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 board secretary, Mr. Confessor Plaza,
and our board member, Mr. Thomas Holloman.
Our vice chair might be joining us a little bit later on in this hearing.
We're also joined by our board administrator, Ms. Tanya Sunkett,
and our board's attorney, Ms. Sharon Saleta, as well.
For those of you who have not yet participated in one of our virtual hearings, I will go through some of the basics of what you can expect.
First, beginning this morning's session by reading a list of cases to be continued.
If you believe any case is being continued in error, we will give you an opportunity to respond.
After reading the continuance list and receiving any feedback, we will take any additional continuance requests.
Then, once we've confirmed which hearings are being continued, myself will begin calling the remaining cases listed for this session, or our secretary will call those names off as well.
uh when a case is called we ask that attorneys representing applicants or other interested
parties in the matter identify themselves for the record we will then hear the applicant's
presentation followed by any presentation by attorneys representing other parties
interested parties and members of the members of the public not represented by counsel will then
be given an opportunity to testify we will finally hear the recommendation of the planning commission
At the hearing's conclusion, we will either vote the matter out immediately or hold it for discussion in executive session.
Any case for discussion will be voted on at the next scheduled Wednesday session at 9.30 a.m.
Please note the following changes related to the virtual format.
First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to their testimony.
Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone, we ask that attorneys and witnesses
identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying.
Third, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being recorded and that by
participating, you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded.
it. Fourth, 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. Again, if you're participating by phone and wish
to testify, hit star nine and then star six to unmute yourself. Finally, to enter an appearance,
excuse me. Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google number 267-270-5548.
That number again is pound 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property
at issue. With that being said, we can begin. But before we call our first case, we'd like to
announce that the following matters are being continued. Tanya and with Sharon, could you help
me with that? I somehow misplaced that list. I got it, Frank. You want me to read it?
please read it off. Okay. Calendar number 39475-130 North 5th Street. Calendar number 39414-2100
Benson Street. Calendar number 39490-2315 Catherine Street. Calendar number 39444-2632
Webster Street, calendar number 39620-3676 Indian Queen Lane, calendar number 39420-718
South 18th Street, and calendar number 842-354 Red Line Road is also continuing.
Thank you.
Is there anyone who believes a case is being continued in error?
please raise your hand at this time no hands chair thank you are there any
other requests for continuances or withdrawals please raise your hand at
this time
carrie um you can unmute yourself and speak thank you good morning uh with respect to the
continuances excuse me would you please identify yourself spell your name and address spell your
name and for the stenographer yes uh good morning carrie nace attorney with the law firm of fox
Rothschild 2000 Market Street Philadelphia PA here with regard to
matter the address is 2315 Catherine Street which was referenced as a
continuance do we have a new continuance hearing date for those
no the date will be mailed out okay great thank you thank you are there any
other requests for continuances or withdrawals please raise your hand um we have someone else
let me just see we have another uh continuance that was missed from the list 7404 taurusdale
um zen jen is here
then you can unmute yourself
again please identify yourself for the record
Xen Jin, Z-H-E-N-J-I-N, 1617 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1838, Philadelphia PA 19103.
I would like to request a continuance for Toursdale.
We actually sent in a request, I believe.
Yes, you did.
My fault.
I didn't put it with the list.
Could you read that calendar number, Tanya, and address it into the record?
or Jen, you can do it, whatever works. I can do it if you'd like, and it was actually my fault
that it wasn't included on the list. No problem, no problem. The calendar number is 39476,
the address 7404 Torresdale Avenue. Thank you, thank you. Any other requests for continuances
or withdrawals, please raise your hand.
No hands are up, Chair.
Thank you, Tanya.
Confessor, would you please begin with the first case?
Read the first case.
Calendar number 39529, 1254 North 19th Street.
We have Augusta O'Neill, you've been promoted to panelists, you can unmute yourself and
share your screen as necessary.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning, ma'am.
Good morning.
Before you begin, I'm sorry.
Yeah, confess and then you can query.
My volume is down.
Can you hear me now?
yes okay thank you by your name for the record please sure my first name is augusta a-u-g-u-s-t-a
my last name is o'neill o apostrophe n e-i-l-l you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth i do and do you await the reading of its refusal and stipulate
to its accuracy? I do. Thank you. Before Ms. O'Neill starts, can I say that there is an RCO
meeting scheduled for this appeal on August 19th. The council person and the RCO have agreed to
allow the hearing to go forward. I've advised Ms. O'Neill that she will be required to return and
report the results of the meeting after it is held. Thank you. So noted. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I'm going to start sharing my screen.
Good morning, everyone. I'm here this morning with a project for a property located at 1254
north of 19th Street. This property is bordered by West Thompson Street to the
north and 19th Street to the east. It is zoned as an RM1. Our proposal is to
rehabilitate an existing structure on the property. This is the property that
this is the property that our project is for. Before my client bought this property,
there was a store on the first floor and a residential unit above.
As you can see from the zoning history, that was also included with our exhibits.
My client's intention is to take the first floor unit that was used as a store and convert it into
another residential unit so that there will be two residential units. Our architect David Sumida
designed the property with a lower level so that the lower level and the first floor of the property
will be one unit and the second and third floors will be used as another. Presently the property
has a bulging wall that is bowing out over six inches and my client purchased it after it had
been vacant for several months with the intention of fixing it up. In a traditional RM1 district,
we could have built two units by right, but due to the overlay that this property is in,
we are required to seek the de minimis relief that we are now seeking. In a traditional R1
district, there must be 350 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit, but in this particular
overlay, 425 square feet is required for each dwelling unit, and we are only off by less than
100 square feet. I would submit to you that the intent of the overlay is to curtail excessive
development, and we believe that by converting this building into a two-unit property, we can
bring two affordable units to this neighborhood. The surrounding uses in the area are mostly
multifamily. Pull up some pictures of the surrounding area. Sorry to interrupt. Do you
have any floor plans? I do. Okay, that'd be helpful. Thank you. I'll just go through some
pictures of the surrounding properties in this area and they'll bring up the floor plans.
Let's see.
Here we go.
So this is what the lower level and first floor would look like, kitchen, bedroom.
In the lower level, there would be family room, laundry area, and on the second floor
and third floor, which is where the other unit would be, you see we have three bedrooms,
kitchen and dining area, another living space.
As I said before, this property has always been
two units. The building itself actually already has
two separate entrances, which I can show you
in another picture. There's an entrance here
and there's another entrance back here. Our proposed use
would therefore be consistent with the other properties that are already in
the neighborhood. Just to show the board a proposed rendering, or I'm sorry, a
rendering. Following the rehabilitation, this is what the property would look
like. We had also received refusals for our proposed deck and fence.
trying to find it here we go
as you can see the deck that we're proposing which would be here
is not even as far back as the deck of the building that is next door
as sharon previously mentioned due to the pandemic we were not able to meet with the
RCO for this property, the Community Land Trust Corporation. They were gracious enough to allow
us to schedule a meeting with them for August 19th, so I would therefore ask that the board
hold their vote until after this RCO has had a chance to meet with my client and our project
architect. However, should the board have any questions this morning, my client and our
architect are here today and available to answer any questions that you have.
thank you uh any questions from the board no no anyone else wish to testify if so please raise
your hand planning commission would like to uh comment i was coming to you i didn't forget you
this morning believe it or not i want to hear comments from the public first
no hands up chair thank you planning commission
yes good morning um this property is indicated for residential use on the city plan given the block
um this property is indicated for residential use on the city plan given the block pattern
we have no objection to the grounding of the variance provided that the
fence code can is in full compliance that relates to the opaque uh fencing height and also um and
the height thank you thank you so noted and this case is calendar number 39529 1254 north 19th
street is being held pending a letter from the RCO and a report from the
attorney regarding the hearing also the record will remain open if any community
member should wish to speak thank you thank you for clarifying that wonderful
okay next case thank you very much calendar number three nine four one one two thousand
south krosky
zem can you uh unmute yourself um he has to be promoted first um zen you're now promoted
thank you you can share your screen as you wish also just just give us your name for the record
but you've already been sworn in so thank you zenjin z-h-e-n-j-i-n uh here on behalf of mr jentien
mataj the owner of 2000 kroski do you agree to waive the reading of his refusal and stipulate
to attack your scene i do thank you i'm going to go ahead and share the uh to the board the
information relating to this case.
So this is a property in a CMX2 commercial district. My client acquired
the property and was in process of renovating it. The key item here is that
in CMX2 commercial district, you're required to have 30 feet deep commercial space on the first
floor. I'm going to go ahead and jump to the plan as I think it'll be easier to see
what I'm going to be representing on this through the plans itself. Essentially,
my client's property, I'm sorry, let me shrink that down a little bit.
my client's property is set up previously with the walls and divisions of the property in place
and what you have is essentially a small commercial space in the front and a residential
space towards the back on the first floor and then a residential space on the second floor
we're actually short by about four and a half feet for the commercial space
depth but because the stairs here and that's an existing stairwell that is
built into the space it's very difficult to try to get more space out of the
commercial portion he actually wants to use the commercial space as his private
office and then leave the residential space as they are we met with the
community and obtained support because they're aware of the this corner is not
a heavy commercial corner so the community did not feel that this is an
issue to have the proposal. What I'll do is I'll pull up the community letter and
they actually put a pretty detailed description in here for why they
supported this application. So again while the community would like to have
better commercial spaces, this particular corner is really not one that they would
have any opposition with the adjustment of having an additional residential
space. So because of the hardship based on the location of the stairway and also
with the support of the community, we would ask the board's favorable
discretionary review of this and grant a variance for the refusal before the
board. I'll be happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Any questions from
the board? No. Anyone else wish to testify? If so, please raise your hand. My client
is here or should be here.
Good. Did your client raise their hand or identify themselves?
Good. Your client raised their hand or identified themselves.
Jian Jian, are you there? Can you click raise your hand on the bottom of your Zoom screen?
Okay. You can unmute yourself and speak.
Would you get your client to identify his or herself and spell their name for the record?
Yes, can you please give the board your full name, address, and spell your name for the stenographer, please?
And remember you have to click the unmute on the screen.
I think he's still muted.
Can you click the blue button that says unmute?
It should be on the right corner of your screen.
There should be a blue button with mute on it.
If you click it, it will unmute you.
All right, you know what, let's proceed.
You're the attorney, you're under oath, so.