as I said to you, Mr. Chairman, pushing the house back 13 feet. And by doing that, we actually
increased the open air space by a few percentage points. But at least it was a change for the good,
not only in pushing the house back, but also in terms of occupied area. So this is the proposal.
This is 12-22. The next project I'll present is 12-20. 12-22 is on the corner, as I said,
and it's going to be a three-family dwelling.
When we met with the community,
there was some sense that the owner indicated
that these were going to be condominiums for sale,
that there were not going to be rental units,
and the community was pleased generally
that there would be home ownership opportunities
for people in the neighborhood.
It's close to transit.
It's close to Girard Avenue.
It's close to Parkside Avenue.
and we thought that this would be a good fit. We don't have any issues with regard to
height or open space. It's simply one of use. This property, incidentally, is zoned CMX1.
Again, commercial use on this corner doesn't seem viable. Gerard Avenue is more of a commercial
strip than 41st Street, and there are no other commercial properties on this block. At one time,
it was zoned CMX2 and recently was down zoned to CMX1. So this is the site plan indicating the
house has been pushed back to again match the front facade of the single four-family property
on the block. Floor plans, I can go through the floor plans. I'll start at the top, work my way
down. This is the roof deck on the top providing access for the inhabitants on the third floor,
which is on a two-bedroom unit. On the second floor, another two-bedroom unit. And for trash
purposes, you can see that there's a trash closet for both the second floor owner as well as the
third floor owner. And then the final unit will be on the basement of first floor. That would be
a three-bedroom unit, and it also has trash storage and also access to the rear yard.
We have a tax certification and the other pro forma documents you typically see
in a presentation such as this. This is the zoning map indicating that the lot is
in a presentation such as this. This is the zoning map indicating that the lot is rather small.
It's actually cut in half. The back end is a different lot owned by someone else,
but we still managed to meet the open air requirement and rear yard requirements,
despite the smallness of the lot at the corner.
What I did want to show the board was, it's our certificate of mailing, but our zoning record. So
On this block right now, there are five multi-unit properties.
One is eight units, one is four units, one is six units, the other four units, and then a duplex.
Some of these units, eight dwelling units, were approved within a year.
One was just approved in 1221.
That's 1203.
It's not under construction yet, but it will be.
This property is 1204.
And this is four family.
This is 1213, six family.
Again, this was approved last year, July of 2001.
This is 1216.
This is four apartments.
And then finally, 1217.
this is a two-family dwelling and then 1217 this is also a multi-family a two-family dwelling
so we have a situation with the cmx1 zoning uh qualification we've eliminated one refusal
we are in a block which is predominantly multi-family in fact i don't think there's
any single family properties. I know there are no single family properties on our side of the
street and across the street. And I'll go to the aerial photographs. Across the street, there's
also vacant lots. This is a property which, again, funds on Girard Avenue and doesn't fund on 41st
Street. So our project is not affecting the light and air of any adjacent property. It doesn't alter
the essential character of the neighborhood or the block the block is in fact a multi-family block
we are not impairing the development of any adjacent property and we're in harmony with
the code generally so with that i'd ask my client to unmute himself keith if you can
i'd ask you to adopt my testimony
hello can you hear me yes
Hi, my name is Keith Sheed, K-E-I-T-H-S-H-E-E-D.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Proceed, Mr. Kahn.
Mr. Sheed, were you on the call when I presented your project?
If you had the opportunity to testify, would you adopt my testimony as your own and as true and correct?
Thank you, Mr. Sheed.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
No, Mr. Chairman.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
Mr. Chair, I have a Sandy Carter with their hand raised.
Understood.
Hi, could you state your name, please, and spell for the court reporter?
I have to promote Ms. Carter to a panelist because she was using an older version.
Good evening.
My name is Sandy Carter.
Hi, how are you?
I think I swore you in once before.
Yes. I'm the same person. I waited patiently.
So proceed, ma'am.
Okay. The first thing I'd like to say is I attended the original RCO meeting, and I am a resident of East Parkside for over 50 years.
Okay. The CDC RCO is the one who had the meeting, and it was heavily opposed.
There were several issues raised, and a lot of it had to do with the multifamily units.
They were presented as condos, and we do not want any condos in our area because we're trying to keep the integrity of our community, and we want single-family homes wherever possible.
that building that he showed the picture of across the street was built there only because
the pandemic was going on and the residents didn't know anything about it
if you look at it from the view of the whole block
If you look at it from the view of the whole block, it does not fit with the integrity of our community.
We are in a historical residence area and we would like it to remain as such.
And the RCO can show you the letter of opposition from the CDC.
It was never approved.
Okay. Ms. Carter, are you aware that we revised the plans and that we had back and forth on
the support? No, I wasn't, sir, because I only attended one RCO meeting. I was not aware that
another one had taken place. But I'm not saying another meeting took place. I'm just saying that
we revised the plans in response to the opposition and then resubmitted it because there was a
lot of opposition. There was comments about multifamily use, but there was also comments
about the fact that the house should be pushed back, which we have done. I'm just bringing that
to your attention. That's all. Okay. Well, I appreciate that. But like I said, we were never
re-informed that negotiations were being met other than with the community. So I would recommend
in that you bring your new proposals back to the RCO so that the whole community can vote on it
that's the proper thing to do Mrs. Carter thank you for calling in we appreciate it and I would
say Mr. Clinton has another case that's coming up and your testimony would be the same for that
right correct right okay thank you very much anyone else in the virtual audience
i see a mr jihad ali i have allowed them to speak
mr ali state your name and spell for the court reporter please
my name is jihad ali j-i-j-d-a-l-i right do you swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth
nothing but the truth all right fine proceed so uh as uh as the counselor indicated we did have
the meeting i apologize i can't bring my photo up uh instead of the uh pp equipment on but uh
we had a meeting and the uh the as the as the attorney said we had had some reservations about
he was up on the property line we asked him to push the building back we had some concerns about
uh the overall look on being on the property line we met with the developer uh we talked to him the
issue uh as Ms. Carter pointed out you know um a lot of people just can't weren't grasping the
concept that a condominium is home ownership um it's not a rental it is a it is home ownership
it is a way for a person to accumulate wealth um and there are there is a market for people that
want to be in a neighborhood that want to stay and want to have a sense of home ownership so we
encouraged this developer to um to because it was home ownership we wanted to work with a developer
like that as the lawyer pointed out we've been through this zba process numerous times as he
pointed out 12 13 11 32 11 30 11 33 4105 gerai 1203 1204 those are all things that we were opposed
yet we lost so we started thinking well let's let's look ahead and let's try to change our
strategy and let's work with developers that are going to build homeownerships we first started
with one developer came in the neighborhood and he built two single family homes for uh in the
40 40 100 block in cambridge and they sold they were four barrel units they sold for 400 000 so
we knew we wanted to try to get the cost lower so we could work with a developer that was willing
to do condominiums that will make more affordable we wanted to support them and that's why we
support them on this and also i want to mention we're working with the councilwoman uh she just
has transferred 39 properties into the z into into the land bank for future home ownership
but we want to be able to maximize home ownership and the condominium concept is something that we
we're going to embrace again so for that reason we supported this project thank you thank you
for your call, Ms. Rowley.
Anyone else?
I see no further hands, Ms. White.
Planning Commission.
I'm sorry, Chair, to interrupt you,
but Ms. Arlisa Carter has her hand raised.
I have a lot of speak.
This is Ron Bednar, City Planning.
Ron, wait one minute, Ron.
Ms. Carter, come on back on.
Ron Bednar, City Planning.
One minute, Ron.
hi hi can you hear me yeah i can my name is arlesta carter right i'm also spell your name
can you hear me yeah i can
please for the court reporter a-r-e-l-e-s-t-i-a carter right i am also a lot of minute wait a
minute wait a minute do you swear affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
i do proceed i attended the meeting also in the community for the rco and the lead rco at the
time was centennial parkside cdc and originally apartments were presented
uh when the community seemed to oppose all the overcrowding of having so many
so many apartments in one place condos were kind of introduced
now condos really threw us for a loop as residents because
we we we were against the overcrowding one then to throw condominiums in the mix
we don't have condominiums in our community uh condominiums we weren't really in favor of
the leadership there are a few people who have leadership positions a few people
who represent the community but they're not they they represent but the majority of the community
was against this and i strongly recommend that we come back before the community with this
condo business because okay we were we were against that okay we were totally against that
not that we don't we want to see building in our community but
we're being overwhelmed with quite a few things that we didn't welcome into the community. Most
of the homes were originally on this block were single family homes. And the construction people
are inundating our community. We're getting blows from every direction about changing it
and to multifamily homes.
And it's a big, it's a lot.
It's a lot.
And the rebuttal.
Ms. Carter, I understand where you're coming from
and I understand your position.
And I appreciate your calling and let us know.
Is there anyone else in the virtual audience?
I miss Roberta Connor Leahy with her hand raised, sir.
hi could you please state your name and spell for the court reporter roberta r-o-b-e-r-t-a
lighty l-i-g-t-y connor c-o-n-n-o-r roberta lighty connor do you do you swear or affirm to
tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes proceed okay i just wanted to make
a statement um about condos okay condos are considered home ownership number one number two
the owner of each individual um apartment have a right to rent out their space or their condo
or whatever uh we're calling it a condo now the whoever buys that they have a right to rent it out
as if it was an apartment because that's what it is you're really buying an apartment
I just wanted to make that clear okay well thank you thank you for your call and we appreciate your
input is there anyone else in the virtual audience mr keith she has his hand raised against her
who is the key sheed
the the owner of the property i believe so yes henry do you want him to testify again
you're fine do you want him to testify he can speak yes okay bring him on hello
yeah proceed no i touched the button by accident i apologize okay fine that's fine
all right planning commission this is uh ron bednar city planning for the bacon property at
This is Ron Bednar, City Planning.
The vacant property at 1222 North 41st Street is currently indicated for commercial mixed use on the city plan.
one, two,