of a car or yeah yeah or longer than that no i'm whatever a typical loading space is and it
probably would be the last space before you got to the stop sign um but that is what i picture that
that we'd have to work with the city on that but that would be a loading space for drop-offs and
pickups okay you wouldn't want to put it in front of the entry well maybe maybe she would but that
again is something I think no disrespect that the streets department will make a recommendation
okay and that would have to go through city council anyway so that they have to create a
loading zone uh can you speak to what this um pathway is on the right hand side um right
near my client's property um so that's a an egress stair that that goes all four stories
um and that's just a pathway for in a case of emergency if people have come down that egress
there to get over to 12th street that that will not be used in any regular basis it's really just
emergency okay um uh i don't have any further questions and thank you i apologize for the
interruption of frank it looked like you were going where i'm going yeah that we do have a
full docket for 3 30 and we're almost at the five o'clock mark well mr mr chairman i would i would
very much like the applicant to finish their case in chief maybe they have already um i have just
one additional witness it'll take three to five minutes at the most and what is the witness going
to testify to she's the engineer she'll testify to the engineering aspects and uh and her her
her experience with these types of projects and that she doesn't believe that they will uh there
will be any negative impact that looks like it's going to take more than five longer than five
minutes yeah i mean no disrespect again is it is an engineer that no disrespect to the engineer
is it really that important to the to the uh testimony that we for the record
well i have i have opposition so i know you have opposition but i'm just wondering
that's why i'm gonna get to get to the opposition maybe we can sort this okay all right let's go to
the opposition and then we'll uh see what time we need it we can come back thank you okay that's
No, I wanted to speak because I think it's proper for the engineer.
Mr. Chairman, this is our, you know, I don't know if to say fortunately or unfortunately, but I have five witnesses.
Now, we're pretty tight with our testimony.
We've, you know, gone over it, but I think it's going to be, you know, up to a half an hour with the direct.
ever going to be no disrespect to any of you we're not going to be able to accommodate that
it's after five and we haven't begun the 3 30 list i understand that mr chairman at the end of
the february hearing i think i think mr chairman suggested that it should be a special but
i what i would like is that well the covid messed the covid screwed a lot of things up as you all
i i don't i i mr car you need to mute yourself mr car i would say mr car you're talking over
mute yourself you keep we're hearing your conversation okay and chair if i could interject
a thought this is a special listing um it would have had allowed for at least an hour or more
testimony and if necessary chair we can move this to another time for continuance for more testimony
Moni, as you wish. Could we just have the applicant finish up with their engineer and
then we could have a clean break between their presentation and ours? When you say clean break,
come back? Yes. Okay. All right, let's do that.
Do we have any sense of how long the engineer's testimony will be? I'll try not to ask any
Any questions?
just a couple just two to three minutes hopefully uh if we could have sarah sarah poindexter raise
Just a couple, just two to three minutes, hopefully.
your hand and be admitted poindexter please identify yourself with the record spell your
first and last name and i'll swear you in
Are you seeing anything, Tanya?
I'm not sure.
What would be the name?
Sarah Poindexter.
Her hand is raised.
I have another device with your name on it.
that's not it
I have a T. Michael
Poxton
no that's not it
I don't see anything else
about that little guy in the left hand corner
Janine Owens
that's the pastor
that's the pastor
alright
maybe she dropped off she was on
so why don't we just put her
if we're going to move this to another date we'll start with her
and then
I don't want to delay this
And again, the only question I want to ask is, is there anyone from Councilwoman Parker's office on the line?
And Jess, who flew in, Hillary Emerson from the Council of Persons.
I figured that.
With, I'm sure, her kids in tow.
Hillary, you can unmute yourself.
We'll get Hillary's testimony and then we can schedule for another date.
um good afternoon mr chair members of the board hillary emerson on behalf of councilwoman sherelle
parker hillary h-i-l-a-r-y emerson e-m-e-r-s-o-n thank you and you're swearing for him to tell
the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth i do thank you please proceed sure so the um
councilwoman as mr kerr noted in his opening remarks um gave um an extensive testimony back
in February. The Councilwoman has no changes or addendums to her testimony at this time.
She indicated her support for this project based on need in the area and looking at the
data for the number of seniors and knowing also that the amount of requests and lack
of availability um of senior housing um for this area so the the councilwoman um has continued to
to work with the applicant and be present for community meetings to hear feedback
from the neighbors and advocate for um changes to address their concerns um the councilwoman
and is supportive of the project um as as she was back in february thank you thank you very much
uh okay we can move on uh tanya um uh chair as you wish and i don't want to overstep but we do
have a prepared letter from planning commission if you wish now or later your call yeah let's get
that in the record on the record now i believe ian are you prepared to read the letter into record
yes i am again this is ian litwin planning commission staff uh good evening um chairman
members of the board pursuant to section 14303 of the philadelphia code the philadelphia city
planning commission has reviewed the zoning appeals for 1122 and 1100 oak lane for their
consistency with the variance criteria the commission's recommendation is that the
variances be granted the proposal is supported by the city's comprehensive plan which includes a
specific recommendation to create affordable senior housing in the upper north district
the proposal is generally consistent with nearby uses adjacent corners include institutional uses
and an adjacent block is developed with senior housing apartment building similar in scale and
density to the proposed building we believe that the proposed development will not create unusual
burden on the local street network the automobile traffic pedestrian activity and on-street parking
demand generated by the proposed development can be accommodated by the existing network.
We further believe that the appellant has demonstrated a good faith effort to mitigate
potential impacts identified by near neighbors. Thank you. Okay. MI-2020-001835
1100 Oakland through 1122 and MI 2020-000737-1122 Oakland is continued until
well we wouldn't have a date on prepare chair until that okay you'll notify the attorneys
and they could notify all appropriate RCOs um so once we discuss with the chair and the board
So once we discuss with the Chair and the Board, we'll come up with a special listing
We'll come up with a special listing for at least one.
for at least one hour testimony.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Okay, thank you.
And if we could do that in November sometime or early December, that would be great.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.
Thanks everyone for your patience.
Okay, we're going to go to the 3.30 list.
the uh denise the stenographer you need a break
hello anybody hear me yes we hear you okay uh looking for a record reporter denise i'm about
to bring her back sorry denise i kicked you out i apologize like what happened i didn't do it
I know. I'm trying to move everybody around. Did you need a break, did you ask?
Just need to change my paper real quick.
Sure, because we got several cases. Why don't we take a 10-minute break?
All right. All right, folks, let's take a 10-minute break, and we'll come back. Thank you.
All righty.
Yes, sir.
Okay. Good evening, everyone. My name is Frank DiCicco. I'm the chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. I'll be participating in today's hearing along with our board secretary, Confessor Plaza, and board members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Board Administrator, Ms. Tanya Sunkett, and board attorney, Ms. 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 9 and then star 6 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 Mr. Plaza calls our first case, we'd like to ask
if anyone is requesting a continuance or withdrawal for this evening's hearing, this afternoon's
hearing? If so, please raise your hand. No hand. Thank you. With that, we'll begin with
MI 2020-001103, 1122 Earl Street, EARL Street.
Chair, I have promoted Attorney Steve Pollack.
Good evening, Mr. Pollack. Please identify yourself for the record, spell your name, and I'll swear you in.
Good evening, Chairman DiCicco and members of the board.
Stephen Pollack, P-O-L-L-O-C-K, attorney for the owner-applicant 1133 Columbia, LLC.
I'll raise my hand.
We're infirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
And do you agree to waive the reading of his refusal and stipulate to attack her?
person? I do, Mr. Plaza. Also, have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required document,
proof of ownership, proof of tax compliance, copy of the refusal, photos, and plans five days prior
to this hearing? Yes, we have. Thank you. Have you met with the RCO and have a letter? Yes, we have
and do. Please proceed. Okay. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, if I may, can I have my
associate natalie young be given privileges also because she's going to assist me in helping us
through the technical difficulties that we always all in all right let's get her on the record
naming her name full name natalie i'm here uh natalie hi just get yourself identify yourself
identify yourself for the record please uh my name is natalie young i'm co-counsel for
for the record please uh my name's natalie young i'm co-counting
swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth yes thank you mr pollack
uh mr chairman members of the board i will have uh two witnesses i have uh miss uh carol carolina
pena who is our architect and mr meet azule who is the principal with 1133 uh columbia llc i'm
I'm going to ask if we could.
We'll hold off on them until we need them, okay?
No, no problem.
Mr. Chairman, I know in the interest of time,
could we just find out if there's anyone
who is going to be interested in testifying
with regard to this matter,
just so we can find out how we can handle
our witnesses and presentation today?
Is there anyone here who wishes to testify,
would like to testify in this matter?
If so, please raise your hand.
i have no hands at this time okay so again in the interest of time uh appreciate that and also
uh you have a letter from the rco uh we do we sent it supplementally because we just got it
late yesterday from the fishtown neighbors association and their position the position
is that they are um against this proposal although they if you look at and we did provide it
they are appreciative that we have given them a single-family home and that's what I want to
stress to the board this is an application for a standalone fully detached single-family home
on Earl Street just east of Girard Avenue in the Fishtown neighborhood and they had certain
concerns that we're going to address and one of the things that we've done Mr. Chairman is we have
a pre-marked exhibit list. And Natalie, if you could share your screen and then just put it up
there. Just so we'll go through it. We have our A1 through A20. Now, so I'm going to ask and say
that for the interest of time, I've read all these into the record. They're part of our packet. Plus
we've come up with a revised plans and proviso. After receiving the concerns of Fishtown just
late yesterday, we did something. The refusal says that we have a rear deck and that the rear deck
has supports that are within 18 inches of the lot line. What we have done is we have come up with a
new plan that eliminates the rear deck totally. Share those exhibits with us, please. Yes.
we are if i can natalie if you could show the board our original uh packet of uh of documentation
with the plans showed you uh the site the original site plan the original renderings
and that showed a rear deck in the back that was running all the way from the rear of the
prop the building to the rear of the property line what we have done natalie can you show that
One second, I'm pulling it up.
original plan and if you see the gray that this is the original site plan which is at