who is the Director of Compliance for ATTAIN.
So I'll go from there.
Passed up Exhibits 1 through 17,
which I'd ask to be incorporated into the record
and getting right to it.
As you mentioned, we do have a letter of,
I think it's unanimous support,
non-apposition from the Hestonville Civic Association.
Met with them and for about an hour
had a really good meeting.
We also have a letter of support from the district council person, Curtis Jones Jr.
at Exhibit Tab 2.
Exhibit 3 is our referral.
This is a special exception case.
We are here today for a group practitioner, medical, dental, and health practitioner,
because the therapy and care that they provide requires medical professionals.
So that's why we're in that category.
It's a special exception, we think, as we'll show, that we meet the standard for a special exception.
Most of the special exception cases I hear are for restaurants, but this is for treatment of patients, which is a little bit different.
But this is a location that was, let me just, so we all know what we're talking about as far as location.
We're in West Philadelphia, Lansdowne Avenue, North 55th, and Conestoga.
The property is right here.
It's a CMX2 property.
This was one of the Rite Aids that has closed recently.
And I'll show you a picture, a convenience store, pharmacy.
Here's the location.
So essentially, we're taking the building.
We're not adding any additions to it.
We're keeping the parking field.
And you see across the street, there's a rec center.
And then behind us is some residential.
And across the street are some vacant lots.
we think this will be a beneficial to the neighborhood to clean up what's increasingly
with trash dumping has become a problem in that area we get to exhibit tab six and at this point
And at this point, what I want to do is I'd like to ask Fernando, who is our real expert from ATTAIN to – Fernando, if you can provide your name.
what I want to do is I want I'd like to ask Fernando who
Why don't you state your name and spell for the court stenographer, sir?
First name, Fernando Vinagre, F-E-R-N-A-N-D-O, last name Vinagre, V-I-N-A-G-R-E.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, counsel.
Mr. Vinagre, can you just provide your title and what capacity you work for Attain?
Yes, I serve as the Director of Compliance for Attain.
And can you describe what that position entails as far as day-to-day?
My particular position is regulatory.
So we basically do a lot of the regulatory research across a variety of funders, insurance companies, and so forth, and also audits and overall compliance of quality services.
Great. In this situation, ATTAIN, as I mentioned, briefly provides counseling therapy for those with autism on the spectrum. Can you talk about how ATTAIN came to this location here in Philadelphia to open up a new location?
Sure. So we typically do a variety of neighborhood analyses, just kind of identifying where the larger referral needs are, where there are vacancies and services overall.
And this particular site or neighborhood area of Philadelphia was certainly identified as having very limited services from a therapeutic standpoint.
point, we thought it would be a significant value add to be able to service this community.
Great. Thank you. And just can you talk a little bit about the services that would be provided
here and ATTAIN's direction as far as providing therapy and counseling to those with autism?
Absolutely. So ATTAIN ABA, again, as was mentioned, is a national provider of
um behavioral health services specifically we service autism spectrum disorder um intellectual
and developmental disabilities is where some neurodevelopmental disabilities as well
we service children from from birth to 21. um this in particular would be a uh a center um
and we would be providing our primary discipline is applied behavior analysis uh hence the ava
acronym. And basically, what we would be providing within this center, it really allows us the
opportunity to expand our evaluation and assessments. A significant amount of research
goes into, you know, the earlier you diagnose and start treatment of children, the higher the
success rate. And so, we're really focusing on early intervention within this particular center
site with, obviously, direct treatment, but, you know, a lot of parent training groups
and social skills groups.
Great.
And we'll show the floor plan in a second, but just briefly how different areas of the
center would be used.
So because it's an early intervention focus, we tend to identify some very specific, we
call them classrooms.
It's not school-based, but they're identified as classrooms where we can have specific interventions per classroom running or very specific focused interventions running per classroom.
So I believe this space would have about six different classrooms.
It would rotate throughout, just be, you know, some would be assessment-focused, some would be observation-based.
Different interventions would be running, discrete trials, different things like that.
It will be an open area where, you know, they could gather, have larger type of, you know, group events, circle time.
It's also focused on training young kiddos before they go to school to increase their communication.
As we know, autism has, you know, a variety of deficits, and those deficits are communication-based and socially social-based.
So we're really increasing our ability to provide those classroom-based areas to where they can extend their patience, their in-seat time, their instruction time, their compliance, and so forth.
patients, their in-seat time, their instruction time, their compliance, and so forth,
their communication of their needs and wants. So those are a lot of the different things that
we're actively training and teaching on a regular basis. Right. Thanks, Fernando. And just as far
as days and hours of operation, I understand there'll be some of the clients will be coming
in in the morning staying for like a half day um and then um another group of clients would be
coming in around noon and staying till about five o'clock is that but but some will say all day if
you just give the board a quick understanding of kind of the days and hours of operation that that's
correct the the um the center will operate from from basically eight to five uh and you'll have
a group of students that come in just for the morning another group of students that come in
just in the afternoon time um and a certain percentage that will actually be there the
entire day it's based on need of the child um you know acuity deficit areas and so forth um
and that's monday to friday that is correct closed on the weekends yes sir okay yeah i mean
we could conceivably use saturdays but right now the right we're looking at um thanks fernando
So I just wanted to just, again, just return to the site itself.
This is when it was the Rite Aid.
We're keeping, the trash won't be there.
This is some old pictures from Google Earth, but we'll be reusing the building.
As you see here, here's some interior pictures that are requested by the board.
Just briefly, the whole idea is to really kind of turn this into a building that's much more attractive for younger children.
You see this as a proposed rendering that we show the community.
a lot of bright colors on the outside some additional windows that that aren't there now
we're looking at this is a rendering of what we hope this would look like once once we're open
and then fernando was talking about the interior just 30 seconds on this because it
it's really kind of impressive what what it looks like inside as far as making this warm and
inviting too but i know there's a therapy purpose for what we're seeing here there is
At the end of the day, it's for the children, right? So we're really looking to have it be inviting, fun, you know, stimulating, you know, so there's textures, there's colors, all of those things are therapeutically purposeful.
um and uh you know even even the seating arrangements and uh different vocational
types of things like daily living types of uh um you know instructional areas so you see a little
supermarket there and which and so forth so all that has an occupational purpose too it's not
just yeah correct kind of almost like the police touch museum when you go inside and there's
this is the supermarket that's in there right yeah right thank you um you know here's the
floor plan. We talked about that, the different spaces. But that's really, you know, we have a
we've worked on a circulation pattern. Most of the drop offs would be coming down Conestoga and
then circling in and the next thing on Lansdowne, there's mass transit here, there's plenty of
parking. And we think in all respects, we meet the special exception standard. So with that,
I'm going to stop. And if there's any other questions, questions from the board.
Yes, real quick while you have this drawing up. So the side windows that will be installed
is going to be installed along that wall right there?
Right here?
Yeah, we'd be looking to open that up.
Okay, thank you.
We're dealing with security. We're dealing with a lot of different, but yeah, we definitely,
we want to make this as light and as bright as possible within the constraints.
So you said there would be classrooms. You said you had six classrooms.
Is that what I heard?
That is correct.
So how many children per classroom?
There should be between eight to 10 at any particular time.
And then what age children are these?
So they'll be grouped.
It's typically going to be your younger children.
So we'll divide them up into, you know, by age grouping.
So you'll have your younger early intervention anywhere from one to five.
You'll have another grouping between six to ten.
It's entirely possible you could have some older children there, you know, 12, 11, 12, 13.
It's not typical in center environments.
So we're really focusing on the younger group.
And you said you'd be open from like eight to five.
So the group that is more school age, how is that going to work for them?
They would typically come in the afternoon.
And then they'll be driven, somebody will, a bus will drop them off.
And then they'd be driven.
Somebody would, a bus would drop them off.
How is this going to work?
We do not provide transportation.
The parent would, a parent caregiver would be bringing their, their, their child to the center.
And are you going to have some sort of play area or is this what I'm seeing in here is going to be the equivalent of a play area?
that that's a good example of a play area on on the bottom on the bottom right um this the the
the left the bottom would be more of a classroom based i'm sorry the one with the fake grass
excuse me what is nice though is we're across the street from a rec center
um which i believe is one of the ones that's being renovated right now as we speak
so this was one of the you got great mass transit right there it was also looking to create some
maybe partnerships across the street with that rec center so that was something we were looking at
nothing definitive yet but definitely something we're considering all right thank you thank you
for your question any other questions for the board questions or comments from our attorney
hillary emerson not at this time mr chair questions or comments from the audience or the virtual
audience chair i do not see any hands raised for that matter planning commission thank you chairman
and good afternoon david vecto with the city planning commission chairman and board members
the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the cmx2 commercial mixed use of zoning at this
location the city rezoned this neighborhood in 2019 in accord with recommendations in the
comprehensive plan the appellant has shown that the proposed medical dental health practitioner
group practitioner will have no detrimental impacts on the neighborhood beyond what might
be expected the city planning commission recommends the board grant proposed special
exception for a medical dental health practitioner group practitioner thank you mi2024 007236
5440 Lansdale Avenue. I vote yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Teneda Graham, my vote is yes.
Iowa, my vote is yes.
Great. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Okay. Be well.
Number three, MI 2024, 005-732, 1517 South 2nd Street,
TA-30461.
William Kerr is the attorney.
I understand that David Orfinides
may also be part of this case.
Mr. Kerr,
there's a recommendation of support
from Old City District
and a letter of non-opposition
from Council Member Squilla.
Chair William Kerr and David Orphanidis should be coming back in as a panel shortly.
Thank you.
Do we see Mr. Orphanidis, too?
Yep, I'm here.
Yes, he's back.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
I'm Mr. Orphanidis.
Let me get Mr. Kerr on first.
Do we see Mr. Kerr?
I can text him if you need.
Okay, he'll be rejoining, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the board.
Hi, Mr. Kerr. Could you please state your name as spelled for the court stenographer?
Sure. William Kerr, K-E-R-R, 40 East Aries Street in Norristown. I apologize. I stepped away for a minute.
Sure, that's fine. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?