try. We're going to go to number 12. Thank you, interpreter. You're welcome, sir. Thank you for
using our services. Interpreter, disconnecting now. All right. Thank you. So I have number 12,
MI 2022, 007-641-6904, Forrest Avenue.
Hillary, do I have a name on this?
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.
That is Karen Lucas.
Karen Lucas, please.
They will be rejoining us.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Good morning, this is Karen Lucas, K-A-R-E-N-L-U-C-A-S.
You swear for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Okay, so this application is for the erection of an addition at the front of the existing
a tax structure for use as a single family household, size and location as shown in your
application plans. You have a letter of support from the 10th Ward RCO and a letter of support
from Council Member Phillips. Yes. Did I swear you in? No, sir. Not yet. Okay. Do you swear or
firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? Yes, sir. And our vice chair has
just a few questions for you. Sure. Good morning. Have you emailed in all the required documents
and exhibits that are needed and required to proceed with this case five days in advance
of this hearing? Yes, sir. Thank you. Please proceed. I see I've already shared your screen
so you can proceed.
Are you guys able to see my screen?
We can.
Okay, good.
So my name is Karen Lucas.
I live in West Oak Lane.
I wanted to have my front porch and closed
for my daughter.
She's special needs.
She's 34 years old.
To my surprise,
we were surprised that we got a refusal letter.
The reason why we got the refusal letter
is because my neighbor,
I live in a row house.
Before she bought her property, her front porch was enclosed, and the builders never applied for a permit, which made me have to go through all the process of getting a front porch enclosure.
I have some pictures of my property.
I have submitted all my documents, which you guys can see.
I have my application for my appeal.
And I'm going to go down to the pictures for you guys to see.
Give me one minute.
Thank you for your patience.
No, we're fine.
We're fine.
Thank you.
I'm almost there.
This is from my contractor.
Tax clearance.
Here's the documents that were submitted.
And the pictures are coming up next.
So as you can see, my front porch has a roof already.
My neighbor to the left, that's the property.
Her front porch is illegal from my refusal letter.
So this is my front porch here.
They're just enclosed in it.
It already has a roof on it.
And I'll show you another picture close up.
This is the front porch close up.
So what they're doing is just gonna insulate it
and just close it off and just, you know,
make a door where the next picture is coming up.
Where the step is right here
is gonna be the entryway for the door.
and here's another angle for the front portion posting your postings there too right yes sir
i have two two separate postings sorry for the upside down but um yes if you want me if you want
me to go back up to see the um second posting and this is i think we we have everything oh okay
Um, so you, the place next door already is enclosed.
So the place next door already is enclosed.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
And you, you have a daughter, you, you, you want to enclose it for your daughter.
Am I right?
My daughter is down syndrome and although she's very lucky that she can travel and her friends, I want to create a space, a safe space for her.
Questions from the board.
No, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman.
No chair.
No chair.
All right.
Questions from our attorney.
hillary emerson not at this time mr chair thank you planning commission
planning commission
good morning chair bergman ian hegarty for the philadelphia city planning commission
Last name spelled H-E-G-A-R-T-Y.
You swear, affirm, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Yes, sir, I do.
Please proceed.
Good morning, board members.
Members of the board, the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing residential single family of this location.
Given the existence of enclosed porches elsewhere on this block, we have no objection to the granting of the variance.
MI-2022-007-641-6904 Forrest Avenue, I vote yes.
Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes.
James Snell, my vote is yes.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes.
Thank you. You have your votes.
Thank you. Have a nice day.
Bye-bye.
So we're going to go to number one.
And number one will be, we're going to hear five cases together.
So number one is MI 2023-001-589-1716 Master Street.
Number eight, MI 2023-001-590-1718 Master Street.
Number 16, MI 2023, 001-588-1714, Master Street.
Number 17, MI 2023, 001-563-1710, Master Street.
And number 19, MI 2023-001-958-1712, Master Street.
Pascual Calavita is the attorney for this.
There's a letter of support from the United Neighbors Alliance Civic Association.
good morning good morning good morning uh council could you state your name please
and spell for the court sure pasqual colavita pas q u a l a c o l a v i t a
representing omega investment fund llc and their uh principal managing member is roman
Ovarotsky, and I would just ask that he be
placed on. Okay.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do.
Okay. Our vice chair has just a few questions for you.
Sure. Good morning, counsel. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal
and stipulate to its accuracy? We do. Have you
emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that are needed and required to proceed
Ad Nauseam, yes, yes. There are quite a few.
All right, thank you. Please proceed and share your screen.
Since these are, it's 1710 through 1718 Master Street. I have combined, I sent them in each
separately as requested but if attempted to combine each of the exhibit per exhibit tab
so as you can see there are actually 10 pages two for each property of the table of contents
each table of contents the only difference would be that the deeds are different and
And the architectural plans, they are the same, but obviously the difference would be that the.
They are the same, but obviously the difference would be that the address is changed on the top, as well as the notice of refusal and each of the, so A through P, if you want me to read them in, I'll read them in.
Otherwise, if we can just stipulate that those are the documents that I will be presenting
and I can go forward and try to make this a lot quicker.
Why don't we do that?
Why don't you start your presentation?
So the Certificate of Tax Clearance has been submitted.
So this is a refusal.
So what this is, is an RSA 5 zone.
We're asking for six units for each of the properties.
I've been in front of this board for this exact set of five properties about a year or so ago.
It was approved for three by way of court order.
About a few months ago, I was here on 1710 through 1708.
As you can see, I have submitted their permits, which this board granted.
and it's an exhibit n which i can show
these were approved by this board for six dwelling units it's the same owner so the same owner has
then purchased 1710 through 1718 and wants to make them exactly like 1700 through 1708
as well as some of the other properties on the block as you can see this entire
block is three-story multi-family dwellings this is the lot with all 10
properties there, they are 22 by 100 feet each, which is a lot larger than basically two and a
half times the normal Philadelphia row home lot, which are usually about 15 by 60. So the argument
here is the hardship criteria. All of them are met. It's for single family residents,
And as we go, unfortunately, inflation has increased that price. It's become no viable economic use for a single family residence. There'll be no change in character of the neighborhood. Again, as the rest of the block is multifamily.
uh so we met with the community group as you stated a um they have not just sent in a letter
of no opposition but they've actually support this project we again entered into a cba with
the group. And there's going to be a sizable, very sizable amount of $32,500 contribution
to this neighborhood to keep it up. And another thing about this project that the group was
happy, the RCO was happy about is the affordable housing. We've done it with the first five
properties from 1700 to 1708 and now we continue to deal with the second set of five houses that
are before this board just ask that you support this project do you approve this project similarly
as you had done with 1700 to 1708 there's really no change it makes it significantly easier for the
The neighborhood, because now you can build 10 properties all at once, it'll be rough for a little bit of time.
But the the like I said, the RCO, the community itself, they're happy with with these applicants and just asked it to it be approved for six family dwellings for each of the properties.
Counsel, what was the vote of the RCO?
You know, it's odd, but I didn't see it on here.
And this was a well-attended meeting because there was another project that was north of this.
It was a lot larger and more contentious.
But I requested those documents from the RCO. On the other one, I can look. I think the other vote was probably 13 to 1 the last time.
The vote was probably 13 to 1 the last time.
But this one, there were a lot more people there.
We never received the summary of votes.
The only thing that I received is this letter from the chair.
You want to bring your client on?
Roman, are you in the group?
Can I stop sharing?
You can.
You've been allowed to speak.
would you introduce yourself to the uh panel yeah could you state your name and spell for
the court stenographer yes can you guys hear me yes we can uh roman of rutsky r-o-m-a-n
o-v-r-u-t-s-k-y do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth is nothing but the truth
yes sir proceed counsel mr of rutsky have you heard my testimony this morning yes uh do you
agree with the basis
of my testimony? Yes.
Do you
take it as your own
testimony? Yes. Adopt it as your own
testimony?
Is the board satisfied?
William.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr.
Chairman. No, Chair.
Chair. No, Chair.
Questions or comments from
our counsel, Hillary Emerson?
Not at this time, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I do not say any further hands, Mr. Chair.