could you state your name as spelled for the court stenographer? Yes, my name is Meredith Trego
of Ballard Spar spelled M-E-R-E-D-I-T-H-T-R-E-G-O. You swear or affirm to tell the truth,
the whole truth, nothing but the truth? I do. Do you identify your client and relationship
to the property? Yes, my client is Archwell Health LLC. They are the lessee of the property
at 5214 Baltimore Avenue. The property is owned by 5214 Baltimore Associates LLC.
And there's unanimous support from the 53rd Board Democrats, and also Councilman, Councilperson Gauthier is writing a letter of support.
Councilperson Gauthier is writing a letter of support.
Correct. Thank you.
Correct. Thank you. Members of the board, Mr. Chairman, we are here today for a special exception for the use of the property as a group medical health practitioner use within an existing building in a CMX2 commercial mixed use district.
I'm joined today by Seth Dickey, who's with Archwell Health, as well as Dr. Sherlene Moten, who's joining us remotely via Zoom, who is the senior market medical director for Archwell.
We've included all of our exhibits that are required that have been filed with the board, our tax clearance certificate, our referral for special exception, our application project information form, our proof of mailings.
We have a schedule of our neighborhood outreach.
We met with the community on March 31st, and as you noted, they did provide a letter of support.
um turning to uh exhibit three first our referral just to note that this
use is a special exception in the cmx2 zoning district
and then looking at the zoning map so this is the property here this is a cmx2
um it's on baltimore avenue which is a commercial corridor um and um we note uh
Turning to a little bit about Archwell Health.
So Archwell Health provides primary care services to adults age 60 and older.
We have an average patient age of 72.
Our patient services include primary care, lab work, health screenings, social work visits, nutrition, education, and care management.
We know that there's a growing need for doctors and medical professionals throughout the country and including in Philadelphia.
At full capacity, the office anticipates roughly 35 full-time staff members.
That includes physicians, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, as well as support staff.
The facilities located at 5214 Baltimore Avenue are purposely located to transit.
We know that this location is served by the trolley along Baltimore Avenue.
Just sort of general operational points, the office will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
And in addition to primary care services for seniors, the office does have a modest activity room.
It provides some kind of group activities like fitness classes, Zumba, and chair yoga.
It's anticipated that this location will schedule 8 to 10 patients per hour, with the average appointment length being 40 to 50 minutes.
So not a huge turnover at this location in terms of the number of people coming in and out throughout the day.
So Archwell does provide or can provide some urgent care services to existing patients, but it doesn't operate as an urgent care.
So people are not coming here unless, you know, they're already an existing patient and have a relationship with a doctor.
We do want to point out and note that Archwell Health does not provide any drug rehabilitation or treatment services at this location or any other location.
Moving to an aerial of this site, the property is bounded by three streets, Baltimore Avenue, South 53rd Street, as well as Brumall Street.
It has entrances to the parking lot on all three street frontages, as well as an entrance, second entrance on Brumall Street that services the location of the dumpsters.
The site has 47 parking spaces, and except for some restriping of the ADA spaces, the parking lot will remain as it is.
The existing dumpsters are located in the corner of the property at South 53rd and Brumall Street.
Those will be for general office waste only and medical waste will be disposed of internal to
the site and secured on site. Archwell will contract with a private service provider for
that pickup. We'll go through some photos of the site, a view from Baltimore Avenue,
South 53rd Street. Like other sites in Philadelphia, this site is an existing Rite Aid.
west elevation south elevation and the east elevation looking at the proposed site plan
again most of the almost all of the renovations will be internal to the building there will be
some modest replacement of doors and windows on the outside new signage in general kind of cleaning
up of the property but it's really just the interior renovations that will be the primary
work here um we've included just some renderings of anticipated signage this application is just
for the use change but this is what we anticipate the new signage will be for the property
as well as a proposed pylon sign and then just some renderings of interior r2l spaces and other
and then just some renderings of interior archwell spaces and other exterior archwell
spaces located in different parts of the country.
We just want to note that the grant of the requested special exception for a group medical
health practitioner will not create a detrimental impact on the health, safety, or welfare of the
neighborhood exceeding that which might normally be expected from the use. In fact, it will help
to improve the health and well-being of the community by bringing healthcare services to
the 60 plus community. And I'd like to call two witnesses to adopt my testimony. I'd like
to elevate Dr. Shirley Moten, who is joining us by Zoom as a panelist. Sure. Shirley Moten
has been promoted to panelists. Could you please state your name and spell for the courts
sonographer. Good afternoon. Could you state your name and spell for the sonographer? Dr. Charlene
Moten, S-H-I-R-L-E-N-E. M-O-T-E-N. All right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole
truth, nothing but the truth? I do. Please proceed, counsel. Dr. Moten, you have just heard
what I said. Can you affirm that what I've said is true and accurate and adopt it as your own
testimony? I do. Thank you. I'd also like to elevate Mr. Seth Dickey from Archwell as a
panelist. Sir, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer? Sure. Seth Dickey,
S-A-T-H-D-I-C-K-E-Y. Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth,
nothing but the truth i do um mr dickey you have heard what i said can you affirm that what i've
said is true and accurate and adopt it as your own testimony i do questions from the board
questions or comments from our attorney no mr chair questions or comments from the virtual
audience i see no hands at this time amy board with the planning commission the comprehensive
plan recommends no change in zoning at this location from the existing commercial mixed use
CMX 2. The appellant has
demonstrated that the proposed use would not
cause detrimental impacts beyond what
would reasonably be expected. The Planning Commission
recommends that the board grant their requested
special exception for group medical.
Thank you. MI
2024-007-547-5214
Baltimore Avenue. I vote yes.
Charles Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
my vote is yes thank you um did michael vote oh okay all right number two mi 2024 007 437 40 11
40 11 cotman avenue um erdith trego the attorney um
we do not have an rco letters yet is that correct
have you received an rco letter yet we have reached out we were told just informally that
a letter of non-opposition would be submitted but we have not seen one and we are not able
to confirm if it was okay so um just for the record could you identify your client sure i'm
here representing archwell health llc who's the lessee of the property at 4011 cotman avenue
you've already been sworn please start your presentation okay um we are here today requesting
a variance for the use of the property as a group medical health practitioner use within
an existing building, which is also a former Rite Aid. The parcel is located in the CMX2 zoning
district, as well as the Northeast Overlay District. I'm joined today by Seth Dickey and
Dr. Sherylane Moten from Archwell, and just want to note that we have filed all of our required
exhibits with the board, including our tax clearance certificate, our notice of refusal,
our application, our project information form, all the RCO neighbor letters, and proof of mailings
for those letters and proof of posting. We do want to note that this property is located. This is a
CMX2-based district. It is located in the Northeast Overlay, and the Northeast Overlay is the reason
for the variance. It would otherwise be a special exception in the CMX2. The Northeast Overlay
actually prohibits group, uh, medical, uh, use uses in the entire Northeast, uh, the two council
districts up there. So it is a sort of a area wide, uh, prohibition, uh, on the overlay in every
district. Um, and so, um, go through Archwell as well. Um, again, Archwell, Archwell. Yeah,
you could maybe go, go through it. Just a little quicker. Okay. All right. I think I've heard it
six times now. They provide primary care services to folks age 60.
um they provide a primary care services to uh folks age 60 and older um looking at the site
aerial for um this property um the building is at the corner of erdrick and common avenue
it is a roughly uh 15 000 square foot building the parking lot i believe has 47 parking spaces
go through some exterior photos of the property again it's an existing
Rite Aid is currently vacant and has been for about a year. East elevation, south.
And then internal photos as well.
Our proposed site plan, similar to other sites, most of the work will be interior to the building.
The parking lot will remain unchanged except for some restriping of the ADA spaces.
and as far as the exterior of the building goes,
really just replacement of doors and windows.
Trash will be kept in the existing dumpsters,
which are located at the corner of Cotman Avenue
and Erdrich Street.
That will be for office waste.
Medical waste will be stored privately
and securely inside the building
and the operator will contract with a private company
to dispose of that medical waste.
Here are just some renderings of the signage,
Pile and sign, internal renderings of the building, as well as external examples of the improvements.
And if it pleases the board, I'll have my witnesses adopt my testimony.
Dr. Moten?
Doctor, just state your name. You've already been sworn.
Charlene Moten will be joining us as a panelist.
I'm Dr. Charlene Moten, and
You've already been sworn, and we have the spelling of your name.
Counsel, please proceed. Dr. Moten, you have heard what I said. Can you affirm that what I've said
is true, inaccurate, and adopted as your own testimony? I do.
Thank you.
Mr. Seth Dickey? Just state your name for the record. Seth Dickey.
Proceed, counsel. You have just heard what I've said. Can you affirm that what I've said
is true and accurate and adopt it as your own testimony i do thank you questions from the board
so i have a question about catchment area because i feel like we looked at another
right aid on cotman last week and how close is this to the other facility that we approved
already so i believe this is the only facility on common avenue um we've been here for uh germantown
two on north broad and red lion road right okay that's what i was thinking okay all right thank
you i have a question we don't have an rco letter but in your view with how did the meeting go
so we uh we met with the community um the it's the mayfair civic association on march 17th
there was a good turnout um there weren't a ton of concerns they took a vote at the time it was
a vote in support with some requests for feedback on certain items and so we did follow up with the
RCO on those items. We never heard from anybody asking additional follow-up questions. The
questions that they had related to things like, you know, plantings and sort of the appearance of
the dumpster area. There's a blank wall, a long blank wall that sort of abuts the rear of row
homes. And they asked if, you know, that could be spruced up. We responded that, you know, we're
very amenable to painting that wall a different color. It's currently, it's not in bad shape.
It's just currently kind of a stark white. So we're open to sort of, you know, changing the color and appearance of that wall, putting planters in front of the building, the dumpster area, the current garage door will be filled in and a new sort of just pedestrian, you know, person door will be installed.
um so that'll spruce up that area and then there was concern about the fencing um currently the
parking lot is surrounded by a chain link fence um it's it's in good condition and it's you know
a legal fence um i think there was just you know a chain link fence wasn't um everybody in the
community's you know preference there um you know we understand the concern but it's not currently
in our scope of work to update that fence um as we know you know we represent the the lessee of
property so those types of improvements are really up to the owner okay other questions
questions from our attorney no mr chair questions or comments from the virtual audience
i see no hands at this time chair planning commission amy boyd with the planning commission
the comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning at this location from the existing
commercial mixed use cmx2 the proposed use is consistent with documented power use and the
configuration of the building. The Planning Commission recommends that the board grant
the requested variance for group medical. Thank you. MI 2024-007-437-4011 Cotman Avenue.
4011 Cotman Avenue, I vote yes.
I vote yes. Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Pia Nguyen, my vote is yes.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Altieri.
Home High 2024-007-499-433-43 Wesley High Avenue.
Leonard Altieri is the attorney.
There's a letter of unanimous support from HACE RCO.
Hase? Hase.
I'm from South Philadelphia. Stop it.
Yep. Mr. Altieri, state your name and spell for the stenographers.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Leonard Altieri, L-E-O-N-A-R-D, Altieri, A-L-T-I-E-R-I,
with the law firm of Claire Harrison Harvey Brandsburg.
You swear a firm to tell the truth,
the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Can you identify your client,
the relationship to the property?
Yes, my client is Quick Lube of Carolina, Lehigh, LLC,
doing business as Take Five Oil Change.
They are the tenant of the property
located at 433-43 West Lehigh Avenue.
Do you waive the reading of the refusal
and do you agree with its accuracy?
I do, Mr. Chairman.
Could you please start your presentation?
can you see my screen we can we can sir perfect all right so again thank you very much mr chairman
and members of the board leonard out here at the law firm of claire harrison the property that we
are speaking about this afternoon
the computer wants to work there we go perfectly uh is located at 433 43 west lehigh avenue it's
former conoco phillips gas station uh it's located at the corner of lehigh and north fifth street and
it is located in the cmx cmx 2.5 zoning district property as you can see right here is currently
closed these photos are from when it was currently open but it is currently closed and is fenced off