Thank you. Good morning, everyone. 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 Vice Chair, Ms. Carol Tenere, Board Secretary, Confessor Plaza, and Board Members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Board Administrator Tanya Sunken and Board Attorney Shaman Saleta are also in attendance.
For those of you who have not yet participated in one of our virtual hearings,
I'll go through some of the basics of what you can expect.
First, we'll begin this morning's session by reading a list of cases to be continued.
If you believe any announced case is being continued in error,
we will give you an opportunity to respond.
If they're reading the continuance list and receiving any feedback,
we will then take any additional continuance request.
Then once we've confirmed which hearings are being continued,
Vice Chair Carol Tenere will begin calling the remaining cases listed for this session.
When a case is called, we ask that attorneys representing applicants
or other interested parties in their matter,
please 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 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 immediately or hold it for discussion in executive session.
Any case held for discussion will be voted at the next scheduled Wednesday a.m. session.
Please note the following changes related to the virtual format.
First, we will be administering oaths to individual participants prior to their testimony.
me. 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. 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 wish to testify, you must raise your hand by hitting star nine and then star six to
unmute yourself. Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave
your email address and the address of the property at issue. I'll repeat. To enter an
appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address
of the property at issue. With that said, we can begin. But before Vice Chair Carol Tenere
calls the first case, I'd like to announce that the following matters are being continued.
calendar number three nine nine three four one thousand south broad street
calendar number three nine four seven four one two eight north 50th street calendar number three
nine four one two one five four two now north 59th street calendar number three nine five four
three three four four two north 18th street pardon me calendar number three nine four three three
500 south 42nd street calendar number three nine nine two eight six one zero zero woodland avenue
Calendar number 39933, 6954 Keystone Avenue, and calendar number 39429, 3857 North Fear Hill Street.
Also, calendar number 39870-2025 North Randolph Street and calendar number 39871-2039 Randolph
Street will be continued to two o'clock today to be heard with other related cases.
At this time, I will ask anyone, if you believe we called a case to be continued in Erida, please raise your hand.
At this time, I will ask anyone if you believe we called the case.
Or if you are asking for a continuance or withdrawal, please raise your hand also.
No hands at this time, Chair.
Okay, thank you very much.
Vice Chair Tenere, please begin.
Carol, you're muted.
Carol.
Calendar number 39924, 1920 East Orleans Street.
The attorney is Brett Feldman.
can you hear me brett i can okay name and address for the record spell your last name
and then there's two other things before you begin sure um members of the board uh good morning
brett feldman 1835 market street philadelphia pennsylvania 19103 do you swear or affirm to
tell the truth and nothing but the truth? I do. And do you also agree to waive the
reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy? I do. You may begin. I guess
so if I can share my screen.
Can you see my screen now?
Not yet.
Not yet.
Always an adventure on this part of it.
It's coming up.
Can you see the screen now?
Always a sigh of relief after that happens.
Members of the board, good morning.
Again, Brett Feldman.
I represent Project Home.
This is a Project Home case, Sister Mary Scullion, 1920 East Orleans Street.
I think the board has seen this case three previous times.
Back, I guess now five years ago, the board approved.
This was the former Willard School.
This was a school district school that was sold to Project Home.
And we obtained your support and the strong support of the community to convert this into 57 units of support, affordable housing.
and then we've been back in front of the board several times on signage. We started off with
300 square feet of signage. We got that approved. We then had to come back to reduce the signage
to 230 square feet of signage. Got that approved. Now we're back here for 197 square feet of signage.
The project has been developed. Residents are in the building and I'll show you some of the
picture. It's an amazing restoration job, let alone the affordable housing units that have
been provided within the building. Unfortunately, this probably should have been an administrative
approval case, but we were outside of the timeline to reduce the signage from what you previously
approved twice down even further to 200 square feet. I passed up Exhibits 1 through 12, which
had asked to be incorporated into the record. We have a strong letter of support at number four
from the Coordinating RCO Impact Services, which you should have.
And if you don't, I can also show that to you.
So let me just go through the exhibits and then just show you what the new reduced sign
package is.
Tax clearance.
where the RM1, this is a very large building, multiple sides, which is part of the reason why
the signage is in excess of what you would typically allow in an RM1 district. And then
here are the photographs. That's the size of the lot. Again, a very large elementary school,
former elementary school lot. That's what it looks like from Ariel. And here's what it now
looks like. It is a beautiful restoration. It's called the McGuire Residence. And just to give
And just to give you a sense of how magnificent this conversion is, how it didn't look like this
you a sense of how magnificent this conversion.
two years ago, let me tell you. All new windows, the brick has been cleaned. It's really just a
showpiece now in this neighborhood. Here's some additional photographs from the last couple weeks.
Again, landscaping, there's the posting photographs, the limestone was cleaned,
again, new windows. Just, I think we all know Project Homes mission, but this was,
this is supportive housing in this neighborhood and really in this
Kensington neighborhood, this is exactly what they needed. They need, you know,
more projects like this but that that's the description of what this is and I
just wanted to show you some of the other buildings the signage that we're
seeking here is basically in line with the other way finding signs that you see
on project home facilities this one the signage is important because we still
people still think this is school so we don't want people to think it's still a
school, and it's not a standard apartment building. We have obviously outside guests,
support staff, and other individuals who need to know where this is and what it is. So that's
the importance of the signage. But these are the other buildings throughout the city
that you've seen similar sign packages. I'll just go through this. These are all the prior
approvals for the building for the signage at a much at a higher level of
signage and then I'll just get right to what we're proposing today starts it at
page 72 that's the site plan we're surrounded by three streets East
Orleans East Birch and Emerald Street and then here is here is the sign
package. These are all non-illuminated signs.
McGuire Residence, the McGuire Residence sign is sign A right here, again
non-illuminated. Sign B was that 1920 Orleans Street. The third sign is the
project home sign up here, again non-illuminated. That's on the south
elevation and then the only other elevation where there is signage right
back here slightly is right here on the east elevation which is the project home
motto none of us are home until all of us are home and then the project home
logo. That's the entire sign package, not illuminated. And as I said, this is now the
third iteration of the sign package going from 300 square feet down to 230 square feet. Now this is
the smallest sign package at 197 square feet, which I think would have been approved administratively,
but we were outside of the six months or the year limit. We met with the RCO last week. They are
uh very enthusiastic how this project came out uh we're we're fine with the sign package i think
that's the Paris way to say this and that the signs are not illuminated uh and understood uh
that the way finding uh purposes uh and need for you know some sign package uh here uh that's in
line with the other similar project home um projects and signs uh within the city um joining
me today from project home is uh cassie anderson um and with that i would uh ask the board if they
have any questions uh that i can answer or miss anderson can answer as well why don't we get
miss anderson on uh we'll swear her in and then we'll ask if there's any questions
Ms. Anderson you can unmute yourself wait to be sworn in okay Ms. Anderson please identify
yourself with a record spell your name C-A-S-S-I-E last name Anderson A-N-D-E-R-S-O-N
you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes I do thank you mr. Feldman sure miss Anderson you've heard my testimony
before the zoning board yes in it was it true and honest yeah accurate yes and on
behalf of project home do you adopt it as your own yes I do okay thank you
thank you further questions from the board no no nope anyone else who wishes
no no anyone else who wishes to testify please raise your hand at this time here
we have Sloan Foulkes from the council person's office mr. for morning mr.
folks mute yourself he sworn in morning chairman Chico members of the board my
My name is Sloan Fuchs, S-L-O-A-N-E, F-S, and Fire, O-L-K-S.
Councilwoman Maria Quinonez-Sanchez, Rune 508, City Hall.
We're in the firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir.
Thank you, Mr. Paul.
Yes, sir.
The applicant has met with the RCO and has garnered a letter of support.
Therefore, the councilwoman in her office are offering their support to this project.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And we'd like to thank the councilwoman for all of her support over the years on this project and other ones in her district.
Planning Commission.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the board.
David Effecto, F-E-C-T-E-A-U, for the City Planning Commission.
You swear to the firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir, I do.
Ladies and gentlemen of the board, this property is zoned residential multifamily.
The city's comprehensive plan recommends residential multifamily.
We do not believe the addition of signs to an existing multifamily building will have
an adverse impact on the block.
Therefore, we have no objection to granting the variance.
Thank you.
Calendar number 399241920, East Orland Street.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
My vote is yes.
thank you thank you for your time and consideration have a good day
calendar number 39524 2022 north 5th street the attorney is isaac slepner
good morning members of the board and uh sharon's dogs um
my dogs are innocent this time all right good morning mr slepner can you put your name and
address on the record spell your name and then i have two other things to ask you sure thing
isaac slepner first name i as in india s as in sam a as in alpha a as in alpha c as in charlie
last name slepner s as in sam l as in larry e as in elvis p as in peter n as in norman e as in
Elvis, R as in Robert, with Mattione Limited, 100 North Independence Mall West, Suite 5A
Northwest, Philadelphia PA 19106. I am here today as counsel to the property owner, Dominus
Holdings, LLC, and my client, Roman Guzva, is in here somewhere. He is a principal member of
Dominus Holdings, LLC. Thank you. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth and nothing but the
truth? Yes, I do. Do you also agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its
accuracy? Yes, I do. You may begin. All right. Good morning, members of the board. My client,
Dominus Holdings LLC, owns this parcel at 22 North 5th Street and proposes to build a duplex
on it. We are here today on, I think it's two refusals. One is for use and one is for either
lot coverage or open space but I will walk the board through our printing
materials and we can go over all of that so if you'll bear with me for just a
moment I will fire up my materials and we can get started oh no look at that
brilliant this technology blows my mind every time okay here we go I'll start
from the, well, I'll start from the top. So I'll go slow. 2022 North 5th Street. This is our
exhibit table of contents and we're scrolling through, but we'll, we'll just jump right into
it. Exhibit one is our notice of refusal from 11-26-19. The property zoned RSA 5. So the refusal,
it's only one refusal, and that is for use. The proposed use, the proposed construction is a