and we're live I'm sorry we're live now sorry the court reporter is here okay
very good I'm here thanks you're right oh good good
yes anyone out there in cyberspace please begin signing on
Well, Frank's cheering, so he's going to be the one to say stuff, right?
Carol, you're not muted.
I muted her.
You want me to be muted?
No, you were talking.
We could hear you, so.
Okay, it looks like it's a go, Frank.
Okay, good morning, everyone.
My name is Frank DiCicco.
I'm the chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
I'll be participating in today's hearing along with the Vice Chair, Ms. Carol Tenere,
our Board Secretary, Confessor Plaza, and Board Members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Board Administrator, Tanya Sunkit, and Board Attorney, Sharon Saleta, are also in attendance.
For those of you who haven't yet participated in one of our virtual hearings,
I'll go through some of the basics of what you can expect.
First, we'll begin this morning's hearings by reading a list of cases to be continued.
If you believe any announced cases being continued in error, we will give you an opportunity to respond.
After reading the continuance list and receiving any feedback, we will then take any additional continuance requests.
then once we've confirmed which hearings are being continued
vice chair tenere will begin calling the remaining cases listed for this session
when a case is called we ask that attorneys representing applicants or other interested
parties in the matter please identify themselves for the record we'll then hear the applicant's
presentation followed by any presentation by attorneys representing other parties
interested parties and members of the public not represented by council will then be given an
opportunity to testify we will finally hear the recommendation of the planning commission
at the hearing's conclusion we will either vote the matter immediately or hold it for discussion
in executive session any case held for discussion will be voted at the next scheduled
Wednesday meeting at 9.30 a.m. Please note the following changes related to the virtual format.
First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to testimony.
Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone, we ask that attorneys and witnesses
identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying. Third, we'd like to advise everyone
that this proceeding is being recorded and that by participating, you acknowledge your agreement
to be recorded. Fourth, anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify, you must raise your
hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. Again, if you're participating
by phone or wish to testify, you must raise your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to
unmute yourself. Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google pound 267-270-5548. That's
Pound 267-270-5548
and leave your email address
and the address of the property at issue.
With that said, we will begin.
But before Ms. Tenere calls our first case,
we'd like to announce that the following matters
are being continued.
Calendar number 4-0-0-0-0
1722 Master Street, calendar number 40099, 1800 Master Street, and calendar number 4001.
And calendar number, 4-0-0-0-1, 5-9-5-1, Kimball Street, K-E-M-B-L-E Street.
Sharon, did I leave out the one for Adam, or does that come next?
No, no, I cast her out. I'm sorry. I'll hold off for a minute.
All right, if there's anyone believes that we call the case to be continued in error,
please raise your hand at this time.
no hands up chair thank you are there any other requests for continuances or withdrawals please
raise your hand we have verne anastasio you can unmute yourself and speak
Good morning, Mr. Anastasio. Please identify yourself for the record. Spell your name,
please. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Vern Anastasio, A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-O, 1315 Walnut Street,
Philadelphia, 19107. I just wanted to confirm, Mr. Chairman, that I heard correctly.
1720 and 1722
Master Street are both being continued. Is that correct?
1722 Master and
1800 Master are both being continued.
I think I put a request in for 1720
and 1722, sir.
I don't represent the other 18.
Tonya, could you help us out? Because I don't have the other, the 17.
It was on the same letter of request.
What's the calendar number on that one?
400000.
Was that one listed for today, Vern?
Both were listed. 1720 and 1722.
what was the calendar number 1720
one second what is the calendar number
I'm pulling it now
I don't have the letter in front of me but I'm searching
it was all in the same
continuous request letter
but let me take a look right but I don't have it listed that's why I was
wanted to make sure that you saw it listed understand there is another
master street property that was announced just continued and that and
burn is not the attorney in that case that's right the 1800 1800 right that's
correct. I'm pulling it up now. I only have the calendar number ending in 147 on this letter,
but the address is the letter dated July 23rd of this year.
But that other address is not listed for today?
Both were listed for today at 930.
We don't have it listed, Vern.
I'll check into it.
It looks like it's listed for August 18th.
So if you want those to be listed together and heard together,
and you can just send that to me but that one wasn't listed for this morning. I understand
thank you very much sorry to tie you up. No problem. So we don't need to read it on in the
record because it's not on the list anyway correct? Correct. That's correct. Okay anyone
else requesting a continuance or withdrawal please raise your hand.
so i would think that we should state uh or resend the continuance of 1800 right sharon
i'm sorry the um 1800 is leo mulbehill's case and he did request a continuance
Okay. That's not Vern's case. It's a separate case. Yeah. Sounds good. So I have a Rosemary
Thomas with her hand up. Rosemary, you have been allowed to speak. You can unmute yourself
and discuss your continuance request. Hi, my name is Rosemary Thomas. I'm the
Hi, my name is Rosemary Thomas. I'm the president of the Old Richmond Civic Association. My address is 2621 Memphis Street. I want to thank you for your patience.
president of the Old Richmond Civic Association.
Ms. Thomas, excuse me for interrupting. Would you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you. Please proceed.
um i am just here to speak to uh 2501 east haggard street the decision to the vote was
held until this week so uh our civic and the development team could come to an agreement
on a community benefits agreement this is sharon saletta the board's attorney
um that matter will be voted next we understand that a um that no agreement has yet been reached
that it's still expected one will be reached but the board will be voting it this morning
okay thank you there's no opportunity to give more time for an agreement to be reached
no i think one week was what was permitted okay thank you thank you miss thomas anyone else
wish to
ask for continuance or withdrawal?
No hands up at this time,
Chair.
Thank you, Tanya.
Okay, Carol?
Okay, calendar number 38666
East Haggard Street.
And again, the status
at this point is
that the agreement has not yet been reached, but the parties continue to work on one
so the board can go forward and vote.
Let me get my notes here, what I do with this.
All right, calendar number 38666, 2501 East Haggard Street.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
thank you that's it okay calendars numbers four zero zero nine two and four zero zero seven four
1404 and 1421 napa street the attorney is brett feldman
Brett, you've been promoted to panelists.
You can unmute yourself to speak, and you can also share your screen as necessary.
Mr. Feldman, would you please put your name and address on the record?
Sure. Good morning, members of the board. Brett Feldman, 1835 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103. I represent the owner and applicant of both properties, 1404 South Napa Street and 1421 South Napa Street.
Okay. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth and nothing but the truth?
I do on both cases.
Do you also agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
I do. Okay, you may proceed. Sure. Again, these are consolidated cases and can the board see
my screen right now? Not yet. Not yet.
One second here.
Can you see the screen now?
So these are, let me just start at the beginning here.
The board might remember back, it seems like forever now, but back in the late fall, early
winter we had we were in front of the board on ten other cases on this block
10 other cases on this block of South Napa Street.
of South Napa Street this is a block that's located
This is a block that's located in the Grace Ferry neighborhood between Reed and Dickinson.
And you'll see at exhibit tab four, we were here back, again, back in the late fall, early
winter for, I think it was 10 other single-family homes on this block, which is zoned single
family.
And the board approved the exact same design as proposed today for these two single families.
We tried to get these two single-family cases on that agenda, and we couldn't get that through L&I.
So that's kind of what's going on here.
You'll see the exhibits.
Exhibit one is the, and I'll just take you through this slowly here, is the deeds.
These are the deeds for the two properties.
Tax clearance is right here for 1421 and for 1404.
And this is maybe the, just to best orient the board, what you're seeing in front of you here, all the red is what the board previously approved. This is a single family block, and it was 1400, 1407, 1409, 1411, 1929, 32, 45, 46, and 48 South Napa Street, all in the red.
the two blue, both on the zoning map on the left and the aerial on the right, are the cases that
we're here for today, which are, again, the same exact single-family homes. Like those earlier
cases, the primary relief that we're seeking here is on the rear yard. You need nine feet in the
rear yard. We're at 5.8. And like the other homes, we match up with the proposed homes that were
approved as well as the other homes that were here. It's just these are, you know, relatively
small lots. So the additional feed contextually made sense for the homes as well as on the block.
And what's interesting here is you'll see on both of these properties, the 1404 and the 1421, there's a shared driveway used in the rear, which is actually part of our property, which with a quirk in the zoning code is not counted as part of your rear yard, despite the fact that that's another six feet of our rear yard that we have here.
So we actually have, I think it's 12 feet instead of what you required, the nine feet.
So I'll move the board and I'll show you the rest of the photographs here.
Here's the block.
These are where the homes are prepared.
There's the posting.
There's a zoning notice.
We've worked closely over the last six to eight months with the community group,
Tasker Morris Neighborhood Association.
They had strongly supported the first set of 10 homes, and you'll see at exhibit tab
three, you'll see the strong letters of support again.
This one is for 1421, and the next one is for 1404.
We did have a Zoom meeting back on July 2nd, which we presented these homes as well and
had this expression of support.
You'll see at exhibit tab four, here's the prior approvals and the zoning permits.
for those other homes. And let me just get you to the actual refusals. And here is the actual
plans themselves. This is what the homes look like. They're three-bedroom homes. They're rear
loaded for the parking in the rear that comes down that shared driveway aisle. They've got a
little outdoor area in the front, which provides some outdoor space, a small balcony at the second
floor and a roof deck atop. And that's the home at 1404. Here's the one at 1421. Here's the floor
plans, again, showing that layout. And here's the renderings, which, again, are identical to those
other, I think, 10 homes that the board approved. We have our project architect on the phone,
Logan Dry who is available to talk about any of the details of the homes
themselves and we also have our client utility two by USC Abraham who is
available Logan is there anything that you wanted to add to my presentation as
far as the homes themselves and how we've tried to work these into the