for the stenographer? Leon Oakley.
L-E-O-N, Oakley, O-A-K-L-E-Y.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Mr. Consul, please proceed.
Good morning, Leon.
Did you hear my testimony just now regarding your lease at 5821 Haverford Avenue?
Do you adopt it as your own?
Nothing further, board.
Questions for the board.
I just want to say that they've really done a great job with that corner.
I passed there a lot, and it looks good.
They came clean.
Thank you, Michael. Questions or comments from our attorney?
Just a clarification. So is this on the first floor and are there other uses
above or is this for the whole building? No, just the first
floor, first office, the front. First floor. Okay.
So should there be a proviso indicating that the use
is limited to the first floor? That's fine with us. Okay. All right.
I just wanted to clear.
I was a little unclear from the lease.
All right.
Thank you.
Questions or comments from the audience or the virtual audience?
I see no hands.
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Chairman.
Good morning.
David Fechter with the City Planning Commission.
Chairman and board members, the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the RSA 5,
residential single-family zoning at this location.
this property has a documented history as ground floor commercially with one dwelling unit above
the city planning commission recommends the board grant the proposed use variants
for a business and professional office thank you mi 2024 006 179 5821 haverford avenue i vote yes
with proviso limited use to first floor only michael johnson my boot is yes with proviso
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Ty Owen, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes, with proviso.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Mr. Consul.
You have your votes.
Number 11, MI 2024-006-990-2108, Screw Street.
Andrea Solomon is the attorney.
There's a letter of non-opposition from the Center City Residents Association.
Also, the applicant has attached a letter from the Historical Commission saying that this project would be
Applicant has attached a letter from the Historical Commission saying that this project would be approved at the staff level, given the lack of visibility from the public right-of-way.
Counsel, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Hi, good morning. Andrea Solomon, A-N-D-R-E-A-S-A-L-O. I'm O-N from the law firm Claire Harrison Harvey Bransburg.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client in relationship to the property?
Yes. With me here today are Kevin Malowski. He's the project architect and virtually is Eleanor Morazzo, the owner of the property.
Our vice chair has just a few questions.
Good morning, counsel. Do you agree to weigh the reading of the refusal or stipulate to its accuracy?
Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits as needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
We have.
Thank you. You may share your screen and start your presentation.
I think I need to be promoted. There we go.
you can see my screen now correct yes okay so as uh chugman bergman stated um this property is at
2108 spruce street we're here today because um that for an application for the erection of screening
under the existing deck to obscure the structural support and the erection of stairs from the rear
deck that's existing to the rear yard this is a replacement of an existing deck that's part of a
larger project that they did at the renovation that they did at the property the previous deck
was smaller it also had stairs they've enlarged the rear deck and want to maintain the stairs
in order to have access from the principal living space of the home to the rear yard
the refusal is issued because at the zoning district the stairs from the ground level to
the deck are not permitted with attached structures and the screening that we're requesting relief for
would result in the area beneath the deck being calculated into the occupied area
i'm not sure why it's not letting me move but the property is here it is now
the property is zoned rm1 this is the location plan the property goes lot to lot but
really we're just talking about the area in of the rear yard that's the limited area of the
refusal um I'll ask that Kevin be sworn in also so that we can talk a little bit about the project
if that's all right sure I could please state your name and spell for the stenographer sure
my name is Kevin Malowski that's k-e-v-i-n last name Malowski m-a-l-a-w-s-k-o you swear or affirm
to tell the truth told truth nothing but the truth I do please proceed counsel Kevin can you
just state your profession and your relationship to the project sure i'm an architect engaged by
eleanor and jeff maraza to do the renovation and also these snares and uh you've been at the
property many times right and uh the the this part of the rear yard it's uh the request that
we're requests that we're asking for it's not visible from the street correct counsel can i
say something why don't you show the photos of it so then we can have an idea of what what he's
talking about okay yep or the plans either one there we go
so uh kevin this this property uh fronts to two um streets correct that's correct it runs from
cypress to spruce a little closer to the mic and as you can see from the as you can see from the
photos one and two are both taken looking northwest and northeast you can see that there are not only
our garage which is the new one with the wooden panel but on either side and all the way down the
block effectively that is entirely screened off from the street you are unable to see
can you get a can you get a little bit closer to the mic please yes of course is that better
yes much better excellent so there is no visibility of this screen or stair from the street
there is no visibility of this screen or stair from the street due to not only our garage but
also the surrounding neighbors garages and gates typically cypress street tends to act
as the parking entrance for the spruce street houses
and this is a photo of the deck in question right that's correct and can you talk a little bit about
the screening where it would go yes absolutely so you can see the fence on the left of photo
number three we're intending to continue that fence underneath the deck in order to obscure
the structural framing the posts the joists all of that in order to provide a more aesthetic appeal
for the backyard a similar dark paneling that's correct the intention right now is to match that
that black wood paneling that we have there and these are the stairs that we're requesting relief
for that is correct and here we're looking towards the garage right and the stairs lead to the rear
yard and that additional deck that's right and as you can see from the plan down below
this is a fully enclosed area fencing on both sides the property to the north the
garage to the south without access to public view great thank you so in addition to these plans we
have the plans that were submitted to lni as part of the zoning application um some further sections
of the proposed project on elevations as chairman bergman stated we received we
sent the project the property is historic we did have this reviewed by historical commission
we have some documentation of the prior deck that was existing that had stairs and
the permit for the current deck and the renovations that were done at the property
this is the rco notice and certificate of mailing along with all list of all the
addresses that it was mailed to the application for appeal and project information form
the zoning poster and posting at the property
the deed for the property
and proof of no outstanding taxes.
And with that, I'll ask that my client, Eleanor Mirazzo,
be promoted as panelist.
Eleanor, please raise your virtual hand.
I see no hands.
Eleanor?
Do we see Eleanor?
Eleanor, please accept your panelists.
Eleanor?
Hi, I hope you can all see me now.
I can. Please state your name and spell for the stenographer.
Eleanor Marazzo, E-L-I-N-O-R-M-A-R-R-A-Z-Z-O.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Please proceed, counsel.
Hi, Eleanor. Good morning.
So this is your property, right? You live there with your family?
Correct. This is our primary home.
Yeah, and you've left there for how long now?
We purchased the property in 2016.
And this is part of the renovations that you've done to the property, and it's your primary residence?
Yes, we've done several projects to preserve the home over the years since we've owned it, and it is our primary home.
and you heard the presentation that i gave and the um the information that kevin and i provided
yes and it's true and correct to the best of your knowledge yes would you adopt it as your
own testimony yes all right thank you questions from the board i have a question did you say that
the prior deck had steers as well that's correct okay and when was this new deck uh put down
last year that's correct Kevin yeah it was completed in 2024 okay thank you other questions
for the board so question um why the stairs besides that there were stairs there before
What does it provide you access to or how would you?
what does it provide you access to or how would you access this rear yard if you didn't have these
stairs yeah it provides access to the principal living area of the home otherwise we'd have to
go out the front door come back around through the garage and that the do the stairs provide
access to the cars that are parked here somehow or how does that yes there is a door to the garage
uh that leads to the rear yard and then the the uh pathway that leads up to the stairs
okay thank you any other questions yeah just i just want to say it's it's kind of
you know nicely laid out i think you know having the deck there is a decent space
and either way they'd have to have stairs from the back door
to get to the yard because the first floor is about four feet
above the grade. So I have no issue
with this. Thank you. Questions from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
Not at this time, Mr. Chair. Questions or comments from the
audience or the virtual audience?
I see no hands. Planning Commission?
thank you chair bergman and good morning david effecta with the city planning commission
chairman and board members the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the rf1 residential
multi-family zoning at this location the proposed dimensional variance for occupied area is minor
and in keeping with the purpose and spirit of the zoning code and the proposed stairs from
the deck to the ground floor will provide a second means of egress for the property
the City Planning Commission recommends that the board grant both proposed
variances. Thank you. MI 2024-006-990-2108 Spruce Street, I vote yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes. Cheryl Gaston, my vote is no. Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Iowan, my vote is yes. Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes. Thank you, Council. Thank you.
Don't worry I'm going to do these two
And then we'll go back to the one we held
So number 14
MI 2024
007 026
Jeans Place
Jennifer Bozzillo is the attorney
good morning
good morning counsel could you please state your name and spell for this
stenographer
sure it's jennifer bezidlow
b as in boy
d as in david
l as in larry
o as in oscar
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
could you identify your client the relationship to the property
Sure. My client is, sorry, let me make sure I have the right, I apologize. I think I have the wrong thing in front of me. Sorry, I just got to switch the order. Sorry, no problem. Yes, so this is Shunker Kamat, who's the property owner.
Okay. Our vice chair has a few questions. Good morning, 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's needed to proceed with this
case five days in advance of this hearing yes thank you counsel please proceed
all right get the right
it's good to
um he's here now you have another one jennifer that you have another one down the street we're
we're gonna hear this first then we'll hear that okay correct yeah they're two different owners so