Mr. Saverin?
Tina, do we see him coming in?
I don't see him, Chair.
I promoted him, but I don't see him anymore.
he's not listed as a panelist or as an attendee okay why don't we do this why don't we move on
and we'll come back to that okay okay all right
Number eight, MI 2022-006-504-758 South Front Street.
number eight
We'll be right back.
Vern Anastasio is the attorney.
Letter of support from Queen Village neighbors and letter of non-opposition from Council Member Squill.
Good morning, counsel.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Could you state your name, please, and spell it for the court reporter?
Sure. It's Vern, V-E-R-N, last name Anastasio, A-N-A, S-T-A-S-I-O. It's 2016 Spruce, Philadelphia, 19103.
Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client, the relationship to this property?
Yes, I represent Sonny Shekawala, who is the recent owner of 758 South Front.
Okay. Our vice chair has just a few questions.
Thank you.
Good morning, counsel. Do you agree to weigh the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Have you emailed all the required documents and exhibits into our offices five days in advance to proceed with this case?
I have.
Thank you. Please proceed. Share your screen.
Thank you. My screen should be up. It's 758 South Front.
We have it.
In Queen Village. What we're looking to do is just basically, this is a legalization of a pre-existing non-conforming use.
It's two separate homes on one lot, which was built, as you'll see, many years ago, but legally compliant since 1992, per the archive.
This is Fortune, as you can see.
This is Front Street.
This is the interior layout.
We've got additional layout here for the side street, here's the kitchen, open space, second floor, and then the third floor is just a master bedroom with a master bath.
102 Fitzwater is the side residence, and that's here.
So you've got the Front Street property that I showed you previously, and then the Fitzwater
Street property is back here.
there's the front street
and there's additional photos here's interior photos as well
I started this application under the ownership of Bob Potterfield
long-time owner, sold it to Mr. Shakawala who fully understood that we were going through
this process to legalize the two-family dwelling. He also understood that it was not a guarantee.
But there are two electric meters. There are two PGW meters. There are literally two structures.
There's proof of posting on both sides of the property.
I've included the deed, the original agreement of sale.
I've also forwarded to Attorney Emerson the updated HUD-1.
Here's proof of our meeting to Queen Village Neighbors Association on 8 February, along with proof of mailing.
And, of course, the archives that shows clearly that this became legally a two-family dwelling from a single family in 1992.
This was granted by the zoning board via variance.
But, as you can see physically, the properties were two separate units on the same lot for quite some time.
So, because of the history of this property, because of the separate utilities, not only
electric but gas, and because of the physical manifestation of the two units on the same
lot, in addition to having the support of both the council office and the registered
In addition to having the support of both the Council Office and the Registered Community Organization, I do respectfully request that this appeal be granted.
Could you have your client come on, please, and adopt your testimony?
Yes. Mr. Sonny Shackawalla, if you could please raise your hand.
Sir, please unmute yourself.
i'm sorry could you please state your name and spell it for the court reporter
sure mr chair my name is sunny shakawala s-u-n-n-y last name s-h-a-k-h-a-w-a-l-a
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
I do. Proceed, counsel. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Sonny, did you hear my presentation to the board
this morning? I did. Thank you, Vernon. And is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge?
Yes. And do you adopt it as your own testimony? Yes. Thank you. I have nothing further,
Mr. Chair. Questions from the board? No, Mr. Chair. No, Mr. Chair. Questions or comments
from the virtual audience. I see no hands, Chair. Planning Commission. Thank you, Chair Bergman.
Good morning, David Fecto, City Planning Commission. The comprehensive plan recommends
no change to the residential single-family zoning at this location. This appears to be a
legalization of a duplex approved by the Zoning Board in 1992, so the City Planning Commission
recommends the board grant the variance for two dwelling units. Thank you. MI 2022-006-504-758
South Fern Street, I vote yes. Thomas Tallerman, my vote is yes. James Snell, my vote is yes.
Ishmael Shaheed, my vote is yes. Thank you, counsel. Thank you. Could you please stay on,
sir oh sure right so number nine mi 2022 006 360
um 2507 north 19th street verne is the attorney we do not have an rco letter at this point um
i did forward it last night very late okay all right yes mr chair this is hillary i was just
going to say, we did receive a letter of support from all in the family, RCO, with some provisors,
but unfortunately, none of them are enforceable by the CBA. Thank you. Mr. Anastas, could you
just state your name for the record, please? You wrote it. Vern Anastasio. All right. And our vice
chair has just a few questions for you, sir. Before we start, I represent Mr. Darley Caba,
who is the owner of 2507 North 19th.
And that's an LLC, right?
He is the principal of the LLC.
Okay, fine.
Okay, thank you.
Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal
and stipulate to his accuracy?
Have you emailed all the required documents
and exhibits to proceed with this case
five days in advance of this hearing?
I have.
Thank you.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
2507 North 19th is a two-family dwelling in an existing structure.
This property has long been abandoned, and you know what?
I have to stop sharing and reshare because I'm getting some blanks, at least on my end.
That's fine. Do that.
Okay. Thank you.
You can see that now, Mr. Chair.
We're fine, sir.
Is that blank to you?
That's blank.
Let's see how it goes.
So it's 2507 North 19th.
What we are proposing is here's the property
as far as plot plan is concerned,
not touching the envelope of the property at all.
It is an existing triplex with a truncated third floor.
Our proposal, this is the first floor
to have a, you come in through the front door, there'll be a bedroom in the front,
a restroom, part of the living room space, and a bedroom in the rear, full bath, and a yard in the
back, accessible to the first floor unit, which will be for trash storage.
We have the second floor coming up the stairs, a large kitchen. We were asked to put a closet in
the kitchen for trash, and my client has agreed to do that. It's a large living space and a bedroom
off the back of the second floor, and then a master bedroom at the top of the third floor
with a master bath and closet, because it's much shorter up there on the third floor.
This is the property in question. It has been long neglected. Unfortunately, like 13 other
properties on the block. It is completely vacant. We've got 2511, 2515, 17, 21, 2504,
24, 14, 25, 22, 24, 25, 32, 25, 38, and 25, 46, all vacant or empty lots.
This property was left in pretty bad shape, but my client does plan to do a complete internal
renovation. There is a history of two electric meters, although there's no history in the
data archive of any legal two-family dwelling. Do want to make sure that that's clear. We
did meet with the Registered Community Organization, 2nd of March, and 2nd of the March 28th was
a follow-up. We have proof of mailing, 242 individual households. And I believe we have
everything else submitted for the exhibit. The RCO did produce a letter of support so
long as we had a trash plan and some other minor issues that we have communicated with
them and will be willing to work out. Because the first floor has a trash plan and the second
floor has a trash plan. Because of the history of the two electric meters, because there's 13
vacant properties and empty lots on this block itself, which communicates to my client that if
he were to rehab this as a single family home, it would not be a marketable product for anybody
who's living in that neighborhood, who wants to be on that block. By breaking it up into two
separate residential products, completely brand new, he's offering two quality residential
products that are a little smaller and more approachable as far as price point is concerned,
far more marketable for the neighborhood. For all those reasons, we respectfully request the
granting of the of the variance. I know there's a lot of vacancy on the block. Are there other
multiple units on the block? There are more than more than a few. However, even though they have
electric meters that are separate, we could not find any legalization of them. Thank you.
Thank you. Is your client here? Yes, Mr. Mr. Kaba, Darley Kaba.
Mr. Cava, please unmute yourself and wait for the chair.
Good morning, sir.
Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court report?
Dali Cava.
Spell your name, please.
D-A-R-A-Y-C-A-B-A.
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth
yes sir proceed counsel thank you mr chair mr kaba did you hear my presentation to the board
this morning yes is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge yes and do you adopt it
Yes. And do you adopt it as your own testimony? Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
as your own testimony yes sir
Thank you.
Questions from the board? No, Chair. No, Mr. Chairman.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I see no hands, Chair. Planing Commission. Thank you, sir. Good morning, Chair and Board
Members. David Fecto, City Planning Commission. The Comprehensive Plan recommends no change to
the residential single-family zoning at this location. There is no unique physical condition
or circumstance of this property that would prevent it from being used in conformance with
the zoning code. The City Planning Commission recommends that the board deny the use variance
for two dwelling units. Thank you. MI 2022-006-360-2507-North 19th Street, I vote yes.
Thomas Holliman, my vote is yes
James Snell, my vote is yes
Ishmael Shahid, my vote is yes
Thank you, counsel
Thank you
Number 13 on our list
MI 2022
006 538
1941 East Pashonk Avenue
Matthew Monroe
is the attorney
Letter of support from East
Passion Crossing, letter of non-opposition from Councilmember Squilla, letter of support from
East Passion Avenue Business Association. Mr. Monroe is coming back in as a panel.
Good morning, Mr. Monroe. Good morning, Chairman Bergman. Hi, could you state your name,
please and spell for the court reporter. Sure. It's Matthew Monroe, M-A-T-T-H-E-W-M-O-N-R-O-E.
Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
I do. Could you identify your clients and the relationship to this property?
Sure. I represent the business owners, Juana Tamales, and appearing on behalf of the business
today, I'm pleased to be with Chris Fehrer, who is one of the co-owners of the business.
Our vice chair has just a few questions for you, sir.
Good morning, counsel.
Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
Good morning.
Yes, I do.
Have you emailed all the required documents and exhibits that are needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing?
Do you have your screen already shared?
Please proceed.
All right, Chairman Berman, members of the board, pleased to be here with a well-loved business, Juan de Tamales, which has some of the best beer and tacos in the city, among others.
They're at 1941 East Pasadena Avenue.
And just for some context, here is the zoning context.
We're right here on this block of East Pass Yonk, just east of Broad Street and just west of South Juniper.
You can see here some historical photographs from Google Maps.
You can see the sign as it existed in 2014.
In 2016, it's the exact same sign.
And here again, with a subsequent tenant in October 2019, the last tenant that was there
before one of Tamales took over the space.
As noted, and here you can see that there's a number of other businesses in the area.