This shows what my Airbnb page looks like. The unit is just a one bedroom section
off the back of my house. Here it is in plan. Guests enter the back door of the building
here. This is the bedroom, the kitchen, the living space, bathroom. And then there is a door to my
part of the house, but it's kept locked when anyone's there. I only host kind of, I think I
hosted 140 days of last year. So I don't host that much, to be honest. And so much of the time
that door is open and I use the back door of my house for coming in and out with my dog.
um i live on the second floor um the third floor needs renovation and is currently not
lived in by anybody um but i plan on you know living in this house as long as i possibly can
um i've been hosting since 2012 um my house became a rooming house in 1947 um it's been
multi-unit since then um there are airbnbs throughout the city and throughout my neighborhood
but most are run by large-scale landlords in multi-unit buildings. I always talk to possible
guests, and I am very clear about the neighborhood. I make them confirm that they understand this is
a residential neighborhood, and I largely host people who are either from the neighborhood,
visiting family in the neighborhood, or Presbyterian Hospital is two blocks from my house,
and then also, you know, both universities, Drexel and UPenn, are nearby. So I'm largely
hosting people who are coming to this neighborhood for something related. I require that people read
a message about the neighborhood and about being conscientious towards my neighbors.
And so I'm making sure that they understand this is not a tourist neighborhood and that
they're coming here before that reason. As I mentioned, I have only hosted 143 days of the
last year. I only host part-time. I do not allow parties, events, or more than three people to be
here at any time. Neighbors have never had a problem or complaint. As a long-term resident
in my neighborhood, I know all of my neighbors. I'm very active in the local RCOs. My house has
never, you know, other, while I'm surrounded by some houses that are owned by absentee landlords,
we have issues with trash with both houses on either side of me. My house has never been
part of a neighborhood problem. I'm home most of the time and I'm friendly with the people
that stay with me. So that's it. I did want to mention that I, as someone who has never been
through these processes before, I saw that the last short-term host was granted this with a
two-year proviso. I do want to say this process has been really difficult and really costly.
and i you know i understand if this is how you're doing it but i would like to request a
less short-term proviso given how um expensive and draining this process has has been and it
process has has been and it would it would create a hardship for me and i would not be able to
would it would create a hardship for me and i would not be able to continue
continue doing this every two years um if this was the process every two years so so just so you know
the last one was three years oh okay okay it was a recommendation for two we took it to three okay
okay great all right questions from the board no mr chairman questions or comments from the virtual
audience um mr chair this is hillary um i just wanted to interject um miss miss frost um you
indicated that this is just for the first floor of your property is that that's that's correct okay
would you object to a proviso specifying that because that was not specified on on the refusal
oh yeah no i thought that that was on uh when i when i filled out all the applications they made
me put first floor on everything so i thought that this was just for the first floor okay
Okay, we'll add that as a provisor that I did not make it onto the refusal. Thank you.
No one further? No comments from the virtual audience?
No, sir. No further hand to this.
Planning.
Thank you, Chair Bergman. Ian Hegarty for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
Board members, in 2017, the zoning map was amended on this block to RM1 multifamily residential.
um the visitor accommodation unit is related to the primary unit and connected to it and so again
we believe this effectively functions as an in-home short-term rental use the visitor accommodations
use here is also similar in function to the prior legal use as a rooming house and consistent with
the internal configuration of the building the city planning commission recommends that the board
grant the variance and we also have no objection to granting the variance without a proviso related
to the term of the variance in my 2022 zero zero four three nine four six forty five north 40
street i vote yes with proviso um limit to the first floor thomas house with proviso
Yes, with Proviso.
You have your three votes and you're approved.
My vote is yes with Proviso.
You have your four votes and it's approved.
Thank you for your presentation.
Thank you for your presentation.
Okay, let's go here.
So there we go.
10, 14, 15.
let me see here
Hillary I see
I believe we are
number 17 is that right
yes number 17
okay yes
MI 2022
004 419
North Camac Street. Mark Danik is the attorney. Letter of support from the Logan Civic Association.
Okay, Mr. Danik has been promoted to panelists. He'll be rejoining shortly.
Good morning, sir. Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court reporter?
uh yes mark danik m-a-r-k d-a-n-e-k i'm here for applicant sbm holdings llc and also on this call
is uh thomas moses he's an authorized member of sbm holdings uh to speak today all right do you
swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes our our um board
secretary has a few questions. Good morning, council.
I'm having trouble hearing. All right. Asia, break it up.
Can you hear me now? Yes. Yes. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate
to its accuracy? Yes. Have you emailed all the required documents
yes i have and i did receive a confirmation email
thank you please proceed and share your screen
Okay, Mr. Chair, this application is for a renovation of a property that was purchased by SBM Holdings in March of 2020, right at the start of the pandemic.
Okay, Mr. Chair, this application.
It was a vacant property that had suffered significant structural damage due to a fire.
My client purchased the property through one of the city's low-income housing programs to renovate.
Um, because of the pandemic and delays in the supply chain, uh, and getting construction permits, um, they, the first thing they were able to do was, um, secure a make safe permit in April of 2021.
By the time they completed that work and then were moving on to the regular building permits, the application had already missed the three-year deadline of the Philadelphia Zoning Code for restoration of an existing nonconforming use.
So it was historically always used as a two-family dwelling.
They were seeking, when they purchased it and when they were seeking to renovate, the plan had always been to maintain the two-family dwelling.
So during the make-safe process, they missed the three-year mark to get to the reconstruction.
And I can, let's see, I can show you...
So this is what the property looked like before renovation. And let's see. These are the plans. The plans themselves don't call for any exterior modifications. It's solely an interior improvement, a renovation of the property.
um we met with the um and here's uh as part of the make safe uh these are the photos showing the
posting but you can see that they replaced doors and windows uh basically secured the structure
uh to get to the next step uh we met with the uh logan civic association um the the members there
confirmed that it had always been used as a two-unit dwelling we received the votes in support
and we're asking the board to we're asking for a variance to allow them to
complete the renovation of the structure under 14 305 5b 0.2.3 and 10. in the alternative
if the board is not inclined, we would seek a use variance pursuant to 14303 AE.1 and 2
to allow for the two units to occupy the property.
How about your representative of the client? Is he here?
Tom Moses, can you have your testimony adopted?
Mr. Moses, please raise your virtual hand, sir.
He's going to have to speak.
Hello?
Do you please state your name and spell it for the court reporter, please?
It's Thomas Moses.
T-H-O-M-A-S and M-O-S-E-S.
All right.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes. Proceed, counsel.
Hey, Mr. Moses, were you able to hear and see my screen during the presentation?
And if you were called to testify, would you adopt all my representations as your own as true and correct?
And one additional question I wanted to ask you is, can you just please provide color for the board on the low income program under which the property was purchased?
and then the requirement that the two units be used for low-income rentals going forward?
Yeah, simply, it's actually the Student Redevelopment Authority.
It's the NCST program.
We've been a community buyer for years, and we can either rent or sell the properties.
uh but it has to be done to uh what's considered low to moderate income um renters or buyers
and and going forward you intend to comply with the program requirements uh yes
and with that mr chair i have no further questions questions from the board no mr
chairman no mr chairman mr chairman questions or comments from the virtual audience
So, Mr. Charles Richardson has his hand raised. I have allowed him to speak at this time.
If you want to stand on the elevator, you can stand on the elevator and they hit the button.
Well, stand on the elevator. You can stand on the elevator.
Good morning, Mr. Richardson.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Charles Richardson from the Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass, room 508, City Hall.
Could you spell your name for the court reporter, please?
Certainly. R-I-C-H-A-R-D-S-O-N.
Right.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Proceed, sir.
the councilwoman has no opposition to granting the variance thank you thank you very much thank
you any anyone else in the virtual audience
any further answer planning commission thank you chair bergman ian hegarty for the philadelphia
city planning commission uh board members uh the comprehensive plan recommends no change
to the existing rsa 5 single-family zoning at this location this building was destroyed by fire
sometime before 2015. As the council has noted, this zoning code permits reestablishment of a
non-conforming use such as this that existed prior to the destruction, but only if the reconstruction
begins within three years after the destruction. Despite missing this deadline, it's our opinion
that the appellant has demonstrated a good faith effort to renovate this building, and the City
Planning Commission recommends that the board grant the variance. Thank you. MI 2022-004-419
4842 north camac street i vote yes
my vote is yes james snell my vote is yes
my vote is yes thank you counsel you're from you great thank you and if i didn't ask for it i
wanted to mark and move all my uh exhibits into the record thank you there that's great okay great
thank you you can great thank you is there anyone else in the virtual audience whose case has not
been called on the 9 30 list i do not see any hands mr chair thanks everyone see everyone at
o'clock. Thank you. All right. Good afternoon. My name is Bill Bergman. And I will be chairing
this afternoon ZBA hearings. With me is Ismail Shaheed, our board secretary.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Thomas Holliman, our board member.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
And James Snell, our board member.
Present, Mr. Chairman.
Also, here is our attorney, Hillary Emerson, and our ZBA hearing supervisor, Lakeisha Dandy.
Be advised the proceedings will be recorded.
By participating, you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded.
The video will be available by contacting tonyasunkett at phila.gov.
For the benefit of our court stenographer, we ask attorneys and witnesses to identify themselves before testifying.
If you're participating by phone, if you wish to testify, press star 9 to raise your hand and star 6 to unmute.
To enter an appearance statement, call 267-270-5548.
leave your email and the address of the property in question. And finally, the question and answer
box on the screen is not for comments. All comments should be directed to Tanya Sunkett,
our executive director. Let's look at continuances for this afternoon's list. Number one, MI 2022
202-004-684-9800 Busselton Avenue. This case is continued. Attorney moving party.
Number three, MI 2022-004-690-300-02 South Street. This case is continued. And number four,
MI 2022-004-893-6600 North Wall Street.
That case is continued.
Is there anyone who has comments relative to those three cases?
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
This is Jason Hand.
Ms. Isabel Ortiz has her hand raised.
I have allowed her to speak at this time, sir.
hi could you state your name and spell please for the court reporter
May you please unmute?
Ms. Ortiz, may you please unmute?
Can you hear me now?
Yes. Hi.
Could you state your name and spell for the court reporter, please?
Yes. Good afternoon, Chairman Bergen.
My name is Isabel, I-S-A-B-E-L-L.
Last name is Ortiz, O-R-T-I-Z.
I am the community representative on this particular case.