ZBA Hearing - October 20, 2020

Board of Adjustment. I'll be participating in today's hearing along with our Board Secretary,

Confessor Plaza, and Board Member, Mr. Thomas Holloman. Board Administrator Tanya Sunkit and

Board Attorney Sharon Saleta are also in attendance. For those of you who haven't yet

participated in one of our virtual hearings, I'll go through some of the basics of what you can

expect. First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to their testimony.

Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone, we ask that attorneys and witnesses

identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying.

Third, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being recorded and that by

participating, you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded.

Fourth, for anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify, you must raise your

hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself.

I'll repeat, for anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify, you must raise your hand by hitting star 9 and then star 6 to unmute yourself.

Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue.

i'll repeat to enter an appearance statement call google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address

and the address of the property at issue with that said we can begin but before our secretary

calls our first case we like to ask if anyone is requesting a continuance or a withdrawal

of an appeal listed to be heard this morning?

If so, please raise your hand.

We have Rachel Pritzker.

Rachel, you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in.

Good morning.

Please identify yourself.

You know the drill,

spell your first and last name for the record.

Rachel, R-A-C-H-A-E-L, Pritzker, P-R-I-T-Z-K-E-R, 1635 Market Street, Suite 1600, Philadelphia, PA, 19103.

You swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Yes.

Thank you. Please proceed.

I'm asking for a continuance for 1407-09R Grange Street.

we are needing a little bit more time to work through some plans so I wanted to ask for a

continuance for that matter. Okay is is the applicant or the attorney on this case and you

are the attorney I'm sorry is there anyone who disagrees with the issuance of a continuance on

this case? If so, please raise your hand. Charles Richardson, are you here on behalf

of this case? You're going to be awake to be sworn in. Morning, Mr. Richardson. Please

let them by yourself for the record. Charles Richardson from the Office of Councilwoman

Cindy Bass, Room 312 City Hall. We have no objection to the granting of a continuance

for this and uh we look forward to working with Ms. Pritzker to try to alleviate any

situations that might be going on with the with the case. Thank you. Anyone else?

We have Sloan Folks. Sloan Folks you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in.

Mr. Folks, are you here on Grange Street? I don't think he's here on this one.

Oh, you talked about anyone else for this one, so no.

I'm sorry. All right. So I'll put that in the record. MI 2020-001230, 1407-09 West Grange, G-R-A-N-G-E Street is continued.

this is Sharon Saleta since this is a follow-up hearing do we want to give it

a new date or continue it as attorney moving party all right so let me I'll do that again

MI-2020-001230-1407-09 West Grange attorney moving party

yes thank you any other requests for continuance or withdrawals

Sloan folks.

Sloan Folks.

Good morning, Chairman and CBA board. My name is Sloan Folks, S-L-O-A-N-E. Folks, FS on Fire, OLKS,

Room 508 City Hall, 19107.

We're going to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Yes, sir, I do.

Thank you.

We're requesting a continuous calendar number 3-9-9-0-2-3-2-4-0 North Front Street.

The applicant has not met with the RCO, and we wish for them to do so, and I have time for the public to weigh in.

You have a – what's that calendar number you have?

I have calendar number 39902, but I think it's also under MI-2020-000.

This is Sharon Slutta. It's number 11 on the hearing list.

Right. It's MI-2020-000223, correct?

Yes, sir.

And we also received no exhibits for this case.

Okay. So MI 2020-000223, 3240 North Front Street is continued.

Can we confirm that no one representing the applicant is here?

Yeah, I'm just going to ask. Is the applicant present or the attorney for this case present?

If so, please raise your hand.

No hands.

Thank you. Any other requests for continuances or withdrawals? Please raise your hand.

No hands at this time, but I do have a couple to go over.

Okay. Tanya, when you read them off, could you give me the page number? That way, when I go

through my phone, because I can't print out, I'll know which one not to call up.

So number five on your list, 15-14 Tasker, that was heard already by the board and granted.

So this is an error on the list.

It should be on there, correct?

Correct.

So do I need to, we don't need to read it in or do we?

If just to make sure if anyone came for it.

Okay.

Okay. What is that? Hold on a second. I apologize because I got to scroll down my phone.

No, take your time, Chair.

MI 2020-000253, 1514 Tasker Street. Is there anyone who was interested in this case?

No hands.

Okay. So that case was already decided last week, if I'm not mistaken, correct?

I know it was a little while ago.

Oh, wow.

Okay.

Any others?

And I have number seven on your list.

As a request for continuance from the RCO.

FI2020-001487.

221 West Coulter, C-O-U-L-T-E-R Street.

Request for a continuance.

I don't know if anyone is here. It's only from the RCO.

Is the applicant and or the attorney present?

No hands at this time.

Thank you. So MI 2020-001487, 221 West Coulter Street is continued.

that's all i have chair okay um all right let me go back to where i started here

so first one on the list is continued correct range yes and next one would be uh confessor

I don't know if you have the list, so I'll read it off.

It's MI 2020-000521, 1437 Parrish Street.

We've promoted Sarah Alderfer.

Sarah, you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in and share your screen as you wish.

Thank you, Tonya. Please identify yourself, spell your first and last name for the record.

Sarah Alderfer, S-A-R-A-H-A-L-D-E-R-F-E-R, 1500 JFK Boulevard, Suite 800, Philadelphia PA, 19102.

Sarah Alderfer, S-A-R-A-H-A-L-D-E-R.

I'm here today as counsel for the owner and applicant brought in management, and I'm going to share my screen.

You're swearing the firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing about the truth?

I do.

Do you agree to wait the reading of its refusal and stipulate to attack, Gerson?

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? I have. Also, have you met with the RCO and have a letter? Yes, we have. Thank you.

You may proceed. Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the board. I'm here today as counsel for

Broaden Management. Its principal, Matt Shapson, I believe is also on the Zoom, and also present

today is the design team, Gnome Architects. 1437 Parrish Street is a 671.25 square foot lot,

which is zoned RM1. It's located in Francisville on Parrish Street, just off Broad Street between

North Carlisle and North 15 streets. The refusals we're here for today are because we are proposing

to build a duplex on the RM1 lot, and due to the undersized nature of the lot, we have a refusal

for side yard, five feet proposed where seven feet is required, and for the size of the lot

being 671.25 square feet, which would prohibit, which would allow one unit by right, but prohibits

two dwelling units. Going to the pictures of the surrounding area, which is on page

35 of the PDF that I previously identified. Excuse me, page 39.

you can see the surrounding area is developed as a multi-family area the building here which

is immediately to the west of our lot is a duplex and these and and this building which is also to

the west is multi-family in addition this is the lot our property here and to the right of it

is a church and then this and again this is the church here

and then across the street we have multi-family and then a vacant lot here um the

The property was previously approved in 2017 as a artist studio on the first floor with

off-street parking and three units. And that permit appears in your packet at Exhibit 9,

which is on page 56 um that was never erected but it is the most it is the most recent approval

for the lot um after that point in time in 2017 um in 2018 the lot was rezoned from irmx to rm1

by bill number 180286-A, which is at tab 11 of your packet.

And so we're seeking a variance to develop this property as a duplex

to fit in with the character of the surrounding area and the lot as it is rezoned.

So now taking a look at the plans, which are at tab 7,

page 52 is the zoning site plan. Let me zoom out for you guys.

So the proposal, as said earlier, is a duplex. The proposal is two bi-level units, first

floor, second floor, and then third floor, fourth floor. The refusals here stem from

the rear yard not being five feet deep instead of seven feet deep. At this point in time,

I'd like to note that the property of Butts and Alley, which is approximately two feet wide,

two feet wide so the alley is not included in our property for the purposes of zoning

so the alley is not included.

but it our the rear of our building would in fact be seven feet from the next adjacent building

in addition there's an alley that runs between our property here and the adjacent property of

the church which is four feet wide so there's space at the east side of the building

Taking a look at the rendering, which is page 49, this shows the

which, excuse me, my computer wants to keep scrolling.

Well, as I'm scrolling back down, the rendering shows, which is on page 49, shows the front

of the building that we're proposing, we're proposing a map to put an existing brick on

the front and match the cornice line of the building that is to the west of us.

and I would note that the building to the west of us 1439 is a duplex as well and has a brick

facade and then the church building here also has a brick facade so we're looking to match

the character the neighborhood by including a brick facade up to the cornice line of the

adjacent building. We met with the coordinating RCO Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation

and got their support. Their letter appears on tab 13, which is page 104 of the PDF.

You can see here the vote was in support, 10 in support, one in opposition, and one in

non-opposition. There was one person who did not vote as 13 people attended the meeting.

That concludes my presentation. At this time, I'd like to ask my client a few questions.

Matt, if you could unmute yourself.

Hello, Sarah.

Hi, Matt. Could you state and spell your name for the record, please?

Sure, it's Matthew Shapson, M-A-T-T-H-E-W-S-H-A-P-S-O-N.

And what's your relationship to Broad and Management?

I'm the owner.

And Broad and Management owns the property at 1437 Parrish Street, is that correct?

That's correct.

Have you heard my statements that I made today?

I have.

Are they true and correct?

Yes, they are.

Do you adopt them as your own?

Yes. That concludes my presentation.

I'd be willing to answer any questions the board has.

No questions.

Sarah, I'm going to unshare because I think, okay, there we go.

Did you hear me now?

Yeah, you went out and went back in.

Yeah, I had to go back in.

All right.

Any questions from the board?

No questions.

No.

Thank you.

Anyone else in the audience who would like to testify in this case?

If so, please raise your hand.

no hands at this time thank you planning commission ron please identify yourself

with a record and i'll swear you in oh it's actually dave uh good morning david effecto

f-e-c-t-e-a-u with the city planning commission we're in firm to tell the truth the whole truth

and nothing but the truth yes sir i do thank you please proceed thank you sir mr chairman

Thank you, sir. Mr. Chairman and members of the board, this property is indicated for industrial and residential mixed use in the city's comprehensive plan. If this property had remained zoned as IRMX, more density would have been permitted on this site. Accordingly, we have no objection to granting this variance.

members of the board, this property is in.

Thank you. MI-2020-000521, 1437 Parrish Street. My vote is yes.

My vote is yes. My vote is yes.

Thank you. Confessor, before you call, I'm just getting a text from Sharon. Give me a second,

see what it's about.

All right, Sharon, before any emails, that's not it.

I was asking if you could call the add-on, the follow-up hearing for 1302 North 18th

Street.

Yeah. We can call that now? Yes. Okay. MI 2020-000-688-1302-North 18th Street.

And the attorney is Leo Mulvihill.

all right good morning chairman members of the board