Again, here's the property, and you can see everything CMX2 and CMX1, and then across the street is RM1.
And even in a letter from the community group, and I believe the neighbors on either side who may be on the call, they don't want commercial either.
So we're kind of caught in a voice here is we have three potential uses, one of which we don't want to do.
The neighbors don't want us to do. And instead of doing the commercial, we would rather have residential because we think that would be more appropriate in this location.
So with that, I would rest and entertain any questions from the board.
We have the architect on the line, too, if there's any architectural questions. And the client is also on the line.
Thank you. Does the board have any questions, Tom?
Yes. Yes. What is the trash disposal plan, especially for the third floor?
Right. On the trash disposal, there is obviously no rooftop deck and there's no rear deck.
And the idea was that the client would install trash compactors in the kitchen area for trash.
And then the tenants would have to bring the trash down on trash deck.
the first floor obviously has the rear yard thank you is there anyone in the virtual audience who
would like to ask questions or testify please raise your hand yes chair um theresa
Yes. Hello. Hi, Teresa, can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?
Hi, Teresa, can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?
It's Teresa Holberg, H-O-B as in boy, E-R-G as in girl.
I live at 2416 for Rock Street, and I am the zoning co-chair for Fairmount Civic Associates.
Okay, you're already sworn in.
I am earlier.
Okay, you may proceed.
Yeah, I guess the problem here, clearly, we know commercial, especially in light of COVID,
is financially difficult. And everyone agrees and understands that. And what you have here is a row
and you can see from that photo there of five residences along Poplar Street from
Chang Street over to Taney Street. The one on the corner of Taney and Poplar is a duplex,
two apartment units and the other four including subject property are all single family residential
and the concern you know it's bothersome to us on the board that we we get these fairly frequently
where applicants feel like well it's an even swap well it's not really an even swap to swap
out commercial for residential they have two different demands two different
effects on on the neighbors and we haven't heard anything really that says
why it's not feasible and i'm not talking about the owner's personal finances i'm talking about
the financial feasibility of building a duplex it can be a three-story duplex you know you can have
a duplexed unit and why it has to be three units. And we haven't seen anything about the hardship
on that. They haven't exhibited a hardship. You can do that. Quite frankly, I think the residents
would refer to single family, but they understand that's not in the card. So they would rather that
the density conform with what the zoning permits, and that would be two residential units.
can i respond to that madam chair just sure yeah the hardship miss herberg and thank you for your
direction on this matter but the hardship would be uh if he does commercial on the first
and has two residential units above we may be back in front of you the fairmount civic again
saying that our commercial is dark. We don't have anybody in there. And since we have a dark space,
can we make it residential? Now that's right next door, you know, there's going to be
commercial space on the first floor of this newly approved project. So that's a response
to your question that there is a hardship because the commercial will likely be dark. Now, my client
owns a cleaners at 23rd and Fairmount and has he's been this this property has been in his
family for many many years I know I know the neighbors are upset because it hasn't always
been kept up and they had to shovel snow and sometimes there was dirt and that was certainly
voiced and my client heard but he doesn't think commercial would work and that's why
you know the ask is is what it is well but that's not really responsive to my point
we understand you can't do commercial that that it's not feasible but that doesn't mean you can't
just build two units without the commercial no but it also doesn't mean we can't do single family
but if you're if you're allowed to have three units are you not allowed to have three units
three units one commercial and two residential then from the vantage point of you know anybody
trying to develop this property you have three uses two of which are residential if the commercial
doesn't make any sense, then why would you build it?
Madam Chair, I'm sorry. I didn't mute the participant because it was a back and forth
and the participant should be addressing the board, not the attorney.
Okay. Mr. Clinton, I have a question. I'm pointing and you can't see that I'm pointing.
There's a duplex on the corner and then there's four single families.
Yes, Madam Chair.
uh first floor there's no commercial anywhere around there not only not from taney to chang
street now and across the street as rm1 zoning and this this plot here and miss hoberg can correct me
if i'm wrong i think it's been approved for 108 apartments and commercial on the first floor
okay does the board have any additional questions uh council lady chair lady i think that the
I think that the commercial would not work there, but you really can't switch out commercial
commercial the commercial would
for residential and keep three units, since it's new construction, there's not existing
conditions, because it's going to tear the building down.
Thank you.
Do you have a response to that?
Yeah, I think I would just reiterate what I said before. There's three uses. If one use by everybody's account is just ridiculous, then why build a commercial with two above and play a game with the board and come back next year and say, you know what? We built by right the commercial and two above. Now we want to convert the commercial to residential because it doesn't make sense to have a dark space on the first floor.
but counselor when you tear the building down you have three uses existing now when you tear
the building down you have to start over again you don't have three uses once the building's
demolished no i don't have three uses now at all right i only have one use but it's the zoning
district is cmx2 so that doesn't change once i turn it down once i once it's torn down if that's
the route this takes you you still have the cmx2 zoning district and then you can build a commercial
in two that's why i say there's three uses but you're not but you're not asking to build a
commercial in two you're asking to build three residential i agree mr hollman i mean you're
absolutely right all i'm saying is uh i don't want to be duplicitous and say let's say to the client
go ahead build a commercial and then you know after you try to rent it if it doesn't rent then
we'll come back and get the residential. I'd rather just say, look, this is really a residential
block. Commercial doesn't work. Everybody agrees it doesn't work. It just doesn't make any sense
whatsoever. And that's why I took the case, even though I know there would be opposition. To me,
it makes a lot of sense. You're going to get rid of 100% occupancy. You're going to have a nice
yard in the rear. And yes, you're going to have five bedrooms. It's not a six, seven, eight
bedroom triplex and you know i just thought it was reasonable and look we can disagree
excuse me let me ask you do you think two residential work with two residential work
yeah one would work two would work sure but if he's allowed to have three uses
then that's that's really the direction we want to go
but for the three uses you would need a variance correct that's and that's why we're here yes yes
sir thank you okay does anybody have any um further questions from the virtual audience we have um
Murphy?
Yes, hello. Can you hear me?
Yes, I can. Can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?
Yes, Brendan Murphy, 2627 Poplar Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, M-U-R-P-H-Y.
Thank you. Do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
You may proceed.
thank you I think I think the concerns that I would share about this project have already been
articulated I would just like to reiterate that I am in agreement that commercial use
for the reasons already stated would be inappropriate for the surrounding
the applicant in my assessment has not proven financial hardship that would require
a three residential unit building as has just recently been mentioned there may be alternatives
with lower density. However, the plan as proposed is being positioned with both variances and both
variances only being requested. These are all two-story single-family residences as current use.
They're surrounded and in CMX2 zoning by name only. If it would be relevant to consider
similar surrounding blocks where comparable houses are zoned RFA5 surrounded by CMX2.
These properties unfortunately have been zoned CMX2 for quite some time as part of this entire
square block going back to times when other commercial properties along Girard Avenue
were being considered. If it would be relevant to the board I can elaborate but I'll ask the
question. I do have suspicions of the plans as currently drawn that specifically label no
underpinning required based on my understanding of the current depth of the property in the basement.
um based on my understanding of the current depth of the property in the basement as well as the
plans that include egress on both the front and back of the first floor if that would be relevant
to elaborate on i'd be happy to do so does the board want to hear any of that testimony
i'm okay i am too is there another witness
we have multiple chair so like at least four more
okay we can hear all four
okay we have um miss kim
miss kim you can unmute yourself yeah uh can you hear me okay yes name and address please and spell
your last name kim marino m-a-r-i-n-o 2631 poplar street philadelphia 19130
zero. Do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
I do. And I would like your testimony to be something new and different. Well, I guess it
probably won't. I'm just in agreement pretty much with everything Teresa said and with what Brendan
said. As the neighbor that's connected to this property, I also have concerns about the demo and
you know, my house being, we're only, our houses are connected to each other. There's an alley
between 2629 and 2627. So the demolition of that building will leave my house freestanding.
Right now, the house is structurally sound and my engineer is afraid that it will not remain that way
when 2629 is demolished. Okay. And I guess the other, the only other thing that I would add is
that, you know, turning this into a three-story multi-unit building, you know, from a, what has
for decades been a single-family home, you know, has the potential to bring 10 or more tenants,
you know, into what was, you know, a row of two-story single-family homes. So I guess there
isn't really anything else that I can add, you know, in addition to what the other witnesses have
Thank you very much. Another witness? Next, we have Mr. Nick.
Nick, please state your name for the record. Are you there? Can you put your name and address on
the record and spell your last name? Yes, Nick Pappas, P-A-P-P-A-S, 767 North 27th Street.
Do you swear if I'm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. You may proceed.
I just wanted to say that I was not able to attend the Fairmount Association meeting,
but I am in full support for a variance on this project.
Okay, thank you.
Next witness.
Mr. Terry.
Yes, hello?
Can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?
Terry Memos, 2626 Poplar Street, 19130, M-E-M-M-O-S.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Thank you.
You may proceed.
So I live across the street from the property at 2626 Poplar Street.
I'm full of support for the variants, me and my family.
Thank you.
Is there another witness?
Yes, Chair.
Mike, you can unmute yourself.
Yeah, hello.
Can you hear me?
Yes, I can.
Name and address on the record, please.
and spell your last name. My name is Mike Katios. My last name is K-I-T-S-I-O-S. I live at 2624
Poplar Street across the street from the property. And I am also an advocate for this variance. And
reason being is I'm familiar with developers and builders. And this builder, by right, I could be
wrong but but by right is allowed to build a commercial space on that property am i correct
is that correct yes okay so he is allowed to build a commercial space on the property
which he will do and i'm not an advocate for that but if i can choose a rent residential
space over a commercial, I do. I would prefer the residential over the commercial.
I do. I would prefer the residential over the commercial, if that makes any sense.
Thank you. Is there another witness?
Here we have Mr. Chris. Mr. Chris, please unmute yourself.
Mr. Chris, if you can hear me. Hi, put your name and address on the record and spell your last name, please.
Sure. My name is Chris Katseptis. Last name is spelled K-A-T-S-E-F-T as in Tom, I-S. My address is 2731 Reno Street.
Do you swear or affirm and affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. You may proceed.
I just want to kind of echo what the previous two or three individuals had mentioned.
Fortunately, I was not able to attend the Civic Association meeting, but I am in full
support of the variants for the three residential units.
Thank you.
Is there another witness?
Yes, we have a call-in user, call-in user 9112.
Call-in user, please unmute yourself if you wish to testify.
you just had it is it star nine to unmute hello is there somebody there calling in who would
like to testify
okay does the board have any more questions no planning commission
This is Ron Bednar, City Planning.
The property is indicated, currently indicated for mixed commercial use on the city plan.
We recommend that the requested variance be granted provided two residential units only.
thank you calendar number 0865 2629 poplar street my vote is yes with the maximum of two units
yes with proviso yes with proviso
thank you madam chair i'm dismissed uh yes
thank you calendar number zero zero three seven six one four north 12th street
is it an attorney for this case
it's it's per se the owner is Deanna Williams do we have the owner available only first
I think Deanna is the owner yes I'm not seeing her here
is nancy she was planning to be here she we um texted back and forth earlier
do you want me to see um i see that the architect is available i'm going to allow
him to speak to determine if she is with him okay