Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, sir.
have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that are needed
and required to proceed with this case but it's okay thank you please proceed and share your
Please proceed and share your screen.
screen so this application is for a group child
So this application is for a group child care on the first floor with existing single family dwellings above and an existing attached structure.
The proposed use group child care is prohibited in the RSA 5 zoning.
The proposed multiple uses on a main lot is prohibited in the RSA 5 district zoning.
So please proceed, sir.
i'm sorry chair i hate to interrupt but this is tanya if i may depending on what the applicant
would like to do if it is an issue and a concern for him speaking i could grant him a two-week
continuous if that would help is just a um something if it would help him with his voice
thank you mr strafford you're the ones going to have to testify if you want to wait we could give
you two weeks and by then maybe you could be back to where you need to be no it's okay i can speak
okay all right all right um please share your screen all right you have your documents yes
so we transitioned to our our cell phone so i don't know how to share on this one second
so there should be a share screen button at the bottom
okay so i have to get i have to pull up the the the email on this
and i say if you need to if your other device if you had the documents you could use the other
device to share and then this device to speak okay okay we just need we need to re-promote
your other other device okay i think i found it all currently is not listed you have to reconnect
it to zoom okay sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience your voice is getting
better.
Okay, Mr. Stafford, both devices are connected, you can proceed.
Okay, I'm ready.
Well, it's going to have to put the documents up, okay?
Okay, we're doing it now.
excuse me chair and um going forward whichever device you're not using to speak with please
mute it that way we won't have any feedback or echoes please okay
do you see the green screen the green button
i'm trying to find where we are joining
okay well we try to pull it up but I just want to say we purchase the property with
the tensions today and transmission our family child care business to hand free we would like
service our neighbors with a small group daycare we are also asking for a special exception because
use of a space and compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and community
we are asking to be considered because our business will not cause harm to the city or
environment we live in the community as well have received a lot of support from our near neighbors
because it promotes a healthy and safe space for the children in our zone district rs5 rsa5
okay so that's all but we need to see some of the documents okay we're trying to get
Mr. Stratford did you post the property for today's hearing because that was one thing we
did not receive is a proof of posting we sent it yesterday yes I sent it yesterday well we sent it
yesterday okay you may need to resend it because I have not seen it so if you can if you when you
pull up your screen if you can show us that and then send it again for the record that would be
great thank you yes ma'am i'll be making out we're finding it on the documents
How do we make it out? We're finding it on the documents.
Chair, this is Tanya again. We're going to have the staff look for the documents that we received.
Okay, we're going to move on.
Okay, and we can come.
I have it.
We have it.
But can you put it on the screen, ma'am?
yes i'm pulling it up now share screen all right here we go
can you guys see that no
all right i hit share screen
turn your mic mrs straffler yes you want to open the document first unshare your screen
open the document, and then click share screen once you're able to visualize what you're trying
to share. Yes, that's what I did. So now I'm hitting share screen, but it's not sharing what
I want to share. All right, here's the document. Excuse me, this is the court reporter. Could I
ask that one of the devices be muted? I'm starting to get a little echo.
thank you so mr strafford we're going to move on and come back to you we we we really have a full
schedule today see if you can get this straight but i'm i'm going to move on to the next case
and we'll call you back okay okay number five mi 2023 001 733 6798 essington avenue
Dawn Tancredi, and Clementine Amazine are the attorneys.
Letter of support from Southwest Philadelphia Consortium of RCOs.
The 40th Ward Republicans serve as the coordinating RCO.
Ms. Tancredi is coming back in as a panelist.
Hello.
Hi, how are you?
State your name, please, and spell for the court stenographer.
Good afternoon. Dawn Tancredi, T-A-N-C-R-E-B-I.
Right. Do you swear a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client in relationship to this product?
Sure. I represent SRM Developers, LLC, owner of 6798 Essington Avenue.
Our vice chair has just a few questions.
Good afternoon, Counselor. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate
to its accuracy? Yes. Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that
are needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing? Yes, my office
did that. Thank you very much. Please proceed and share your screen. Thank you.
Okay, so we are here seeking a use variance for a nightclub in order to utilize what has
been vacant, unfinished, and unused space at the rear of the property at 67.
what are you doing okay at 6798 essington avenue
this is the interior space that we're seeking a variance for and these are some photos of the
property. You can see Essington Avenue is a multi-laned corridor. This is the front of the
property here. You can see the Oasis Club. That's the front parking lot. And then there's access to
the rear of the property through this side drive area. And you can see a large parking lot at the
rear of the property and separate access to this separate space where the proposed nightclub would
be. So the property is in the middle of an industrial area. Surrounding uses include car
dealerships, collision centers, the parking authority, impoundment lot, car rental companies,
and a wholesale produce market.
There are no nearby residents. It is highly industrial.
There are no nearby residents.
It is highly industrial.
Here again on the site plan, you can see the proposed space is about 4,000 square feet, and there will be a proposed vestibule here at the entrance.
The proposed use does complement the existing use on the property.
We have a rendering here of the space.
The hours of operation would be 10 p.m. till 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Plus, the space could be rented at other times for private events.
It's anticipated that the proposed use will create a minimum of 40 jobs and potentially even more.
The business in the front of the property already has security and commercial trash pickup. The proposed business will as well.
I do want to point out that permitted uses in the I-3 district do include vehicle sales,
wholesale distribution, and industrial use, a lot of what we see surrounding this property,
and those permitted uses are not compatible with the existing business on the site.
They would take away parking spaces, number one, and number two, they would entail a lot of truck traffic, which would create a dangerous situation where consumers are walking around the parking lot.
So taking you back to the site plan, I do want to point out that the plans do include extensive landscaping in the front here.
and that will help beautify Essington Avenue further the operators of this proposed nightclub
are John Meehan and Wayne Schulich who are available today to testify if the board has
any questions for them each of them in their own right have 25 to 30 years experience operating
restaurants and nightclubs in Philadelphia and throughout the country. John also is a member
of the entity that owns the site. We did meet with the RCOs and we have a letter of support.
I believe that Craig Melodosian is also on this call and can speak for himself.
The architect Michelle Kleschick is also on the phone and she's available to answer questions as well.
If there are no questions, I would ask for my client to be unmuted so that I could ask him to adopt my testimony.
Why don't we bring your client on?
John, are you on there?
what is the client's name john mehan or wayne schlick
i've allowed john mehan to speak okay sir could you state your name hi could you state your name
and spell for the court stenographer my name is john mehan m as in mary e as in edward e as in
Edward. H as in Harry. A as in Apple. N as in Nancy. Do you swear for him to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Proceed, counsel. Thank you. John,
have you heard my testimony this afternoon? Yes, I have, Dawn. Is it true and accurate to the best
of your knowledge? Yes, it is. And do you adopt it as though it were your own testimony? I do.
Okay. I have no further questions.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
No, Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
Craig Melodosian, I have allowed them to speak.
Hi, sir. Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court stenographer?
Craig Melidosian, C-R-A-I-G, last name M-E-L-I-D-O-S-I-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
I do, Chair Bergman.
Proceed, sir. And you speak for the RCOs.
Yes, sir. I just wanted to say that Council Verily adroitly summed up the operational issues that challenged the site.
I also wanted to further indicate that the owners that we met with, John and Wayne,
I also wanted to further indicate that the owners that we met with, John and Wayne, along with the wards council, showed a level of engagement and relationship building that we normally do not enjoy from other applicants.
We think that this would be a less onerous use than some of the other things that could go in there.
And with the construction of the Bellwether District with about 10.5 million square feet of logistic space and about 350 or 3.5 million square feet of life sciences space taking place directly across the river, that this will bring us an additional venue that will serve for both food and meeting spaces.
the corridor at this point is rather downtrodden. So as we put into the letter, we're very
appreciative of the landscaping efforts, as we say so often other applicants trying to escape them.
Just wanted to say we thank them and we look forward to working with them and we appreciate
the potential for employment opportunity that they'll also be bringing into our community.
Thank you very much for calling us and your input. Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
No further hands, Mr. Chair.
Aye, Planning Commission.
This is Paula Brumbelow-Burns.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change
to the heavy industrial zoning at this location.
The appellant requests to expand
a legally non-conforming use.
The appellant has shown that the proposed expansion
will not injure the use of adjacent properties.
However, to bring the property closer
into compliance with the zoning code,
staff recommends approval with the condition
that the appellant submit a landscaping plan which complies with section 14-803 section 5
parking and landscaping screening section of the philadelphia zoning code
thank you and thank you the landscaping has been shown on the plan that's been submitted
um mi 2023 001 733 6798 essington avenue i vote yes
james snell my vote is yes
Thomas.
Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes.
Counselor, you have your three votes.
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the board.
Have a great day.
You too.
MI-2023-001-708-941-North 6th Street.
Alan Nockamson is the attorney.
Letter of support from Northern Liberty's Neighbors Association
with proviso for a maximum of two dwelling units.
Mr. Nockmson, you've already been sworn.
Could you just state your name for the record, please?
Yes, Alan Nockmson.
And can you identify your client and the relationship to this property?
Yes, my client is Gouman Properties, LLC.
And in the virtual audience is Talbinder Gouman, its principal member.
All right.
And Mr. Holloman has a few questions.
good afternoon council do you email all of the exhibits and documents as required
five days in advance to this hearing uh yes we have
please thank you please proceed and share your screen thank you
oops that's not it let's try that again all right here we go
all right i'm here to present 941 north 6th street um and we do have a few provisos uh so
we'll go over that but first we'll review the notice or refusal alan try to get a little
closer to the mic, please. Sure. Sorry about that. We do have a few provisos we want to go over with
you, but first we'll review the notice of refusal, then the letter of support from the Northern
Liberties Neighbors Association. Then we have the revised plan form completed with bullet points of
what we're changing on the plan. We also have a use permit that shows that this property was used
as great as five units at one point, and most recently as three units. Then we have nearby
multifamily properties that are RSA 5. And then one of the other refusal, we have a use refusal.
that are RSA 5. And then one of the other refusal, we have a use refusal for multifamily use. And then
the other refusal has to deal with the five-foot side yard, showing that it's not out of character
to have a side yard of less than five feet. Maps of the area, photographs of the property,
our plans and drawings, our meeting notice, our application for appeal, showing that GUMON
Properties LLC is the owner of the property by way of the application that we filed on their behalf,
as well as the deed to the property showing that they own the property and our certificate of tax