ZBA Hearing - November 16, 2021

in the surrounding area to give you a sense of the height and density. I believe a project

and

that was approved here has 54 units including townhomes running north Phillip Street. This is

a 110 unit project and I forget the exact numbers I believe this is in the 90s at 1725 North American.

As you'll see from the zoning map, everything in the area is zoned ICMX, so we require variants for

the multifamily use. There are proviso plans that have been submitted with our packet and that were

provided to Ms. Saleta consisting of five pages, and the reason for the number of pages is just to

reflect the changes that we made as a result of CDR as well, but mostly for purposes of zoning,

it reflects the setbacks along the sixth floor level. So I'll pull up the just the zoning plan

to orient you with the site. So again, this is North 2nd Street. We are providing 27 parking

spaces, the majority of which are will enter off of this existing curb cut and exit onto North

phillip but we also included about five parking spaces here again another existing curb cut that

would exit onto north phillip and our loading zone is right here i'll jump right to the renderings to

give you a better sense of what the development will ultimately look like as well as the floor

plans so this is the view from north second street with the ground floor commercial and

the residential units above. We're looking mostly at, you know, there's a mix of studios and two

bedrooms, mostly one-bedroom apartments, and there is one three-bedroom. These are the row homes,

the seven townhomes that front North Phillips Street. We wanted to really give North Phillips

Street that residential Philadelphia row home feel and interact with those developments across

across the street. There's more of an aerial view, so you can see the courtyard, pool. There

would be amenity spaces on the sixth floor, and the setbacks that have been used for the

apartments. And again, that 70-foot area really is all along the top right here, and it is setback

significantly both from North 2nd Street and the Phillips Street frontages. Just run through a few

more of these for a little more context. This is again that second parking entrance. More

views along Phillip and again you can see the setbacks that were utilized so to ensure that

there isn't a canyon type feel. We're also proposing a mural from my local artist here along

the northern frontage just to break up where the parking is.

um and i'll get just to the elevations landscaping that we're proposing

from floor plan standpoint this is north second street again we have the commercial space here on

the ground floor that will be accessed both parking here and here but there is a through

door on both sides two lobbies with the bicycle storage and then those townhomes running north

phillips street trash would be obviously commercial trash collection and and we put these two doors

here so trash can come in pick it up and exit right on to um north phillips street so no there

won't have to be any um stopping on second floor plan this is at the second floor level with the

courtyard again mostly ones but there is a mix with uh two bedrooms and studios and then as as

we go up to the third floor you'll notice that there are additional setbacks at each floor

level so the footprint decreases and it improves those views and this is that final sixth floor

area with the roof deck fronting on north phillip and some other roof decks and tenant amenity spaces

um up at the top a few other elevations this will show you the east north site section

this uh is the again view from north 2nd street here's the town homes and again

points out the those additional setbacks so we go up to 60 feet here and then it's just this level

here uh that's 70 feet that's by this point we're set back 30 feet and no pilot houses and no other

levels of height beyond that level. Then there's the east elevation, and then this is with the

levels of height that's beyond that level again there's a

proposed mural. And then lastly, just some additional materials, and here's the materials

that we're proposing for the townhomes. Also in the packet is the memorandum of understanding

that we executed with the community.

And I have just some, you know,

the permits for the surrounding developments

that also utilize multifamily use

and have a similar component.

So with that, I'd like to see

if a client, Nathaniel Darman,

come on to adopt my testimony

and then I'll make a far levy available

to answer any questions the board might have

in addition to the public comment.

Mr. Dorman has been about to speak, sir.

Good afternoon, sir. Please spell your full name and I'll swear you in.

Nathanel Damo. N-A-T-A-N-E-L-D-A-R-M-O-N.

Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?

I do.

Thank you. Mr. Phillips?

Natanel, you heard me go through the plans a moment ago. Is everything I stated true and

correct to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief? Yes.

And do you agree to adopt my testimony as your own? Yes.

Thank you. I have no further questions. Again, Barr Levy is available for any questions the

board may have and the public that they may have. Questions from the board? No.

Anyone else would like to testify in this case? If so, please raise your hand.

Chair, we've got Sloan Foulkes. I've allowed him to speak.

Mr. Foulkes, please identify yourself for the record and I'll swear you in.

Good afternoon, Chairman DiCicco, CBA Board. Again, my name is Sloan Folks, S-L-O-A-N-E-F-S-F-I-R-O-L-K-S, representing the Office of Councilman Maria Quiñones Sanchez, 7th District, room 508 City Hall.

You swear to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.

Yes, I do, sir.

Thank you, sir. Please proceed.

Yes, sir. Thank you.

The applicant, having met with the coordinating RCO and receiving a letter of support, the council member offers her support for this project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anyone else to testify in this case?

If so, please raise your hand.

There are no further hands, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

Planning Commission?

Good afternoon, Chair.

Peter Bernard for the Planning Commission.

this property was rezoned to ICMX industrial commercial mixed use in 2016 in accordance

with the comprehensive plan we feel the proposal represents an overuse and is not the minimum

necessary variance and would be better handled through a rezoning than a variance additionally

proposals additionally the privately negotiated affordable units are unenforceable underneath the

City Code. Accordingly, the Planning Commission recommends the Board deny the requested variance.

MI 2021-003093 1730-38 North 2nd Street. My vote is yes. Mr. Phillips, there's six pages.

Five pages, Mr. Chair. Five pages. My vote is yes with proviso revised

plan five pages approved today. Carol Tenere, my vote is yes with proviso.

Confessor Plaza, yes with proviso. James Snell, yes with proviso.

Thank you.

Case number four, MI 2021-003334, 1919 Cotman Avenue.

Daniel McElhatton is the attorney of record.

Ron Hirsch Civic Association sent a letter of support.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the board.

My name is Daniel McElhatton, and I represent PATH in this application.

PATH is a...

Daniel, could you please spell your full name, and I'll swear you in.

Daniel, D-A-N-I-E-L, McElhatton, M-C, capital E-L-H-A-T-T-O-N.

McElhatton, M-C, capital E-L-H-A-T-T-O-N.

Is your firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?

I do, sir.

Thank you. Ms. Tenere has a few questions for you.

Yes.

Hi, Mr. McElhatton. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?

I do.

Have you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership, tax compliance, refusal referral,

photos under plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing,

and have you met with the RCO and do you have a letter?

We have complied and we have met with the RCO

and their letter of support has already been identified

by the chair.

Thank you, you may proceed.

May I share my screen?

Yes, we love screens.

This is a part of a project that was approved two years ago

by the board for the renovation of the old first trust building at 1919 Kester and Cotman.

And that first trust building, we put a four-story addition on.

At the time, we also proposed a four-story building,

which we called the Children and Youth Services Building.

That project has moved forward and it has now been completed

and is occupied we are back here before the board to be able to request permission for signs for the

buildings and you see on the screen the three slides that Mr. Mecca Hilton this is the VBA

administrator we don't have your screen yet all right did you hit the green button at the bottom

Yeah, let me go back, share the screen, all right.

I'm getting there.

Okay, it's coming up, thank you.

Thank you, my apologies.

No worries.

this is the um in the lower right hand side you'll see the completed buildings this is the

old first trust building this is the children and youth services building i'm sorry

mr mecca hilton is tanya again yeah we don't have it's not open so we're actually in your files

so how about you try okay let me go back

well let me let me just continue to speak what so we have some sense of of what we're looking at

the first trust building has a nose on it that faces castor and cotman and that building had

signs on it previously that were on top of the building and are on the side they have been

removed in the reconstruction and we want an analog clock to be on the facade of the building

and a sign that says path at 1919 and um that uh those images are um let me see if i can

if you are getting anything now

so my my suggestion would be to unshare okay open up the file

and then re-share and see how that works for you.

Okay, I'll continue to try to talk.

The only other sign is on the Children and Youth Services Building.

We want a digital clock or digital sign at the top of that building

that spans the nose of that building.

These are applications that we have submitted to the community group

and they have accepted those without any problems

and without any issues.

Let me see.

There we go.

All right.

Mea cupo, mea cupo, mea maxima cupo.

No worries.

Mr. Chico you're old enough to remember what that means. I know, I know. I'm older than the building.

Yeah this is this is the building as it is now and this is where we want the

analog clock to go on that facade and the path at 1919 run under it. You see in the background

the Children and Youth Services building.

And you'll see here, this is what it looked like

And you'll see here, this is what it looked like when First Federal came in.

when First Federal came in.

And they had the sign up top.

They had the First Federal building there.

They had a clock there.

And this is the courtyard between the two buildings.

It's there now for the construction.

And, again, this was the second group of signs on the First Trust Bank building.

So, you know, what we have proposed is, and this is Betty Endel Petkoff,

who is the president and CEO of PATH.

This shows you the area where the signs are located, the commercial area of around Castor and Cotton.

So, you know, those were the, that's where we proposed the signage to go.

And I would ask that if Betty can be promoted, that she be asked if she would adopt my testimony.

and I thought she'd be under her name she may not have been able to stay on but

as a member of the bar I would represent stipulate Dan we'll stipulate that you

adopted your testimony any questions from the board no no

anyone else would like to testify in this case if so please raise your hand

no hands at this time sir thank you planning commission

good afternoon chair peter bernard for the planning commission

the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the cmx2 commercial mixed use at this location

The Planning Commission has no objection to the Board granting the variance.

Thank you. MI 2021-003-334-1919 Cotman Avenue, my vote is yes.

Carl Tenere, my vote is yes. Professor Plaza, yes. James Snell, yes.

Thank you. Case number five on our list. Thank you, Dan. MI 2021-003-337-2006 Pemberton Street. Henry Clinton is the attorney of record. Letter of support from SOSNA, South of South Neighborhood Association. Mr. Clinton, please identify yourself and you're still under oath from earlier today.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. Henry Clinton, Queen Memorial Building, 1313 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia PA, 19146.

Ms. Benary has a few questions for you.

Do you agree to wait the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?

I do.

Have you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership, tax compliance, a copy of the refusal or referral, photos and plans of the property, five days in advance of this hearing, and have you met with the RCO, and do you have a letter?

Yes, to all of the above.

Thank you. You may proceed.

Is that visible?

Yes.

Partially.

Better?

Better.

If you could make it a full screen, it would help me out.