Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
Please state your name for the record and spell it for the sonographer.
Allen Nockamson, A-L-A-N, last name Nockamson, N-O-C-H-U-M-S-O-N.
We're a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
What case, sir?
So I have on my calendar, 4461 Silverwood Street.
We asked for a continuance.
We asked for a continuance. I just want to make sure that that is going to take place.
I just want to make sure that that is.
I have that. So that is.
Sorry, that is number 12 on the afternoon list. We have that listed as a withdrawal.
Okay, so maybe that's the case.
I just didn't get a chance to get to it yet.
Is it not a withdrawal?
That's, that's, that's my fault. We did withdraw it. So I apologize for that.
Sure, not a problem.
That'll be called. Yep.
Is there any other requests for continuance?
I see no hands at this time, Chair.
So number, number one,
MI 2023-000629-1447 West Cuyahoga Street.
This is the fourth listing, no exhibits.
The attorney is David Uptah.
I see no one in the audience with their names here.
So MI 2023, 000629, 1447 West Cayuga Street.
This is the fourth listing.
Cases, I vote that these cases should be dismissed.
Michael Johns, I vote the case should be dismissed.
Cheryl Gaston, I vote to dismiss.
Tanata Graham, I vote to dismiss.
Ishmael Shaheed, I vote to dismiss.
Thank you.
I think I will see here.
Okay, and also number two.
MI 2024-003-018-510 Midville Avenue.
that case has been withdrawn.
Number three, MI 2024-004-942-2400 Bryn Mawr.
Carolina Penna is the applicant.
Is anyone from that case in the audience?
This is the first listing we have information
that may be withdrawn.
I see no one in the audience with that name, too.
Okay, all right, so thank you.
I just wanted to note that Gina, G-E-E-N-A-L-L-C, is the listed owner.
Caroline Pena is the architect for the case.
Is anyone for either one of those names in the audience?
I see no hands at this time, too.
So MI 2024, 004-942-2400, Bryn Mawr Avenue. Cases continued. Mark must be heard. And number 12.
MI 2024, 005-502-4461, Silverwood Street. That case has been withdrawn.
We're going to go to our add-on list.
Hi, 2024-004-300, 2401-03 North 10th Street.
The vote in this matter has been continued until the board has received the amended refusal that has been requested by the applicant.
1204 of the officer number two, MI 2024-001-323-1204, Wilder Street, I vote no.
Michael Johnson.
Go ahead.
my vote is michael johns my vote is no cheryl gaston my vote is no
canada gray my vote is no ishmael shaheed my vote is no number three and mr jared
just want to clarify that that last matter um was a revote um because there was clarification
once we added provisos it essentially became a no vote so we revoted it as a no
Thank you.
Number three, MI 2024-004-303, 1924-36, Washington.
I vote yes with proviso.
with proviso use limited to second floor Michael Johns my vote is yes with proviso
Use limited to second floor.
I vote John.
Cheryl Gaston my vote is yes with proviso
Tanetta Grant my vote is yes with proviso
Ishmael Shaheed my vote is yes with proviso
number four MI 2024-004-954-710 North 42nd Street I vote yes
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
Number five.
MI 2024
004-290-21
Wall Street.
The vote in this matter has been rescheduled
to Wednesday, November 13th,
2024 at 2pm.
And number six, MI 2024-004-767-70-80 East Worcester Street.
I vote yes with proviso.
Her amended refusal dated 10-31-24, interior trash storage.
Crystal Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes with proviso.
tenetta graham my vote is yes with proviso ishmael shaheed my vote is yes with proviso
we're going to start our regular list we're going to go to number nine
mi2024-005-494-1526 north 18th street augusta o'neill is is the attorney
michael michael johns has reaccused himself from this case thank you
augusta o'neill will be rejoining us as a panelist good afternoon good afternoon counsel could you
please state your name and smell for the courts spell it for the court stenographer sure my name
is augusta o'neill a-u-g-u-s-t-i my last name is o apostrophe n-e-i-l-l you swear a firm to tell
the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do could you identify your client in relationship
to the property my client is frankel enterprises they own the llc that is the owner of the property
our vice chair has just a few questions good afternoon counsel do you agree to wait to read
another refusal or stipulate to his accuracy uh for 1526 north 8th street i did just notice before
the hearing started that there is
mistake. Actually, it's
for the other matter.
So I do stipulate to the accuracy
of this refusal. Yes.
Understood.
Council, were you going to talk about number eight?
North Darien. That just had
one small error. I just wanted to clarify.
I think we continued that, didn't we?
We continued 1520 to 26.
I was supposed to have three hearings today.
All right. Good. All right. Thank you. Thank you.
Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits as needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
I did. Thank you, counsel. Please proceed to share your screen.
Thank you so much.
Can everyone see my screen?
Thank you so much. Good afternoon, again, members of the board. My name is Augusta O'Neill. I'm here this afternoon representing Frankl Enterprises and FE Darien LLC, the LLC that is the owner of the property at 1526 North 8th Street.
This is an application that is a partnership with the Philadelphia Land Bank and Turn the Key to take vacant lots, which can be a frequent sign of a site of crime, and create single family affordable homes on what was previously a vacant lot.
I did provide the board with some information about the Turn the Key program and my client, Frankel Enterprises.
you will find that information at tabs four and five of the exhibit package that I provided to
the board. Just for a bit of background and to explain why this is such a wonderful program,
the average rent in Philadelphia for a two-bedroom apartment is almost $2,000, whereas the average
mortgage payment for uh someone who's who has a home through this program um they're paying about
thirteen hundred dollars so it's a significant um savings in the monthly housing costs um and
And in September of this year, my clients actually had a ribbon cutting for another Turn the Cube project at Bucknell Square in Girard Commons.
in september of this year my clients actually had a ribbon cutting for another
You can find some information about that ribbon cutting at tab five of my exhibit package.
And that project did add 73 affordable homes to the Sharswood neighborhood.
So this afternoon, as I said before, I'm discussing the property that's at 1526 North 8th Street, just to provide the board with an overview and to orient you to the site.
My apologies, because I got to scroll through everything.
If I can hide this, if I can do it more easily.
Okay, so this is the site that's currently a vacant lot. It extends all the way back behind
where you see this kind of gap in the smile as it were of these properties. So my client is going
to relocate lot lines. They are going to create six lots from what are currently two zoning
lots and on each of those six lots they're going to put a single family affordable home.
The refusal that we received for this application, I provided it at page three of my exhibit
package. But as you can see on my screen, we received two refusals, both fairly de minimis
dimensional refusals. The first refusal that we received was for the minimum lot size. We're
required to have 800 square feet. We're proposing 694.2 square feet on the six lots. We're also
required to provide a lot width of 16 feet and we're slightly under we're at 15.778
square feet i did provide in my exhibit package packages as well of rendering just kind of
showing um just to give the board an idea of what these properties will look like and i do actually
have because my clients have constructed other single family affordable homes i do have an in
real life kind of showing a model of what Frankel Enterprises is creating. So this is a picture of
the exterior of one of their projects. You can see it's got a beautiful brick exterior. Some of the
interior pictures I've also got up on my screen just to show these are really quality projects.
They've got beautiful backyards as well. The homes that the Frankels are building are not only
affordable but as you can see um they've got beautiful private outdoor spaces um
they're typically a three-bedroom layout um they have brick facades as you can see
energy-saving windows they've got high quality hardwood tile flooring open living space
contemporary fixtures and kitchen appliances um and we presented this application to the affected
RCO, the North Central East RCO. They did provide us a letter of support. That letter of support you
can find at page six of your exhibit package. And in the letter of support, I just wanted to note
part of the reason that the RCO was supportive is because of the fact that these are single
family homes as opposed to apartments. In addition, we have a letter of non-opposition from
Councilman Young's office. And just to briefly go over the criteria for a variance and why I feel
that this application certainly meets it, the variance relief that we're requesting really
represents the minimum variance that is going to afford relief and presents the least modification
of the dimensional regulations at issue. The grant of this variance will not cause any congestion
in the public streets or increase the danger of fire or endanger the public health, safety,
year welfare. There's only a handful of single-family homes that are being proposed here.
It's not going to substantially or permanently injure the appropriate use of the adjacent
conforming property because, as you can see, this is certainly going to be an improvement to the
adjacent conforming property because we're removing what is a weed-strewn, you know,
kind of overgrown lot and going to be adding families to the neighborhood. And due to, again,
to the small number of additional homes that we're adding, the grant of the variance is not
going to adversely affect transportation or burden the water, sewer, school, park, or other public
facilities. And I think that's reflected in the fact that the councilman and the affected RCO were
in support of this application. With me this afternoon is Zach Frank.
in support of this application um with me this afternoon is zach frankel he is one of the
principals of frankel enterprises um i'm going to ask that the board swear him in and we're
available for any questions that the board may have about this application
it's not my share frankel hi good afternoon hi could you please state your name and spell for
the stenographer. My name is Zachary Frankel. You can spell that Z-A-C-H-A-R-Y-F-R-A-N-A-E-L.
We're affirmed to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I do. Please proceed, counsel. Good afternoon, Mr. Frankel. Have you
had an opportunity to hear my testimony this afternoon? I have. Is everything that I said
true and accurate to the best of your knowledge? It is. Is there anything that you would like to
add for the board there's not okay uh would you like to dot my testimony as your own i would
thank you uh sure questions for the board
um yes go ahead no you go quick questions these units are on slabs or they have basements
thank you okay uh was there a floor plan or did i just zoning plan um i didn't include a floor plan
in my exhibit uh and the zoning plan is i believe page 99 of the exhibit package that i provided
let me see i'm happy to talk through the floor plan we presented these houses we built many of
mb4 okay so um as my attorney miss o'neill alluded to um these homes are slab on grades there's no
basement you walk into the home to an open floor plan of a kitchen and living room plan um we've
got a lot of positive feedback from our affordable buyers on these homes um it allows a lot of
versatility and the layout. The floor plate is about 500 square feet. So that includes brand
new stainless steel appliances and electric efficient appliances as well. And that on the
second floor, you have two large bedrooms and a full bathroom. Again, you know, granite countertops
throughout the home so it's well appointed as any market rate home would be and then on the top
floor you have really what's a master suite so you would have a large master bedroom with large
walk-in closet as well as a full bathroom there as well and that leads out to a rear roof deck
So we have provided roof decks as well as rear yards on all of our properties because we know how important open space is to all of our buyers.
Can I see the pictures again that you showed?
Absolutely.