Thank you.
good morning everyone my name is bill bergman and i will be sharing this meeting of the philadelphia
of Zoning Board of Adjustment. With me is our Board Vice Chair, Tanetta Graham. Present, Mr.
Chairman. Our Board Secretary, Shel L. Gaston. Present, Mr. Chairman. Board Member Michael
Johns. Present, Mr. Chairman. Board Member Ty Wynn. Present, Mr. Chairman. Board Member Ryan
McAdams. Present, Mr. Chairman. Also, here is our Board Attorney, Hillary Emerson, our Zoning Board
Director, Ian Haggerty, and our Board Administrator, Lakeisha Dandy. Recording of the hearing will be
posted on the website cba website by participating you consent to be recorded this is an in-person
meeting with remote capabilities whether remote or in person if you're called to speak you must
state and spell your name and then wait to be sworn in once you've been sworn in please state
your name each time before beginning testimony any person may enter their appearance to become
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directly across Art Street. Please remain here so that we can account for you. Let's look at our
schedule for today.
Number four.
003-594-917
East Pachunk Avenue.
This case
is continued until
until 4-8-20-26 at 9.30 a.m.
And number five, we have no exhibits for this,
and also there's a request for it continuance from the 13th Ward.
MI 2025-003-596-4556 Wayne Avenue.
Smalls Investment Group is the listed owner.
Mohamed Jackat is the listed applicant.
This is the first listing.
We have no exhibits, and it's the 13th Ward in the audience.
Good morning, Chair.
This is Jasmine, and I will be your co-host this morning.
I see no one in the audience with that name.
So MI 2025-003-596-4556 Wayne Avenue.
This is continued to 48-2026 at 930 a.m.
Is there any other requests for continuances?
I see no hands in the virtual audience. Thank you. So here's a few cases we do not have exhibits for.
Number two, MI-2025-003579, 918 East.
MI-2025-003-579, 918 East Chelten Avenue.
This is the first listing and we have no exhibits.
Lakeshore Real Estate is the LLC listed owner.
Libio Matos is the construction company.
Is there anyone in the audience from there?
I see no hands at this time, Chair.
So MI-2025-003-579-918 East Shelton.
This case is continued to 48-2026 at 930.
Mark must be heard.
Number two, MI-2025-003-588-5720 North Marvine Street.
This is the first listing.
We have no exhibits.
Valerie Crawford is the listed owner applicant.
I see no one in the audience by their name, Terry.
Okay, so number three, MI 2025, 003-588-5720 North Marvine Street.
This case is continued to 48-2026 at 930.
And number seven, MI-2025-003-639-843-North 42nd Street.
Sarkis Dalanton is the listing owner.
We have no exhibits.
This is the first listing.
Sarkis will be promoted to panelist.
hello can everybody hear me i can sir could you please could you have your video could you turn
that on thank you sir could you state your name and spell for the stenographer my name is sarkis
S-A-R-K-I-S
D as in David
O-V as in Victor
L-A-T as in Tiger
Y-A-N as in Nancy
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth
the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Sir, we do not have your exhibits for the case.
I did not
submit the
exhibits needed. I did not receive any
email or where to
send it to.
Okay, so what we're going to do is we're going to continue your case, and please get a hold of the office prior, and we'll make sure that you know exactly everything you need to have, okay?
Okay, who do I need to contact?
Sorry to interrupt.
Who do I need to contact?
um it'll be there you can cut sir you can contact rcozba at phila.gov or you can call our office at
215-686-2429 rcozba at phila.gov and what was the number one more time for me please 215-686-2429
I just want to repeat the telephone number, 215-666-2429.
I'm going to repeat it one more time. 215-666-2429.
The three middle numbers, you got disconnected. I can hear the three middle numbers.
6-8-6.
6-8-6. Okay, thank you, Ian.
All right, so number 7, MI-2025-003-639-843 North 42nd Street.
That case is continued to 48-2026 at 9.30 a.m.
And number 13, MI-2025-003-720-6169 Oxford Street.
This case has been dismissed, has been withdrawn, I'm sorry.
And number 14, MI 2025, 003-780-2917 North 22nd Street, this case has been withdrawn.
Going to go to our add-on list first.
number one mi-2025-005-528-3017 susquehanna avenue i vote yes michael johns my vote is yes
um i'm recusing tanetta graham i'll recuse from this case
girl gas and my vote is yes i win my vote is yes ryan mcadams my vote is yes
thank you number two mi 2025 002 848 5900 rising sun avenue this case has been withdrawn at the
5900 Rising Sun Avenue. This case has been withdrawn at the request of the applicant.
request
Number three, MI 2025, 003-570, 1630 Willington Street. I vote no.
Michael Johns, my vote is no.
Daryl Gaston, my vote is no.
Tynetta Graham, my vote is no.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is no.
Iowan, my vote is no.
we're going to go to our regular list number one mi 2025 002 663 28 to 30 west hayne street
isaac and jordan holland townsend are the owner applicants
sure come on up
whatever you're more comfortable with how's that sound
Could you turn on the mic
And make sure it's close to you
Do it again
Testing
Yeah right
Sir could you please state your name
And spell for this stenographer
Isaac I-S-A-A-C
And last name Howland Townsend
Last name
H-O-W-L-A-N-D
And it's hyphenated
Townsend, T-O-W-N-S-E-N-D.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
This application is for use as a visitor accommodation in one of the structures, with
existing two-family household living to remain in the existing structure as previously approved.
The proposed use visitor accommodation is prohibited in the RSA 5 zoning district.
The proposed use visitor accommodation creates multiple principal uses on the same lot, which is prohibited in the RSA 5 zoning district.
The board, West Germantown Neighbors, requested a two-year variance, okay?
Our vice chair has a few questions for you, sir.
Good morning.
Have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing?
Yes, I actually submitted them within the five days, but I contacted and was told it was fine.
Okay, and the chair just read the refusal for you, so do you waive the reading of this refusal again
and stipulate to the accuracy of the refusal?
Okay, thank you. You can proceed with your case.
okay so here are my exhibits um we we have that we have all the exhibits you were supposed to put
it into okay so you can go right through it okay um yeah i'm as far as my case um i'm a
licensed architect and i'm you know why don't you do this why don't you as you speak why don't you
show your uh photographs okay okay yeah i'm sharing my screen okay so as far as the physical
you know extents of the property this is the frontage being shared on screen um the primary
um dwelling is the left three-story structure 28 west hains which is my home address me and my wife
reside there um then there's an eight about an eight foot alleyway and the subject um premises
of this the proposed change of use is um to the right side behind the tree 30 west haynes
would be the house number um and this is looking south on southeast on west haynes street
um here's the frontage here's my zoning notice in the window um another one and here's the in
the interior which this is the restroom and this is the about four 350 square foot interior which
is just a studio, which is currently occupied by a relative and has previously been used
as monthly 30 plus day midterm rentals through the Airbnb platform.
And this is essentially, we're just hoping to utilize this variance to achieve nightly
you know under 30 day um stays through that platform through that rental um through that
means of renting the property um just for additional income support um covering the
mortgage expenses of the property it's quite simply it you have any other photographs there
um yeah additional angle looking back looking towards the rear sort of from the front entry
towards the rear and the restroom um yeah i think that concludes the photographs i do have a
site plan at the end um why don't you put your site when you put your site plan out so yeah here
is like so yes again the left side being a three-story house um and the right side being the
one-story studio dwelling um and then a pretty expansive rear rear yard um that is shared between
expansive rear yard that is shared between the two so the right where the red text is is this
the two.
would be where you know the use change would be taking place with no physical work okay questions
from the board does the left right side have access to the yard yes yes and all of the yard
or like in this diagram which sections of the yard do they have access complete everything
um that may be the one but yeah essentially through that rear entrance about the rear doors
here at this area where my cursor is and yes you can proceed out into the whole yard so if you
offer that as uh airbnb are the uh the patrons allowed to use a yard or is there kind of
restrictions on a time frame they could use a yard so forth and so on yeah we would we would
just request you know any we've i believe in our text we just requested like notice of if they want
to use it just heads up but not yeah and I'm pretty sure we put like you know no ruckus after
follow city ordinances etc. Is it your plan to manage the whole property yourself or are you
gonna hire a property manager? At this time that is the plan um and thus far it has went you know
it's been manageable um if that were to you know become over extend you know become a burden i
would potentially seek that um yeah if expenses allow have you talked to your neighbors at 26
west hanes or 32 west hanes i've i have a um 30 west yeah or um i believe it's 34 or 32 yes um
um the the occupant not the owner as much on that side and they're you know they seem fine with it
um the other side i believe is a gentleman who owns the remainder of the block to germantown
avenue i've met him but haven't spoken at deep in detail with him about anything but i would hope to
in the future and were there any complaints from neighbors or any issues
when you had the monthly tenants prior uh not at this time
questions from our attorney hillary emerson
not at this time mr chair questions or comments from the virtual or the current audience here
yes chair i have a hand up by the name of charles richardson i'm going to promote them to