She would need to raise her hand.
she's been promoted to panelists you have authority to share your screen as necessary
okay um as an overview and i also have with me today and i'll
Okay. As an overview, and I also have with me today, and I'll introduce them when the time comes, I have, this is for Mass 3 Charter School. We're seeking to add a freestanding gymnasium. The board granted us a variance back in 2018 to convert the Crown Court and Seal headquarters up on the boulevard.
I guess we're trying to do something again in Mr. Snell's neighborhood.
He's very familiar probably with this property since it's up near his neck of the woods.
And we're adding a freestanding gymnasium of about 8,000 square feet.
Natalie, if you could go to the rendering that we have at pages 38 through 41 of what we handed up to the board.
We'll just give you an overview of what we're asking for.
that's that's the property as it sits right now if you go to the next page you will see that where
the little blue area is that's where we're adding the freestanding gym in the south parking lot
uh and then if you can go to the next page and the next that's an overview of that's what it'll
be with the basketball court and 163 seats it's we're going to be uh using it for um everyone to
be able to um have gym gym class for the kids because we weren't able to really accommodate
a full-fledged gym inside the existing crown core concealed building as it was converted
so natalie go to the next and next there we go so that the gym will start looking like that in
the in the right hand corner it's the blue and white building with the canopy then go to the
next one to give it a little bit closer view of what it'll look like and then uh the next one
even a little close up. And then the last shot of that is what it'll look like inside. So that is
basically what we're asking for. The property is split zoned with three zones on it right along
the boulevard. It has a park zoning. Over 54% of it is an I-1 industrial. And then the other
portion is about is rsa3 which has single family attached uh i have handed up and we've as we
indicated we filed an exhibit list that went through a1 through a16 instead of reading it in
like i know i just want to say consider please board that i've read everything into the record
and identified everything that we've listed on this uh with that what i would like to do is call
john swoyer who is the ceo of of mast and all all three of its locations just to give you a brief
overview of of the need for the the building we're here for a special exception because we're just
trying to extend the use that was granted by the board back in 2018 not not to cut anybody short i
think if you want to get your client on just to adopt your testimony i think we get the full
picture here gotcha that's what i was hoping okay chair he's available to be sworn in thank you
John. Hi, my name is John. Please spell your last name. S-W-O-Y-E-R. And your involvement with
this application? I'm the CEO of the Mass Schools Network. All right. Do you swear and affirm to
tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth? I do. Thank you. And John, you've heard
what I've stated on the record. Do you adopt that as your testimony today? I do. And do you want to
add anything else i don't just uh very excited to be able to have a gym for a thousand students
k-6 next year mr chairman members of the board we had submitted a revised a revised proviso plans
that it consists of the of the form plus uh three three pages there was over we we sort of shrunk
the canopy and shrunk the building to its size and so and we changed the number of seats from 150 to
163 we have ample number of parking spaces we still have an abundance of parking spaces with
479 on the property but we would if the board is so inclined to grant us the variance or special
exception today we would greatly appreciate consideration of approving those revised plans
that we submitted and that was three pages is that correct Mr. Apollo that is correct Ms. Saletta
thank you and now with that we would rest thank you questions and incorporate everything into the
record. Thank you. Questions from the board? No. Anyone else would like to testify in this
case? If so, please raise your hand. No hands at this time, Chair. Thank you. Planning Commission?
Good morning. This is Greg Waldman, Planning Commission. This property is split zoned as
residential single family, light industrial, and special purpose open space under the zoning code.
light industrial, and special purpose open space.
Under the zoning code, the property shall be governed by the requirements
for the single-family zoning district.
The said district occupies greater than 20% of the parcel, which it does.
The proposed charter school and gymnasium has been in the works for some time
and has support from the community.
Accordingly, we have no objection to the granting of the special exception.
Thank you.
mi-2020-001183 12345 east roosevelt boulevard my vote is yes with proviso revised plan three
pages approved today yes with proviso yes with proviso yes with proviso thank you good luck
keep up the good work thank you thank you very much mr chairman members of the board everybody
stay safe. And vote. You too. MI 2020-000135-1304 West Allegheny Avenue.
The attorney is Henry Clinton.
Morning, Mr. Clinton. I'm sorry. Excuse me. Allegheny Avenue is Michael Matione, not Mr.
i apologize good morning thank you
i promoted joseph strampello joseph you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in
good morning mr strampello please identify yourself with the records by your last name please
yes good morning uh chairman uh my name is joseph strampello s-t-r-a-m-p-e-l-l-o
you are with
you saw enough fern to tell the truth the whole truth for nothing but the truth
yes i do agree to wait the reading of its refusal and stipulate to its accuracy
Yes, I do.
Also, have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents, proof of ownership,
proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal or referral, photos and plans five days prior
to this hearing?
Yes, we did.
And as of this morning, we have emailed a letter from the 12th and Cambria Advisory
Board, the appropriate RCO, with regard to their position on the project that we are
proposing.
Thank you.
please identify yourself for the record and you may proceed. Yes. Good morning again,
Chairman and members of the board. Again, my name is Joseph Strampello. I'm from the
Mattione Law Firm. We are located here in Philadelphia at the Federal Reserve Bank
Building, 100 North Independence Mall, 5 Northwest, Philadelphia PA-19106. I am here on behalf of the
applicant, Anthony Maranucci. Mr. Maranucci, are you present on the line and can you hear us?
Mr. Strampolo, he will not be able to unless allowed. So you let me know when you need him.
Okay. This project for...
I'm sorry, where is that at? I'm sorry. Chair, if you would, just for just a moment.
I apologize for that delay. I have my associate here. He's giving me a little bit of a help.
This is an application for six units at the property located at 1304 West Allegheny Avenue.
The applicant, Anthony Maranucci, is here, will be present on behalf of himself and also the owner, Allegheny 20 LLC.
see. The building is a three-story brick building located between 13th Street and Park Avenue just
east of the intersection of Broad and Allegheny. You may be familiar with the area. Sorry,
we're going full screen. There you go. Now you can just go like that. I don't need your table
of contents. You may be familiar with the area. It's literally one block away from the Temple
University Medical Facility Complex. The property is currently zoned RM1. The lot size is 1710 square
feet, and the proposed... Excuse the interruption, Mr. Strampello. Your screen is just showing
Exhibit 1. Yeah. If you can scroll down as you speak, that would be helpful. Thank you.
Yeah, you scroll with right and left, and I'll take you through the page.
So, I've just put in front of you the refusal, which indicates the lot size being 1,710 square feet.
The proposed improved area would be 2,838 square feet.
The RM1 zoning permits four as of right.
The RM1 zoning permits four as of right. In this particular case we are seeking six.
IN THIS PARTICULAR
Of note here is that the previous rental address for this property issued to 20
Allegheny LLC had actually had five units and when we purchased the property in August of 2018
there were actually nine separate occupants within the building there was one commercial
unit on the first floor and there were eight residential properties or eight residential
uses within the building this we believe would be an improvement for that particular area if
if you scroll down through the pictures which i'll now go through
let me do the pictures where's it just keeps go downward
Okay, if we go to Exhibit 4, 4A shows the front of the building at 1304 West Allegheny Avenue.
The other pictures are of properties that are immediately adjacent to it on the south side
of Allegheny Avenue. As you can see, they are similar in design and size and similarly
architecturally very similar.
I apologize, Board. I'm having a difficult time with these exhibits, but
no problem. So here you go. Now you can show them the pictures of the whole block.
And across the street, the photograph that you see presently in front of you are the properties
across the street. The area is primarily used for residential properties or residential units
somewhere between four and six particular units.
In this particular case, we are seeking to completely rehab the interior of the building.
And in doing so, our proposal is to install six residential units.
I'd like now to turn to the exhibit, which shows the floor plans.
And that would be on exhibit.
Exhibit floor plans.
Exhibit 3. So there are three floors there and our proposal is for the first floor to have a one-bedroom unit and an efficiency unit.
The second floor, a one-bedroom unit and a one-bedroom unit. And the third floor, a one-bedroom unit and two-bedroom unit.
Now, if you look at one of the schematics here, the far left-hand one plan shows the basement, which is going to be a laundry area.
There is also a specific area that shows the area in the rear of the building, which is designed for trash collection and trash storage.
This is going to be, if we're permitted to do so, six units.
It'll be a complete rehab. All interior walls, all mechanicals to be replaced, electrical, plumbing, heating, all this all will be entirely new.
There will be no renovation to the outside of the building. There may be a few windows that might be changed in the course of these renovations, but we don't anticipate any change to the elevation of the building.
Now, the owner of the property, 20 Allegheny LLC, is certainly not unfamiliar with the area.
They own 15 properties within a two-block area, mostly on Allegheny Avenue.
Among those properties that they own, they currently have 60 residential units.
Over 50% of them have been rehabbed and are currently rented.
The other 50% are planned for rehabilitation and will be rehabbed, and the same occupants will eventually be moved back into those properties.
The demographics in this area, we believe, certainly support our request for six particular units.
Because of the pandemic and other changes, there has been a demand for more units, smaller units.
This is not a building for a large family. These are buildings or units that we've designed for use for single people, possibly a couple.
The most we're going to have is the one, as I said to you before, one unit which has two bedrooms in it.
So this is, we believe, applicable to the area, and again we have quite a bit of
experience in this particular area with the with the 15 buildings that we own
and the the number of rental units that we have. Let me scroll down into the other
exhibits.
it's also interesting to note that there are two properties one within a stone's throw of 1304
west allegheny which currently has a legal use of six units and 1228 west allegheny which currently
has a legal use of five units.
So it's not unusual for this area to have as many as six units.
It's a fairly high congested area with quite a number of people living in this area who
work within the Temple University Health System.
Anthony Marinucci, are you available, Mr. Marinucci?
Can we let him in now?
If he could raise his hand.
Eli Fruckner, are you available?
Chairman, I apologize.
We have one gentleman that's going to attend the meeting via phone,
and the other was supposed to be linked into this meeting, that would be Eli Fruchter.
As an officer of court, we'll stipulate that your client would adopt your testimony.
I'm in. Am I in?
Oh, there you go.
Thank you.
Eli Fruchter.
Eli, sir, please spell your first and last name for the record.
Eli, E-L-I, Fruchter, F as in Frank, R-U-C-H-T-E-R.
Mr. Fruchter, have you any ideas?
Let me swear him in, please.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do. I affirm.
Please proceed.
Mr. Fruckner, have you had the opportunity to listen to the testimony that was offered this morning at this hearing?
And do you adopt the testimony as presented to the board this morning?
I certainly do. Thank you.
Mr. Fruckner, do you have anything to add?
It's probably not. I guess you couldn't add it because it's a question of legalities.
but i would add that prior to us owning the property this this was basically run illegally
by the previous owner as a rooming house and had many many more uh residents living there but that's
just in terms of practicality in terms of uh of how many people would be adopted to be living
there as well as we're requesting as to what was before uh i assume you couldn't introduce that
because we're talking about illegal happenings, you know, historically speaking.
But practically, less people will be living there if we are so adopted to get out of everything.
But that was all I would add.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And again, as I say to Mr. Firkner and his company,
20 Allegheny LLC has quite a bit of experience in this particular area.
We met with the applicable RCO on two occasions in this particular case, and they recently submitted a letter via email this morning.
I'm wondering whether or not the board has received that email from the 12th and Cambria Advisory Board RCO.
Aaron or Tanya, did you receive it?
um i'm checking in though he yeah i don't look at it would have come from sarah mcelvoy from
the matione law firm okay yes i believe we did
mr chairman i can read in uh the letter if you like uh yeah just read in the uh
whatever their recommendation was.
Yes, I'd address it.
Dear Mr. Frank DiCicco,
this is a summary of the community meeting
held on August the 27th, 2020, 7 p.m. on Zoom.
The meeting was in regards about the property
at 1304 West Allegheny Avenue.