as a result there is uh the supporting not only the votes listed but also the reasons
uh for their support so again they didn't have any objections to it there was only one that was
opposed to it out of the nine that were present at the community meeting. Also, I have a note that
this particular property, my client owns, she's a co-owner with her sister for the property that's
next door which is 5721 and that property is a legalized duplex of uh additionally uh down the
street uh 5700 there's a nine unit and also so basically my client was seeking to do a duplex
which is consistent with the property that she currently owns next door.
And that's what she was seeking to do,
in addition to the reason of having a safe living quarters for her adult son.
We have the deed that evidences the ownership of the property.
Also, we have the refusal.
It is an RSA five, which only permits by right single family.
And then we have the tax clearance.
So essentially, we would ask that this petition, that this application be granted for.
This petition that this application be granted for the reasons that we that I've just presented and I have I do have my client available to testify to affirm and confirm the testimony that I've just given.
Mr. Harris, did I notice this was an end unit?
This is an end unit. This is a corner property.
Could you could you please bring your client on?
Okay, Ms. Howard, could you please raise your hand so you can be promoted?
Lisa, Howard has been allowed to speak.
Can you hear me?
Hi, could you please state your name?
It's spelled for the court stenographer.
Okay, my name is Lisa, L-I-S-A, Howard, H-O-W-A-R-D.
I didn't realize my picture was not there.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Please proceed, counsel.
Okay. So, Ms. Howard, did you hear the testimony that I just gave to the zoning board?
Yes, I did.
Okay. Do you adopt the testimony that I've given? Meaning, do you agree with the testimony that I have given?
Okay. Is there anything, this is your chance, if you want, you don't have to, but if you wanted to add anything,
you can certainly add anything to what I state or you can just say you don't have anything else to
add other than what I have presented. I would like to add that there is a 48 unit apartment
building right across the street from me. And also on the other side, there is the church on
the corner. And also there are multiple duplexes already in my area. Of course, it's 5719 in which
Tricona with my sister, but it's also 5727 and also 5731, which is a funeral home. And then on
top of it, there are apartments. And then, as you said, 5700, but also there's a duplex there
and a storefront. But on 5800, there's also a duplex. Well, it's more like a quadplex and a
business on the first floor. And there are two apartments above them. And if you keep on going
on 5819, there's also a duplex. I mean, that's a triplex. That's a basement and the first floor
and second floor. So there's multiple duplexes or apartment buildings in the area.
Okay. That's all that you would like to testify to in front of this board?
Okay. Thank you.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
No, Chair.
Questions or comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
Not at this time, Mr. Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
i see no hands planning commission
thank you chair bergman sarah bond philadelphia city planning commission s-a-r-h-b-a-n-h
you swear affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes sir please proceed thank you uh the comprehensive plan recommends no change to
existing RSA 5 residential single family zoning the appellant has not supported their hardship
claim with evidence of unique physical circumstances or conditions of this property the city planning
commission recommends that the zoning board deny the variance thank you MI 2023 007 206 5719
Ray Street, I vote yes. Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes. James Snell, my vote is yes.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes. Thank you. Number three. Thank you, counsel. Number three,
MI 2023-007-049-704 South Front Street, number T-B-447962. Henry Clinton is the attorney.
There's a letter of support from the Queen Village Neighbors Association and a letter of non-opposition from Council Member Squilla.
Good afternoon, Mr. Clinton. Could you state your name and spell it, please, for the court stenographer?
Henry Clinton, H-E-N-R-Y, Clinton, C-L-I-N-T-O-N.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client and relationship to this property?
Sure. My client is Elizabeth Whitticombe, W-I-D-D-I-C-O-M-B-E.
She is the owner of the property and she is on the call.
She is the owner of the property, and she is on the call.
Our vice chair has just a few...
Our vice chair has just a few questions, sir.
Good afternoon, counsel.
Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal or stipulate to its advocacy?
Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibits that is needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
We have, except within the day we handed in the tax information from the tax bureau.
Thank you, Mr. Clinton.
Please proceed and share your screen.
Thank you, Rasheed.
Is that feasible, Mr. Chairman?
Whoever's talking, mute, please.
Please proceed, Mr. Clinton.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman.
Again, members of the board.
Henry Clinton for Elizabeth Whittacombe.
This is my presentation for today,
containing table of contents A1 through A10.
This is the refusal.
So a little bit of a background story, Mr. Chairman.
So this property, 704 South Front Street,
fronts on both Bainbridge Street and Front Street.
In June of last year, the properties were subdivided,
but the address on Bainbridge Street
is not reflected in the OPA public records yet.
So even though this says 704 South Front Street, we are going to talk about Lot B, which is fronts on Bainbridge Street.
And the refusal concerns the fact that the Bainbridge Street aspect of this lot has an existing garage, which is not permitted.
A front-loaded garage is not permitted in a single-family zoning district.
As the chair knows, typically you'd have to access your driveway or your parking space in your garage from a shared driveway, an alley, or a rear street.
The garage has been in existence for some time, and our proposal is to keep the garage and put a single-family home above it and behind it.
We do have an RCO letter of support from Queen Village Neighbors Association.
The only thing they asked us to do was add some more brick along the south side of the property, which we have done.
So here are the plans by the architect, and she has some really good aerial photographs and street photographs.
So basically, this is Bainbridge Street 108, and this is Front Street.
So the lot is shaped like an elongated L, or it was, until it was subdivided.
subdivide it. So today we're only talking again about 108 South Bainbridge Street. This is an
aerial view looking at 108 South Bainbridge Street. It's a one-story garage. There are
existing garages on the block. In fact, the two adjacent homes to this property have front-loaded
garages. Another view, again, here's the elongated L, which was prior to subdivision. Now as a result
subdivision we have a smaller L here fronting on Bainbridge Street and the single-family home
that's on Front Street will remain and I also have a photograph of that as we walk through this
presentation this is proof that the lot in fact was subdivided at one time if you follow my cursor
again here's Bainbridge Street Front Street it's a rather large lot and we're basically taking the
lot and cutting it uh right where my cursor is we have the approval of the survey district the
planning commission as well as uh l and i this is the photograph of the one-story garage with
adjacent garages some more views just to give the board some perspective it's looking down bambridge
street looking in the opposite direction uh and this is the proposal to to build a single family
home. Right here is the outer limits of the property. We have no issues with height, open
space, or rear yard. Again, we're simply keeping a garage, updating it, making it more familiar to
the neighborhood, and adding stories above. So this is the final product. And as I said,
Mr. Chairman, the only thing that the Queen Village Neighbors Association asked us to do
with regard to the first plan was to change the side alley here to all brick.
It doesn't really affect the footprint or the zoning submission,
so we're not asking for any plans to be stamped
if the board looks kindly upon this application.
I can walk through the floor plans for the board.
Basically, there's a basement.
The garage will be a slab on grade.
The remainder of the footprint will be a basement.
First floor plan, again, garage.
entrance area. You have a kitchen and a living area on the first floor.
Then on the second floor, there's three bedrooms.
Then on the second floor, there's three bedrooms.
That's just the side view.
Again, this is looking at the side of the building, two stories on top of the garage with a little kind of pen area to get onto the rooftop deck.
Side view.
Again, here's the garage on the first floor, kitchen, living, and then the three bedrooms with a little area to access the front deck.
overlooking Bainbridge Street.
Side view.
And this is the single-family existing home,
which will remain on Front Street.
You can see that we posted our notices
on both Front Street as well as on Bainbridge Street.
The rest of the documents are the pro forma documents
that the board usually sees in an application like this.
This is the tax information from the Philadelphia Tax Center.
The taxes are due by March 31st of this year.
My client will testify that her mortgage company actually paid the taxes March 3rd.
It hasn't been reflected yet, but since they're really not due, this really is considered
still a clear real estate tax document.
Zoning map again shows you the nature of this rather large lat, which has been subdivided.
And again, we're only talking about Bainbridge Street 108.
This is the deed indicating that I prepared this deed confirming the subdivision.
This is our notice letter to the community indicating we mailed out 200 pieces of mail.
So in conclusion, we have a situation where we have a large lot, Mr. Chairman, where we're asking that it be subdivided, which it has been, and approved to be subdivided.
We're going to keep the existing garage with the existing curb cut on Bainbridge Street and then put a single-family home basically on top of the garage without affecting, again, the open space, rear yard, or height requirements per the code.
We're basically in harmony with the rest of the block.
There's several garages on the block.
We're in harmony with the code.
We're not impacting any lighter air on either side of the property.
We are in harmony with the code and in harmony with the neighborhood's wishes, which we have acceded to.
And with that, I'm going to ask my client, Mr. Chairman, to unmute herself.
Ms. Whitacombe, can you unmute yourself?
Elizabeth, can you unmute yourself?
Ms. Whittacombe has been allowed to speak.
Could you please state your name and spell for the court's stenographer?
Elizabeth Whittacombe, E-L-I-Z-A-B-E-T-H, W-I-D-D-I-C-O-M-B-E.
Do you swear for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Please proceed, Mr. Clinton.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good afternoon, Mr. Whittacombe.
Were you on the call when I presented your project?
And if you had the opportunity to testify, would you adopt my testimony as your own and as true and correct?
Thank you very much.
Mr. Clinton, just to be clear, the only refusal is parking.
Am I correct?
Yes, Mr. Chairman.
Questions from the board?
No, Mr. Chairman.
No, Chair.
No, Chair.
Questions or comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
Not at this time, Mr. Chair.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I see no hand.
Planning Commission.
Thank you, Chair Bergman, Sarah Bond, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
In 2017, the zoning map was amended to RSA 5 residential single family at this location in accord with recommendations from the comprehensive plan.
The proposed use of accessory parking is consistent with documented prior use of this property.
The City Planning Commission recommends that the Zoning Board grant the variance.
Thank you.
MI 2023-007049, 704 South Front Street, number T-B-447962, I vote yes.
Thomas Holliman, my vote is yes.