and Edgemont Street in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia. Let me just show you some
photos. This is the front of the property here in the center. Justina and her husband
uh purchased this property with the intent to um use it as a two-family dwelling uh for their
family where their family members would live in both units uh they would reside in the upper unit
and her parents would live in the lower unit this would provide her parents semi-independent living
while still having the ability to support them um by living in the same structure but you know
with doors and separate living spaces uh interrupting are you what what should
go back to that photograph please oh sorry
this structure is ours right in the middle okay i was curious and one next door has two doors i
thought that was all right and i'm getting and i'm gonna get to that all right i just just curious
all right yes so let's go back to the plans so here you have the plans um the first floor unit
would be a uh one bedroom two baths and have its own entrance off the shared hallway and the upper
unit would be a one bedroom one bath unit um like like you saw in the photo uh let me just go back
to the photos to show you the current state of the building. Like I said, there we go. There's
the front, and this is going down the street. I use Clearfield. It's a fairly wide street for
Port Richmond. It is a two-way street, and it's kind of a main artery of the neighborhood.
As you can see, the interior of the building right now is pretty much down to
the studs, so this would involve a renovation of the property as well.
Um, this use is proposed to family use is not out of character with the surrounding neighborhood. Let me get to my permits.
Um, this use is proposed to family use is not out of character with
Sorry, one second.
it. On this block alone, so on the 2600 block of East Clearfield, there are at least five other
permitted multi-unit buildings, including the property directly adjacent at 2647 East Clearfield,
which is two units. And then a few houses down is 2641 East Clearfield, which is four units. All of
these properties are zoned RSA 5, but used as multifamily. In fact, about if you look at both
sides of the street, about a quarter of the properties are not single family homes. And on
this side of the street, as it exists right now, about a third of the properties are not single
family homes. I want to show you the zoning map. Because so this is our property right here. It's
note that this property also backs up to a fairly large industrial complex which is the Huntington
yarn mill currently being used as such. If we go here you can see in the photos
that this is our property and you can see this is all industrial use, this is industrial use,
this is industrial use. So, you know, and even if that industrial use discontinued,
it is zoned ICMX and you could have a fairly large industrial commercial development right
behind it. For these reasons, they did meet with the community association. Let me get back to the
letter. It was a well-attended meeting. There was 33 people in attendance and ultimately they decided
to vote in support of this proposal. I'm happy. That's generally the gist. We're looking to use
the property as a two-family dwelling for the owner's family, and it's not inconsistent with
the surrounding uses. If you do go beyond just the 2600 Block II, I didn't include all of the permits,
but if you look to, you know, the east and west, Clearfield Street really is a mixed-use street,
even though it's zoned primarily RSA 5 with lots of mid-block commercial and multi-family uses all
along the length of it. I could have Justina should be on the call and can verify my testimony.
Justina, can you raise your hand? It should be at the bottom of the screen.
justina can you put your name and address on the record and please spell both your first and last
name my first name justina j-u-s-t-y-n-a last name m as a mary o z as a zebra d as a david
z as a zebra ierz 2649 east clifford street philadelphia p19134 and did you hear my testimony
here today yes i did and do you believe it to be truthful and accurate yes and do you adopt it as
your own yes i do all right thank you questions from the board no no
anyone else like to testify in this case anyone else would like to testify please raise your hand
no further hands at this time mr chair before i go to the planning commission jennifer do you
have petitions that were signed by any near neighbors um i do not i know that um i can
have justina testify she did talk to her adjacent neighbors and they were not in opposition
Planning Commission. Good morning, David Fecto, City Planning Commission, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. The comprehensive plan recommends residential single-family use for this property. There are other two-unit houses on this block, and we do not believe adding an additional unit will have a negative impact on the block. We do not object to granting this variance.
Thank you very much. MI 2020-002201 2649 East Clearfield. My vote is yes.
My vote is yes. My vote is yes. My vote is yes. My vote is yes.
Calendar number 1076 329 East Worcester Street.
Mr. James Devine has his hand raised. I will promote him right now.
Mr. Devine, you have been promoted.
Please wait to be sworn in, sir.
Mr. Devine, are you available?
he has to unmute himself if he's not there or having problem why don't we go to the next case
and we'll come back to that okay calendar number 1095 3355 jasper street
This is being handled pro se by Bethania, Bethania Alvarado.
Madam Chairwoman, Ms. Rosamond, McKelvey has her hand raised.
Is it for Jasper Street or Worcester?
For Jasper, let me find out.
Ms. McElvester, you've been allowed to speak.
I'm the RCO for 329 East Worcester, and we were told there was a case today.
There is. So you're representing the RCO. We're waiting to see if the applicant is going to testify.
The name you mentioned, we have not heard of before.
so. That's Caitlin Donahue. Oh yes ma'am.
Is this case, Sharon or Tanya somebody, has this case been continued in the past?
I don't believe that it has but we did receive exhibits from Miss Donahue so if we could push
it back and see if she's able to sign on yeah that's what we did originally we went to jasper
street so is anyone here for jasper street
miss pedita gadiel has her hand up i see she's here for jasper speed i'll allow her to speak
right now hello good morning yes yes good morning chairman um the owner of property is supposed to
also be online she's supposed to be signed in register Miss Betania I got the package to do
the presentation but she's gonna present herself is she uh has she signed in she's supposed to be
signed in we've been signed in since 9 30 this morning hold on a second let me make sure let me
Let's go back to Worcester Street while we're at it, Ms. Rosalind, you're here for that
case correct Worcester yes one minute please um hold on we don't need your testimony yet I just
want to get trying to figure out who's who yeah there's neighbors and city council on the line
too for that um could we try again to ask if Miss Caitlin Donahue is present 32329 East Worcester
Street. Ms. Donahue. And this case has not yet been continued, correct? I thought it had been
continued. I'm asking staff, ma'am, just hold on. I muted you, please stay muted. I have a James
Devine, who's an attorney. Let's just see who he is, Chair. Okay. James Devine? Yes, I'm here by
phone. Okay, and here, and who are you representing? I'm representing 329 Worcester Street, Pennsylvania
Team Challenge. Sir, can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name?
Sure, it's James Devine, D-E-V-I-N-E.
Excuse me, this is Sharon Saleta.
Mr. Devine, are you in the same law firm as Ms. Donoghue?
Yes, she was my associate.
Yes, she's my associate.
Okay, thank you.
Okay, thank you.
Mr. Devine, are you going to be presenting a package?
We can see, but we simply...
We raise our hand.
When our system locked in terms of our audio, when you attempted to let us in.
So do you need to be promoted to panelists?
Are you going to be able to share your screen?
yes and this is sharon slutt i can confirm that ms donahue did submit the exhibit package
okay but what are what are we promoting you under sir is it just your phone
i promoted mr donahue under his name but
it'll be Mr. Devine
Mr. Devine
my bad excuse me
he has to unmute himself
Mr. Devine
please unmute yourself
Mr. Devine, if you are still available, please unmute yourself, sir.
all right we're having problems again so let's go to number 13 jasper street if we're ready for that
yeah calendar number 1095-3355 jasper street
is miss alvarado there yes can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last
name please um batania a l b a r a d o at 3355 jasper street in philadelphia
okay do you swear or affirm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes and you have emailed an exhibit packet with all the required documents proof of ownership
tax compliance refusal referral photos plans 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
um I was um looking for the permission to create um my house into two apartments
do you have any exhibits you can share with us photographs floor plans
Badisa Khadijo does have them.
We're going to need to see some plans.
There's also a letter of opposition from Councilman Squilla and Harrogate Civic Association.
I have promoted Badisa to a panelist so she can present the presentation.
Aditsa, you've been promoted to a panelist to present.
Excuse me, ma'am, you're still muted.
If you can hear us, please unmute yourself.
Yes, I finally did.
I'm sorry.
can you put your name and address on the record and spell your last name
she can't testify i'm not testifying i'm just going to screenshot i i i know just letting
the board understand that can you share the exhibits can you wait one second do you swear
a firm to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Yes. Okay, can you put the exhibits up?
I have... Let me try to share the screen. Here you go. Give me a second. Here you go. Share. Can you see now?
Share. Can you see now? Not yet, but it looks like it's happening. Okay.
Yes. Okay, here you see the package starting with the application and at the end I'll show the plans.
No, she's supposed to speak, Lisa.
go ahead bethanya speak
bethanya
miss alvarado
uh-huh
can you speak now
perhaps the board could
let miss bedica know
which documents in particular they would like her to
Tax clearance, yeah.
Tax clearance.
First, we have the application that was submitted for the zoning hearing.
Here they have the refusal that was submitting for the zoning hearing.
Sorry.
I'm sorry.
All you have to do is just show the documents.
And is the applicant prepared to speak?
She's opposed to.
Hold down to the tax clearance.
I believe she has to provide testimony for this case.
yeah i don't know what the hang-up is here to be honest
but daniel do you have to testify we can continue it i'm actually all this if the board has a
question for the applicant we should probably ask it and in the meantime uh baditsa will pull up
the required exhibits yeah that's why i asked for a copy of the tax the tax clearance uh photos of
the property? Any floor plans? It's there. Submitted in the package. It's there. We're
just going slow. The system has a problem. It's not giving out tax clearance, but the
property is tax compliance. We printed out the tax history. Here it comes now. It's coming
up now. Yep.
this is just photographs and or for a go hold on
first floor and second floor and now Ms. Alvarado can speak
Ms. Alvarado you may unmute yourself please
i think you should be better to continue the case because she's not prepared to present correctly
i agree okay uh mi 2020 that zero zero one zero nine five three three five five jasper street
is continued thank you calendar number zero six four five five forty nine east loray street
that was withdrawn that was withdrawn okay and um the case before that well
takawana is continued okay calendar number one zero seven six three twenty nine east worcester street
Mr. Devine can you unmute yourself
Is that Mr. Devine? Can you unmute yourself?
There we go. Can you hear me?
Yes, we can. Can you put your name and address on the record, please, and spell your last name?
Sure. James Devine, D-E-V-I-N-E, 45 East Orange Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17602.
Do you swear and 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
i do have you emailed the exhibit packet with the required documents documents 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 an rco and do you have a letter we we have and we do okay you
may proceed. Thank you. Thank you. May I share my exhibits? Yes, you may. I'm going to try.
We're having some difficulty. I apologize. May I proceed with my explanation while we
bring our exhibit packet up? Yes. Okay. We do have a notice of refusal or application for appeal.
the project information form, the deed of property and certificate of tax clearance, photographs of the properties, our correspondence to neighbors, support signatures, RCO meeting form, a follow-up request for an updated RCO meeting, which I'll explain in a moment, as well as our chapter code for staffing and requirements for drug and alcohol treatment.
i also have our ceo chris mcfadlon as a potential witness
we had an rco meeting back in september of 2020. it was unusually chaotic
mr devine mr excuse the interruption do you have any exhibits you could be sharing with us
he does but he's having a difficult i heard him say that i know but we can't
it says they're pulling up now
I apologize
every time we move to a different phase of our hearing
the system freezes
okay no problem