MI 2021-006037, 527-37 West Rod Avenue.
This case was heard on the 12th of December.
We're going to do this over so the proviso language is straight.
So on this matter, I vote yes with seven pages of proviso.
Harold Tenere, my vote is yes with proviso.
Thomas Holloman. My vote is yes with proviso. James Snell. Yes with proviso.
Ishmael Shaheed. Yes with provisos. Thank you very much. We're going to go to our main case.
Our case MI 2021 003 554 1014 Haldeman Street. No exhibits first listing.
Mr. Chair, the address is 1-0-1-5-4.
1-0-1-5-4, Holderman Street.
Chair, we have Augusta O'Neill with her hand up.
with their hand up okay i'm sorry i was holding up my hand for the
the 5028 frankfort avenue but i that was already granted so yes thank you so much okay
otherwise i see no other hands here okay this is a key this is a continued must be tried
MI 2021 003265 1224 Herbert Street attorney Michael Lambert first listing no exhibits that we see
I see no handshare
thank you this is continued must be tried
MI-2021-000727, 2212 North 50th Street, no exhibits still. This is the third listing.
Mr. Rogers, we're dismissing this case.
My vote is to dismiss.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
Dismissed.
I'm sorry.
Thomas Holloman.
That's okay.
Thomas Holloman.
Dismissed.
Thank you very much, sir.
MI 2021-002100, 2431 North 29th Street, Attorney Bricklin.
No RCO letter from Strawberry Mansion, community concerns.
Ms. Bricklin is coming in as a panelist.
hello i'm waiting so could you could you could you spell your name please for the court reporter
s-h-o-s-h-a-n-a the last name is brickland b-r-i-c-k-l-i-n i am the attorney for the
applicant and i would like with your permission to have joined as a panelist mr patrick jones who
will be um who has the packet and who will be sharing that screen so so let me swear you in
first do you swear our firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes i do
okay and we'll get patrick on the phone and then he's going to share the exhibit
is that okay okay vice chair could you ask the attorney a few questions please sure
Ms. Bricklin, do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Have you emailed all the required documents in proof of ownership, tax compliance, refusal or referral,
photos under plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing?
And have you met with the RCO and do you have a letter?
Yes, I have met.
I've submitted everything and we have met with the RCO.
We do have a letter that came yesterday.
I don't know why it didn't come to you.
The other thing is that the tax clearance in your packet was some receipts, but we have
since actually received the actual tax clearance, which will be in the packet that we share
on screen.
They are very slow at providing these certificates, and our applicant went down yesterday just
to get it actually in person.
Okay, thank you.
and they proceed okay is mr jones available yet i i don't i don't see him
hold on he i just spoke to him on the phone i i see him on the bottom i see him on the bottom yep
mr jones could you share the um the packet and i will run through this very um as expeditiously
as possible. Patrick Jones, I'm here now. I'll have to promote him to panelists. Just a moment,
please. Okay. Do you need to be sworn in or no? Let's, let's, let's, let's.
Mr. Jones promoted to panelists.
Yes, Chair. I see him. I see him on there. Oh, thank you. Thank you.
mr jones could you could mr jones could you state your name and spell for the court reporter
yes sir my name is patrick jones first name patrick p-a-t-r-i-c-k last name jones j-o-n-e-s
you were swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
you were swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes chair
yes chair good counsel thank you this is a um an application for a variance on a property
at 2431 north 29th street it's currently zoned rsa 5 single family attached it's 22 22
square feet with a 10,088 square foot lot. The proposed use would alleviate the hardship caused
because of the single family designation in the most mere minimal way, as the variance would
permit the property to be used as a three family dwelling, utilizing the entire building without
hazard to the surrounding community and natural environment. I'm going to run through the first
exhibit is the refusal. The second is the appeal to the ZBA. Third is the project for information
form. Four is the deed. The applicant is, I should just put on the record, RNL's living proof LLC.
The owner is Mr. Robert Johnson, who, by the way, is a there's the tax. There's the tax clearance. Could you hold up for a second, counsel, Mr. Jones? The applicant is a local businessman in the day in the community, not in 250 square feet.
So he's been there for about 10 years.
Continue, Mr. Jones.
We have the certificate of mailing in exhibit six
and the letter to the near neighbors in exhibit seven.
the letter to the RCO in Exhibit 7, the photos. This is the front of the property. You can see
the blue notice posting in the front of the property. Exhibit 9 is the exterior side of
the property. And Exhibit 10 is the exterior side rear of the property. Exhibit 11 is the
rear of the property. The variance also asks that the third floor be brought, have an addition to
to break them, to bring, stop, Mr. Jones, so that the, so that the partial, the property will be
equal height on each, on each floor. Continue. Number 12, this is the interior of the first
floor. This is as far as we could get in the, in the building because much of the building is too
dangerous to go inside at this point. The next one is the site plan, which, and go to the next
one, which is, and then that'll be the, this is the plan. The plan is to have five apartments,
one bedroom on the first floor, no, three apartments, one bedroom on the first floor,
and then the second and third floor will both have two bedrooms.
And then we have a petition from the near neighbors. This has 10 signatures on it, and the next is in support of this variance. The next one is a mapping of the actual addresses in relation to the property of eight of the 10 supporting it.
They're right there on the neighbor, and either in the same block or right onto the rear of the block.
Next slide.
And finally, we have a market analysis of the properties in the area from a local realtor.
Just the zip code in 19132 has a medium household income of $21,600.
The current real estate market has undeveloped properties of similar size within single family use,
being sold at a maximum of $2,9,000. If any property in the vicinity were renovated as
2431 needs to be done, the selling price as a single family would eliminate many folks from
living in the area because it would be too expensive for them to buy.
Next slide. And finally, that was the map of the properties with the real estate comparisons. And then finally, in 2021, this board granted a similar variance for another property down the street, 2355 North 29th Street.
Next, next slide. And finally, the proposal, that's the, that was the.
I would like to add that the property, as you can see, that was another picture of other properties that have been multifamily uses in the neighborhood.
And there they are mapped to show you the vicinity of them in comparison to the applicant's property.
this property by the way is an eyesore it and is in desperate need of renovation um and the how and
and would if renovated appropriately would offer housing opportunities to the residents of the
neighborhood um we which and at this point the building is in such decrepit condition that it
It does provide a hardship to not be renovated and to be available to neighbors for possible housing opportunities.
I think that is it.
If people from the board have questions, and I would.
Is the owner with you?
I'm wondering, is Mr. Johnson, Robert Johnson on the call?
i don't have him here he he may have had a conflict
yeah i would be happy johnson mr johnson is on the call if he could raise his hand okay great
can you hear me we can could you state your name and spell it for the court reporter sir
robert johnson r-o-b-e-r-t johnson j-o-h-n-s-o-n right do you swear affirm to tell the truth the
whole truth and nothing but the truth yes i do thank you mr johnson did you hear the testimony
presented to the that i presented to the board today yes i did i just would like to add that
there that we did pull the makes it make safe permit so far to do the front uh we're still
waiting on um for it to come back so we can start thank you uh is the is the testimony that i
presented true and accurate and would you adopt it as your own testimony yes i would thank you
very much questions from the um the board questions from the board please no mr chairman no mr chairman
no mr chairman did you show the uh rco letter i i'm sorry uh i do i have a copy of it we did
not show it we just got this so so but let me ask you this what's the results what what does
it say the rco um opposed this by a vote of five residents and three rcos opposed i should point
out that we had a petition with eight residents actually nine or nine or ten residents but
at least eight on the map supporting this say that again but what was the rco was the vote for the rco
it says it says five residents and three rcos opposed
and who is the letter from the letter is from uh benita cummings zoning committee of strawberry
mansion community concern we do not know where these other rcos are are they're not listed in
here on this letter um and they believe they believe that this utilization creates excessive
density and i don't know what else to say about this other than that they think that um well could
you do me could you just beam we don't have it here could you read the letter to us would that
be possible okay dear chairman bergman in support of the community position strawberry mansion
concern community concern is in opposition to of the proposed use three family dwelling units
multi-family household living for the following reasons one utilization utilizing the building in
a manner that creates excess excess density excessive use of building two no demonstrated
hardship. Three, no exterior or interior drawings presented at zoning community meeting
to show improvements that meet with the 2035 plans of community concerns of upward mobility
and forward movement away from bad building or living designs for a community. Your attention
away from bad building or living designs for a community your attention to this zoning matter
into this zone.
and your support in our up in our opposition is appreciated and then they have do you need
the summary of the report here mr chairman yeah i hear you thank you for thank you for reading that
to us i do have the report if that's helpful go ahead uh it says dear mr dear chairman
Bergman, below is a summary of a public community meeting held regarding the above reference
zoning proposal. Petition commit taken by community is, okay, the letter under separate
cover attached. Vote in accordance with Bill 170285. Every resident or property affected
attending meeting within 250 feet were. Attending meeting held by Zoom. Five residents and three
RCOs opposed. Date of the meeting was October 11th. Location of this meeting was Zoom. And
this is also signed by Bernita Cummings Zoning Committee. We just got this yesterday and
and we submit in light of this is our in light of the the the near neighbors that we that our
applicant contacted that they are in support of this of this project as as as beneficial
to the community and their needs thank you thank you very much any comments or questions
from the virtual audience yeah we have mary jones sure
good afternoon hi miss jones could you state your name and spell for the court reporter please
yes uh mary jones m-a-r-y-j-o-n-e-s from council president daryl clark's office
you swear a firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
I do. Thank you.
Proceed.
Well, two things.
I do have a question, and I wanted to see if any other members of the community were there.
I spoke with the RCO, and they said that there were near neighbors in attendance, but I'll cede that point to them if they're available to speak on their own behalf.
But I had a question about the presentation where the council stated the median income of the area.
And my question is, if you were given this variance, what price point are you expecting to put these units at where someone with an income of $21,000 a year can afford it?
I do not have a complete answer to that, but I do know that if this was sold as a single family dwelling, no one in the community would be able to afford this property because it would have to be renovated.
the sale price would be an upwards of $400,000.
We believe this has the best opportunity
of providing real housing opportunities
to people in the community.
But how are you guaranteeing the affordability?
I'm sorry, Chair.
This is Tanya, the administrator.
It's not a zoning discussion.
Right.
Regarding-
Thank you so much, too.
All right.
Mary, are you going to take a position on this?
We like to support the community.
The RCO has affirmed to us that the RCO vote was, excuse me, reflective of what the community felt.
But we will, I'll just cede that decision to you.
but also just commenting that the council did bring up the median income and price of housing
as a reason of hardship. We have that. So that's, I was just pointing out.
I understand. So what I'm going to do is let's see if there's anybody else in the audience,
then we'll go to the planning commission. Anybody else in the virtual audience
have comments about this?
Chair, we have Strawberry Mansion Community Concern.
Hello?
Hi, could you state your name and spell it for the court reporter, please?