Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I apologize for the delay. The board had to go through its
annual ethics training. So we are going to begin our cases now. Again, we apologize for the delay.
My name is Frank DiCicco, and I'm the chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment. I'll be
participating in today's hearing along with our vice chair, Ms. Carol Tenere, board secretary,
confessor plaza, and board members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
excuse me sir i just want to ask um you might want to wait just a little bit because the
attendees are still coming in oh i'm sorry i forgot yeah i i thought because it was starting
late that was already who knows sorry to interrupt oh no i'll start over again when you're ready
thank you i am here it's snowing again in case anybody's interested oh my gosh i can say it
right now Frank do I have two minutes to walk away yes okay I'll be right back
okay so when Mr. Cenari comes back we should be good to go
thank you
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Okay, Frank, we should be ready to go.
Okay, good morning again everyone.
My name is Frank DiCicco.
We apologize for the lateness of starting this morning's hearing, but the board had to go
through its annual ethics training session this morning.
As I said, my name is Frank DiCicco, I'm the Chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
I'll be participating in today's hearing along with our Vice Chair, Ms. Carol Tenere, Board
Secretary, Confessor Plaza, and Board Members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Board Administrator, Mr. Jason Hand, and our Board Attorney, Ms. Sharon Saleta are also
in attendance.
For those of you who haven't yet participated in our virtual hearings, I'll go through some
the basics of what you can expect. First, we will be administering oaths to individual
participants prior to their testimony. Second, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding
is being recorded and that by participating you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded
and also to remind everyone that this is being recorded and will be available to the public
on the web or otherwise if anyone is participating by phone please if you wish to testify you must
raise your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to unmute yourself i'll repeat for anyone
participating by phone if you wish to testify you must raise your hand by hitting star nine
and then star six to unmute yourself finally to enter an appearance statement call google
267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue.
I'll repeat. To enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email
5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue I would also like to
address and the address
remind everyone to please do not attempt to testify in the chat any comments should be
directed to our board administrator with that I believe Carol if you can call those
add-ons and the reconsideration's off okay the add-ons are
the add-ons are calendar number 0945 3965 Lancaster Avenue
we're voting that yes
my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes
Thank you. Calendar number 2752, 4317 Ludlow Street.
Is that for a reconsideration?
The record's closed and it's to be voted today.
It's Rachel Pritzker's case.
Lancaster Avenue again?
Ludlow Street.
Margaret's case?
No, this is Rachel Pritzker's case. It was eight dwelling units, refusal for parking,
two required, zero provided. Okay. My vote is no. My vote is no. My vote is no. My vote is no.
My vote is no. My vote is no. Sharon, those are the only two add-ons, correct?
That's right. And then there are the reconsiderations.
okay calendar not these are the reconsiderations calendar number 2118-2105 Ellsworth Street
the other one behind 2-2107 Ellsworth Street and you know I saw that and I ignored it calendar
number 2116-2107 Ellsworth Street my vote is yes for reconsideration and rehearing
my vote is yes for reconsideration and rehearing yes to reconsideration and rehearing yes to
reconsideration and rehearing yes to reconsideration and rehearing calendar number 1383 4003 filbert
street my vote is yes to reconsideration and rehearing my vote is yes to reconsideration
and rehearing. Yes to reconsideration and rehearing. Yes to reconsideration and rehearing. Yes to
reconsideration and rehearing. Calendar number 0547 3761 Glen Street. Yes to reconsideration and
rehearing. My vote is yes to reconsideration and rehearing. Yes to reconsideration and rehearing.
yes to reconsideration and rehearing yes to reconsideration and rehearing
now the continuances and withdrawals are as follows calendar number 2668 1331 north 17th street
it's leo mulvihill's case
uh that case is continued correct that case is continued sharon
why don't we do we'll read them all off and then we'll ask if anybody has any objection
okay calendar number 2196 2655 emerald street
is continued calendar number 0645 549 east loray street that's withdrawn anyone have any objection
to the cases that have just been read to either be continued or withdrawn please raise your hand
there are no hands at this time Jason are you there thank you uh is there anyone else anyone
If anyone else would like to request a continuance or withdrawal, please raise your hand at this time.
Mr. Chair, I have a Mr. Raymond Derizio.
Good morning, Mr. DeRizio. Please identify yourself with the record. Spell your full name.
According to Mr. Derizio, please identify yourself with the records, spell your full name.
Wait a minute. I don't know where he's going. He had his hand up a moment ago now.
Mr. Chair, maybe he had his hand raised in a mistake. My bad.
his cases of one of the cases we we called out as being continued 2655 emerald street
excuse me did you say um raymond derizio yes i can see him on my end if you want i can promote him
okay he has been promoted panelist okay thank you good morning mr derizio
please identify yourself for the record. Spell your name.
Mr. Dorizio, are you there?
He's not here and he put his hand down so I would suggest you continue to.
thank you okay any other hands up for continuances or withdrawals
i see no hands here thank you carol i think we can proceed with the rail
has his hand raised and another uh individual mark we use yes his hand is raised as well okay
I just promoted Mark Leuzzi to a panelist.
Good morning, sir. Please identify yourself with a record. Spell your full name.
Mark Leuzzi. L-E-U-Z-Z-I.
You swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
And you're here on what case, sir?
2601 South Marshall. Legalize a duplex.
are you asking for a continuance no i am not ray is not answering and i know he told me to jump on
so he should be there okay well yeah that case we'll call your case up uh it's on our list so
when we get to it well your attorney might be available okay sorry guys no problem
Mr. Chair, I have a Petra Gamble. I will promote her to panelists right now.
Ms. Gamble, you have been promoted to panelists.
Good morning, ma'am. Please identify yourself with the records by your last name.
Good morning. This is Petra Gamble. Last name is G-A-M-B-L-E.
i'm here representing the coordinating rco point breeze uh cdc you swear to firm to tell the truth
the whole truth nothing but the truth i do please proceed please forgive me i don't understand how
these things work for reconsideration when we find out the date of the rehearing
i'm sorry for 2105 and 2107 uh ellsworth sorry street uh you will be notified by staff
only if they have put their name in as um an attendee and they've recorded that that they
were an appearance then the dates will be published on the zba calendar and those who are have put in
a parent statement will get notification via email excuse me this is sharon i believe the rco in
making that request was also represented by an attorney steve masters who should be able to
yes okay thank you thank you have a good day you too thanks
jason are they the only hands
no mr gerizio has his hand up has his hand up i will promote him to the head of panelists right
now thank you mr gerizio you have been promoted to panelists please wait to be sworn in sir
Please identify yourselves by your last name for the record.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, members of the board.
Raymond Dorizio, R-A-Y-M-O-N-D-D-O-R-I-Z-I-O.
Address to Penn Center, Suite 520, Philadelphia, PA, 19102.
This is a continuous request.
Do you aspire to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Thank you.
What case are we talking about?
This is calendar number MI2020-002196. It's 2655 Emerald Street.
you did you regret that we read that off as being continued is that what you're sorry
We read that off as being continued. Is that what you're saying?
I'm sorry.
yes i had a poor connection in the beginning no problem okay that case will be continued
and we'll get back to you on the marshall street case in due time thank you thank you
anyone else the chair mr sloan folks has been promoted to panelists to speak thank you good
morning, Mr. Folks. Morning, Chair. Can you hear me? I just got kicked off. Yes, we can. Please
identify yourself, and I'll swear you in. Good morning, sir. Sloan Folks, S-L-O-A-N-E, F-S-A-F-I-R,
O-L-K-S, Office of Counseling Maria Keyones-Sanchez, room 508 City Hall.
We're going to affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Yes, sir, I do. I apologize if I missed this, but our office is requesting a continuance for meeting number MI-2020-002200, 4513 Takawana Street, as they have not met with the coordinating RCO and there has not been any community input.
We don't have any exhibits. Has this case already been continued?
I have it as the first listing chair that case will be continued MI 2020-0022004513
Takawana is continued thank you much thank you any other requests
no further hands at this time mr chair okay i think we can begin carol okay calendar number
2260 1017 west huntington street the attorney is cheryl gaston
Ms. Gadsden, can you hear me?
Gaston, are you available? You may unmute.
Okay, I'm here. Ms. Gaston, can you put your name and address on the record and spell your
last name, please? My name is Cheryl Gaston. It's C-H-E-R-Y-L, Gaston. G as in George,
H-A-S as in Sam, T-O-N.
I'm with Spruce Law Group, LLC.
The address is 1622 Spruce Street in Philadelphia.
Thank you.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Do you also agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Yes, I do.
Hold on.
I mean, okay.
Okay, final questions.
Final questions.
have you emailed an exhibit packet with the required documents which are proof of ownership
tax compliance refusal or referral photos and or 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 thank you you may proceed
Okay. Good morning, members of the board. This is a zoning request concerning 1017 West Huntington Street in Philadelphia.
It is to legalize and or to otherwise add one additional residential dwelling unit to the first floor rear of this particular property.
the property was sold to my client as having three residential units and the one commercial.
Ms. Gaston, do you have any exhibits you can share with us?
Can I share a screen here?
Okay. Can you see the screen? Hello?
Yes. Yes, we can.
Yes, we can.
Okay. So this is the property here. The request, it's a small ask. It's just to legalize this
one additional unit. This is the deed for the property, which was included in the exhibit packet.
And again, my client bought the property with the representation that there were
three units that were approved as well as the one commercial unit. So this application is
just to legalize the one unit. When he went to go and get residential rental licenses,
he was told that only the two units in the front were approved along with the commercial space.
This is the notice of refusal, which is just for the one additional unit. The variance is required
because the minimum lot area for three units is 1440 square feet to 1919 square feet. The lot
is 1072 square feet. So there's a need for the variance to get the additional space.
This has taken a little while to get here because it was originally submitted as a paper
application, and then we, with the COVID restrictions and what have you, we then
converted it to an online application. The property, that's the tax clearance. This is the
site plan, which shows the additional unit, which is in the rear of the property.
We have pictures of the posting and of the actual unit which is here. This is the first floor,
this is the living room, there's a kitchen. It's a kind of bi-level unit so it's first floor bathroom,
bedroom there's a hair salon in the front well what it's supposed to be is a hair salon and
that's what the licensing is for um again because of covid they have not occupied the property yet
and then there's i've included some pictures of the other parts of the property the second floor
in the third floor units, even though they're not really part of this particular application.
We did meet with the community group. They sent a meeting summary form. There were 12 attendees,
and this was approved by all 12 in support. And again, that's our notification letter.
the addresses where we sent the notification letter and our certificates of mailing which
were all part of the packet. So again what we're asking for is just to basically legalize this one
additional unit. The code basically says that the fact that a unit or a lot is undersized
doesn't mean that it can't be used. This one is nonconforming because it is undersized
even for what is already approved. My client is basically a bona fide purchaser for value.
he purchased what he thought was three units and the commercial space and without this variance
then he's going to either have to try and convert the property which is the quintessential idea of