the residential fill of the home. It's not going to be a commercial space. We will not be housing
more than five people. But I just think honestly that I wasn't prepared to have so much kickback
on it. And I do apologize for that. It's my first time doing this. And I guess I just went in there
really positive. And I didn't think that I would have some kickback. How are the individuals that
would potentially be housed there? How are their medications managed? Are they allowed to
what are the restrictions around their activities in terms of
What are the restrictions around their activities in terms of?
So medication is stored in a safe area.
So if you look at the den, we're actually going to make that the office space where we have to lock all the medication.
Anytime medication is dispersed, we will, the person that is taking the medication out will have to sign a log.
And any time the medicine is administered, we have to sign the log as well.
All of our aides will be trained and certified to administer medicine, so they will know that they have to lock the medication after use so that no one can get to the medicine cabinet.
And I do apologize. I'm nervous.
Does your staff, are the individuals that would be staying there, are they required to take their medications or are they just given medication reminders?
It will depend on the participants authorization. So if their authorization says we have to administer it, then we will have to have a time, a schedule for administering the medication.
If they can take, administer their own medication, then we will be giving them a medicine reminder.
Are there restrictions to the activities of the individuals that will be living?
In other words, are they free to go wherever they want to go shopping during the day, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera?
Or are they restricted to the grounds of the facility?
No. So there will be hours in their service plan that will allow for the aide to maybe go to the park with them. We have service plans where you'll see that a particular adult wants to learn how to cook, and we will have time out to take them to the supermarket, help them pick out the groceries, but they will be with someone and supervise at all times when they leave the home.
And do they have jobs or are they?
So that will all depend on the service plan.
So we can potentially get a resident that works for four hours a day and they will have transportation, which is a third party.
Come pick them up, take them to work, pick them up from work and bring them back.
So it all depends on the individual.
And where do you get the client that you're going to have living there?
And what's the usual length of a step?
So our client referrals will come from the Office of Developmental Programs and support
coordinating agencies that are under the Office of Departmental Programs.
um and there's the when i spoke to my analyst she said most times um they will start with six
months if the residents like where they are staying they can be there for a few years
okay thank you at the community meeting did people bring up an issue around uh saturation
of these types of facilities in their neighborhood was that a concern they raised that as a concern
not that i recall not about having too many of these in the neighborhood i do um know there was
one comment about um employees uh riding around in loud music or smoking during their breaks but
but not about a particular facility like this one
or home in the area.
All right, thank you.
Questions or cons?
One more question, Chair.
So it's a three-bedroom, you said, Alan?
It's actually six bedrooms.
And Ms. Torres, I just want to make sure,
since this is your property.
Six bedrooms.
There is six bedrooms.
There is six bedrooms, yes.
And then, again, just correct me if I'm wrong,
miss torres but you envision one bedroom for each of of the uh the individuals who would live there
and then i would assume that the other bedroom would be i guess for one of your employees just
you know if they need to rest that's all that's not on on on the clock it's not so much to rest
but if um there's a break um they can go into that bedroom now it should be another room for
an office for all of the medication to be stored correct yes that's in the den so the den um is to
the left um okay all right except for me
um all right um questions or comments from our attorney
not at this time mr chair questions or comments in the virtual audience
um yes chair i have a hand up from a michael campbell
i won't have him to speak
all right could you please state your name and spell for the court stenographer sure my name is
michael m-i-c-h-a-e-l campbell c-a-m-p-b-e-l-l you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth uh yes i do are you a neighbor no i actually um i am a community
health worker, I retired from the substance abuse and behavioral health industry, where part of my
charge there was working with recovery houses and different mental health houses. So I have
some expertise. And I also, my mother was a patient of Mrs. Torres through her three years
of Alzheimer's challenges. Mom unfortunately passed away, but I am someone that was fortunate
enough to have the services by Mrs. Torres' organization through COVID. So I know a lot
about her organization, her patient care piece, and I just wanted to comment if I could.
You can comment on whether you think this is a good project.
I think it's an awesome project. I think, again, I'm a community health worker and the idea of community health is to provide services in community as part of the community and just as an integration to the community.
I actually lived in that neighborhood as well, where the property is going to, the business is going to be at for about a year or so. So I'm familiar with that neighborhood. That neighborhood is not saturated with this type of endeavor.
This endeavor is on a corner house. I do think that it will be pretty much seamless if you have a patient capacity of five people that are supervised and managed by trained professionals.
And as you've seen, Mrs. Torres has the certifications. Her staff is trained. They're able to manage five people in that particular location.
I also noted here, just look at my notes here, that she's going to put a fence in the back.
So in terms of recreation for this population, they're not a population that requires a lot of recreation. It's a huge property. I'm quite sure that there could be activities outside.
I did not hear, again, that this population will be traveling or wandering in the community.
And I think that goes to when Mrs. Torres is getting the referrals.
She has, and I want to speak for her, but I'll say this.
He does have the ability to choose the type of patient based on, you know, all the demographics and, you know, the neighborhood, et cetera, to make sure that the person that's going to be getting the services will be appropriate for everything.
So I'm not sure what happened with the 46 to nothing. Probably, again, there was probably wasn't an opportunity to give them enough information or talk about, you know, the patient capacity, what actually was was going to go on in a facility.
So why don't we in other words, you're you're you're in favor of this.
I am absolutely in favor, not just from a business and patient standpoint.
I'm a community health worker.
Communities around the country, and I travel around the country, are doing things like this with patient care.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for taking the time to calls.
We appreciate it.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair.
I have Theodore Leakes with her hand raised.
I have allowed them to speak.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the court stenographer?
theodore leaks hello theater leaks t-h-e-o-d-o-r-e leaks l-e-e-k-s do you swear or affirm to tell the
Theodore Leakes.
Hello, Theodore Leakes.
truth the whole truth nothing but the truth yes i do are you a neighbor i live directly across the
street are you in favor of this project no i am not and i'm also the block captain of the 6600
block of 7th street you would you want to offer some reasons why you're against this project
I'm against this project because, number one, we have quite, it's quite few of the houses like that and similar to that in our neighborhood.
We had one, we had one about four years ago that actually a young, a young mentally person died because of a fire on 66 Avenue, I believe it was 66 and 10th or 66 and 11th.
and we last year we had a couple of people that walks down the block one guy actually
exposed himself to um a couple young ladies that was waiting on the bus stop on the corner of 66
and 7th I just don't think I think this I think it's a need for this type of place I just don't
think it should be in a residential area where we have children, we have grandchildren.
And I just don't, I think we are being overwhelmed with people that don't live in our neighborhood
coming in, starting businesses in our neighborhood. That's going to be unhealthy to us.
We appreciate you taking the time to call us and we understand your concerns.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair.
Claude Cornish has their hand raised.
I have allowed them to speak.
All right, Mr. Cornish, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Yes, my name is Claude, C-L-A-U-D-E, Cornish, C-O-R-N-I-S-H, and I'm the third.
All right, do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, sir?
So help me God.
Okay, are you a neighbor?
yes sir i am my address is 66 you don't think of your address but are you in favor of this
project or against it i am against this project you could you offer any other reasons than what's
already been offered yes sir i can and um thank you for the opportunity board members um i did
I'd send it a letter stating the reasons for my disapproval of the special notice.
Number one, congestion on the streets, which speaks to the parking congestion issue.
Yes, they do have a driveway.
However, that driveway has only one means of ingress and egress.
So any employees that they have, if you have two employees parked in, you have your third or coming in, someone is going to get blocked in.
Overflow parking, what they did not talk about was overflow parking for visitors.
So if their residents have visitors, there is no place really for overflow parking.
There's only one parking on one side of the street.
Additionally, at the corner, there is a no parking sign at the end of their property.
As far as impairing, permanently injuring use of adjacent properties, there's a lack of proper lawn maintenance and litter remover.
On that property, it sits on a corner.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of debris that is there.
there is also lack of maintenance and lawn care. It is very infrequent. The bushes and the shrubs
that they speak of that is currently the border of the home are overgrown into the walking path.
Additionally, from a public safety standpoint, there are uneven and damaged sidewalks and walkways,
the pathway actually up to the house needs to be repaired. So if these individuals,
not just the community that is walking around the property, but if these individuals are also
going to be walking around the property, that's going to be a tripping and a danger hazard.
The lawn, while it is a very spacious lawn, it is an uneven lawn. So it's kind of on a level and
um two two tiers um additionally at the end of the driveway there is a small
parcel of uh grass but there is a very big indentation in the land where there were previously
stood a garage and that concrete and all is caved in and there are no barriers
And that concrete and all is caved in.
And there are no barriers.
As they said, there are no barriers.
So if they're individuals that are in this home walking around very easily, very, very easily can trip and fall and injure themselves.
So you're against this project.
You're against the project.
Vehemently against this project.
And additionally, can I add just one very good point?
So they keep referring to the Philadelphia 2035 plan, and this being a transitional for older citizens, Philadelphians.
However, they were very clear when they presented the information in their meeting, which is why everyone has been such an opposition in the neighborhood.
But this plan, which is just being brought up today, speaks about older Philadelphians.
However, they have put in an application, and they may notice that they put in an application during that Tuesday night meeting, that they put in an application for 18 and plus, and that is what they're seeking to do as well.
So to me, that Philadelphia plan becomes irrelevant.
Additionally, some of the other properties, two of those properties that they mentioned are actually physical homes.
However, their attorney mentioned the Laurel property, which is more of a commercial facility.
We also have another commercial facility.
So these these the reference is not an apples to apples comparison.
Chair.
Cornish, we appreciate you taking the time to call us.
Jason, do we have any other hands?
Yes, we have.
How many hands?
there are seven hands right now okay all right we'll do the seven come on give me the next hand
valley ferrera i'll have them to speak please state your name and spell for the court sonographer
hi my name is valerie ferrera v-a-l-a-r-i-e last name f-a-r-e-i-r-a you swear or firm to tell the
truth the whole truth nothing but the truth yes i do are you a neighbor yes i am valerie we've had
a lot of testimony about this are you in favor of this project or against i am against valerie
thank you very much for taking the time to call us we appreciate it jason can i have the next hand
yes iris brunson with their hand raised hi iris could you please state your name and spell for
the court stenographer hello my name is iris brunson i-r-i-s-b-r-u-n-s-o-n right do you
swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth yes are you a neighbor and
as you've heard we've had a lot of testimony up with this are you in favor of this project or
against well actually i'm a member of the housing and zoning committee of the rco i wanted to give
testimony on our report. I'll just be summarizing. Well, we have your report. We saw your report.
So why don't you give me just really quick highlights because we want everybody to have
an opportunity to testify. Yes, it's going to be very brief. The RCO board's vote is unanimous in
support of the community's position opposing the special exception for the property as a personal
care home. Among the community's concern is the lack of clarity, certainty, or guarantee of the
population of this dwelling. That's where I know Ms. Torres said there was kickback, but really
it was people who had specific questions and they weren't getting the answers. They did, and how can
you approve something when you don't know what it is going to be? So it was a lack of clarity.
It was said that it would be elderly with autism, but then the description of the population changed.
So that makes the community very uncertain about what's going to be there and who's going to be there.
And with that, it gives you a dis-ease in your own community and neighborhood.
So that's my summary.
All right. Thank you very much for being short and summarize this.
Next hand, please.
Kenyatta, leave with her hand raised. I have allowed them to speak.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the court stenographer?
Yes, my name is Kenyatta Lee, K-E-N-Y-A-T-T-A-L-E-E.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Are you a neighbor?
Yes, I live right up the street.
Are you in favor of this project or against?
I am totally against, and I think most of my neighbors are against it.
And one fact is, you know, I applaud her for all her certifications and all that.
But when you're dealing with the medication, that might bring undesirables to believe that there's opioids or some type of drugs in that place and cause danger.