I know the answer.
Juliana, you can unmute yourself.
sorry i was talking to myself um as you know the building there's a penthouse level
yes which is the 13th floor essentially this is actually the 14th and uh potentially the 15th
floor so when you're on the penthouse level of the building there's a um at the end of the
hallway there's a stair and then it would take you up into the um essentially onto the roof
okay thanks anyone else wish to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
no hands chair thank you planning commission good afternoon david effecto city planning
commission mr chairman and members of the board this property is indicated for residential mixed
use on the city's comprehensive plan we do not believe that a new penthouse unit will have an
adverse impact on the block accordingly we have no objection to granting this variance thank you
very much uh mi-2020-001093 1520 spruce street my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
Thank you.
Can I be excused for the day?
Yes, you may.
Thank you.
Calendar number MI2020-000341, 1603 Lombard Street.
Adam Laver is the attorney.
Hi, Mr. Laver, can you put your name and address on the record, please?
Good afternoon, Mrs. Tenere, Mr. Chairman and members of the board.
Adam Laver, L-A-V-E-R, blank Rome, 1 Logan Square.
Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do, Mrs. Tenere.
Do you also agree to waive and stiff?
Have you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership, tax compliance, refusal referral,
photos, and or plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing?
And also, have you met with the RCO?
And if so, do you have a letter?
Yes, a full package was submitted for consideration, including a letter of non-opposition from the Center City Residents Association, the coordinating RCO on this matter.
Thank you. You may proceed.
Thank you. Are you able to see the aerial photograph that I have up on the screen?
Thank you.
Adam Laver on behalf of Chabad, C-H-A-B-A-D, Chabad Jewish Center for Students of the Arts.
With me is Rabbi Daniel Grodnitsky, G-R-O-D-N-I-T-Z-K-Y.
The subject property, which is up on the screen, is located at 1601-03 Lombard Street.
The subject property, which is up on the screen, is located in the
It's the northwest corner of 16th and Lombard, running through to the north to Addison.
It's located across from Independence Charter School and just to the south of an Altera apartment building, which was a former garage.
The property is zoned CMX1. We are here because the property is adjacent to RSA5, which is at the rear.
It's a small section of the property which is adjacent to RSA5. I'm going to move, if I may,
to some photographs to put this in context. Here we are looking along Lombard Street.
another photo on Lombard and here is the 16th Street frontage we're here on behalf of the
Chabad Center which is a religious institution a nonprofit that Blank Rome is proud to represent
on a pro bono basis the existing permit of record is properly for a religious
institution but the request before the board is to document two existing
residential apartments on floors two through three I'm moving now to a image
of the refusal once again as a matter of right the Department of licenses and
inspections previously approved a use change for religious assembly and
religious assembly would be throughout the bulk of the property with documentation of existing
one apartment in the rear on the second floor and one apartment in the rear on the third floor.
You may ask why would the religious institution want to have this? The Chabad Center serves local
local art schools, like the University for the Arts, and there are students who become
very active in the group. Possibly an apartment could be for a student, it could be for a
visiting scholar in residence, it may be for Rabbi Grudnitsky for his religious use along
with his family on religious days when transportation is difficult under the traditional Jewish
religion. I would like to note and you can see this in the refusal on the
screen at the bottom that far greater density had previously been approved at
this site. You'll see in the language at the bottom four dwelling units and again
we're only seeking to document the two dwelling units which makes sense for
this particular use as i mentioned at the start of the presentation we met with center city
residents association in a very friendly virtual meeting and the letter is up on the screen i
believe that wade albert council for ccra may be in the virtual room ccra does not oppose this
project they did ask although it's not strictly before the board the religious assembly use
they did ask that we confirm and document commercial trash pickup for the non-residential
portions of the property. Even though that's not before the board, we are agreeable to that.
I will move to the floor plans just so you can take a quick look. The previously approved
religious assembly shows along the ground floor and also the second floor in the upper right hand
corner of the second floor you'll see apartment one and the third floor which is not a full floor
is devoted to the additional apartment the two apartments i believe that this is rather
straightforward and at this time I would ask Rabbi Gronitski to please raise his
virtual hand and Rabbi would you please identify yourself when you get along the
full name and address please hi Rabbi Daniel Gronitski 1432 Catherine Street
philadelphia pa19146 and would you spell your last name rabbi sure it's g-r-o-d-n-i-t
Sure, it's G-R-O-D-N-I-T-Z-K-Y.
Thank you.
Would you swear to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing about the truth?
Thank you.
Thank you, Rabbi Grudnitsky.
Have you had the opportunity to hear the full virtual presentation that I've shared with the Zoning Board of Adjustment on your behalf?
Yes, it would be the same as you previously shared with me via email.
yes and and the uh the presentation that i made verbally and visually within the last couple of
minutes yes thank you and would you adopt and affirm the testimony that you've just heard me
make as your own rabbi yes thank you thank you uh questions from the board no no no
anyone else wish to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
here i have wade albert wade you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in mr albert
would you please identify yourself spell your first and last name and give us your address
sure thank you uh first name is wade w-a-d-e last name is albert a-l-b-e-r-t of sobol s-o-b-o-l law
group um 1845 walnut street philadelphia pa 19103 i do thank you thank you uh thank you mr chairman
and members of the board uh i am here as council on behalf of the center city residents association
and just here again to confirm that uh on april 28th of this year uh the applicant came before
ccra ccra voted to not oppose this application provided that all trash generated by the non-residential
portions of the property be stored internally and removed by a private trash holder um the
this proviso was discussed with the applicant um and the applicant has has agreed to that so
therefore i would respectfully uh request that if the zba votes to not oppose that you include
this proviso in the license thank you very much thank you anyone else wish to testify in this case
please raise your hand no other hands chair thank you cleaning commission
good afternoon david effecto city planning commission mr chairman and members of the
board this property is indicated for commercial and residential mixed use on the city's comprehensive
plan we do not believe that two dwelling units will have an adverse impact on the block
accordingly we have no objection to granting this variance thank you mi-2020-000341
1603 my vote is yes with proviso commercial trash pickup
my vote is just does it have to be specific though
uh i there's a proviso hold on hold on hold on mr chairman pardon the uh interruption
the uh the agreement with ccra is specific to the religious assembly okay i was sometimes i figure
who's going to know what's true which trash belongs to who but so my provide the proviso
my vote is yes with the proviso commercial trash pickup for the learning institute what was that
again for the commercial portion or the commercial portion of 1603 lombard thank you very much
yes with proviso yes with proviso yes with proviso yes with proviso good luck thank you
mr chairman members of the board have a good afternoon you likewise thank you too calendar
number mi 2020 001128 1155 daily street this is an application for a two-family dwelling in an
existing structure it is refused because a two-family dwelling is prohibited in this zoning district
which is rsa5
Will the applicant or his or her attorney, whoever is representing the case, please?
Phuong Ho.
Ms. Ho, please spell your first and last name.
My first name is P-H-U-O-N-G. Last name is Ho.
Correct.
And your address?
It's 1155 Dallas Street.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
For the stenographer, it's Daly, D-A-L-Y Street.
yes 1155 daly street d-a-l-y thank you i got it okay miss ho have you sent in an exhibit packet
Yes, 1155 Daly Street, D-A-L-Y.
with proof of ownership tax compliance um yes i did you sent everything photos plans refusal
is in advance and you've met with the rco and you have a letter
okay miss ho you can now unmute yourself please wait for the questions to be asked
before you provide the answer so the court reporter can get all information so now you can unmute
yourself i can confirm this is sharon saletta i can confirm that all of the required materials
were submitted okay great thank you you may proceed hello yes please yes um yes um i would
like to change my first floor to residential um because that building is commercial and residential
since the building on the first floor has not been used in a long time
and it's been leaving empty.
So I would like to attend to a residential.
It's also helped with my income to help me with my family.
And I also have recently I have a younger brother who lives in Vietnam
just had liver cancer.
So I also need that income that a little bit will help me
to provide income for my family.
So that's all I ask.
I mean, and the people who live in that,
my building, they also would like to stay there.
And I liked the place very much.
Uh, Sharon, do we have a copy of the letter from the RCO?
Yes, I just sent you, I sent it to you by text.
To an opposition, correct?
No, that's before, to an opposition, right?
The reason is, uh, that's one lady came and she said, I, she asked me, uh, if the property is, uh,
room for rent and I told her it's not room for rent, it's our family's rent. That's why the CEO say
it's too many people who live down there but actually it's only four people who live there.
Yeah but it could be more. Do you have any floor plans? Yes I do sir. Can you show us the floor plans?
uh yes sir can you give me a minute because i'm not that good with computer i need help with my
son can you put it on no rush thank you
so she just went out as an attendee and now miss ho you will come back and as a panelist
where you now have authority to share your screen thank you you do it you know how to do it
No, you save it in the folder, right?
Trying to see how they bring up the screen.
Okay, so which one?
It's the blueprint.
Is it clear?
Why not that clear on me?
Yeah. So this is my blueprint. I guess it's not that clear in the computer, but can you see it?
Can you rotate it?
Can you rotate it, please?
No, rotate another side. This is upside down. Rotate again.
Yeah, because it's upside down.
Go one more time.
One more?
Yeah, that's it.
Can you blow it down?
Well, the first floor has three rooms with a kitchen, bathroom.
The second floor also has three rooms, a kitchen, a laundry room, and a bathroom, a full bathroom.
You're showing three bedrooms?
Yes, they can also, it depends on how the the tenant use, they can use that two room
the tenant use they can use that two room in one family uh living room or they can use at
in one family living room or
all three rooms so it's up to the rent to miss ho i'm sorry but could you please allow the
chair to finish his question we want i'm sorry everything is on record so thank you very much
oh thank you okay i'll repeat again okay your floor plan is showing three bedrooms on the first
floor uh yes that's how they drove yes and is that is that three or four bedrooms on the second
floor i can't make it is uh three so it's also three and three bedrooms okay uh that's i think
for me right now it's all the questions any questions from the board not a single one yes
Anyone else who wishes to testify, please raise your hand.
No one at this time.
Was the use of the first floor formally a doctor's office?
No, sir, it's not since I bought it.
It had not been used for anything.