yes yes what see non-opposition from northwood civic association
question can you get out of the rear of the property
Is there some way that you can exit out of that? I mean, usually you need to have, you know, two means of ingress and egress into a property. So, is there a rear exit of some sort?
Muy bien. Pregunta. ¿Hay alguna forma de salida o de entrada de esta propiedad por la parte de atrás, por el otro lado? Es decir, normalmente son dos entradas y dos salidas. ¿Hay alguna forma de salir de esta propiedad por el otro lado?
¿Tienes micrófono apagado, señor Morel?
Sí, tengo dos puertas de salida.
Tengo una por el rolling gate
y otra por el alley
allá de atrás, al lado, allá
en el lateral.
Yes, I have two.
Yes, I have two, actually.
So we have the rolling gate
and we have another door through the
alley that goes back to the alley.
Gotcha.
Okay, thank you. Gracias.
Any other questions?
¿Alguna otra pregunta?
Questions or comments more, attorney.
¿Preguntas o comentarios del abogado?
not at this time mr chair questions or comments from the virtual audience
i see no hands chair planning commission
thank you chairman and good morning david effecto with the city planning commission
chairmen and board members
The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the RSA3, Residential Single Family Zoning at this location.
La planificación comprensiva recomienda no se hagan planes al RSA-3, que es una zona residencial de uso único familiar en este tipo de zonificación.
The appellant built a gate without the benefit of permits
that is nearly five feet taller than allowed by code.
El appellante construyó un portón sin los debidos permisos
y es casi cinco pies más alto de lo que el código lo permite.
However, the height of the gate appears to approximately match
the height of other structures on this blackface.
Sin embargo, la altura del portón parece llegar a la misma o similar altura de las otras estructuras en esta zona.
La Comisión de Planificación de la Ciudad recomienda que se le otorgue las variaciones establecidas,
variaciones de las dimensiones establecidas
en este portón
Thank you
MI 2024
001 898
966 Wakeling Street
I vote yes
MI2024001898
Wakeling Street
yo voto porque
si se le otorgue
Michael Johns my vote is yes
Michael Johns mi voto si
Cheryl Gaston my vote is yes
Joe Gaston, mi voto es sí.
Tanetta Graham, mi voto es sí.
Tanetta Graham, mi voto es sí.
Ryan McAdams, mi voto es sí.
Ryan McAdams, mi voto es sí.
Tyowin, mi voto es sí.
Tyowin, mi voto es sí.
Interpreter, thank you very much.
And tell him he has his votes.
Muy bien, ya tiene la votación y está aprobado. Muchas gracias.
Okay, thank you.
Gracias.
Muchas gracias.
All right. Thank you, sir.
Number six.
I can do for you.
Thank you, sir.
Number six, MI 2024 001 941 5315 to 17 Chancellor Street.
David Shafkowicz is the attorney.
There's a letter of opposition from the West Philadelphia Economic Development Council.
And there's a letter of opposition received from a neighbor on that block.
there's also
a petition
signed by 20 people
in opposition
he's been promoted chair
Mr. David can you please unmute yourself
sorry about that
good morning Mr. Chairman
good to see everybody again
could you spell your name please
spell your name please for the court sonographer
My apologies.
My name is David, D-A-V-I-D.
Shafkowitz is S-H-A-F as in Frank, K-O-W-I.
T as in Tom, Z as in zebra.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client and the relationship to this property?
The client is Forever Valuable LLC, and they are the owner of the parcel.
Right.
Um, do you waive the reading of the refusal and you agree with its accuracy? Yes, please share your screen and start your presentation.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Um, what I have for the board is part of our exhibits, which I think we're already submitted are just copies of the deed and related documents.
And so I'll just get to the plan, which I know will be the most important.
And then I can give you our presentation.
So as stated, I'm here on behalf of Forever Valuable LLC, the owner of a vacant lot located
at 5315 5317 chancellor street located in the city's rm1 zoning district the lot is a bit
undersized at approximately 644 square feet and has all its frontage on chancellor street
the parcel is currently 100 impervious cover as you can see by the existing conditions photos
attached to the plan um the surrounding uses with regard to this particular property is a mix of
some commercial or residential garages and single-family homes or residential uses.
As the board will also see as part of our tax mapping that is attached from the city atlas,
that a lot of the parcels within the surrounding area are much larger in terms of the depth as
they relate to this particular area our parcel is about 23 feet wide most of the parcels in the
area about 16 feet wide but they have about double the amount of depth as it relates to
our parcel our parcel is shown on the tax mapping in purple
what the applicant is proposing is actually just a single-family home
three stories three floors with a basement
three stories, three floors with a basement. The approximate square footage of the house is
supposed to be about 1,600 square feet, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a garage. The
garage, the underlying use as a single-family home is permitted in the zoning district, as I'm sure
the board is aware. And as the board will see from the refusal, there were two, in order to build the
home there were two dimensional variances required both had to do with essentially the nature of the
first floor being covering the the entirety of the lot we have essentially 100 impervious coverage or
100 coverage of the lot and a zero foot rear yard but as the board like i said conceived from the
photos attached and the existing conditions photo the existing lot is currently covered
and concrete and butts up against a fence that was installed by our rear property owner.
So the home that's being proposed is as depicted on this particular plan.
The basement is just proposed for storage use.
The first floor will actually have a garage which will front on Chancellor Street.
The garage, and I'm sure the board is also aware, in order for the car to fit, we are
going to need to use the entire depth of the lot.
The lot being about 26 feet, most parking spaces are 10 by 20, but being garage and needing to create some maneuverability, the entire depth of the lot would be required.
Accordingly, with the first floor being used as garage, the second floor would be bedroom and bathroom and third floor bedroom and bathroom.
The other thing that the applicant was proposing due to the fact that there is an inability to maintain the setback is on the third floor.
We were providing an eight foot setback off the second floor to allow for maybe some outside access to for the unit to allow for that type of use, whether it be a deck or what have you.
So with regard to this property, we would consider it somewhat unique in terms of its shape and size as it relates to this particular district.
as was noted on the map views. The property is essentially proposing to take advantage of an
existing nonconformity as it relates to its 100% impervious cover. Granted, no rear yard will be
provided, but we believe that we're attempting to minimize that impact by providing the rear
yard on the third floor, so to speak, in terms of having outdoor access for the property.
um as the board is also aware it's kind of a unique um situation in terms of a single
family home being permitted in this district um i'm sure you've heard the arguments before and i
know i'm only bringing these up in light of the neighborhood opposition but a sing the pennsylvania
state law the constitution and most of the case let's interpret it allow for a property owner to
make a reasonable use of his property reasonable use a single family home has been deemed a
reasonable use under the applicable case law. And when you're looking at a property that's a bit
undersized as it relates to the rest of the community, the case law would support the idea
that the variances that would be necessary to allow for a single-family home on the property,
the board should favorably consider. I understand that with the neighborhood opposition,
which may be based on items that are ultimately irrelevant to the application,
but essentially that's all the applicant is proposing here. We believe at 1,600 square feet,
two bedrooms, two bath. It's a very reasonable use and allowing us to make use of the entire
property will allow for a very nice, viable, brand new single family home in this community.
With me today, Mr. Bergman is my site design professional, Otini Green. If there's any
questions, but Mr. Green would testify that the information I provided to the board today was
It's true. It's true and accurate. And Mr. Rivers, Calvin Rivers, who's a principal forever valuable LLC.
He's also present to the board. Have any questions? Why don't you bring him on to adopt your testimony?
Mr. Green? Yeah. You're your owner, whoever your owner is. Oh, Mr. Rivers. That'd be great.
I do not see Mr. Rivers, but Andrea Johnson.
I don't know if Cal's
using somebody else's computer
Okay, now I do see a Colin
Rivers now
He is being promoted
as PANDAS now, Chair
Thank you
Calvin, let me know
when you can hear us
Hello, good morning
Good morning.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
My name is Kyle Rivers, C-A-L-V-I-N, Rivers, R-I-V-E-R-S.
Right.
Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth? Nothing but the truth.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you. Calvin, I'll just make it easy for you today.
Were you present during the virtual hearing during the course of my testimony?
Did everything I say was truth and accurate?
True and accurate. I'm sorry. And you would adopt that testimony as your own if you were giving testimony today?
Correct.
Counsel, quick question. How do you get into the garage?
The garage will be on the, if you see my cursor, I'm going to make this a little bigger.
It's right next to, it will be in this area of the property on the first floor.
Right, but I mean, where do you drive in from the garage?
From Chancellor Street.
Hillary, is there a refusal for the parking?
Yeah, no, the only, no, there was, but it's.
Yeah, it's RM1, so it depends on what they, normally, yeah, you wouldn't have parking on the front-loaded parking, so I'm not, yeah, it could have been missed in this case.
All right, all right, questions from the board.
So previously, historically, what was this, a garage?
Cal, you can answer that question.
Okay. And you're proposing to build out to the property line to the left, which matches the garage, I guess, to the left of the property, if I'm looking at the front of the site.
Yes, correct.
Okay. And extending up two stories and then setting back, is that that third floor setback, is that the setback to match the adjacent property on the right?
Correct.
And what was the opposition? What did they state as their opposition from the community?
um mr johnson mr johnson i the the letter that from the uh from the committee came today or
yesterday and seemed to kind of focus on some historical things that allegedly took place on