First floor and basement dental practice, second and third floor existing apartment.
uh we're looking west on montrose street the entrance is on montrose street
this is the entrance to the apartment on the second and third floor and this is the entrance
to the dental practice on the left i have some interior photographs to show you that the dental
practice is nicely appointed the majority of the patients of dr kamani who is on the call
are from the neighborhood. She currently has nine employees and two doctors. With the addition of
chairs, she will bring on two more employees. It was important at the community group to address
the parking issue. There's only two employees who currently drive to work, and they park on the
other side of Washington Avenue because in this neighborhood, there's a two-hour parking limit.
So the remainder of the employees take the bus, and several of them walk and are from the neighborhood.
So this is the proposed floor plan.
The existing floor plan on the lower level, as I said, is an office, an area for kitchen and lounge.
And the first floor has four dental chairs and a reception area.
The second and third floor, the apartment, if this proposal is granted, the apartment will be removed.
removed and then additional chairs and two bathrooms will be used the bathroom on the
first floor is handicap accessible and as i showed you from photographs it's ground level entrance
to the practice so it's accommodating individuals with wheelchairs and strollers because the
practice is takes care of both children as well as adults and it's kind of unique and i'll have
Dr. Khomeini comment on the insurance aspect of the dental practice. She takes both Medicaid
and Medicare, which many offices in Center City and nearby do not take.
This is our tax clearance. This is our zoning map, again, indicating at the corner of 22nd
and Montrose, the deed indicating ownership. Our notice to the neighbors of the meeting,
as well as today's meeting, including all the properties within 250 feet on Montrose Street,
on Montrose Street, Christian Street, and Kimball Street. And this is the permit
Christian Street, and Kimball Street.
that was issued in June of 2008. It was a newly constructed building with a dental office on the
first floor and living quarters, one apartment on the second and third floor. In terms of trash,
my client has a service that comes and picks up any medical waste as well as trash.
the hours of operation are nine to five Monday through Friday there are no weekend or evening
hours and misuse as I said has been in existence for 15 years we're not altering the essential
character of the neighborhood we're actually the use of the building because that has been
consistently a dental practice we are not expanding the footprint we are not detrimental
to the public health, we believe the use is in harmony with the neighborhood and past usage.
And it's, from all accounts, it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood because of the
clientele is expanding. And frankly, I think the doctor is adding the chairs too to spend more time
with the patients, because if you're limited in your number of chairs, you have to move people
through the system. So with that, I would like to close the presentation and ask my client to
unmute herself and adopt my testimony. Dr. Khamenei, can you unmute yourself?
Sylvia Khamenei has been allowed to speak.
Could you please, doctor, could you please state your name and spell for the court's
demographer?
My name is Silvana Kumani, S-I-L-V-A-N-A, last name C-U-M-A-N-I.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Please proceed, counsel.
Thank you, Mr. Barrett.
Dr. Kamedi, I just want you to explain to the board what I referenced about the insurance that you take at your practice and why it's unique.
Well, we are really proud to say that in that area, we are the one that we serve the underserved Medicare and Medicaid patients.
that's why
we always
have had
the support of our
neighbors
so we're just
asking for a little bit more room
Thank you Dr.
Camani, Dr. Camani
were you on this call when I presented your
project to the board? Yes
And if you had the opportunity to testify
would you adopt my testimony as your
own and as true, correct?
Thank you, Dr. Comaini.
Questions from the board?
I have no questions.
It looks like you're going to double the number of chairs here?
And then what's going to happen on the third floor?
I'm sorry.
It's a little small.
So it's hard for me to, the third, the, what is that?
I guess that's the second floor where the apartment is.
Part of it is going to be used for the practice.
What's going to happen on the upper level there?
The same thing.
We'll have more chairs on the third floor.
So the second floor and third floor basically has the same floor plan.
All right.
I'm sorry.
Oh, okay.
I'm sorry.
It's hard for me to read it.
I'm sorry.
No, here I can.
So on the right, we have the basement space, right?
That's the office and the, I guess, like employee sort of snack space or whatever it is.
Correct.
The kitchen.
All right.
All right.
All right.
And then next to that is the first floor, then the second floor, then the third floor.
I'm all right. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions from the board?
Why should there are comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
Not at this time, Mr. Chair. Why should there are comments from the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair. I have a hand up by the name of Breonna Wakefield. They have been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name? It's spelled for the court stenographer.
Yes, Brianna Wakefield, B-R-I-O-N-N-A, last name Wakefield, W-A-K-E-F-I-E-L-D.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
I swear.
I swear.
Are you a neighbor?
No, I actually work for Council President Johnson.
Please proceed.
Yes, I just wanted to state that the Council President does not oppose this project at this time.
Thank you very much for taking the time to call us. We appreciate it. Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair. I have a hand up by the name of Irena Lala. They have been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name. It's spelled for the court stenographer.
Good morning. This is Irena Lala. Name is spelled I-R-E-N-A. Last name L-A-L-A.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
I swear.
Are you a neighbor?
Okay, please proceed.
We are a family of four, all patients of Dr. Kumani's clinic at 2200 Montrose.
And we are, you know, with Dr. Kumani and support her request because it is so convenient for our family to have the clinic so nearby.
We use public transportation whenever we have appointments.
My teenage children are able to be seen in the after school hours, which works great for us so they don't have to skip school.
And if Dr. Kumani will have the opportunity to have more chairs, they don't even have to wait longer to be seen by their, you know, by their dentist.
So we are in favor of of this project simply for the benefit of our family and families like ours.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for taking the time to call us. We appreciate it. Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
Yes, Chair. I have two more hands up at this time. Kalea Dima has been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Clea Dima, K-L-E-A, last name D-H-I-M-A.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Are you a neighbor?
Do you support this project?
Could you give us reasons other than what we've already heard?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So, yes, I live in the graduate hospital area just a few blocks away from the office.
And I really believe that allowing the dentist's office to expand their business within the building will allow them to help more people, as stated.
Some of the members, some of the patients are from the neighborhood, which is great.
And then the office offers an important community service as they take all types of insurance, as the doctor mentioned.
The hope and expectation is that maybe wait times will be shortened for patients, some of which are seniors and children.
I believe that this change will allow everyone in the office to work more effectively and efficiently as they serve members of the Philadelphia community in the health care sphere.
Thank you very much for your call. We appreciate it. Next hand, please.
Natalie Kalou has been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Natalie, will you please unmute yourself?
Natalie?
Natalie Kalou, will you please unmute yourself?
is there anyone else in the virtual audience no more he's at this time chair
thank you very much planning commission
good morning amy wood with the planning commission aoy poyd you swear or affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth and nothing but the truth i do please proceed
The comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning at this location from the existing single-family residential, RSA-5.
The property was granted a variance in 2008 for sole practitioner.
The proposed use as group practitioner is consistent with documented prior use.
The City Planning Commission recommends that the board grant the requested variance for a group health practitioner's office.
MI 2024-004-128-2200 Montrose Street, I vote yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Gerald Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tannetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes.
Thank you. You have your votes, Councilman.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for taking me out of turn.
Sure. Thank you.
MI 2022-007-252-3730 North 18th Street.
37 30 North 18th Street. This is a resumptive hearing. Vern Anastasio is the attorney.
This is a resumptive hearing.
Vern Anastasio will be joining us as a panelist.
good morning mr anastasio good morning mr chair would you please state your name and spell for
the court stenographer or it's verne anastasio a-n-a-s-t-a-s-i-o on behalf of my client aj
single you swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Yes, sir. I do. Mr. Anastasio, this is a resumptive hearing. Could you give us an update
relative to your contact with the 13th Ward RCO? 13th Ward RCO did send a letter with six members
opposing. As such, it's an opposition letter. Again, we did submit signatures of 26 immediate
residents in support of the project. The feedback was that the neighbors were not necessarily
concerned about the use as much as the property's condition over the long term.
Tried to explain to them at the meeting that my client simply did not have the funds, could not
afford to maintain the property at the time. He purchased it in disrepair. It remained in
disrepair, does have the funds now to rehabilitate it, but that's where we are.
Anastasia, my understanding, you went from three units to two?
Have we had public comment on this?
Yes, we have, Mr. Chair.
We can see if the RCO or the council office has any further comments.
I don't know if there was any further conversations that occurred after the last hearing.
But the only other thing that we need is planning commission.
Why don't we open up to the board to see if they have any comments with the changes?
Questions or comments from the board?
I have a question.
Did the RCO letter that was received, did it talk about the two units or the three units?
was it referencing it was based on the three unit application okay so the rco didn't uh request any