And as Mr. Brody said and Mr. Briscoe, we have enough businesses there.
And I'm going to say this maybe in not such a nice way, but I don't understand why some businesses keep, we're trying to build up the neighborhood and why they keep coming in adulterizing, trying to trash it up with business.
We just don't need that.
And listening to the gentleman's presentation for the owner, at first they came in with a request for a steak shop.
Then I heard him in his statement said something about pizza.
briefly and then the halal business it's it's not a good corner it's the block is residential
and it should stay residential as you're still working on and supporting the development of
blanks to have a new business which is a block away thank you thank you anyone else something
new and different is there any uh and do we have any correspondence from the i think it's
councilwoman got the azo district if i'm not mistaken
excuse me this is sarin i believe andrew goodman is um present and wants to testify
yeah i thought he might be but all right he's been unmuted okay mr goodman you're still under
oath please identify yourself for the record good evening andrew goodman g-o-o-d-m-a-n
office of third district council member Jamie R. Gaudier. So yes, the council member stands
with the community in opposition to the variance application proposed here in the spirit of
something new and different. I'll just offer some additional clarity about this particular
stretch of Spring Garden Street. Oftentimes with Spring Garden, we might think of the,
you know, commercial arterial as it is closer to the Delaware Riverfront or at the community
College campus, but this is a residential, significantly smaller stretch of Spring Garden
Street, so just want to add that as clarity for why the residential zoning exists.
Thank you for your time today.
Thank you.
Planning Commission.
Mr. Chairman, whenever you'd like me to weigh in.
I'm sorry, sorry, go ahead, please proceed.
That's okay.
I appreciate it, but if you'd like to hear from the Planning Commission beforehand, that's fine.
Go ahead. We keep the Planning Commission until the last.
Okay. Thank you. I appreciate that.
let's remember that the property in question has never been a single-family home.
Let's remember that the property
We're talking about since 1895, which I've already provided evidence for.
It is 23 feet wide.
There are no single family residential homes on Sloan or on Spring Garden that are even close, you know, to that, you know, that size.
So to ask my client to build a single family home on this lot would be, you know, flying in the face of 135 years of history.
My client has already proposed that we present a halal restaurant on the Spring Garden sign that would have, again, lighting around the property, surveillance around the property, commercial trash pickup around the property.
not quite sure uh why the board or or anyone else would suggest that this property after 135 years
should all you know ultimately be a single family house when again a single family home has never
sit on this lot uh and as a result you know i'm respectfully requesting the relief so that my
my client can build not a two-story or a three-story, you know, property, literally just
wants to put a property that is at the same height, just something that's functional and workable
and that, that is, you know, something that could be an attribute to the community.
and with that i want to close but one one more thing um if you look at every other lot on sloan
street it is they are every house is 15 feet wide and they are single family homes there is a reason
why this particular property is 23 feet wide and 60 feet deep, because it does not acclimate to
the Sloan Street single-family homes, but it actually acclimates to the CMX and RM1 properties
on Spring Garden. There is not one single-family home that fronts Spring Garden, and there's a
reason for that. Spring Garden is a busy street. It's a noisy street. It's a loud street. A single
family property on this property has never been a plan for the city of Philadelphia based on the
evidence I provided this evening, not since 1896. So if we were to deny this appeal this evening,
we would be flying in the face of of you know precedence uh for 135 years
and again my client is willing to um be very strict with his with his operation uh he's
he's already agreed to hours of operation that go from 12 noon to 9 p.m nothing else
nine hours a day, around-the-clock surveillance, outdoor lighting, property management information
given to everyone on the block. So I'm not quite sure what the issue here is other than the
hope that a property that's never been a single-family home ultimately becomes a single-family
home despite its irregular shape size and inclination and um i just think the board i hope
will will think that uh will at least uh you know you know review the history
and you will see where we sit thank you thank you um just because a property has not been used as a
residential for 135 years. There may have been a time and that held water. But in the last 20 years
or so, commercial buildings, manufacturing buildings have been converted into residential
buildings. So I'm not I'm not suggesting that, by the way, also, I just like to say
So I'm not I'm not suggesting that, by the way, also, I'd just like to say I'm not suggesting that the community would be in favor of a multifamily.
But I think their main objective is to keep that from being a commercial, especially with a window service.
It could turn out to be considerably like a Pats and Geno's hours of operation are different.
I get that. But I think that's their concern.
So your client may want to have a conversation with the community and the county office.
I get that.
Let me finish.
I get it.
That may want to have a conversation with the community.
There may be a way for him to make it economically feasible to create more than one multifamily.
With that, we will go to the Planning Commission.
Mr. Chairman, just for the record, we agreed to 12 noon to 9 p.m. hours of operation.
I said that.
I said I know the hours are different.
I get that.
Thank you.
okay thank you thank you mr chair uh this is mason austin with the planning commission
this property is indicated for residential single family and the city's comprehensive plan and is
zoned for that purpose the city is the property is not located on a commercial corridor and there
is significant neighborhood opposition to the proposed use accordingly the planning commission
as opposed to the requested variance. Thank you. MI 2020-002341 450 Sloan Street, my vote is no.
My vote is no. My vote is no. My vote is no.
Thank you. Number eight, Carol? Yes, calendar number 2342, 6168 Ridge Avenue.
I understand there's a letter of support from Central Roxborough Civic.
Justin Crick is the attorney.
I'm promoting him to panelists right now.
Thank you.
He is now a panelist, Madam Chair.
Justin, can you please put your name and address on the record if you can hear me?
yes i can hear you okay good sorry name and address name and address please spell your last
name justin crick k-r-i-k address is 1500 jfk boulevard suite 630 philadelphia pa 19102
do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
i do do you also agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy
Have you emailed the exhibit packet with proof of ownership, tax compliance, refusal, 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 to all.
You may proceed.
Thank you.
Thank you.
If I may share my screen.
Thank you.
Members of the board, we are here today for the property at 6168-72 Ridge Avenue.
The refusal or the application that we have submitted is for the erection of a static internally illuminated wall sign and for a double face projecting sign.
Based upon the overlay in the district, the Ridge Avenue overlay, this sign was refused for its design as a matter of just the plans examiner's interpretation of it.
However, we have met with the, let me just situate you with the property.
We are on Ridge Avenue between Crams and Leverington.
And just a little bit, a very busy commercial corridor with lots of restaurants.
And what we're planning to use with this sign is a restaurant use.
We are actually this storefront here.
That would be the New Ridge Brewing Company.
and we're located next to the Santucci's and there are some residences above and here it is from
another angle a side angle so the front of the facade no longer looks like this it has been
transformed into this in preparation for my client's use my client is the proposed tenant
of the property the lease information is attached below but the sign design that would go right
along this facade is channeled letters, but not a racetrack of lighting behind it. They're
individually lit letters. They are in a sort of royal blue setup. And I'm going to zoom in here
as well so that you can see. Give me one second. The protruding sign is going to be a round sign
that basically just has the logo for the restaurant on it,
the restaurant on it, the New Ridge Brewing Company. We have met with the neighbors and
the New Ridge Brewing Company.
We have...
demonstrated several other photographs of restaurants nearby that have similar letters
or letters and signage that we believe is comparable. Admittedly, H&R Block was
grandfathered in before the overlay, and to the best of everyone's knowledge, we're not sure how
this one is there, but nevertheless, they also have a large protruding sign. I'll make it pretty
quick because there's a few others here in the area that are similar. But overwhelming support
from the Neighborhood Association after discussing this with them. For clarity, my client bought the
property originally from the Roxborough Development Corporation, which was integral in developing the
overlay. And we have correspondence from them that while these are the facade controls for that
overlay and what's allowed and what is not, they have given us their opinion separate from the
neighborhood that the intent of this overlay was to eliminate internally illuminated box and awning
signs and then as it continues it says we did not intend internally illuminated channel letters
or internally illuminated letter form signs to meet this prohibition so for those reasons
i'll get through the formalities in a second you have the zoning poster that has been posted
an initial page of the lease agreement between my client and the landlord and the rest is available
request. Here's the deed to the property for the Roxborough Development Corporation, or at least
the most recent one of record, and the tax clearance certificate. So members of the board,
the sign we're seeking to put up, we believe that it necessarily shouldn't have qualified under the
prohibition of the overlay, but nevertheless, whether it did or didn't, the neighborhood fully
supports the design and is in favor of it. And we're asking for the relief requested
to be allowed to place the signage.
I do have a gentleman, Mr. Eric Endricat,
who may have raised his hand already,
to testify on this behalf.
Good evening, Eric.
Please identify yourself for the record when you get on.
Spell your last name, and I'll swear you in.
All right, it's Eric Endricat, E-N-D-R-I-K-A-T,
and the address is 6168 Ridge Avenue,
philadelphia pa 19128 you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the
truth i do please proceed mr quick thank you eric um have you had an opportunity to listen to my
testimony to the board today yes and would you accept all of the statements that i made to the
board as true and correct to the best of your knowledge yes absolutely and do you accept my
statements as your own testimony as if you provided it yourself yes i do thank you very much
uh members of the board we are we we would like to proceed we rest thank you questions from the
board no anyone else like to testify in this case please raise your hand
no further hands at this time mr chair thank you planning commission thank you uh mr chairman and
members of the board this property is indicated for commercial mixed use in the city's comprehensive
plan in a zone for that purpose the restriction on signage is due to an overlay that was implemented
to support the commercial uses on ridge avenue given this context both neighbors and the rocks
boro development corporation the planning commission has no opposition to the request
variance thank you mi 2020-002342 6168 ridge avenue my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote
is yes my vote is yes thank you members of the board maybe yes you may have a good evening stay
safe you too thank you calendar number two three four four six two two seven kella hill street
mr joseph console has um raised his hand i will
i understand is a letter from hmc square community association in support
mr consul can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name please
yes good afternoon good evening everyone last but not least tonight joe consul consul madison
one west third street suite 204 media pennsylvania one nine zero six three
you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth i do yes do you also agree
to weigh the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy i do and have you emailed the
exhibit packet with proof of ownership tax compliance refusal referral photos and or
refusal referral photos and or plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing
plans of the property five days in advance
and have you met with the rco and do you have a letter yes we said everything and yes we met
with them twice and we have a letter of support okay you may proceed hi board uh the property
i'm here for is 6227 callow hill street uh owned by michael's construction llc michael spencer is
here with us. He'll verify my testimony in a moment. This property is at the corner of Callow
Hill and Felton Street. Here's a just showed your front view. Here's a side view. It's from across
the street and that's in the rear. It is a 1,790 square foot property. In 1977 it was granted a
variance to be used as a three-unit building. It was commercial mixed use prior to that. According
to the neighbors, it was rented as a three-unit building until it fell into disrepair. Michael
bought it last year. The prior owner had had it for a long time before that. Michael is seeking
to use it as a three-unit building once again. The floor plan is on page 17 in your packet. I've got
it highlighted i cried all right i got it highlighted here uh the first floor has a one
unit as well as a studio apartment the second floor has a two-bedroom unit we met with the hmc
squared community association twice first time on december 3rd they were in favor but they had
several requests so we uh we deliberated we met with some neighbors we came back on january 28th
and we received near unanimous support at the first meeting there was concerns about noise trash
fire safety and water the potential for water in the basement because a neighbor had believed that
it had history of that the owner agreed to meet with an extra neighbor and several other neighbors
as I said address these issues again the place has been dilapidated for a long time so things
like noise and trash were speculation. But still, we brought back our new plan to the community on
the 28th of January, got near unanimous support. We believe the project helps improve a corner of