Correct.
You've heard my testimony today with respect to this property?
Correct, yes.
Is there anything you'd like to add at this time?
Not at the moment, no.
Okay, and my testimony has otherwise been true and accurate to the best of your knowledge?
Yes, that is correct.
And you adopted as your own today?
Yes, I do.
Thank you.
Members of the board, we're happy to entertain any questions you may have at this time.
Thank you.
Any questions from the board?
no no would anyone else like to testify if so please raise your hand
no hand thank you planning commission good morning david effecto city planning commission
mr chairman and members of the board this property is indicated for residential single
family use in the city's comprehensive plan we do not believe that an additional unit
will have an adverse impact on this block.
Accordingly, we have no objection to granting this variance.
Thank you.
Thank you. MI 2020, that's 0003072125 North 20th Street. My vote is yes.
MI 2020, that's 000307.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
All right. Thank you, man.
Next one up is MI.
Excuse me one minute. Leo.
I figured today being election day, we would come out with something like, you know, Uncle Sam or something like that.
I was waiting for this moment.
you know chairman i i considered it for a moment um but with things the way they are today i decided
to just lay low for today probably going a little wild in october probably doing the right thing
take care i feel a little let down though because that's all i look forward to just wait till next
year all right god willing take care uh mi 2020-000297-2212 north marshall street
here i'm promoting attorney's engine
good morning mr jen you know the drill please identify yourself with the record and i'll swear
you in good morning zen jen z-h-e-n last name j-i-n 1617 john f kennedy boulevard suite 1838
philadelphia pa 19103 here on behalf of the applicant and they swear and affirm to tell the
truth? The whole truth and nothing but the truth? I do. Thank you. Please proceed. Do you agree to
wait the reading of its refusal and stipulate to its accuracy? I do. Also, have you emailed an
exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance,
copy of the refusal or referral, photos and plans five days prior to this hearing? I have. Also,
have you met with the RCO and have a letter? Yes, we do. We have met with the RCO. We do have a
letter. As a preliminary matter, I just spoke with Ms. Jones from the Council President's
office this morning. She wanted to follow up with the local ward leaders for some additional
information, so she did ask that we have the case held for two weeks, if possible, after
the presentation. Thank you. Please proceed. Thank you. I'm going to go ahead and share
my screen with the board with the information that we have submitted, including refusal,
community letter from APM, notice and proof of mailing and notification, photos, plans,
tax clearance, deed, copy of the appeal, PIF, as well as the calendar of this hearing.
The refusal for this matter is purely based on the zoning district of CMX2.
my client would like to request a variance to permit him to build a three-family dwelling,
which actually is essentially replacing the ground floor commercial unit with a residential unit.
The reason we asked for this is because while Germantown Avenue, which meets up at the end of
the block with North Marshall Street at this area, Germantown Avenue is a commercial corridor,
but my client's location on Marshall Street is not quite in that corridor. It's a little bit
off to the side and it's further down the block. I will show the photographs to better
explain the situation. As far as the RCO meeting, we have just APM's one member that was present.
Even though we did the notifications and we asked the community to appear, no one did appear at the
meeting. This is why the council president's office would like to do some additional due
diligence, and I agreed to ask for a two-week extension based on that request. We just got
the request this morning, which is why I did not let the board know of this ahead of time.
So the location here, as you can see from this aerial photo, Germantown Avenue, which is a
commercial corridor, but even in this area, the commercial corridor isn't as heavily used.
What we have are actually lots that are across North Marshall Street, and what we're abutting
to for the most part, except for up here, which is a currently, I'm not sure it's even
being used.
It is a multifamily plus what looks like a garage and maybe some commercial use.
This is the church, and all the rest around here are essentially RM1 multifamily uses.
So we're kind of surrounded by more multifamily use and not quite as much for commercial uses.
So we do have a vacant lot, but as you can see, all the new development that is going on behind us, further down the street, in the next block, everything is actually...
Further down the street, in the next block, everything is actually residential.
There's just not a lot of commercial activity going on on North Marshall Street in this area, one block away up and down the block.
So this is the corner building that actually is right near the intersection between Germantown and North Marshall itself.
we are also on the back side of the germantown commercial buildings none of their commercial
building including this church actually faces marshall we only got the back side of their
buildings facing us so on our side where the lots are we really don't have a ready
situation where a commercial space would get traffic and that is part of the reason why my
client asks for a residential use from a design standpoint we are proposing a three-story structure
and again we're not asking for any height beyond what is normally permitted actually the proposed
height is actually lower to kind of keep it more consistent with buildings further down the block
and also on the other side behind us. So the structure itself is three stories. It is designed
let me go to the floor plans for the board so I can explain each floor clearly. So it's designed
as a bi-level on the first floor and then two units above. Again, the two units above would
been by right given the district if we had a commercial space on the first floor. This is not
a very large lot so the proposal is for basically one bedroom units on each floor. The bi-level unit
if the layout can be adjusted potentially could be a two bedroom but my client would rather leave
the family area open for home office where those kind of use and then just make it a
one bedroom unit as the proposal. This is the plan we presented to the community. We
explained to them that again the development here is purely residential because again on
that block there are just no currently from our perspective really viable commercial uses
and the addition of residents would only help the existing corridor of germantown which has some
struggling commercial uses and we think the addition of the residents would only help so
that is why my client has asked for a pure residential design from a trash storage standpoint
we have trash storage for the first floor in the back the second floor we actually built an out
rear enclosure outdoor space for temporary trash storage. And for the third floor, we have a roof
deck, very small roof deck area specifically for trash storage as well, pending actual pickup
by the trash pickup during the week. So each of the unit has their own trash
storage area available to them. These are contemplated to be condorized, but
But obviously, if the condo process is not viable, we would still be renting the space
as well. So that's one or the other would be the likely end result. I'm happy to answer
any questions from the board. Thank you. Questions from the board? No.
No, no, no.
Anyone else like to testify in this case?
If so, please raise your hand.
I believe my client is here, Mr. Joseph Gitterman.
Gitterman, please raise your hand.
Mr. Gitterman, you've been unmuted.
You can wait to be sworn in.
Yes, how are you?
Good morning, everybody.
My name is Joseph Gitterman.
I'm the owner of 2212 North Marshall Street.
Mr. Gitterman, if you can hear me, would you please spell your first and last name?
My first name is Joseph J-O-S-E-P-H, and the last name is Gitterman, G-I-T-E-R-M-I-M.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Mr. Gitterman, you heard my testimony and presentation to the zoning board this morning.
Can you verify that the facts as I presented are true and correct and adopted as your own?
Thank you.
um mr chairman again as i indicated earlier the council president's office did ask that the case
Mr. Chairman, again, as I indicated earlier, the council...
for two weeks okay uh just let me ask any questions from the board i think i've asked
i'll ask again no no thank you planning commission
good morning david effecto city planning commission mr chairman and members of the
board this property is indicated for commercial and residential mixed use in the city's comprehensive
plan the zoning in this neighborhood dates back to 1933 we have not received a request to change
the zoning maps we believe that during a rezoning this property would likely change to a residential
zoning category accordingly we have no objection to granting this variance thank you mi2020-000297
2212 North
Marshall. This hearing
will be resumed on. We have
a date, Tanya.
may suggest, I am actually coming
back before the board
on November 17th for
a attached property to this
one, also on Marshall Street, for this
client. So that would probably
make things easier if we can put it on the same
Works for me, Chair.
All right. What date is that again? The 17th?
17th at 9 30 at 9 30 and mr jinn that'll be great thank you okay excuse me this is this is
sharon seleta mr jinn can you remind me you're coming back to present feedback from the councilman
or the board leaders council uh the council president will be forwarding some kind of
update for us on this based on his conversation i assume with the rco
Based on his conversation with the RCOs in the area, correct.
It's only because we had only one D at the RCO meeting.
All right.
So, again, MI 2020-000297-2212 North Marshall.
This hearing will be resumed on November the 17th at 9.38 a.m.,
at which time we will consider any feedback related to the RCOs
and the Council President Clark's office.
Thank you.
Okay, next one up is MI 2020-001566, 2240 North 2nd Street.
Chair, I promoted Alan Nakamson.
good morning mr chair members of the board good morning mr knockamson please identify yourself
for the record oh yes alan knockamson of knockamson pc 123 south broad street suite 1600
philadelphia pa 19109 you starting to affirm to tell the truth the whole truth for nothing but
the truth i do do you agree to wait the reading of its refusal and stipulate to its accuracy
Also, have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership,
proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal or referral photos and plans five days prior
to this hearing?
I have.
Have you met with the RCO and have a letter?
Yes, we do.
Thank you.
Please proceed.
Excuse me.
This is Sharon Saleta.
Can I just advise the board that we have received a letter of non-opposition from Councilwoman
Sanchez and a letter in support from the RCO.
Thank you.
I HANDED YOU PACKING MATERIALS WHICH INCLUDE EIGHT EXHIBITS. THE FIRST EXHIBIT IS THE D-TO
PROPERTY SHOWING THAT GOLDEN RULE LLC OWNS THE PROPERTY. GOLDEN RULE LLC IS AN ENTITY OWNED
B2 Properties. I've presented many zoning matters in front of this board with regards to B2
Properties. Just a little background. B2 Properties is one of the largest residential home builders
in the City of Philadelphia. They build and sell in excess of 100 units a year.
They are well regarded in the area as well. The last two years the Philadelphia Inquirer
has recognized them as developer of the year, so not only do they have the volume in providing
jobs in the city of Philadelphia and homes for homeowners within the city of Philadelphia,
they also are well regarded as well. Second exhibit is the notice or the certificate of tax
clearance showing that B2 properties is a good standing with the property. Exhibit three is the
Exhibit 3 is the Notice of Refusal. So I've been here on several occasions over the last few months in this part of town. This is 2240 North 2nd Street. It's a north square section of the city of Philadelphia.
notice of refusal. So I've been here on
and this is an ever developing part of the city we've done numerous projects v2 properties and
myself in my office have done projects on this particular street of north second street and
what we're hearing from the community is that you know even though this is a cmx2 portion of the
neighborhood they want all residential here because they want to support and nurture their
commercial corridor on north front street so over the last several months i've been here for 2262
which is on this block 2250 2529 and 2531 north 2nd street all exact same situations where we
had a cmx2 property where we're allowed three units as of right we just want to swap out the