.
Tyia Wynn, my vote is no.
We're going to go to number 6 for our first case.
MI 2025-007-940-4166 West Gerrard Avenue.
Brandon Savarin is the attorney.
Chair Brandon Severin will be joining us thank you he's right in front of us cannabis
and council we do have a letter of opposition from east parkside
residents association yes
council could you please state your name and spell for the
stonogford yes brandon saverin spelled b-r-a-n-d-o-n s as in sam a v as in victor r-a-n as in
nancy do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes i do
um would you identify your client relationship to the property
yep um my client is n a parkside operating llc who is the
My client is N.A. Parkside Operating, LLC, who is the owner of the property, and Nate Tolchinski is the principal, and he's here with me today.