So similarly, we met with the community group,
the Brewery Townshardswood Community Civic Association,
which is Exhibit 8.
They open-whelmingly voted in support of it.
Their zoning committee was actually unanimously
in support of this project.
Thank you.
Do you want to call your witness?
Mr. Miltz, can you state your name and address
for the record sure um oh can everyone hear me yes um okay uh mayor milf that's m-a-y-e-r
last name m-i-l-t-z address uh my home or okay home 417 cherry hill boulevard
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Mr. Mills, do you swear
it's firm to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing
but the truth? I do
Thank you. Yeah, Mr. Mills
you heard everything I stated today
And is it true and correct?
Yes. And would you adopt it as your own
testimony? I would
Okay. Thank you
Tanya, do we have any other
witnesses? No one
is available with their hands up. Okay. Questions from the board?
Planning commission?
Chairman and members of the board, this property is indicated for residential use on the
comprehensive plan. We believe that this request for a third unit is a de minimis variance because
they are only eight square feet short. Accordingly, we have no objection to the granting of the
variance. Thank you. What's that address again, Carol? It's calendar number 39148-2406 West
Thompson Street. West Thompson Street. Okay. All right. Calendar number 39148-2406 West
Thompson Street. My vote is yes. My vote is yes.
my vote is yes okay jam he's still there
Jane still Tom are you there Tom voted already Tom and confessor voted all
All right. Well, it's for Tom, myself, Thomas Holloman, myself, Carol Tenere, and Professor Plaza all voted yes.
right was for Tom myself Thomas
Good luck.
Thank you. Thank you for your time.
Thank you, everybody. Thank you for your time.
Have a great day.
Sure. Calendar number 39285, 2275 East Cambria.
this. This is an application for a two-family dwelling in an existing structure. This proposed
use is refused for the following. A two-family dwelling is prohibited in this zoning district.
And the individual who filed it did so by power of attorney.
Hello? Can you hear me? Yes. My name is Evie Reyes. I'm the goddaughter of the owner.
He's there also. He will have to present the case.
Yes, I know. Thank you. Ms. Reyes, can you spell your name for the stenographer, please?
Evie, I-B-I, last name is Reyes, R-E-Y-E-S.
Were you owner of the property?
Sorry.
Were you owner of the property where he's at?
Yeah, we have to wait a second.
Who's the owner who's presenting?
Ruben, my godfather.
He's the owner.
He's supposed to, I think.
Yes, but what's the name so I can pull him up?
Oh, Ruben, R-U-B-E-N.
Ortega?
Mr. Ortega, you've been promoted to a panelist. You can now present your case,
but first, state your name and address.
Mr. Ortega, are you available to present?
um he's there but he's he's muted he has to unmute himself
hi can you hear me now yes hi how's doing everybody uh good afternoon chair and board
members my name is ruben bilcara mr ortega would you please uh identify yourself with
the record name and address and spell your name okay my name is ruben bilcara i'm the owner property
located in 2275 East, Canberra Street, Philadelphia, 19134.
And Ruben is spelled R-U-B-E-N, last name O-R-T-E-G-A. Thank you.
Please proceed. Thank you for your time, sir.
and and the reason I'm here for to legalize my property to the SUNY code for two unit family
and the property when I was purchased it was in November 19 2004 and it was already
bought I mean when I bought it was already existing and built into family's unit
Did you meet with the community group?
Yes, I did, yes, I did, sir.
I have a approval of 27 people.
Yes, I submitted all those copies to the lady Tanya who was sent by email.
we have any letters in her in the file Tanya
there is a letter in the file it's from Southport Richmond Civic and they support project okay okay
Okay, anyone else to testify on this on this matter.
No one, you can proceed.
Thank you, Tanya.
Questions from the board.
Planning Commission.
Chair member and members of the committee.
We believe that this property is indicated for residential use on the
comprehensive plan.
We feel that this property was built as a single family and feel that it is
overuse of the property according to even recommend the requested variance not be granted
all right what carol what's that calendar number please calendar number 39285 2275 east cambria
all right calendar number 39285 2275 east cambria
my vote is yes
my vote is yes my vote is yes my vote is yes thank you
my vote is yes
my vote is yes
my vote is yes
good luck calendar number 39297 2625 jefferson street the attorney is adam laver
Adam do you agree to wait the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its
accuracy? Yes, Mrs. Tenere, I do. Good afternoon. You got my memo, dress casual today. I did.
Thank you for that very much. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board, Adam Laver of
Blank Rome, One Logan Square, behalf of 2625 Jefferson, LLC, and its principal, Kevin Sekel,
owner of the subject property at 2625-33 Jefferson Street and 1506 North Valley Street.
I am about to share my screen. Here we are. Kevin has appeared before this board before.
He's with us virtually this afternoon. He and his family live in the neighborhood on
master's exhibit package which has been electronically shared with council to
the board as well as the Philadelphia City Planning Commission includes
numerous individual letters of support from near neighbors at tab five in
addition to the full support of the coordinating RCO which is the brewery
town Charleswood Community Civic Association at tab 5a upset of this
hearing I'd like to bring to the board's attention that when we began like two and
a half hours ago approximately 21 near neighbors were with us virtually prepared
to testify in support of the project I understand that several of those
neighbors unfortunately had to move to work obligation some are here some are
no longer with us in addition I'd like to know due to the challenges of the
online platform, several of the neighbors who do not have ready access to
computers are participating collectively around shared computers, meaning that
their individual appearances may not be registered for the formal record. You're
looking here at the screen at the subject property which is a corner lot
currently vacant. I'm showing three images here. The property front on both Jefferson
and Valley Streets. The aerial photographs, which I've brought up to the screen right now,
are also provided at top seven for those of you who have the electronic existence.
The property sits, very interestingly, across from the historic Jefferson State grounds, affectionately known as Athletic Park.
I learned that this park was home to baseballs, the Philadelphia Athletics, from 1871 to 1876, followed by other historic baseball clubs and several African-American historic baseball leagues, which is quite significant.
Today, the development site itself looks out on this park and recreation center and inspired
by the history, Kevin hopes to name the development the diamond, hearkening back to the baseball
diamonds of yesteryear and cementing that history for the future.
The development site itself is approximately 9,000 square feet in size.
It's zoned residential multi-family RM1, a high-density zoning classification for residential, with a sliver of RSA5.
You can see here with the cursor I'm showing you this site, and you can see the IRMX and RM1 surrounding.
The green is the park that I mentioned.
The property is located on a block largely dominated by this presence of high-density
and the changing development across the street is the industrial residential mixed use that is in
purple the proposal before you is new construction of a five-story multi
The proposal before you is new construction of a five-story multi-family apartment building
with 25 predominantly two-bedroom apartments, all with private balconies.
And I'd like to point out, which is very important to the case before you and the development
proposal, underground parking.
No parking is required here and the developer is proposing underground parking off of North
Valley away from the historic baseball fields. Why is he doing that? He's doing that because
it's good quality. He's doing that even though it's not required and exposing himself to this
zoning board variance process due to the needs of the community, the interests of the community,
which we'll get into in a moment. In addition to that underground parking for 14 automobiles,
bicycle parking within the site, a residential rooftop deck amenity. So the development proposal
features a single curb cut off of North Valley Street, a beautiful frontage along Jefferson
in with patios, landscaping, and setbacks. And we're proud that the project supports the city's
mixed-income housing fund by putting money into the fund for off-site affordable housing.
With a project of this type, of course, commercial trash pickup from within the property lines
is an important feature. The zoning refusal is shown on your screen. It's in tab nine in your
packages. There is only one zoning refusal, and that zoning refusal is for the proposed height,
eight feet beyond what is permitted. Again, this is supported by the community. The developer has
exposed himself and allowed, in a legal sense, allowed this one variance so as to accommodate
the underground parking to use for that purpose. This is supported by the community due to the
developers investment in ample on-site underground parking. The one refusal we would submit is de
minimis within the scope of the development and receptive to the particular needs of the community.
You will note that the proposed height is below the IRMX height limitation, which takes up much of the block, as previously demonstrated, shown in this photograph.
I will share with the board that much of the block is in the process of development.
PHA workforce development is underway. Low-income housing is underway.
The proposed and existing diversification of unit types is, I would submit, a model for the neighborhood and the city.
This site, as I've mentioned, is market rate, which is next to new PHA workforce, new affordable housing, plus the benefit of the money going into the fund for housing in other sections.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Kevin, who lives in the neighborhood, has carefully and respectfully walked door-to-door reviewing the proposal with his neighbors. The results show at Tab 5B in numerous immediate near-neighbor letters of support.
This is a chance to revitalize the property with active development that respects the community, is appropriate for the district, mixes nicely into the shared plan of these various types of housing for the block, which is pockmarked with, at the moment, these open parcels.
The authorization of this single variance in this instance will not alter the character of the neighborhood or district or be detrimental to the public welfare.
I would suggest that the one refusal that we have before you due to the underground parking really meets the scope and spirit of the code as supported by Brewery Town Sharswood, by Senator Street's letter that is in the package and mentions the different types of units,
the affordable and the workforce, along with market rate in the community, the addressing
of underground parking, which you really don't see, unfortunately, yet in this community,
and we hope that others follow. The Grana variants will not substantially increase congestion in the
public streets, danger of fire, otherwise endanger the public health, safety, or general welfare,
et cetera. And I would reserve time if needed.
et cetera. And I would reserve time if needed. Kevin Steckle is here at the
appropriate time to speak. And as I mentioned, I believe that there are still
several supporters only if needed, but they are here. Thank you. Before I open
it up for questions, any questions from the board? No. All right. Why don't we do
this I understand there were a lot more many more folks that are there remain
on the phone now so if you could just give us your name address why don't we
do this first excuse me is there anyone who is waiting to be heard who is a
protesting if there are any protestants raise your hand now and we'll recognize
you first.
Any hands to go up, Tanya?
No, no hands. I just have
promoter Kevin Steckle, so if
he wishes to speak, but other than that,
there's no hands. Okay, so then we'll
go to whoever wishes to be
put their name on the record as
having been here, listening
to this case and being
supportive. We'll ask you to come up
your name and address, and I'll swear
you with. If there are any near neighbors who are still in the virtual room and have not had to
leave to return to work, we'd be grateful if you would make your presence known at this time.
If you're no longer there, we will rest on your many letters that are here in the record.
We have a Eugene. He can unmute himself and speak. Hello, can you hear me? Yes. Yeah, hi. I live in
the 1500 block of North Bailey Street, almost almost right
across the street from the proposed site. Your name?
What is it? Your name and address?
Eugene Nidovich 1501 North Bailey Street. Please spell your
name. Eugene E U G E N E. Last name is Nidovich. That's N as
in Nancy. A Y D as in David. O B as in Victor. I C H.
Thank you.