Urban Parks, and a board member of the McCard Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Thank you. I'd like to introduce Charles Neer as an expert in landscape architecture.
thank you uh mr near can you please briefly describe your role in this project
for the past six and a half years i've been a project manager for the fdr park plan
and the subsequent implementation projects this picnic and play project is one of seven
implementation projects currently underway at fdr park thank you aside from the need for a
special exception due to the removal of 48 heritage trees from the site is it accurate
that the proposed project is otherwise code compliant?
Yes, this project is co-compliant
and has been reviewed by the city.
Thank you.
Looking again at the exhibit shared on the screen,
we heard previously from Mr. Trumbauer
about the ecological study that he helped undertake
following the original 2019 plan for FDR Park.
Mr. Trumbauer testified that the original plan
was revised to reflect what was learned
in the ecological study of the park.
Can you tell us specifically
about how that plan was revised?
Sure. After the 2019 park plan, several things changed that required us to revisit the plan.
First, the first T decided to leave the park, which opened up over 12 acres of land to be included into the ecological core.
Secondly, we learned that Bel Air Manor belongs from the historic register and requires a more significant landscape setting.
And third, we audited the entire site to identify where the high-quality habitat existed and where
we had the potential to develop new high-quality habitat. This was the work that Mike Trumbauer
mentioned previously. The resulting 2022 park plan has significant revisions that expands the
ecological core to 60% of the site, which is over 200 acres, to maximize the environmental benefits
to the park and therefore to the city as a whole. The multipurpose fields have been pushed even
further to the edge of the park and have been cited to avoid the identified areas of high-quality
habitat that Mike Tronbauer has spoken about. The fields are raised and they're aggregated into
groups for efficiency of construction, for use, and maintenance, while opening much of the central
lower portion of the abandoned golf course for the nature phase project within the ecological
core that Allison spoke of earlier. We made the decision to prioritize the areas of high-quality
habitat over the 48 individual fairway trees that we can provide a much larger ecological benefit
to the park and therefore the city. For this project, we have to balance social equity with
ecological resilience. Thank you. I'm going to turn to Exhibits 8A and B, which show our tree plan
for the proposed project. Did you help create the proposed planting plan?
Did you help create the proposed planting plan?
Yes, WRT created this plan.
Was an effort made during the course of designing the project to preserve or save as many trees in the site as possible?
Yes, we're saving over 120 trees. Given that the fields in the recreation areas need to be raised as much as 8 to 10 feet in places, we have limited practical alternatives to avoid the 48 fairway trees.
It is best practice to align the fields north-south. We can't impact Bel Air Manor, we can't build over Shepard Creek, and we can't impact the more sensitive, higher quality areas of the habitat that are adjacent to this location or in other parts of the park that Mike already spoke of.
We were able to save as many trees as possible around Bel Air Manor and places east of the manor when routing the alignment for the Maltese Trail. This is an area where the grays are already relatively high and we do not need to fill any further.
Thank you. In order to comply with the tree replacement requirements of the zoning code, how many trees are proposed to be planted as part of this application?
We are proposing 1,025 new trees.
All of the trees are proposed to be 2.5 inch DBH, which means diameter at breast height. Can you tell us why this size tree was chosen?
Well, 2.5-inch caliber trees are the minimum required tree replacement size, as indicated in the Philadelphia Zoning Code listed in Section 14-705 tree replacement requirements.
But 2.5-inch caliber trees are also an ideal size for tree planting.
They have shown to have less issues acclimating to new sites, have less root disturbance when being transplanted from nurseries,
are easier to move around on site, and most importantly, may outgrow a larger caliper tree
planted at the same time within five years. A larger caliper tree would be more expensive,
require more robust equipment to move them around on site, and they do not establish as quickly as
smaller trees. Thank you. Will the new trees planted differ from the trees that are proposed
to be removed in terms of species or other attributes? All the new trees specified for
the project, all 1,025, are from the City of Philadelphia approved tree list. They are all
native and will be well adapted to a hotter, wetter future that we are already facing in the
city. The biggest difference is that these new trees will be planted in ideal growing conditions
that will allow them to survive and thrive. Raising the ground out of the constant presence
of water and providing well-drained soils with room for roots to grow will give all of these
trees the best chance to significantly add to the urban tree canopy and the city. The challenge
with the current fairway trees is that they are all growing on poor urban soils with constant
water inundation. That will only get worse. Tree roots do need water, but they also need nutrients
and air, and they can't get them if they're constantly being drowned. The newly proposed
trees will be better suited to a more resilient future and will play a large role in jump-starting
the ecological recovery process in the park. Thank you. I'm going to turn now to Exhibit 10,
which includes the zoning code's requirements for special exception approval for the removal
of a heritage tree. Are you familiar with this section of the code? Yes, I am. One of the
requirements includes compliance with section 147051G for tree replacement requirements.
Are you familiar with this section of the code? Yes, I am. Okay. Is it true that
all trees uh 2.5 inch dbh or larger proposed to be removed and the proposed replacement trees have
been indicated on the site plan included in exhibit 8a yes they have all been indicated on
the site plan is it true that the total caliper inches of replacement trees exceeds the total
caliber inches of all trees proposed to be removed from the lot
yes the total caliper inches of the proposed tree planting exceeds the total inches of dbh of all
the trees proposed to be removed from the lot thank you is it also true that each replacement
tree is proposed to be at least 2.5 caliber at planting yes all retracement replacement trees
are 2.5 inch calipers indicated in the philadelphia zoning code and can you confirm that the proposed
replacement trees will be located on the same lot as the trees proposed to be removed?
Yes, all proposed replacement trees will be located on the same lot as the trees proposed
to be removed.
Thank you.
An additional requirement for the special exception approval for the removal of heritage
trees is that we comply with section 143037, which are the general special exception criteria
within the code.
And that provides that the special exception will not cause specific detrimental impacts
to the neighborhood beyond which that might normally be expected from the proposed use.
Mr. Neera, are you familiar with section 14.3037? Yes, I am. In the present matter,
Yes, I am. In the present matter, the proposed use is the removal of the 48 heritage trees.
the proposed use is the removal of the 40.
In your professional opinion, is it correct that the grant of the special exception will not cause
congestion in the public streets or transportation system beyond that which normally might be expected
from the proposed use? Yes, that is correct. Is it correct that the grant of the special
exception will not cause overcrowding of land beyond that which normally might be expected
from the proposed use? Yes, that is correct. Is it correct that the grant of the special exception
will not impair the supply of light and air to adjacent property beyond that might normally be
expected from the proposed use? Yes, that is correct. The proposed project is located in a
large city park. Therefore, no negative impacts to the surrounding area are anticipated. Is it
correct that the grant of the special exception will not burden water, sewer, school, park, or
other public facilities beyond which might normally be expected from the proposed use?
That is correct. The proposed project will be permitted and coordinated with PWD,
PADEP, and other reviewing agencies. Is it correct that the grant of the special exception
will not impair or permanently injure the use of adjacent conforming properties beyond that
which might normally be expected from the proposed use? Yes, that is correct. Is it correct that the
grant of the special exception will not endanger the public health or safety by fire or other means
beyond that which might normally be expected from the proposed use?
Yes, that is correct.
Is it correct that the grant of the special exception will not be inconsistent with the comprehensive plan?
Yes, that is correct.
And is it correct that the grant of the special exception will not cause general detrimental impacts on the neighborhood
beyond that which might normally be expected from the proposed use?
Yes, that is correct.
In your professional opinion, do you agree that the project cannot be practically redesigned
to protect the heritage trees without compromising the programming or impacting the other important
ecological features of the park? In my professional opinion, I believe the project cannot be practically
redesigned to protect the 48 trees proposed to be removed. Locating the elevated program elsewhere
in the park would result in greater environmental impacts. Aggregating the recreational program to
the edge of the park and keeping them high and dry and usable allows the rest of the ecological
core to provide the maximum ecological benefits and services to the park and to the city.
Thank you, Mr. Neer. Those are all my questions. Do any members of the board have further questions
for Mr. Neer? No, no questions. We would like to move applicants exhibits 1 through 26 into evidence.
share your mute
counsel one of the things we're going to do is that we know we have
people in the audience on both sides of this who want to express themselves yes want to have to
have a resumptive date for a further hearing you've presented your case we'll come back
and we're going to have a we're going to get a date as soon as we can and we'll have a resumptive
hearing we'll make sure that all parties are notified of where we stand um but it's just too
much to try to get in today because we have so many other cases that's still here today
mr chairman may i ask just a clarifying point and we totally understand um well at least when
it comes to the record and the ability for new parties to come with new evidence as opposed to
testify as to a neighbor or whatever when it comes to public comment is that the record is
closed for opponents in opposition as opposed to testify well what i'm saying is there's no one
else left other than we open it to the public and when the public when the public comes they will
express their voices both ways either for or against although we we do know there's a lot
of people who want to testify.
Understood.
If someone shows up at a later date, they're not going to be happy.
We have to call witnesses back so they can be cross-examined.
We're going to try not to have to call anyone back.
Thank you.
And Mr. Chair will also take the recommendation of the Planning Commission at that time.
That's right.
So we'll open it up to the public, take it from the Planning Commission, and vote.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thank you very much. And thank you. Thank you, witnesses for us. We appreciate your presentation, but we will make sure the next time we have a little bit more time to concentrate on this and get it through.
Thank you.
See here. Number number five.
Let's see here. Number five.
Hillary, are you muted?
Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. What was your question?
No, no, I'm ready for it. We're going to move on to our regular list again.
Number five, MI-2023-006-619-1214 South 22nd Street.
Darwin Beauvais is the attorney.
There is a letter of support from the Point Breeze Community Development Corporation
and also a letter, applicant provided a petition in support.
Tom Bovet will be rejoining as a panelist, Mr. Chair.
Hi, Mr. Bovee. Could you state your name and spell it, please, for the court stenographer?
Yes. Darwin Beauvais. Darwin, B-E-A-U-V-A-I-S. Beauvais, B-E-A-U-V, as in Victory, A-I-S, as in Sam.
I'm from the Obermeyer Law Firm at 1500 Market Street.
Do you swear a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Could you identify your client, their relationship to the property?
Yes, my client is 1214 South 22nd Street, LLC. The representative is Khaliq Rees. He should be in the audience if he can identify himself by keeping his hand raised throughout my presentation.
Our vice chair has a few questions.
Good afternoon, counsel. Do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal or stipulate towards accuracy?
Have you emailed in all the required documents and exhibit five days in advance to proceed
with this case? I have. Thank you. Please proceed and share your screen, Council.
can the board see we can oh first and foremost mr chairman um we do have an issue with our tax
clearance certificate so if the board can just hear our case and hold it while we rectify that
Okay. All right. Thank you. So, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, it's an honor to be here. I represent the owner of 1214 South 22nd Street. We submitted Exhibits 1 through 14, which includes not only our refusal deed, plans, prior permits, but also photos.
Like I mentioned, we have Faleek Reese, who is the owner of the property, and he is here with us today.
I would like to direct your attention to, and let's just start with Ariel.
Here's the property, 22nd Street.
This is Manton Street here.
The property is where the red dot is.
And also, if you can see, there's it looks like there's a car legally parked on on the sidewalk, which tends to be common in South Philadelphia.
You can see further up across the street, cars are parked, but also want the board to notice the small little alleyway, which will be significant as part of our presentation.
If I could orient the board to what our property looks like, first and foremost, let me just inform the board that this is a project where we're already under construction to converting what was a two-story building into a three-story single-family home.
We sit in an RSA 5 residential district, and we found the opportunity to redevelop the property and create what will be a beautiful home.
This is a permit showing that we're adding an additional story and creating a roof deck.
um as a result we're before you today because we've decided to also create a small garage
on the side where in fact let me just go back where
In fact, let me just go back where this illegal parking is.
We're creating a small garage.
Also, for the board to note, there is no parking allowed on that side of the street.
Parking is allowed on the opposite side.
And although we front 22nd Street, all the activity happens on Manton.
let's go to our photos this is what the property looks like currently we're in the middle of
construction again because we've already started redeveloping a property we I guess the need to
park on the side has uh has been deterred by fellow uh visitors of the block and
we are happy about that here's a rear view of the construction
here interiors
And this is on 22nd Street, and as I mentioned before, all the activity happening on the side street.
As you can see, even if you look past our property, there's parking on, which there shouldn't be parking.
here's evidence of our posting and this is across the street so as i mentioned there's parking a
long side of manton on the opposite side
but i want the board to note that there is a garage directly across the street
um this is what we believe is the approval for that garage as you can see here are other garages
along in the neighborhood