It includes karaoke rooms.
There's a bar restaurant floor within the space.
around the time of COVID, the business started to veer more towards the performance side
and karaoke side with people wanting to dance on the floor. As a result, some of the restaurant
tables were removed and moved to storage to allow essentially a floor to open up for people to
gather and dance and sing. You can see here, this is the lobby area. This is one of the gathering
areas, including some dining area here, but you can see where the tables were originally, and
you'll see it better on the plans, where the tables were originally kind of set up along the
aisle here. They have been either moved out of the way or moved away to permit more assembly of
of the people attending various events here at the location.
There's also an existing bar that is here.
there's also an existing bar that is here these are additional areas including the kitchen
These are...
and there are private karaoke rooms where food is served and people can sing to the karaoke machines
at their leisure and to their desire so these are the private rooms that are also within the space
And here are some of the other dining areas within the space.
To better understand what the changes are that led to the city inspector asking for my client to make the application for this particular use,
the layout here, this is actually the layout of the first floor you see before you.
here is the lobby entrance it leads to the bar area showing the photos earlier
this is the pardon me the full service kitchen uh restroom area and then as you move towards
the back there's an additional dining area here with the private karaoke rooms being on the second
floor what has been removed from this plan as shown are these tables they're basically at
this point in storage, and these here have been kind of moved off to the side, and this space
essentially opened up. There's also a stage here where people who like to sing to the other patrons
sometimes will get on stage and perform. Because of all these reasons, the license inspections
advised my client that the proper use at this point is more of a private club or a nightclub,
private club, not as much as it was a restaurant with karaoke before. So as a result, we made this
application to have this location essentially be zoned in a sense to an assembly entertainment.
My client does have all their other licenses in place, including a Simply Entertainment
license that was still required, even though they were just doing karaoke before.
We met with Mayfair, and my client separately also reached out to the RCO who issued a letter
in support about this application.
This property has some history with Mayfair Civic because at one point, two applications
were made to try to put a rooftop deck, which would allow people to be on the roof. Mayfair
was very much against that. Ultimately, those did not move forward. There's no application here to
do that. We're not trying to kind of sneak any kind of deck onto this application. This is purely
to readjust the uses on the inside to conform with the code, because it is more of a nightclub
assembly entertainment at this point than purely a restaurant. And that's the reason we're asking
for the board to review this and allow us to have the proper zoning to go with the actual use that
exists at this point. I believe my client is here to verify my testimony, and I'm happy to
answer any questions from the board.
Okay. Could you bring your client on?
Let me see if he's...
are you...
If you're on, please raise your hand virtually
to be identified.
Yeah, come on.
He's here, Sam.
Oh, okay. Great.
Come on up.
Good morning, sir. Could you please get close to the mic if you don't mind?
Oh, sure. Yeah.
Could you please state and spell your name for the stenographer?
My first name is Sam. The last name is Tam. T-A-N-G.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yeah, true.
All right. Counselor?
All right. Thank you. Sam, did you see my presentation and hear my testimony before the zoning board?
Can you verify what I have represented to be true and correct
and adopt it as your own testimony?
Say that again?
Can you verify I have spoken everything to be the truth
and accept my testimony as your own?
Thank you.
Questions from the board.
One quick question.
When you go to a private club, doesn't the timelines change?
uh well the restaurant hours which i believe uh board member uh michael jones was just about to
board member uh michael jones was just about to ask as well the the operating hours has been
ask as well the
more similar to a nightclub ever since they opened because of the karaoke they actually
close at 2 a.m um so they're they're basically operating from uh the time they open which is
around i believe uh mr tang you open at uh 11 a.m is that correct or is it later in the day
We open up, you mean the karaoke?
Yeah, the karaoke night.
5 p.m.
Until 2 a.m.
That's only for weekend, for the Friday and Saturday, 2 a.m.
The regular time is 5 to 12.
5 to 12, Monday through Friday.
Michael?
Sunday to Thursday.
Sunday through Thursday, yes.
Michael?
Yeah, the other question was parking.
There is a parking lot that is part of the property.
I'm not so sure. Yes, right here. So the way the property is laid out, there is a parking lot that's associated with the property that is used for this location only.
How many parking spaces and how many individuals the property hold in terms of capacity?
So I believe that there's only about 20-some parking spaces, but the actual occupancy size, I believe it's 150 individuals.
And so how is parking addressed?
A lot of Cotman Avenue itself has a lot of on-street parking on both sides as well, especially for that time of the night, a lot of the parking is done there.
but there is overflow onto the side streets as well.
And there's been no issues from neighbors regarding?
the issues with the neighbors that we are aware of during the meeting with
Mayfair was they had some issues with some individuals loitering after the
location closed.
And there were some issues with some of the patrons basically having their drinks with their car and trying to drink around the property.
But my client has always had people actively try to make sure they go away and move on after the venue is closed.
As far as parking, I believe there are a few media neighbors that were relatively close that did mention that on certain nights, parking can be very difficult for them to find.
But you did ultimately have support from the RCO?
No, Mayfair never formally gave us their position, although my understanding at the meeting was that they were opposed to this venue because of their prior issues with it, with the attempt to expand for the rooftop as well.
So there's some history between the RCO and this particular location.
And who do we have a letter from?
uh the good it's okay he was gonna answer we have a letter of support from northeast
philadelphia development corporation rco i'm double checking if anything else came in i didn't
see anything okay i have a question about um the karaoke is so where that stage is on the first
floor is that karaoke or is it like band performances or dj no karaoke only there's
There are no outside performers coming in.
This is more for when patrons try to show their abilities, so to speak.
Oh, instead of going, but they do have the option, too, of going to a private room, right?
Yes, yes.
There are private rooms, but some people are excited to sing for the public.
Especially after a couple cocktails.
A couple cocktails, correct.
Other questions from the board?
Okay, so, I'm sorry. Okay, so the private rooms, like, do you have, like, birthday parties there or things like that? Or is this just groups of people who decide to get together and want to do the karaoke in a private space as opposed to a private space?
It's like half-half. A lot of people are doing their birthday party on the weekend.
Yeah, but not the weekday.
All right, okay. Thank you.
Other questions?
Questions from our attorney?
Just to clarify, the RCO letter we got was actually part of the submission by council. It wasn't submitted separately, and we don't have anything else except what I indicated. Thank you.
Just to clarify, the RCO letter we got was actually part of the submission.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I see no hands here.
Any commission?
Madison Matera, Planning Commission staff. The comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing CA1 auto-oriented commercial zoning at this location.
The appellant has not shown that there are unique physical conditions or circumstances of this property that would prevent conformance with the zoning code.
The Planning Commission recommends the board deny the requested variance for assembly and entertainment, nightclubs, and private clubs.
MI 2026, 000-550-2825-35 Cotman Avenue, I vote yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Ryan McAdams, my vote is yes.
hi i win my vote is yes thank you have a good day
and i'm wanting to come up we have one more that we got so thank you
i don't know she she didn't come on maybe she got off why don't why don't let me just ask a
few questions and i'll bring you but you could you could start getting set up anyway because
number nine mi-2025-004-967-2004 west indiana uh sharice johnson miss johnson
and she's coming back in now as a panelist here
we have somebody who had a problem with their thing i just want to double check
hi thank you do we make out any better i believe we did i had to okay let's see
finessing so let's hope that this you've already been sworn in why don't you just
and you you already spoke right yes yeah okay it's up okay all right so do i start or
sure why don't you start okay so um i'm wanting to open up a group home i'm an educator
for you work with your client go ahead i'm sorry i'm an educator for over 20 years um in the
philadelphia public school system the school district um i'm proposing to open up a group home
at this um location just um being in the school system seeing the population of kids who are
homeless or couch surfing um or just you know transient in different ways um i wanted to use
an opportunity to support kids and giving them, um, home stability. And, um, ultimately if the
need arises, family reunification. So my slideshow is just, um, yes, this is my posting, the notice.
Um, this is the front area of the, the entrance of the home. Um, we've been to the front porch.
Yes, sir. It's the porch. Um, this is the entrance to the home.
when you walk in a home on the left side of the entrance this was a bedroom is
going to serve as an office this is the kitchen there's another room on that
same floor between the office and the kitchen that will be used as an intake
and a visit room I'm going up the stairs to the second floor this is bedroom one
My goal is based on zoning to be able to sleep three youth in that first bedroom.
This is the second bedroom.
We have a house to use.
This is a bathroom.
And all that you're seeing is cosmetic.
Foundationally, everything is sound.
These are just cosmetic.
This is a third bedroom that I will also sleep to.
this is a hallway and then going back down the steps
and that's the end of that i don't know if you need to see um the actual letter from um the rco
i can share that sure you can do that yep we do we do have a letter oh right you do yes i
I did submit one.
Allegheny West, am I correct?
Is my screen still sharing?
So I don't know what you need to see, but this is the votes.
And then this is the actual letter.
Let me ask you this.
How many people do you intend to have in your property?
So I intend to have three youth, three to seven total.
Um, it'll be minimum, um, seven.
Um, it'll be minimum, um, seven because that will maximum seven, because that's the amount,
um, based on the size of the home that would be legally the requirement for them.
And have you done this before?
I have not done this specifically before, but, um, being in the education system.
Um, yes.
All right.
Questions from the board.