washington avenue west abroad and uh we are looking forward to uh to uh bringing a new life
to this space because of the unanimous, nearly unanimous support we've got from the RCO,
the support from the council member, and because our operation is going to be run by folks
who know food service, we respectfully request the granting of the special exception. With
that, I have to call my client, Rafi Litch, to the stand to adopt my testimony. Thank
Thank you.
Raphael Licht has been promoted to panelists.
Good evening.
Could you please state and spell your name for the stenographer?
Raphael Licht, R-A-P-H-A-E-L-L-I-C-H-T.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
sir sorry i uh it when i hit the panel button uh it skipped the last question or the last
do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
yes i do counsel thank you mr chair rafi did you hear my presentation to the board today
i did is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge yes it is you adopt it as your
own testimony yes i did i thank you very much i have nothing for a quick question where do we
stand with taxes uh well uh it's my understanding that taxes are taken care of uh you know obviously
my my client is a tenant we're okay we're okay yeah yeah all right i just got a head shake
all right i just got a head shake the only thing i asked mr chair if the board could
the only thing i asked mr chair if the board could
specify if if if you know if in fact the special exception will be granted
special
is that the space is identified as a proviso is 237 chestnut street
but l and i i think it's identified as a different address though like
it's a much larger property and this is one section of that property
The OPA for the property is 2430 South Bank Street, but it's a much larger property.
This is like a unit in what would be, you know, strip mall that we've done, you know, in all other different places.
It would be, yes, with proviso specific to 237 Chestnut, that unit.
our council is checking right now I know yeah thank you back to you in two minutes
no problem we've waited this long we can wait longer can we can we clarify like a unit just
because Ellen I like I said before identified it as the bank street address do you have yeah
And that is the legal address of the entire property that runs at Chestnut East and then down bank.
The unit would be 237 Chestnut.
Retail.
Thank you.
Are you saying 237 Chestnut is the unit number?
That's correct.
That's how the application was submitted.
We'll do that as a provider.
We've got to pass first.
along with if you want to do proviso we're going to limit it to first floor and basement
that's correct thank you that's how the application was initially submitted
um questions or comments for the virtual audience are we asking the board first
nobody said anything oh i didn't hear the question sorry i was no i've got a question
i have many oh you're only at this time of night you're only allowed you're only allowed one right
okay mr john and i are on the same page so my main question verne is like i understand what
we're trying to do here but where is the actual like if i'm a pedestrian coming to this place
how am i getting to the water i stand it's not it's a cafe you would if you i don't are you
familiar with the american revolutionary history museum on chestnut street this is directly across
the street and there is a separate entrance on the street into the retail space at 237 chestnut
yeah 237 chestnut is uh sort of like adjacent to the independence independence uh hotel which
is right there uh and and and that's that's where it is on the the the front the frontage is on
chestnut got it okay so we're gonna go in the doors on chestnut and the basement is mostly
going to be used for your staff and storage only for the staff and storage they're going to go into
they're going to go into 237 chestnut and they're going to see uh right here there are restrooms in
the basement um there's an ada restroom on the ground floor and additional restrooms in the
basement but other than that the basement is storage lock-in refrigeration uh utilities you
walk in here you'll see a counter you'll see the coffee and the coffee section i saw all of that
um that part i was i was good with okay i was just trying to figure out because it looked like there
was no separate door between the hotel and the next building no there there certainly is yep
there's like i see for city i see the hotel where's this door yep and the only uh we're here
because we're doing takeout we're going to be doing grab and go sort of stuff as well so okay
and then it's it's a full cafe and it's are you doing cooking on site no no heavy cooking no no
not whatsoever everything will be uh pre-made or sandwiches you know things like that got it okay
questions from anyone else questions actually i have an update
um it was suggested that we say for the proviso that the use is limited to the commercial unit
on chestnut on the chestnut street frontage 237 chestnut to be exact yes i don't know if 237
but we say that again this is what hillary recommended that we say use limited to commercial
unit on chestnut street frontage that's perfectly fine for our for our purposes yes but do we have
That's perfectly fine for our purposes, yes.
But do we have to do first floor, second floor, too?
First floor, basement, too?
Correct.
First floor, basement.
That's all I need.
That's all we need here.
All right.
237 doesn't exist.
All right.
So anyone else in the virtual audience?
Not at this time, Chair.
Planning Commission.
Madison Matera, Planning Commission staff.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change the existing CMX 3 commercial mixed use zoning at this location. The appellant has shown that the proposed takeout restaurant will have no detrimental impact beyond what might be reasonably expected. City planning commission recommends the board grant the proposed special exception for a takeout restaurant.
MI 2026, 003, 334, 24 to 30, Bank Street.
I vote yes with proviso.
First floor and basement only.
And then hold on one second.
There's typing.
Hold on.
Oh, she stopped.
Use limited to commercial unit on Chestnut Street frontage.
That's it.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes with proviso.
Cheryl gets the my body chefs with proviso to net a Graham. My vote is just with proviso Ryan McAdams. My vote is yes with proviso. When my vote is yes with proviso.
Is there anyone in the, uh, thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you for anyone in the audience. Who's a 2 PM case has not been called.
I see no hands here. We're going to take a 5 minute break and come back into the 330 list.
anybody's not here hey everybody's here good afternoon everyone my name is bill
bergman and i will be chairing this uh zba hearing with me is our vice chair tenetta
graham president mr chairman board secretary cheryl l gaston is it mr chairman board member
michael johns president mr chairman i win that's it mr chairman mcadams mr chairman also here is
lynn reuter uber our attorney our executive director ian haggerty and our board administrator
lakeisha dandy this hearing is being recorded and will be posted on the zba website by participating
you consent to be recorded this is an in-person meeting with remote participation whether in
person or on zoom if you are called to speak please state and spell your name and then wait
to be sworn in after you're sworn in please start your testimony by stating your name each time you
testify 200 appearance indicate the property address on the zoom webinar speak with a staff
member call the zba office by the close of business tomorrow please call 215-686-2429
and provide your name email and the address of the property remote participation raise your
virtual hand when directed so that we can call on you to speak when we call on you please click
the join as a panelist but use a q a only for procedural questions not anything to do with the
case and if you're joining by phone press star nine to raise your hand and star six to unmute
so let's go to our our um our list for the evening
number three mi 2025 007 615 3612 north 5th street um this is the second listing we have
no exhibits um justin johnson is the listed owner and michael choi is the listed applicant
see no hands chair no hands
did you say no hands no no hands here thank you so mi2025 007 615 3615 north
fifth street i vote to dismiss michael johns my vote is to dismiss mr chairman i think we talked
about waiver going to waive the two-year rule and then we will waive the two-year rule
do i need to say that also no just proviso okay with proviso
cheryl gaston my vote is to dismiss with proviso senator graham my vote is to dismiss with proviso
Ryan McAdams, my vote is to dismiss with proviso.
I am Wynn, my vote is to dismiss with proviso.
Number five, MI 2026 003 961 6517 Ray Street. This case has been continued to 217 27 at 3.30 PM.
Number five, MI 2026-00.
I'm going to go to number one, go to our first case, MI-2025-002-467-5861 Willows Avenue.
Gabriel Fellis is the attorney.
Gabriel Fellis has been promoted to panel.
good evening gabriel good afternoon everyone uh good evening what would have been sworn
once today could you please just state your name and spell it sure it's uh gabriel fellas
g-a-b-r-i-e-l last name is fellas f is in prank e-d-l-l-u-s all right could you identify
your client the relationship to the property sure my client is enid breckneridge she's the
property owner all right our vice chair has a few questions for you sir good evening you submitted
your documents and exhibits 14 days in advance of this hearing i submitted most of them 14 weeks i
submitted one extra exhibit um i believe the end of last week or beginning of this week
all right thank you and do you weigh the read know your refusal and stipulate to its accuracy
see yes all right thank you you can show your screen and proceed and you also have a letter
of non-opposition from the third war executive committee
i'm so sorry my uh the zoom originally kicked me out earlier from trying to get on to the desktop
i apologize
gabriel i have two other cases do you want me to come back uh yeah i'm so sorry that it looks
that's not a problem we'll be back in probably about two hours a little humor for the staff
okay we'll be back in 10 minutes can you see my screen now here you guard look at that it scared
you i said two hours yeah i'm trying to get out here just like you guys i'm sorry about that
all right you guys can see my screen now what your screen your screen is up great
all right so we're here today seeking um so let me pull this up
just want to make sure we actually see your email yeah it's a lot of emails emails can you see the
table of contents now no no let me come back to you okay all right sounds back shortly sounds good
number two mi 2025 005 346 58 58 south 2nd street mark feinman is the attorney
mark has been allowed to speak all right mr feinman could you please state your name and
spell for this stenographer? Yes. Good evening. My name is Mark Feynman, M-A-R-K, F as in Frank,
E-I-N as in Nicholas, M-A-N. Do you swear we're affirmed to tell the truth, the whole truth,
nothing but the truth? Yes, I do. Mr. Feynman, could you identify your client,
the relationship to this property? Yes. My client's name is Sam. Last name is Obiah,
O-B-I-A-H, and he is the tenant.
He has a lease to operate what we are proposing, which is a restaurant on the first floor.
Our vice chair has a few questions.
Good evening.
Have you submitted your documents and exhibits 14 days in advance of this hearing?
And this is a referral, so do you wait to know your referral?
All right.
Thank you.
You can share your screen up again.
my apology if i could request there um there is another uh laptop that we're using for the
sharing of the screen and that would appear as hamza alia dia you'll see that he'll raise his
hand if if we can allow that but you're going to do the testimony right that's correct that's correct
okay yes all right bring that gentleman on
All right. Bring that gentleman on.
Mr. Chairman, can I ask a question that involves standing right now?
Involved who?
Standing?
Okay. Mr. Feynman, this is Lynn Riedelhuber, Board Counsel.
I know you just identified Sam Obaya.
Obaya. What is his relationship to Rittenhouse Grill and Juice Bar?
Oh, he's-
I can indicate what it is.
okay i beg your pardon he he would be the owner and operator of that business
okay because he signed the lease then so he signed in as the mooner okay i wanted to clarify that
with regard to the lease that would have the standing okay thank you great greatly appreciate
that thank you you're coming up now yep i see that there okay go ahead sir if i may this is
an application it's a request actually it's quite similar to the one you just heard um and it's
It's right around the corner from the property on Chestnut Street where you just heard some testimony.
It's for a special exception to operate a restaurant in the current building.
This building has served as a restaurant for the past two decades.
The granting would not affect and harm the general public or the community.
The building was already configured for a restaurant.
The use of that restaurant had ceased right after the pandemic.
It's a multi-use building.