We'll be happy to give you a copy of the computer printout showing the years that the property taxes have not been paid and what is presently due.
You're welcome. And would you please be in touch with Mr. Koonce from the Redevelopment Authority?
I would suggest you get his telephone number now so that once you talk to your daughters, you can notify him. 49 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
You're welcome. Do we have anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
And we're here in reference to the property at 200 South 60th Street.
I just purchased this property, I think it was, in July or August.
Yes. I just got it over the summer. And my plans were to fix it up and to sell it. I paid $21,000 for it, and Ms. Graham, she's going to buy the property from me. So we just got this letter, so we came down, like, Okay, what's going on?
July of '06. And when did you get the permits to do the necessary rehab?
Well, I haven't done anything yet, except board it up, because I purchased the property and then I noticed all of the sudden windows are getting broken out. So I had a guy just go and board it all up for me. That's the only thing I've done so far. So I'm in the process of -- I didn't know that this was -- as soon as I got this, I'm 51 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. like, Yo, what's this going on? I haven't done anything yet.
And I was going to purchase the property from him, and then he told me he got this letter. So I tried to call and they gave me a phone number, and I spoke to someone, only got a first name of Tracy, trying to find out what was going on with the area. But I have since applied for a mortgage to purchase the property from him to rehab it and fix it up.
I'm talking to the gentleman that owns the property.
Yes. I bought it vacant, yes. 52 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
Was it tax delinquent at the time that you bought it?
No, I don't think it was delinquent. I'm not really sure. I gave my real estate person the power of attorney because I was out of the country at the time. So I had her get the property for me. I came back, I went and looked through it and everything.
Okay. So when do you propose to take any further action on this?
Well, right away, because like I said, I went out and, like I said, the windows got broken, so I had a guy board them all up. So now I'm working with Ms. Graham so that she can -- she said she would take it off my hands.
Ms. Graham, once you purchase it, how quickly will you --
Well, I was in the 53 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. process of applying for a mortgage until he got this letter that informed me that the City -- something is going to be happening with the property with the area. So I was just concerned. That's why I'm here today, to find out what's going on before I buy it and buy into something that's already ongoing.
I told her to hold off because I thought that this meant the City wanted to buy the property from me. That's what I thought it meant, and I didn't know that this was happening.
If you bought the property, when do you think you would start rehabilitating it?
As soon as I get it. I mean, I don't have a choice because I'm going to put a mortgage on the property, so part of the funds are going to be to rehab the property. So it's going to have to be done right away.
And you're going to live in the property? 54 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
My mom was going to live in there. I own other properties in the City. So she liked the house. She's familiar with the area, so I was going to purchase it with the additional funding from the mortgage company to rehab the property.
I would think that giving her six to 12 months to pull permits and start construction would be reasonable. If not, we can proceed with condemnation. I don't exactly know what the developer's plans for beginning their construction are. That's why I put a window of six to 12 months. Twelve may be too long. I don't know.
I'm talking to the prospective buyer. 55 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
I don't have a problem with that. I didn't know if he wanted to work something out with them.
Well, I'm not really clear on what this is. I only dealt with Ms. Graham, so I don't understand what -- if you could explain it to me.
This was a notice that there would be a Council hearing today for the purpose of passing an ordinance that would allow the Redevelopment Authority to acquire your property.
Well, prior to filing a Declaration of Taking, which would ship the ownership automatically from you to the Authority, the Authority would send out an offer of what it thought was fair market value for the property. So, yes, we are prepared to make you an offer for the property, but 56 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. if the Authority and the owner don't agree on the value of the property, then we file and the issue of valuation goes to a Board of Realtors, who would determine what the fair value was.
No. This is my first time meeting him. So does that mean we need to talk about -- so you're going to purchase the property from me, you mean, like instead of Ms. Graham?
Excuse me. If you don't mind, I think the three of you could have the discussion after this hearing.
And Mr. Koonce will take it from there. Thank you. Thank you very much for 57 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. coming in. I see someone else would like to testify. Please approach the witness table. Good afternoon. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
Good afternoon. Ella Hawkins. The address is 2103 South 58th Street. It's my mother's property -- was my mother's property. She's deceased.
Okay. And the property has been vacant for sometime?
What kind of condition would you say the house 58 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. is in? I mean, from the exterior, they don't look like they've been kept up to par at all. What kind of condition would you say this house is in?
Fair. Have there been squatters in the property?
Madam Chairperson, we had information from the owner next door that she complained of water damage to her property that emanated from the property at 2103 South 58th Street.
That is not possible. All the water in that building has been cut off ever since 2000. There's no water in the property. There's no gas on in the property, and I told Mrs. Gray about that.
And this is probably one of the more deteriorated properties on the entire list. 59 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
Of all of the properties that we are here to ask for permission today, this is one of the ones that are -- the shape of it, the condition has deteriorated more than the majority on the list have.
All right. Any questions of this witness? (No response.)
Is this the only vacant left on the block, Mr. Koonce?
I want to sell the property. 60 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
We're actually willing to negotiate the sale prior to condemning. If we can't reach agreement on the sales price, then we can condemn. We're actually willing to start right away with negotiating the sale.
Very well. Do we have anyone else to testify? Please approach the witness table. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
And I'm Tracy 61 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. Morrison.
You're going to have to pull the microphone closer to you, please.
I'm Tracy Morrison. We both live at 2110 South 60th Street, Philadelphia, PA. What's going on with that property, I couldn't stay there because my life was threatened there. Every time we go to fix it up, somebody break back in it, destroy it again. So that means I'm fixing up the same thing. I just got finished working on it.
I reside there also. We've had multiple problems at the place, threatened, burn the place up. They burned my van up.
Yes. I'm renting to own the property. I haven't been there a lot because I've been taking care of my elderly mom that's up in age, and I 62 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. lost my brother. He used to stay there with me about a year or so ago. So I work constantly trying to get money to get things together there at the property to get it resolved. It's been kind of difficult.
You're telling me how unsafe the area is and we have photos here in that immediate area. The houses were in such deplorable condition before they were rehabbed that I don't think squatters would even want to go into them. And we have before and after photos, and what they did after in rehabbing them made the area much safer. The houses look absolutely beautiful. Every one of them have been sold, and we have families living in them, and they have homeownership. I don't think that we should be 63 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. allowing people to be having a property, having it vacant for any number of years, not paying taxes for years or so and 5 saying, But it's my property. Well, if 6 you live next door to that person, it's 7 their property, too, and they want to 8 live in that property in a safe and clean 9 manner. 10 I think that we really do 11 ourselves a great deal of injustice if we 12 do not allow the City to go forward to 13 rehab the properties that are on this 14 list and make the area a better place in 15 which to live. Now --
May I interject? I don't want to interrupt you. Respect. You say the taxes has not been paid in the property?
No. 21 Some of them. I said some of the properties.
Some of them have not been paid for any number 64 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. of years, but I'm sure the property that you're living in, if L&I were to go out there, they would probably be able to make a list of three pages of violations.
I'm willing to address that and fix that up. It's not a problem. Just a little time, I'll take care of that. I was planning on doing it, but I was taking care of my mom, and she's a lot better now.
Well, I thought you said you were renting your place.
Well, my credit got bad because I just bought a van there a 65 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. few years ago and they burned that right after I bought it. So I had to pay that off.
And this happened probably in the neighborhood of the property that we're talking about?
Except that we don't want to make the area better. I just don't understand that.
Well, I have the finances to fix it up. I'm working and I'm planning on fixing it up before I retire. I work down the Postal Service, and I'm willing to fix it up. I love that place. I can get a lot of other places, but I love that place right there, because a lot of my family has 66 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. been there.
We have been working on that place since we've been there. We put in brand new doors. Somebody came along, took it off. We put in brand new windows. Somebody come along, break it all up.
They do this here because I haven't been there, because I've been taking care of my mom.
They threatened you out of the house. You're saying that you lived with a relative because of some reason. So, in fact, nobody has been living at the house. 67 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
We've both been there in and out checking on the property. Every time we come down, we go -- we put a new bathroom in. Somebody breaks back into this house, destroy the bathroom I just put in there.
I have not been there constantly like I should because I've been taking care of my mom.
I've been taking care of my mom. And my mom is scared. She reads the paper and stuff like this and that to see what's going on. That's a very bad neighborhood, very bad area, and she's nervous that I'll be over there. But I tell my mom, This is my place, I love that place, I'm going to fix it up, but for you, I'll stay away 68 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. from there as I can. Now, my job is very demanding, so I really don't have that much time, but I run in there, I reside there when I can. But like I told her, I want to fix that place up. I want to live there. That's my home. That's what I plan on doing. Now, this notice came in the mail and I said, This is something that I have to address. If you give me a time frame or something like this to fix it up, if it's upsetting the City, I respect that.
And you keep telling me about how you're fixing it up and how it's being destroyed, and I am saying to you that we 69 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. are in fact trying to do something to rehab that entire community and make it a better place in which to live.
I'm willing to do that with you. I'm willing to use my own funds to fix that up, because I love --
When would you be able to purchase this property?
Well, I'm planning to get a lawyer as we were speaking. Before I got the letter, a guy on my job has a lawyer. So I was getting one to get this resolved. I was planning on getting the place fixed up about the first part of next year working on it. Before I do that, I want to get a lawyer to speak about what my situation was, until I got this letter, and then I got really confused. I said let me address this first, see what's going on, because this is all new to me.
How much are they asking for the property? 70 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
I have no idea. I have to go ask them. I have to find out. I've just been working, taking care of my mom and just to make sure the place is all right at this time. But if this came up, I have to make this as an agenda. I have to take care of it right away.
The letter was not addressed to you, I'm assuming. It was addressed to the owner. Who is the owner?
That was my concern, too. If you haven't lived there in two years, does the owner still 71 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. consider you someone who is buying the property?
Not only am I just doing that, but I'm fixing the place up, too. I'm required to fix the place up.
But you're paying through a property manager or something? Because the Council President asked you where was the owner. You said you had no idea.
Are you 72 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. in the middle of the block, the end of the block?
What Council President keeps saying is that we're in a situation where we are trying to fix neighborhoods up, and when you leave a property empty, vacant, it starts to cause problems on blocks. It causes problems to the neighbors, particularly if it's a rowhouse. So the goal is just to fix up the houses, and I don't think the City really cares who fixes it up. They just want to get it done, but you got to do it.
-- and five and ten years. Well, you said no 23 one has lived there basically for two years.
So that's the Property Maintenance Code, things aren't being repaired, water damage occurs to the next-door neighbor's, mainly from rainwater, whether the plumbing is on or not.
My point is, it's not particularly vacant. She was speaking in front of me. It's not been vacant, because I go there three or four times a week. I go there and I reside in there. Okay? Now, as far as property damage, water damage, I fix the place up all the time. I just put a new roof on there a year ago, $1,500. I put brand new doors in.
Why would you do that if it weren't your property?
Because my understanding, that was the agreement we 74 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. had, I fix it up. I'm supposed to be buying the property. So, like I said, I had to get some legal action to get it resolved. If I get a time limit on this here and get this fixed up, then I'll move with that.
Well, I think you ought to tell the owner that time is running out. Time is running out.
Madam Chairperson, I don't want to delay this, but we could also offer them two years of rental assistance if they have a valid lease once we acquire the property. So that would be a tenant benefit. We would also take care of the expenses for their moves for reconnecting utilities, things like that. And the other thing might be, if we acquired the property, we could also have the neighborhood group that's going to market the house work with them to see if they might want to become homeowners. And it seems like the asking price of a 75 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. new home would be considerably less than the 30,000 mortgage and the dollars that it would take to rehab this one.
That sounds real good. It sounds real good. Maybe this coming down here might benefit all of us in the City. You know what I'm saying? Because we love our block. We've been there a long time. We put a lot of spark in that block, but we have problems that come along in the family and whatever. I kind of help everybody. That's just the way I am.
We understand, and as I said, I think if you follow what Mr. Koonce is saying, you would be way ahead of the game and you wouldn't have to do any of the rehab, and I'm sure that once you retire, you're going to want to enjoy the property.
Well, talk to the gentleman there. 76 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. Anybody else to testify on this bill? Please approach the table. The Chair recognizes Councilman O'Neill.
Madam President, I have to leave the Chamber. If I don't return before the end of the hearing, I'd like to be recorded as voting aye on all the bills before us. Thank you.
Thank you. Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
How are you doing? My name is Gudai Ping. I'm the cousin of him, Bin Sing. He's the owner of the 2850 Germantown Avenue, and I have --
My name is Gudai Ping. I'm the cousin of -- he's the owner of 2850 Germantown Avenue. 77 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
That's the next bill. We're on another bill. We are going to hear that one next.
Do we have anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
It's Bill No. 060544. Seeing no one, I would ask Ms. Murray to please read the title of Bill No. 060585.
Bill No. 060585, an ordinance approving the second amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the West Fairhill/East Tioga/Hunting Park Urban Renewal Area, being the area generally bounded by Wingohocking Street and Roosevelt Boulevard on the north, North 5th Street and North 6th Street on the east, Lehigh Avenue on the south and Broad Street and Venango Street on the west. 78 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC.
Good afternoon, Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee. I'm here to speak in support of Bill No. 060585, which is the second amendment to the redevelopment proposal and urban renewal plan for the West Fairhill/East Tioga/Hunting Park Redevelopment Area and the West Fairhill/East Tioga/Hunting Park Urban Renewal Area. This bill would authorize the Redevelopment Authority to acquire a total of parcels, 16 residential and 18 ten commercial structures. Ten of the 19 residential are occupied and five of the 20 commercial are occupied. These parcels 21 will be acquired for the Philadelphia 22 Housing Authority and combined with 47 23 other parcels previously approved for 24 acquisition. 25 The proposed development will 79 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. provide for up to 80 units of affordable rental housing. Off-street parking will be provided at the rear of each building, along with new streetscaping. In addition to rental housing, approximately 16,000 square feet of commercial space will be provided to integrate the development with the Germantown Avenue Retail District. A portion of acquisition funding will be provided by NTI. The Redevelopment Authority and PHA will enter into a cooperation agreement that will require PHA to pay any remaining costs associated with this acquisition. There are ten residential relocations and five commercial relocations as part of this amended redevelopment proposal. The total acquisition costs are approximately $1.8 million. Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee, I respectfully request favorable consideration of Bill No. 80 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. 060585 and would also ask the suspension of Council rules to allow first reading on October 26, 2006.
Again, good afternoon, Madam Chairperson and members of the Committee. I'm Richard Redding, Director of Community Planning at the Philadelphia City Planning Commission testifying in support of Bill No. 060585. The Planning Commission approved it on June 15th of '06, and this action is fully consistent with the redevelopment area plan for West Fairhill/East Tioga/Hunting Park that was approved by the Commission in January of 2004. Thank you.
Good afternoon, Madam Chairwoman. Maurice John Houston 81 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. of behalf of the Philadelphia Housing Authority in support of Bill No. 060585. I'm going to talk briefly about the Warnock Street Phase 1 Project. It is an on-site development bounded by Germantown Avenue on the east to 2800 block of North 11th Street on the west to 1000 block of West Cambia Street on the north and the 1000 block of West Somerset on the south. The project will consist of 50 newly constructed affordable rental units comprised of one-bedroom, two-bedroom units, three-bedroom units and four-bedroom units, ranging approximately in size for the one-bedroom units from 673 square feet up to 1,401 square feet for the four-bedroom units. The project will be for families who are earning 50 percent or less of the area median income, and at least 20 percent of the units will be reserved for families earning 40 percent or less of AMI. Six units will be 82 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. accessible units and will be reserved for families earning percent or less. 4 The development will consist of 5 a mixture of walk-up units and townhomes. 6 Unit amenities include off-street parking 7 in the rear, central air conditioning, 8 washer and dryer hook-ups, vinyl tile and 9 carpeting and modern kitchen and electric 10 stoves and garbage disposals. 11 In addition to the creation of 12 new housing units, there will be the 13 possibility of some commercial space, 14 providing a new streetscape and 15 infrastructure improvements in the area, 16 including trees and new lighting. 17 All buildings will be stick 18 frame slab-on-grade with a combination of 19 brick, vinyl and stucco facades on the 20 exterior. Six of the units, again, will be handicap accessible and conform to the ADA requirements and Section 504 requirements. In conjunction with the residential development, PHA will 83 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. construct a 1,200-square-foot management office along Somerset Street between Germantown and Warnock, which will contain meeting rooms and a computer lab. The development will address the issues concerning the lack of costs in affordable rental units in the North Philadelphia community. The Philadelphia Housing Authority has designed a supportive service program to assist with the families that will be moving into these units to help move them to self-sufficiency. This project is ideally located, as it is accessible to a variety of educational, rental and transportational services. Germantown Avenue is a well-established commercial corridor that features groceries, eateries, drugstores, clothing stores and other service retail. Thank you.
Thank you very much. 84 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, this particular development is similar to a number of developments that we've done recently where the area is extremely blighted, but there happens to be a few units within the site plan. More recently, we just developed the Cecil B. Moore Homeownership Zone when there was approximately -- and correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Koonce -- there were approximately 30 to 35 occupied residents in the Cecil B. Moore Homeownership Zone and actually around two years ago we had a pretty testy public hearing when people got notices.
And one of the things that we did as a result of that -- and I think there were actually some other districts that were involved 85 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. in that initial taking -- we changed some of the regulations associated with the process and we actually embarked on a program where we gave individuals who had to be relocated first priority above and beyond the traditional first priority, and in that particular development, we were successful, and of those 10 individuals who chose to stay in the 11 neighborhood actually got the new units. 12 In this particular case, a few 13 of the occupied properties are owner 14 occupied. So in that particular 15 instance, there will not be an 16 opportunity for them to purchase one of 17 the units, because these units will be rental, but in discussions with the City, the Redevelopment Authority and OHCD and the Housing Authority, there's a commitment on the table if those individuals are interested in staying in that neighborhood in a rowhome, there will be publicly owned rowhomes that will be identified using the HRP program, the 86 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. Homeownership Rehabilitation Program. We will commit to rehabbing a house for those individuals, assuming they qualify, or those individuals will be given an opportunity to have first preference on some of the new homeownership developments that we're building in the immediate area or if they choose any other areas throughout the district. At the end of the day, using that approach that we used on the Homeownership Zone, we've had a very successful program where, in my estimation, pretty much everybody was satisfied. I recall this one particular lady who was the most vocal at that hearing actually was the person who cut the ribbon at the new homes on Master Street, so she was pretty happy about the way things ended up. So in this particular case, we want to make sure that those individuals who are being asked to relocate have a one-on-one opportunity to talk with a 87 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. representative of the Redevelopment Authority and, of course, myself as their elected official to make sure that they end up in a better condition. This particular area hasn't had any substantial investment in a long, long time and I've been challenged by the local residents to get some additional development in that area. I think the last thing we did was North 11th Street, which is actually adjacent to this parcel, which is why this particular project made some sense, was done by a local community group, North Philadelphia Community Help, and that was about approximately 12 years ago. As a matter of fact, I think the Mayor was the Councilperson at the time. There hasn't been any investment in that neighborhood, so we are happy that the Philadelphia Housing Authority has agreed to come in and invest a substantial amount of money in getting this development and hopefully stimulate additional development in that 88 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. particular neighborhood. One of the more interesting components -- and I think we'll probably have somebody testify from the commercial corridor -- is that this particular development gives us an opportunity to also substantially rejuvenate the commercial corridor on its northern end, which is essentially a vacant block, with the exception of about four or five properties. So it's our hope that if this happens, we will stimulate some substantial development up in that area that has been much needed. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. Do we have any questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Do we have anyone to testify on this bill? Gentlemen, please approach the 89 10/19/06 - RULES - BILL 060544, ETC. witness table. Mr. Houston, I believe Councilwoman Miller has a question for you.
I do. What helps you make the decision to -- because this is, in a sense, building an additional PHA development, correct? It wasn't a former PHA site; am I not correct?
That's correct. This is a scattered site area that the Housing Authority is working closely with the other City agencies to develop and stimulate housing in that particular market. As Councilman Clarke stated earlier, there are other homeownership developments and rental developments in the surrounding area, and this was just logical to go in that particular area and stimulate new housing.