five days in advance of this hearing i did and do you waive the reading of the refusal and
stipulate to its accuracy i do all right thank you you can proceed with your case
hey mr chair a part of the record should also be 22 signatures in support that were submitted to
the board yep okay thank you
do we have that on 22 signatures it's it's part of the binder i can um okay send it again
I CAN CONFIRM WE HAVE THAT DOCUMENT.
THANK YOU.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the board.
Mr. Chairman, members of the board, this is a pretty simple case.
We're looking for one safe, secure, and streets department-sanctioned rear parking space behind a single-family home within Ms. Vanny's property.
That's it.
This home, you'll see evidence today that the property is, in fact, has a unique physical condition. It runs street to street from Carpenter to Kimball on the 1000 block.
99% of the homes on this square block have either put parking structures in the rear, built houses in the backyard, or subdivided and built houses on small lots.
By the way, each and every one of them had to come before this board, and this board approved each and every one of them, parking structures and homes and people's backyards.
My client wants to keep the uniqueness of the property so that it runs 10, 12 carpenter runs from carpenter all the way back to Kimball.
She doesn't want to build anything on that big backyard.
All she wants to be able to do is that replace ugly concrete block wall with an elegant parking pad that they'll be able to access within her property.
It'll be safe, secure, rear off-street parking accessory to a home.
That is not unusual here on this block.
You will see much of the north side of this very street has rear garages and parking pads that back up to tiny little Hall Street, which is even smaller than Kimball.
The board also approved, by the way, rear parking on the 900 block of Hall, on the 800 block of Delhi, and on the 900 block of Delhi just a year ago.
All of these are well within 600 feet of this particular property.
Now, we attended an RCO meeting, six, six residents representing four houses, four of the over 100 within the catchment area and the most impacted, four, decided to attend this community meeting.
They opposed it, and they had their reasons respectfully, and it's fine.
we then went and met with the neighbors who did not attend the meeting
they did not attend they tell me because they never thought such a proposal would
ever be controversial by the way this would be by right if it weren't for the overlay the
center city district overlay so these 22 residents by the way they live on carpenter street too
1,000 block, 900 block. They also live within 500 feet on Hall Street and Montrose and South
10th, just a couple feet away. They could not believe, they couldn't attend, they didn't attend
because they thought, again, that this wouldn't be controversial. So they signed support petitions
that have been given to you. Now, one might ask, as the 22 neighbors did and as I do,
Well, why on earth, given the conditions that I've just explained to you, and I will show you in evidence, why on earth would anyone be against safe, legal, completely confined within a property, accessory off-street parking, when there's, by the way, there's no.
Accessory off-street parking when there's, by the way, there's no legal parking allowed on the 1,000 block of Kimball Street.
It's not like we're taking away a parking spot.
Well, it turns out, and there's plenty of evidence today that you'll see, folks who are opposed happen to have something going on back there.
It's illegal. It's unsafe. It's dangerous to pedestrians.
children who play in the nearby pocket pocket pocket pocket pocket pocket park just a few feet
away and they have something that's completely unauthorized by the philadelphia streets department
there's even a lawsuit that's been filed to break up what's going on back there
but as it is that's why we're here that's why a handful of residents oppose the only
the one safe, secure, off-street parking spot
that's being proposed on that block today.
It's because I think they fear
that whatever it is that's been going on
with the illegal parking might be in jeopardy.
I've assured them at the RCO meeting.
I've assured them since.
We have no interest in doing anything
but getting a safe legal spot for 1012 Carpenter Street.
ron could you start showing us some photos it'd be a little bit easier if we yep i wanted to start
with my uh with my uh opening statement now let me start i'm sharing my screen i'm assuming you
could see it we see okay great this is the refusal for the creation
and just for the record i wanted to put this in as far as hardship is concerned the property as
I said, is one of only three on the entire block. This is what we're working on. As you can see
here, my cursor will show you there is one concrete wall, two concrete wall. Number two
is outlined in red. That is the subject property. And immediately to the east is three concrete wall.
and here is what we're proposing.
Take the concrete wall down,
put beautiful, elegant bifold gate
with lighting and landscaping,
also cameras for safety.
Here's a photo of the bifold gate
to give you some idea of what we'd like to do.
It will increase air.
It will increase light.
it will certainly increase sight lines from the rear a lot more than a concrete cinder block wall
can i'm going to pull out here so you can see the plot plan this is the existing single family home
as you can see the backyard is rather large there's a reason why 99 of the homes use the rear
for additional homes. We call them backhouses back in the old days, and also for garages or
parking pads in the past. It's because there's a 14,000-square-foot community garden,
literally 15 feet away from my client's backyard. Huge, 14,000-square-foot community garden. In
addition to that, to the east, just 30 feet away, is a beautiful pocket park that has a bocce court,
that has trees, beautiful beds. My children and my dog have played there for years.
It's a wonderful space. You don't need a large backyard like that,
which is obviously evident by most of the houses, either putting garages back there or building
rear homes. I'll show you some more additional photos now.
This is the rear. This is the 1,000 block of Kimball Street.
Again, this is my client's property right there where my cursor is.
And I'm going to show you some of the homes.
Oh, by the way, here are all the legal parked cars on the garden lot.
See right there? That's a sidewalk.
walk. This is a cobblestone footpath. Can't get down. A child playing with a butterfly
from the garden, a person in a wheelchair can't use that side of the street because of the illegal
parking. Here's a picture of the property in question. There again is a beautiful shot of
There, again, is a beautiful shot of all the cars lined up. There's actually a legal garage on the block, by the way, right where my cursor is. We're going to be showing that soon, too.
all the cars lined up. There's actually a legal garage.
And there's the front of the property in question.
And they're renovating now the house.
my client um inherited this home from her aunt my client lives in the neighborhood too her entire
life as you can see uh here's cars that are blocking the entrance to the garden it goes
all the way down there's proof of posting
here's the letter that was sent out to everyone
proof of mailing 137 households were mailed
proof that the taxes are up to date
here are the 22 signatures again on carpenter 10th montrose and hall
and if you'd like if you allow me briefly i'd like to show you up just a brief video
it's uh it'll take no time whatsoever thank you two three minutes not even
Oh, there it is.
We're driving down
Del High.
Here's the garage that's already been approved
on the right.
And here comes the illegally parked cars.
all along the right side of the street.
But you're on the left side, right?
We're on the left.
Yeah, our turning radius,
even with the illegally parked cars,
our turning radius is approved by the streets department.
We're going to have Vince Mancini,
who's the architect, testify to all of that.
He personally took care of that.
It's all sanctioned by the streets.
But we wanted to show you this lot,
it's supposed to be for community garden been entrusted by the neighbor who lives at 1010
carpenter to curate a community garden they ended up doing some private deals on the side
for neighbors to park here the same neighbors who are sitting right behind me opposing a parking
spot that is going to be safe and legal as you can see none of that is safe none of that is legal
the streets department would never approve or authorize this look there's a car parked
parked right in front of the gate of the community garden there you go so you've seen that
let me go back to my binder
i've also included a copy of the the lawsuit that uh has been filed uh because of the health and
safety issues as a result of those. Who is it against? The occupant of that garden who they
put together this parking scheme with neighbors to park there. There's zero evidence of a use
permit for parking, zero evidence of a streets plan approved for parking over there. Nothing.
right now you're going to say well how did that happen right so i'm going to show you how it
happened yeah but i i guess the point is you just said that parking is not going to bother you if
you had this deterrent not at all but here's our property right here where my cursor is
and you can see the long line of of cars that are illegally parked uh what happens is this land here
where my cursor is, the large garden, it's owned by the Neighborhood Gardens Trust.
They've leased the land to the garden group. As my graphic shows you, the leader of which lives
at 1010 Carpenter Street, husband of whom enters into a private agreement with neighbors to allow
them to park. Apparently, that's what he said at the RCO meeting. And that leads to illegal
off-street parking for up to 10 cars, violating not only the lease, which by the way, the
The Neighborhood Gardens Trust has been notified this morning.
They're going to be terminating Bell Arbor's lease, but also violating the zoning code.
But they're here in opposition anyway.
And for the record, as my last page shows you, the neighbors who attended the RCO meeting,
six individuals, four homes, 1010 Carpenter, 1014 Carpenter, 1015 Kimball, and 1007 Kimball.
That's it.
22 immediate neighbors support this streets department approved it.
And as you can see now, let's take a look one more. I think it's important that you take a look at the
And as you can see now, let's take a look one more.
I think it's important that you take a look at.
I think the most compelling visual
If I may
Yeah, here it is
Let's take a look at the entire 1000 block of Carpenter Street
That's here
Where my cursor is
I'll shrink it for now, but I'll be happy to zoom in later
Here's the north side of Carpenter Street. As you can see, most of these properties have been built out with parking or garage.
This is Carpenter Street itself.
Here's the south side. Almost every back rear has been filled with a home.
Here's my client's car in blue, proposed with the turning radius.
and here are all the illegally parked cars
that I guess there's some sort of private agreement
that they've arranged for themselves that are in red.
Again, we're not looking to do anything
with these illegally parked cars.
We are shocked that there's any opposition
to a safe and secure parking spot back there.
But nevertheless, that's where we are.
And that's all I have for now.
I will rebut it.
Are we going to have your testimony adopted?
I call to the stand, Amy Vanny.
Hi, could you state your name?
Is your mic on?
I think so.
All right.
Could you state your name and spell for the synopsis?
My name is Amy, A-M-Y, Vanny, B as in Victor, A-N-N-I.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, told the truth, nothing but the truth.
Yes, I do.
Counsel?
Ms. Vanny, did you hear my presentation to the board this afternoon?
Is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge?
Do you adopt it as your own testimony?
Thank you.
I have nothing further, Mr. Chair, with this witness.
All right.
So I have two more witnesses to call.
We'll call them, please.
Thank you.
I'd like to call Mr. Vincent Mancini.
Mr. Mancini, please state your name as spelled for the stenographer.
My name is Vincent Mancini, V-I-N-C-E-N-T, Mancini, M-A-N-C-I-N-I.
I'm a principal at Landmark Architectural Design.
Do you swear we're a firm to tell the truth, hold truth, nothing but truth?
I do. Please proceed.