down 26th street and also um sees there'll be more properties which generally are mixed use
and multi-family as well so that is part of the reason we're asking the boards i mean there's
I don't think there's any problem I'm sorry I really you were you're not
muted I know I know I'm sorry did I miss a question no I didn't ask one oh okay
sorry about that dog okay so based on that situation we would submit that this
Based on that situation, we would submit that this use would be consistent with the makeup of the neighborhood and would ask the board's consideration in this refusal.
use would be consistent.
I'm open to answering any questions from the board.
Jen, you said that 1713 and 1717 are duplexes, two units?
Yes, they are permitted as duplexes on the permit records.
And the physical size of those buildings is similar to your 1709?
I believe so.
I don't have the addition, without the addition.
Possibly, yes, without the addition.
Do you have any witnesses?
I believe my client is here.
Mr. Jim Bennett.
Sister Bennett, you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in.
oh boy
Mr. Bennett
we hear you
can you hear me
yes Mr. Bennett please identify
yourselves your full name
and your address
James M. Bennett
J-A-M-E-S
Amazon Matthew Bennett
B-E-N-N-E-T-T
West Euclid
Avenue, Suite 200, Downingtown, PA, 19335.
We're in a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Bennett, you heard my testimony to the zoning board.
Can you verify that it is true and correct and adopted as your own?
Yes, sir, I do.
Thank you.
anyone else questions from the board can can I make a can I make a comment
please all right Zen Zen touched on it but I wanted to clarify that the
immediately adjacent property 1711 North 26 is currently a triplex so we feel the
use of 1709 our property as a triplex is in keeping with the neighbor. The other
thing I should mention in checking many moons ago through zoning records there
was actually submission quite a few decades ago for this property to change
it to, I believe, both a duplex and a triplex. And that triplex use was actually approved,
I believe, in the 70s. But for failure to pay a $25 fee, it was never accomplished.
The other thing I should state, the prior owner of our property has actually been using
1709 as a duplex with a first floor apartment and then the second and third being a separate
apartment. Admittedly, it was more of a family arrangement and they never got legal approval.
We're trying to do things properly.
Thank you. Anyone else wish to testify? If so, please raise your hand.
i have covington you have been allowed to speak speak you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn
in yes good afternoon everyone my name is mr covington property manager one of the property
managers for 1711 north 26th street um the other property okay so you have to be sworn in
we're in the firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
I do thank you there's a little bit kind of irregularities with the communication
I'm trying to hear and see all the parties involved I'm getting a kind of a blocked
screen with a silhouette for the uh the host but i hope you can hear me we can hear you
The host, but I hope you can hear me.
We can hear you.
So the property that's adjacent to a 1709 North 26th Street is wanting to add an addition in the rear of their property that would, I presume, extend it to make it an additional attachment to the property.
The problem that Ms. Bunch and I are having is that we lost you.
Excuse me.
Yes, can you hear me?
Excuse me.
You said the problem we're having, and then you faded away.
Can you hear me now?
The problems that we're having are the addition that is requested by the parties for 1709 are going to impede my ability to market the unit that I currently have as an efficiency.
Right now, there are two windows facing the side where the addition for 1709 are being requested.
it. That addition would impede the tenants that's there and any future ones that I might
try to have any ability of any light whatsoever. It's going to be basically a brick wall there.
And there's very little light there as it is in the back. There's three bay windows, which
faces an
alleyway and the adjacent
properties on the street
in the back and then there's
these two windows on the
side where they're
which gives
a pretty nice view of the skyline
towards Center City.
If that addition is allowed
that will happen. It will be
totally dark on that side
and it's
kind of
heartbreaking to me, because I spent, you know, along with the other property, a great deal of
time renovating this property, and now have a developer come over and just put a brick wall
there. Seriously, my ability to... And you're referencing, what is the address of your property?
1709? 1711. 1711. Okay, because they kept saying 09. I was wondering,
happened to 11 okay thank you oh not a nine is the one that's requesting the addition that was
mr zen i believe and his partner so i meant to say uh what happened to 11 i apologize all right
before we go any further tanya hold on sir tanya confessor saying he's not being he cannot hear
anything we're saying so i don't know if you can help him or not but before you do is there anyone
else who wishes to testify. We have a caller ending in the number 338. You can unmute yourself
and wait to be sworn in.
Caller ending in 338.
Unmute yourself.
Good afternoon.
My name is Angela Bunch, property manager and owner for Maplewood Financial, 1711 North 26th Street.
You're swearing the firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Yes, I do.
Please proceed.
part of the reason for objecting to this erection of the building um it seems as if mr bennett is
trying to infer that uh since we have a multi-family a three family that he would be
consistent with what we already have in place which is not true
um this the buildings currently are what we call a three and a half story they're three story in
the front and then the back is two and a half stories.
And as Mr. Coguton has already enlightened everyone, he's one of our property managers.
For Mr. Bennett to erect a structure on the rear of the building, we're now going to have
three stories from front to back.
I have a multifamily of three units currently.
I have a multifamily of three units currently now.
My rear unit is an efficiency.
So I do understand why Mr. Bennett wants to erect a building on top of the rear of the building
so that he would now have a one-bedroom versus an efficiency.
But the problem is that no one has brought up is the fact that our properties are less than six feet away from each other.
So when my tenant looks out of this side window, we have exactly five windows in the back.
When he looks out of that side window, he is going to be looking at a wall.
It's going to empty that unit to the fact that it's going to be no daylight because you're talking about,
instead of looking out the window and seeing the roof line, the skyline to the city, he's going to see a wall.
And not only will it impact 1711, but every building thereafter for the whole entire block, not just my unit, my building, I'm sorry, but the entire side of that street.
Because anyone that looks out their window, where they used to be able to enjoy the skyline, everyone is going to see this wall now.
except for um his building because when he erects this his tenants will be able to enjoy the skyline
his building which is 1709 the second house from the pro the second property from the corner and
the uh first property on uh 26th street will be able to enjoy any views no one else will
understood thank you thank you just bear with me for one moment um and and in addition to that
i have a tenant on the first floor um who's trying who tried to get onto the call as well
who has a lung condition okay and this would not only um impede her light from her kitchen
on her side windows it's already shaded by the building but putting up a third um addition on
that rear is going to greatly impact her daylight as well.
And I do understand why he wants to do it, because efficiencies as it is are difficult
to rent.
We've just been fortunate to have a tenant with us, and by I add, also, we've been there
since 2009, 11 and a half years, and I'm on my second renovation.
And like Mr. Bennett, I have goals and dreams, too.
And I've worked very, very hard for where I am now.
And to have all of that wiped out, you know,
because he wants to have an addition on the rear,
I really think is not considering anyone else.
You know, and the financial impact it would have on that property.
Who wants to rent a dark, dreary unit?
It's difficult enough, as I said, with it being an efficiency,
But now it's an efficiency that's in the dark.
And I just would like to ask Mr. Bennett, did he...
The questions are directed to the board. Thank you.
I'm sorry. Oh, I see. Okay.
Well, I don't think there's been any consideration
on the impact that this would cause on the entire block.
It just seems as if...
How can I say this?
It's basically for the benefit of 1709, this addition.
I don't see anyone else benefiting from it.
First of all, it's on the rear of the building, and I'm all for the improvement in the area.
We greatly need that.
But there have been other property owners, including myself, who have found the way to make it a multifamily without putting an erection on the building.
So it can be done.
1713, next to me.
I'm going to cut you short, but I think we got your message.
We were familiar with the other problem.
Very well.
Thank you for taking the time.
Is there anyone else?
I see Mary Jones.
We have a caller with the last three numbers, 006.
you can unmute yourself
and wait to be sworn in.
Phone caller
ending in 006
you can press star 6
to unmute yourself
and be sworn in.
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can. Please give us your full name and address.
Yes, my name is Sheila Parson Pope. I live at 1711 North 26th Street.
Parson Pope. I live at 1711 North 26th Street.
And ma'am, would you spell your name for the record, please?
P-A-R-S-O-N hyphen Pope, P-O-P-E.
Thank you. Please proceed.
Yes. I have a great problem with this building next door.
First of all, it was feces out there.
It smells all in the apartment and my apartment.
No one has been there to cut that grass because when I come out my back door,
I have to have someone to cut that down because now it looks like a tree.
It's been people back there just trying to get in the place,
but so happens I cut the light on and the lights come on in the back,
So that way, that person, whoever it is trying to get in there, they leave.
The smoke detector, it comes on all the time, but then it goes off.
No one has been over there to check about this apartment, about this house.
I have lung problems.
I am a sick woman.
And certain things that's going on over there,
someone should have been there to try to see what's going on over there