Good afternoon, council.
I'm sorry.
Good member.
Good afternoon.
Chairman, this is Sloan Folks, S-L-O-A-N-A, F-S-A-F-I-R, O-L-K-S, Office of Councilmember
Ketchy Lozada, room 484, City Hall.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I did.
What case?
Sloan, what case?
I'm checking in on 2400 through 06 North Masher Street.
I do understand that they had a meeting with the RCO, Northwest Career Community Action Network, on June 10th, or one was scheduled, but I don't have a record of a meeting outcome, and I was wondering whether they were prepared to move forward with that today.
Let me see where that is.
they are not
Mr. Anastasio
was just on the phone
and he requested
this is the first listing
he's asked by Mr. Torres
to represent him
the case has been continued
Mr. Ferguson
thank you sir very much
thank you
any other requests
there are no more hands
so number 15
MI 2024-002-319, 4309-31 North Lawrence Street, Matthew Witters is a listed applicant.
No exhibits, first listing.
No one in the audience, no one in the audience about that name, too.
Number 15, MI 2024, 002-319, 4309-31 North Lawrence Street.
This case is continued.
Mark must be heard.
We're going to go to our add-ons.
Okay, hold on here.
So number one, MI 2023-007-031, 4714 Griscom Street.
The vote in this matter has been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 17th, 2024, at 2 p.m.
number two mi 2024 000 162 4346 to 48 griscom street vote in this matter has been rescheduled
to wednesday july 17th at 2 p.m and then mi 2022 004 546 3251 fox street
The vote in this matter has been rescheduled to Wednesday, July 17th at 2 p.m.
We're going to our regular list.
I'm going to start with number 14.
MI 2024-002-280-4908, Walnut Street.
Vern Anastasio is the attorney.
There's a recommendation of support from the Walnut Hill Community Association.
Vern Anastasio is coming back in as a panelist.
Right.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Anastasio, you've been already sworn, just for the record, state your name.
Vern Anastasio, on behalf of Thomas Bateman, the owner of the subject property.
Okay. And our vice chair has just a few questions for you, sir.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, Counsel.
Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal or stipulate to its accuracy?
Good afternoon, yes.
We've emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that is needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, Ben.
Please proceed and share the screen.
Thank you.
Hey, Vern, just out of curiosity, is there a tax issue with this?
I think it's been paid.
Okay, all right.
Let's go through it then.
If I need to submit anything else, I will.
but I think it's been paid
and of course I'm having an issue
today hold on I'm going to stop sharing
for a moment
Great. I had an error occur. Just bear with me just for one second, please.
great I had an
error occur
Thank you.
4908 Walnut Street. The application is for three-family dwelling in an existing structure.
We've got a 70-page exhibit packet that I'm going to enter into evidence today.
They include, as you suggested, a recommendation of support by the RCO Walnut Hill.
The property is on RSA 3, but it's long vacant, and it's been a real eyesore and a problem for the community for quite a long time.
It's a very large property.
Each floor provides almost 750 square feet of living space.
And as a result, it's been difficult over the many years to have rehab and to occupy.
Therefore, my client purchased the property recently and is recommending a proposal where each floor be a brand new housing unit where it's two bedrooms,
the large living room dining kitchen uh and nice size bathrooms two baths a vestibule on the right
hand side that will and a center stair which you know it's an older property uh which we would use
to uh bring folks up to the second and third floors as you can see each of the units provides
two bedrooms with an open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen. Each unit would have
two bathrooms and plenty of space for trash storage, utilizing the breezeway on the side
of the property. We did meet with the community, and as a result of reviewing of the block itself,
where there are several multifamily properties on the block and given the history of prior to
it being shuttered for so long it was in fact a multifamily use the rco has in fact recommended
support
here's some exterior photos the interior is it was a quite dangerous and it was
advisable not to go in and take photos of of you know it was literally
falling down inside but my client has shored it up on the outside
as you can see that even the front door is still boarded up
very large property here's the side breezeway here that would be used
Each tenant would be able to access the space for trash storage.
As a new three-family dwelling, of course, the property will be sprinklered in accordance with the International Building Code.
My client will have a property management company as well.
This is the letter that went to all interested parties, inviting them to the community meeting and to the zoning hearing.
Here are the addresses that were mailed.
And we have proof of mailing.
144 individual households.
I submit proof of tax, deed, and zoning map as well.
I did have communication with the district council office.
They did not feel the need to weigh in, given the review of the exhibit packet and the input from the RCO.
They did not believe we would have any issues.
So with that, I respectfully request.
Aaron, could you show me the text and make sure you send a copy of it over?
there's a zero balance but thank you yep bring your client on yes and one one for one other
question the rest of the block how many houses are multi-family oh several uh these are these
are ginormous homes uh and uh there's more than five homes just on that side of the block
uh that have been uh divided uh two and three family dwellings thank you
mr thomas bateman could raise his virtual hand
Mr. Thomas Bateman could raise his virtual hand.
Thomas Bateman is allowed to speak.
Mr. Bateman, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Sure. My name is Thomas Bateman, T-H-O-M-A-S. Bateman is B-A-T-E-M-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you. Mr. Bateman, did you hear my presentation to the board?
uh this afternoon yes is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge yes and do you adopt
it as your own testimony yes thank you i have nothing further mr chair questions from the board
what will the basement there's no living space in the basement
no questions chair all right questions or comments from our attorney
i just i just have a note that uh you know as per our records there was still an outstanding
tax balance on this matter does it mr anesthesia have any documentation that the uh tax balance was
was paid the last page of my exhibit packet has a so you just okay i just missed it all right yeah
that's fine i'll be happy to send it over to you as well if you could thank you thank you
um questions or comments from the virtual audience
There are no hands.
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Chair Bergman, and good afternoon, David Vecto, F-E-C-T-E-A-U, with the City Planning Commission.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir, I do.
Please proceed.
Thank you, sir.
Chairman and board members, comprehensive plan recommends no change to the RSA3, residential single-family zoning at this location.
In 1983, the property received a permit to convert a multi-unit dwelling into a single-family home.
There is no unique physical condition or circumstance that will prevent the single-family use from continuing.
The City Planning Commission recommends that the Board deny the proposed use variance for three dwelling units.
Thank you.
MI 2024, 002-280-4908, Walnut Street, I vote yes.
michael johns my vote is yes
my vote is yes
james now my vote is yes thank you my vote is yes thank you i forgot there's a bunch of you now
thank you thanks right number two mi 2023 004 624 2628 south street
Brett Feldman is the attorney
We do not at this point
Have a RCO letter
But there was
Letters sent to
Approof of mailing to local neighbors
There was a meeting held
May 15, 2024
Before South of South Neighborhood Association
Brett Feldman is coming in as a panelist here.
Good afternoon again, Mr. Chair, members of the board.
Mr. Feldman, you've already been sworn.
Just state your name for the record.
Again, Brett Feldman on behalf of the owner.
Could you identify your client relationship to the property?
Owner, Unified Acquisitions.
of they are the owner of both 2628 and 2630 South Street.
And our vice chair has a few questions.
Good afternoon, counsel.
Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal or stipulate to its accuracy?
Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that is needed to proceed with
this case five days in advance of this hearing?
I have.
And if I may, you made reference to the SOSNA letter.
the vote, as I understand it, was actually unanimous or almost unanimous in support after
three or four meetings. And I would also add that Murray Spencer, who is SOSNA's zoning chair,
I believe is in the audience and will want to speak to this. And I don't know if it's better
for him to speak now and present his opinion. We'll let him speak when we're ready.
I think they have a clerical issue, and that's why we don't have the letter.
All right, good. Thank you, sir.
Okay. Can you see my screen now?
We can.
Okay, great.
So in front of you is Exhibits 1 through 14, which I'd ask to be incorporated into the record.
You've heard, and you will hear Sassana's support now for this project after several meetings.
support now for this project after several meetings, notice of refusal, and then amended
notice of refusal, site photos, zoning code provisions, and then the tax clearance and
certificate of mailing. I'll get right to this here. This is, let me get right down here.
This is an application to, I'll go right to the pictures here, and I think most people will
recognize this location. This is right over the South Street Bridge coming into Center City.
Here is the South Street Bridge. We are right here at this corner at 27th and South Street.
This lot that probably has been here, I think, empty for 50 years or 60 years or something like
that. We're looking to develop this lot and then merge it with this building here, demo this.
And the proposal is for a six unit multifamily building with a ATM financial institution on the first floor.
It is now proposed to be on the outside. These lots are owned by I think I think you characterize it as the largest bank that is now headquartered in the city of Philadelphia.
And they wanted to create this gateway, have the residential, but also have some recognition of the history of the bank in this location.
And as a corner, it made some sense to have the ATM.
The property is zoned RM1 multifamily.
So the uses, the multifamily uses are allowed.