that so it's a challenge between that and and and covid is certainly a challenge i know i pick up
my grandchild at daycare go through the same problem all right any questions from the board
no mr chairman no no anyone else beside mr gomillion who would like to testify in this case
please raise your hand chair we have the owner excuse me did you want to hear from her again
Excuse me. Did you want to hear from her again?
No, I don't think it's necessary.
Mr. DiCicco, I was only going to wrap up before that, if I may.
I apologize. Please do.
I'm sorry. Did we hear from Kristen? No.
No, and we still don't have any.
So we have a Kristen with a hand up. Did we hear from her?
no no i thought you i thought fatina said the owner the owner uh i'm sorry i misspoke
no worries that's okay no worries uh christian whitaker
hello christian whitaker please spell your full name and i swear you win
the first hello um mr chair the first name is christian k-r-i-s-t-n the last name is
Whitaker, W-H-I-T-A-K-E-R.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Please proceed.
So I actually am the owner of 534 Green Lane.
My boyfriend, Peter Glebelian, is the other occupant there.
So I do think it's necessary for me to speak, so I appreciate this time.
I really just wanted to kind of respond to some of what has been said, especially Jeanette's
comments.
the first thing I will start with saying is that I really don't think that this is a case of
whether or not Jeanette is a good person or whether or not Jeanette is providing a valuable
service to the community I don't deny either of those claims I think this case really boils down
to is Jeanette running a business at a proper location and in a proper manner which I say
strongly she is not okay so you know Peter showed you guys the evidence of the parking
Jeanette, and you know, we shared some pictures and unfortunately it's a little hard to have the
dates. Jeanette makes the point that this all happened during COVID because of different
stipulations of how the parents had to pick up their children. This is absolutely not true.
We shared photos from the entire last year. We have multiple photos on our camera from every day
this week and last week and the week before that where customers are continuing to block the
driveway. What I actually will say is probably worse now than in the past is that her customers
literally get out of the car. There have been times that I have come home from work and there's
no customer even in the car. So even if that's just for five minutes, if I can't get in my driveway
for that five minutes, that's an inconvenience and that's a problem. So she'll say, oh, it's just
five minutes. Well, it's five minutes when one car leaves and then another car comes and then
another car leaves and another car comes and this continues on to nine or 10 o'clock at night.
it's a problem so you know I think the driveway is one thing but I do just want to refute the
point very strongly like I said we have many many photos on our camera showing this continuing to
happen but this was not a COVID issue this was not an issue that there's snow on the ground and
now they can't park in the parking spots that's not the issue this is a continued issue despite
COVID and changes to how she runs her business um so that's you know number one um number two
and I think it should be emphasized is that her her patrons have no consideration for other people
like Peter said he's been threatened with balance when he's approached people to not block the
driveway I literally have been coming in in the driveway someone's standing in my driveway
talking on their cell phone this has happened multiple times I have to blow the horn and
get nasty evil looks from people I've had times when I'm trying to come and go and I ask someone
could they move the drive when they say hold on one second they're just waiting for their kids if
I'm supposed to wait for them to pick up their kid when they're blocking my driveway and preventing me from coming and going.
That's extremely problematic. So parking is one issue.
The second issue is that it is noisy. You know, Jeanette references, oh, well, it's not like little kids are outside at 10 o'clock at night.
No, sometimes it's not the little kids that are making the noise. It's the adults.
So it will be situations where people are literally coming out of the side of the dance studio, yelling down the street something to someone on the sidewalk or in their car.
So that's noisy. That happens multiple times a day. There are also kids during the day and early evening yelling and screaming outside of the dance studio. This happens routinely. This is not something that's a rare occasion.
Jeanette also points out that whenever she's seen someone blocking the driveway, she asked
them to move.
I can't refute that she does that.
She may be doing it, but whatever she's doing is not working because her customers still
continue to do this.
And while Jeanette may do that, she can only do that when she's physically outside.
If she's inside teaching a class or supervising a class, clearly she can't ask someone to
And again, while Jeanette does that, her daughter, who's another teacher and intimately involved
in the dance studio absolutely does not do that. I have seen her daughter on countless times,
someone's blocking our driveway, her daughter come out of the dance studio, see them be having
a conversation and never once say, oh, can you guys not be blocking the driveway? Or I've even
seen her on one occasion where someone's blocking the driveway, I come out of the house and then
the customer apologizes for blocking the driveway and the daughter says, oh no, no, it's okay,
the customer apologizes for blocking the driveway and the dog says oh no no it's okay it's not a
it's not a big deal. Well, no.
big deal well no it actually is a big deal it's inconveniencing us and inappropriate because it
goes on to nine or ten o'clock at night and that is correct they don't have class on sunday um so
that mr chair excuse me can i ask a question is this in a single family home the dance studio
no it's not it's it's it's in a it's a building uh on a red in the middle of a residential street
okay it would really be helpful if we could see pictures exactly uh that's what we need
is to see the parking arrangement and the zoning of the site in rsa3 district according to sharon
and it is only on the first floor is that true that the dance studio is only on the first floor
does your client live upstairs no Jeanette you can explain that before before Miss Whitaker
how long have you lived at your current address hello Miss Whitaker I believe he said that she
doesn't live there is that true hello yes miss Whitaker you can answer yes I moved in in October
2020 um and I think you know it's a very relevant point Mr. Chair because this is also something
Jeanette mentioned that the dance studio has been there for 25 years and this was just coming up as
an issue the reality is prior to 2014 when these townhomes were built my understanding is that
there was a parking lot there that actually was affiliated with Jeanette's building so people her
customers could have parked there that no longer is the case so they don't have parking and the
issue would not have happened 20 years ago because again these townhouses were only built in 2014
so this is only an issue that could have been raised over these last few years
carol did you have a question
you've muted carol
yeah i was trying to get pictures or rendering architectural rendering to see what the block
looked like? Sure, I'm not sure if the lawyer answered, but is the dance studio only on the
first floor of the building? Yes. Okay, and your client lives upstairs? No. So the upstairs is
vacant? Correct. Is there upstairs or is a one-story building? If I could just have Miss
Jeanette addressed that. Jeanette, can you unmute yourself? Hi, how are you? So the actual first
floor is the dance studio and the downstairs right now is a basement. The street, Green Lane,
is partly residential and partly commercial so there are there's a beer distributor up the street
from us there's also a dentist and then the post office is directly catty corner to my property
again I think the rest of the board Tom and Carol have indicated photographs will be very helpful
um i mean unless unless we have to continue we're not able to get any uh exhibits up correct
well i i will i will continue to work on my end yeah but we only have a couple other cases so
um no i know i'm just saying i i i've submitted everything it's not a question of i haven't
submitted it i'm just having trouble sharing that excuse me chair this is sharon i did just
email you the exhibit packet to all the board members. That helps. Thank you, Sharon.
What's the consensus of the board about voting this today or doing every hearing?
I'm ready to vote. I'm ready to vote, Mr. Chairman. I'm ready to vote as well, Frank.
Okay. All right. And one other question that may have been answered. I apologize if
mr griffin your client is a tenant yes she does not live uh is the studio she's a tenant there
or does she own the building she owns the building okay i thought i just wanted to double
check on that okay all right if i if i may just just wrap up uh jeanette you've heard me uh testify
as to the submissions, the background behind the business, uh, and the current state, have you?
Yes. And do you adopt that testimony as if it was your own? What I
And do you adopt that testimony as if it was your own, what I said?
And what I said, was that true and correct?
Yes, it is.
Okay. Thank you.
Mr. DeChico, you do have those exhibits for your review?
We're going to look at them.
Anyone else to testify in this case?
i see no hands chair thank you planning commission thank you good morning chairman
de chico ian hegarty for the philadelphia city planning commission that's h-e-g-a-r-t-y
we're a firm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes sir i do i just wanted to say on behalf of the city planning commission thank you for
serving the city of philadelphia on the zoning board it's been a pleasure to appear at these
hearings pleasure has been mine thank you thank you very much members of the board uh the
comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing rsa3 single family zoning at this
location i think it might be helpful for the board to understand that this structure has
documented history of non-residential use it was built first as a house of worship
and then was later used as a medical facility we appreciate the testimony from the neighbors but
But we don't believe that the proposed legalized use rises to the level of endangering public health, safety or welfare.
So the City Planning Commission would recommend that the board grant the variance.
Even though we disagree from time to time, we do appreciate your hard work.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, sir.
MI 2021-002631-536 Green Lane.
My vote is no.
Carol Tenere, my vote is no.
Professor Plaza, no.
James Snell, my vote is no.
My vote is no.
Okay, we're ready to go back to Ms. Visak, I believe, if she's ready.
Chair, I did text the one photo that I have to the board members.
from miss visac yes here i am okay um you sent the photo on hold on a minute
you'll have to scroll back a bit but yes you sent it in a text message sharon yes
yeah i have it okay uh miss visak are we looking the photo we're looking at uh with the wall looks
like uh an eagles play yeah somebody created a play for the eagles hopefully it's successful
is that your driveway yes okay so just explain briefly what it is you're asking the board to
approve um three open air um parking spots i um submitted the plans as well i could um
what's it called share share screen for them if you don't have a copy
this is down close to uh mifflin moore street correct
yes between mifflin and moore corner second and single
all right um the board have any questions
no no anyone else to testify in this case please raise your hand
chair we have patrick fitz maurice please unmute yourself and please wait for the
thank you patrick please spell your full name and i'll swear you in
Patrick Fitzmaurice, P-A-T-R-I-C-K, F-I-T-Z-M-A-U-R-I-C-E.
Do you swear for him to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Thank you. Please proceed.
Good morning, board. This is Pat Fitzmaurice. I'm the president of the Penn Sports Civic Association.
I just wanted to call in this morning. We received an email that perhaps our letter wasn't received.
So I just want to call in and make sure that the board knew that there was a community meeting held. To our knowledge, there was no opposition to this proposed use. In fact, there was a number of neighbors that showed up to support it. And in the RCO's opinion, we strongly support this requested relief.
we believe that taking cars off the street would really help the community out. We have obviously
like the rest of the city issues with parking and density and because the curb cut is not on
the parking side of Segal Street there's no loss. So if a community member wants to use their parcel
there's no loss um so if a community member wants to use their their parcel for parking
um with no loss we're strongly in favor of it thank you thank you thank you anyone else to
testify in this case please raise your hand i see no here thank you planning commission
thank you chairman de chico ian hegarty for the philadelphia city planning commission if i could
just ask a clarifying question is is this a legalization is this parking use in existence
now um we're we're waiting for to to be zoned approved we got to say you're not using it for
parking now is that correct not yet okay so it's a legalization okay but it's it's paid it's paved
and there's a curb cut already yes okay all right comprehensive plan recommends no change in the
residential single family zoning at this location city planning commission has no objection to the
proposed use thank you mi 2021-002613 1828 south 2nd street my vote is yes carol tenere my vote
is yes confessor plaza yes james snell yes thomas halliman yes thank you uh case number four on our
The list.
Hello?
Frank, where are you?
Brandon, have you been sworn in?
I was, yeah.
I don't know what happened to Frank.
He seems like it might've been disconnected.
If you don't mind, could you continue Madam Chair?
So have you waived the reading of the refusal
and stipulated to its accuracy?
Yes, I do.
You've done the whole thing, the exhibit packet. Yeah. So as I was alluding to earlier,
I was really confused by that RCO letter. We had a very detailed and positive meeting where we
actually came up with a proviso or two in exchange for support, then kind of the normal thing.
I called Ms. Bennett after Sharon sent me the letter an hour ago. I think she confused us
with another project. She said that our property had a female attorney who failed to show up for
the RCO meeting. But to be clear, I handled this property. Rachel did not. So I don't think there
would be any confusion with Rachel Pritzker. And I showed up at the meeting. We had a good meeting.
So if it's acceptable to the board, Ms. Bennett sort of hung up on me, the RCO president, and said