ZBA Hearing - February 25, 2026

so so mr sleptman that's mr ahmad right your your client um yeah so my client is the owner

jamal awad he's the owner of the property his son is also there with him but uh who does speak

english but um i i wanted to obviously have the board appointed interpreter because that's the way

all right it should be done um i i've been also working with danny awad who is it was jamal awad's

son um who is actually the owner of the business that is at this property but mr awad is the record

owner of the property so he's my client and he's the one that needs the interpreting service

but i just need him to i need you guys to put your um danny if you can put the camera on as well

all right so let's let's swear mr awad in right yes so could you have jamal awad

state his name and spell for the stenographer

we're really having a hard time you got you got to get closer to the mic or do do something here

isaac why don't you have it why don't you have him just tell him to state his name and spell for

stenographer. Mr. Awad, can you please state your name and spell it for the stenographer?

Sorry to interject, this is Ian Hegarty.

Staff, can we please promote Jamal Awad to a panelist so they can put their video on

and testify?

Thank you.

and mr i'm trying to do it now mr mar i don't know if you're able to get any closer to your

your microphone so we can hear you any better can you hear me now it's a little better even

if you get even closer that's great thank you

He keeps denying the request to be promoted.

Mr. Awai, you have to accept the request to be promoted.

Translator, would you be able to let him know that he needs to accept the request, please?

i i'm getting some feedback from my from danny wad over here saying there's no button so i don't

I'm getting some feedback from my

know if they're having technology issues or what so why don't we do this let me go on to our next

case uh-huh would you see if you can work through danny to get him straight and an interpreter will

be right back okay all right all right yeah thank you okay okay number 15 mi 2025 005 486

6400 calton street bernard anastasio is the attorney

bernard anastasio is returning as a panelist

DARYL FOXMANNELLA.

Good morning, counsel.

Just for the record, state your name.

Vern Anastasio, A-N-A-S-T-A-S-I-O.

On behalf of Mr. Alan Smith.

DARYL FOXMANNELLA.

There was a letter of support from HMMC Squared, RCO.

Our Vice Chair has a few questions, Vern.

Yep.

Good morning.

morning um have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing

yes ma'am um and do you waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy

i do all right thank you you can share your screen and proceed with you yeah

6400 carlton this is um from several decades ago interior layout is part of the history of

the property. First floor was a bar, and the second floor was a dining room at one point.

At some point throughout the history, the first floor remained commercial, while the second floor

was, in fact, a residential unit. Prior to my client purchasing the property,

That former commercial space that was the bar became a residential unit.

He purchased the property, thinking that it was legal, and then finding out that he needs to go through this process.

These are photos of the property, both the exterior and interior.

As you can see, there's three electric meters, as there have always been.

we went before the rco the proof of mailing attached it was an in-person meeting it was

very well attended and the neighbors did in fact agree with granting of the variance

given the history of the property

I'm moving all of this into evidence as well.

And now let's take you through the plans itself so you can see how the property is laid out.

There's an entrance in the side for the first floor unit.

That was traditionally the bar entrance.

It comes into a large living, dining, kitchen space, very ample, with a full bathroom and a bedroom.

In the rear of the property, there's an entrance that goes up the stairs,

and it takes you into the existing, long-standing, one-family dwelling on the second floor.

You see a living room, table, kitchen, a bedroom in the front and a bedroom in the rear, but the full bath right off of the bedroom.

And that is the property.

because of the long-standing history of it being two separate units, although commercial

in its most recent history, because there really is no commercial activity on this block

currently, and because we enjoy the full support of the neighbors represented by the RCO,

which we have here, I respectfully request the granting of this variance.

And with that, I'd like to call Mr. Alan Smith to the virtual stand to be sworn in and adopt my presentation as his own.

Alan Smith has been promoted.

good good morning sir could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer

Good morning, sir. Could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?

alan smith a-l-l-a-n-s-m-i-t-h good morning good morning do you swear or affirm to tell

the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth yes counsel thank you mr chair and members of

board during the community meeting it was asked that we make sure that trash only comes out

during trash days and that all trash be stored in the interior we of course agreed to that

there's also an additional storage area that can be used for trash

right here that's attached to the second floor so then there's a door here that both units can use

So I just wanted to make sure that that was clear and I pointed it out on the plan.

Mr. Smith, did you hear my presentation to the board this morning?

Yes, I have.

True and accurate to the best of your knowledge?

Yes.

Do you adopt it as your own testimony?

Yes.

I have nothing further, Mr. Chair.

Questions on the board?

Questions or comments for our attorney?

Not at this time, Mr. Chair.

questions or comments from the virtual audience

there are no hands here planning commission good morning liz fusely on behalf of the philadelphia

city planning commission the comprehensive plan recommends no change in the cmx2 zoning at this

location the proposed use is consistent with documented prior use and will not injure the

uses of adjacent properties the city planning commission recommends the board grant the

requested use variants for two family residential. MI-2025-005-486-6400

Carlton Street. I vote yes with proviso. Trash stored inside.

Cheryl Gaston. My vote is yes with proviso. Tanetta Graham. My vote is yes with proviso.

Ryan McAdams. My vote is yes with proviso. Hiya. My vote is yes with proviso.

Thank you. Thank you. Hillary, I'm going to go back to number five real quick.

So number five, MI 2025, 001-461-4622 Hawthorne Street, Elman Salgario.

elman is coming in at the panelist thank you very much you're welcome

elvin do you speak english no um okay um so elman

um we're going to have to reschedule this case and then we're going to have to

bring an interpreter in for you okay

but can you try i can try maybe you guys understand me

mr elman do you feel comfortable explaining why you are before the board today um to explain

what what you're seeking to do at your property yes okay i mean we can okay all right so

so do me a favor state your name and spell before the interpreter elman a l m a n

e l m a n all right arianos a r e l l a n o s right do you swear or affirm to tell the truth

the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes so i'm going to say this slow this application

is for use as a two-family household living in an existing structure the proposed use two

household two family household living is prohibited in the rsa 5 zoning district but you have a letter

of support from the frankfurt cdc and a letter of non-opposition from council member lazada okay

yes and our our vice chair has just a few questions for you yes good morning

have you have you submit your documents and exhibits five days in advance of this hearing

have you have you submitted your documents and exhibits five days in advance

yes and the chair just read the refusal so do you uh stipulate to its accuracy

yes okay all right thank you you can share your screen and proceed with your case

okay so here so elman this is what you should do tell us what you want to do

i want to have the permit to have a two apartments okay and and what is it currently

currently is that a single home or is it a duplex already it's duplex already okay so

i think what we should do is we have all i believe we have all your documents

could you show us photos of the property and also your plans yes i will show you everything now okay

yes we'll show you the the plans

okay um so there's the basement plan the first floor and the second floor plan am i correct

yes okay so and picture okay all right just go just a little bit slower for us okay

okay so why don't you go back to the plans first it's easier to look at the plans okay

so the basement all you do is store things in the basement there's no one living in the basement

yes nobody there and here's your first floor apartment right yes all right and there's two

apartments yes all right and tell me about the third this what would be the second floor what's

on the second floor second floor is one bedroom apartment okay um do you have photos too and then

we'll come back to the drawings later show us your photos this is is that the second okay that's the

first floor to second floor this this is the the first floor first floor okay i will show you the

second floor sure this is the second floor this is the kitchen yep right and show us what do you

have anything else on the second floor where's that the first floor this is fourth floor okay

first floor this is the the this is the second floor but okay

is it first floor well that's the basement and that's the basement for storage am i correct

and there's separate heat and utilities yes okay

applies to is the front the entrance to the building of that so how do you and how do you

get to the second floor it's just opening either the steps going to the second floor

Okay, so when you go in, there's steps to the second floor and then the apartment's the other way, right?

Yes.

And how long has it been like this?

I bought it like that.

And I can also show you the last permit was a duplex.

Right.

Before.

And I bought it like a duplex.

But when I try to have the rentalizing, they say I have to go to the zoning permit.

All right.

Sir, Elman, could you tell me, is there other duplexes on the street?

Yes.

I think it's on the other side.

It's a duplex.

i don't know how the address all right um questions from the board

hi what what is your trash plan for your tests you can see the fence is is a door so it's backyard

the first floor have a uh have a they can open the back door and the second floor is coming to

the side of the building and open the side door so i can put the trash there and uh we have a

i have a plan like a the days put the trash out each standing is going to put the

the cycle and the trash every tuesday out standing responsible for that they put in seven

tuesday 7 p.m the trash out and then those those trees aren't in the yard those trees were beside

the yard correct the picture that she showed the trees were beside the yard not in the yard

The trees were beside the yard, not in the yard.

the trees are prone okay

The trees are prone.

Okay.

Or the trees are the neighbor house.

Okay.

So both tenants have access to the yard to store their trash.

Yes.

Thank you.

Other questions?

Questions or comments from our attorney?

Not at this time, Mr. Chair.

Questions or comments from the virtual audience?

there are no hands here planning commission good morning Liz fusely on behalf of the Philadelphia

city planning commission the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the RSA 5 residential

single-family zoning at this location the city rezoned this neighborhood in 2014 in accordance

with the recommendations in the comprehensive plan at that time this block face was zoned RM1

residential multi-family this property has a documented history of two dwelling units

the planning commission recommends that the board grant the proposed use variants for two dwelling

units thank you mi 2025 001 461 4622 hawthorne street i vote yes michael johns my vote is yes

thank you cheryl gaston my vote is yes tenetta graham my vote is yes ryan mcadams my vote is yes

i win my vote is yes okay let's go back to number 12 mi 2025 005 261 7308 caster

mr slepner interpreter and hopefully jamal

isaac slepner is rejoining at the panelists thank you

good morning again mr. chair members of the board I'm trying to click my video

but it says it's disabled by the host all right well we'll figure that out for

you okay thank you how are we doing there we go start my video I've got my

client that they are set up on a computer um they should be able to accept the board's invitation

okay um and we can uh get started interpreter please all right mr interpreter are you back out

there what's the name selim ammar and mr slepner do you know what name your client is under

my clan should be under Jamal Awad okay if he's not he's out there under Danny

Awad but either way yeah oh I think I see so I like Saud Awad if it's Saud

Awad that's that's him yes okay they have all been promoted

okay great I just need the interpreter no yes sir I'm here

can you hear me this is the interpreter you got Salim you got to speak up okay this is the

interpreter yes sir oh that's okay good you know what a good very good thank you we'll keep that

close now could you could you call jamal awad for us yes uh mr awad jamal awad

you've been invited uh as a panelist please uh go ahead and click okay

can you hear us yes you're gonna need your camera on though please

I don't see what it's asking. It's not asking us.