exterior steps. So I also know that when you have basement living, it's really important to the
board to be responsible in terms of egress. So there are actually steps physically leading out
to there so someone can get out of there we're also three and a half three three feet four inches
um out of the ground on there again this is the existing building structure so we really can't
do anything about that but this is the lower level which is two bedrooms a bath
and these are exactly the same plans we showed the community as well second unit you go on the
second floor you have a living room a kitchen bathroom one bedroom and i believe that here's
trash closet right here in the late trash closet and then you go up to the third floor and again
we're not going always in the rear on the third story to kind of respect the neighbors to the
left and right of us also to the rear we have a master suite up there met with the community on
december 22nd at 6 p.m notified 140 addresses of the community meeting listed the addresses
proof of mailing to those addresses our application for appeal that lou filed
and along with the notice of refusal the project information form deed to the property
it's been the family name since 1989 and then a certificate of tax clearance while taxes are
showed owed they're not because it's not due until march 31st i would ask that mr maglio be sworn in
sir could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer lois maglio l-o-u-i-s m-a-g-l-i-o
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Council?
So, Lou, you heard everything I had to state today about your zoning matter.
Get close to the mic.
Is it true and correct?
And do you adopt this in your own testimony?
Just want to make sure accurately I stated your mom has lived in this neighborhood for how long?
60 plus.
Okay, 60 plus, not 40.
So, and did you, I'm assuming you grew up?
More or less, but yes.
I've been there my whole life, more or less, but Barr's been in the family since after World War II, lived on the block, moved out in the 90s, moved back in the early 2000s, into this property, is where I first moved out to, and now I'm back in New Jersey.
Okay, thank you.
Questions from the board?
okay so this is already a very small property i mean what is the real hardship here um with
respect to just leaving it as a single family dwelling why do we need to make this into a duplex
so so so lou why don't you explain the condition of property and how much that would cost and
whether the feasibility of actually doing that as a single family structure so the property
i've maintained it for the last 20 years just with the painting and stuff but over the years
through the rentals i've had it is it's beat up a little bit it needs to be regutted uh the whole
buildings don't have to be redone by the time i put all the money into it uh you know upwards
over 200 000 in order to make this money back especially in that neighborhood i'm going to
need to get two rentals out of there. Anywhere from $1,300 to $1,400 is not going to bring my
money back unless I live to be $180, but that's about it. So that's why I'm going to need to be
able to do a duplex to at least recoup my money back. And the property does need it. You saw the
picture. It's older. The neighborhood is now getting revitalized. My building there, I just
want to make it look a little bit better, but I will need to have the two rentals to at least
recoup my money. And then why don't you explain your aptitude and experience renovating properties
of this sort and managing property, rental properties as well? So this is my second
property on this block. We just did one about a year and a half ago. Very similar. All these
properties my father bought back in the day for right around like $10,000 is what he bought. But
these properties have gotten older, people coming and going, living in them, beating them up.
this last property we did alan helped me with it we we did a duplex it's fantastic it looks so
pretty on the block neighbors compliment me all the time with it um so my experience with this
is it it does work uh other neighbors are doing the same it's like now becoming like a domino
effect but it does work and the neighborhood is getting better and it needs to be done it's it's
part of the it's only part of the process just like everyone knows the uh you know fish town all
they all do the same thing we're just the last of the mohicans and it's going to be needed and i'm
i'm pretty experienced with at this point we do great with the new property makes you know
we do great with the new property it makes you know it's money and do it and i'm happy with it
it's money and i'm happy with
and i need to do it again yeah and and just to reflect i'm sorry i'm sorry did i see pictures
of the interior that it's so um i don't know what you showed no we don't we did not show
that i think you showed someone else's property yeah i didn't show the interior of your property
i mean but you're saying that the interior is in such a condition that it needs to be redone and
do we have pictures of that i don't believe so i don't have pictures of it yeah and again just so
the board understands i believe that you were here like a couple years ago under similar
circumstances was it 1940 or 1948 1948 yeah where it was 678 square feet where we saw like a similar
variance in this this board the different configurations board granted it and you did
complete that construction right this board yes this board then i say a different configuration
of this board but a few years ago this eba granted that's what i meant yeah that's i said
a different config i said the different i said a different configuration the board but the zoning
board of adjustment um i could take a look no no no i said 19 1948 south 16th street i meant i meant
no no i didn't really no i didn't mean i didn't mean like that we you granted in 1948 i meant 19
i'm sorry i talk quickly sometimes 1948 south 16th street which is also on this block which is 678
square feet of lost size compared to the 686 square feet of lot size for this property the
board found cause to allow us uh to to for a duplex you've done oh um two questions so on the second
floor second and third floor apartment was there any outdoor space uh we did not and you know again
it cuts both ways like a lot of times especially in some neighborhoods and pointe breeze is one of
them they don't like roof decks right so we didn't know there wasn't a second floor balcony in the
back no there there was there's an opportunity if we wanted to one day if we you know to do that
but that's not part of the of this design that's right okay can you show the third floor again
and then my next question while you while michael gears up is are there any other uh duplexes on
the block yes they're uh uh and let me try to multitask and move this up while i'm talking about
it 2000 south 16th street is a duplex and these are just duplexes there's some triplexes and are
That's not legal 2000, but 1916 South 16th Street is legal, 1940 South 16th Street is legal, 1948 South 16th Street is legal, and 2020 South 16th Street is legal.
And again, 1940 South 16th Street is 686 square feet of lot size, while 1948 South 16th Street is 678 square feet of lot size.
So, again, apples to apples, there's two properties on our block that are non-conforming lot sizes.
Let's see.
So, this is the third story, board member John's, and I think board member Graham also asked.
So, you can see first, we did not extend, we have, where am I?
Oh, I'm the opposite way.
As you can see, we have the eight-foot rear yard front setback, right, to respect the fact, you know, that we're in a two-story.
And there's no deck there.
Oh, there's no deck here.
Let's have a Juliet balcony.
Yeah, it's just a nice window, light and air.
It's a master bedroom.
And you got support from the Point Grease?
I think it's unanimous support.
Unanimous support.
Yeah, it is.
So, again, usually a tough group.
so yeah so that's what i'm saying it's like you know we we we try to put the best project in front
of them which specifically included no roof deck and mckean snyder one off one off mc going up
further no oh snyder jackson i'm i'm north that's behind well mckean and snyder don't run into each
other yeah he's that's the parallel streets it is mr chair between mckean and snyder and we're
between yeah or passing on which is again and here's another thing we're near a commercial
corridor having hands to the in front of a commercial corridor always helps as well
any other questions questions or comments from our attorney hillary emerson not at this time
mr chair questions or comments from the virtual audience mr chair this is jason hand i will be
taking over as co-host i do not see any hands raised at this time thank you jason amy board
amy boy with the planning commission the comprehensive plan recommends the change
with the planning commission the comprehensive plan recommends a change in zoning at this location
in zoning at this location from the current sorry or m1 right yeah from the current arm
run residential multi-family to rsi 5 residential single family the proposals for less than 10
deviation from the required lot area per dwelling unit the planning commission recommends that the
board grant their requested variance for a lot area per dwelling unit and my 2025 006 725 2002
south 16th street i vote yes michael johnson my vote is yes cheryl gaston my vote is no
tenetogram my vote is yes ryan mcadams my vote is yes i win my vote is yes thank you thank you
Are we ready to go right in to the 3.30? Are you doing 3.30?
Okay, let's see here. Okay, here we go.
Is there anyone in the virtual audience whose two o'clock case has not been called?
i do not see any interest okay thank you um good afternoon everyone my name is bill bergman and i
will be chairing this meeting of the philadelphia zoni board of adjustment with me is our board
vice chair tenetta graham president mr chairman our board secretary charlotte l gaston president
mr chairman our board member michael johns chairman board member tya winn present mr
chairman the board member ryan mcadams president mr chairman also present here is our attorney
hillary emerson our zoning board director anne haggerty and our board administrator lakeisha
dandy recording of this hearing will be posted on the zba website by participating you consent
to be recorded this is an in-person meeting with remote capabilities whether remote or in person
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Please remain there so we can account for you.
So let's look at our schedule for this afternoon here.
number three
mi 2025 005 341 1507 west thompson street this case is continued until 63 2026 at 3 30.
number five
mi 2025 005 346 58 south 2nd street this case is continued to 63 20 26 at 3 30.
is there any other requests for continuances
good evening chair this is jason hander will be your calls for the session i do not see any hands
raised and we have one other case here mi 2025 001 328 1221 fawn street this is a second listing
uh no one appeared the last time we have no exhibits john kane is the listed owner
John Kane is the listed owner.
I do not see any hands raised for the matter, and I do not see the individual in the virtual audience.
Thank you. So this is the second time we've had this, and no one appeared twice. We have no exhibits.
So MI-2025-001-328-1221, 4th Street, I vote to dismiss.
John, my vote is to dismiss.
sherox asked my vote is to dismiss metagram my vote is to dismiss brian mcadams my vote is to
dismiss iowen my vote is to dismiss thank you we're going to go to number two on our on our list
here mi2025-005-255-2000 oakmont street zenjin is the attorney
let me come in back again as a panel thank you
good afternoon good afternoon council could you please state your name and spell for the
stenographer. Yes. My name is Zen Jin, Z-H-E-N, last name J-I-N. All right. Do you swear or affirm
to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Counsel, could you identify
your client, a relationship to this property? Yes. My client is Alan Zhang, who is the owner
of the property. We have a recommendation of unanimous support from Ron Hurst Civic Association,
nine total votes, and also a letter non-opposition from Councilmember O'Neill,
and our Vice Chair has a few questions, sir.
Good afternoon. Have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing?
And do you waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Okay, thank you. You can share your screen and proceed with your case.
Thank you. I'm going to share with the Board what was previously submitted.
can the board see my exhibit on their screen it's coming yes we can sir thank you um so this is an
application for 2000 oakmont street the refusal related to this application states that what we
are requesting is a proposed use as a two-family household living within an existing structure
there was a previously approved office business and professional use to remain in the basement
level again this is an rsa zone district so as a result the two how two family household living is
prohibited in this particular district we met with the uh community on this property and received
their support the com the reason the community particularly supported this is that basically
properties like this exist throughout that area rawnhurst and the community actually was well
aware of this particular property being both a office space in the basement as well as residential
above. So they had no issue with the proposed use. However, when we actually presented to the
community, my client decided that what she would prefer or actually the owner he would prefer