So we're going to continue this to 11.19 at 2 p.m., okay?
Our clients are-
I totally understand, but each time we come, it gets longer and longer.
So we're moving on.
We're moving on.
I understand your position.
Absolutely understand it.
But next time, we'll get it finished.
I think that we've-
We're done.
We're done.
We're done.
Thank you, sir.
All right.
Thank you.
Okay, so number, we're going to go with number six and number seven, which can be heard together.
MI 2025, 002-794-1240 South Broad Street.
Vern Anastasio is the attorney.
The second one is MI 2025, 002-800-1242 South Broad Street.
Both of them will have a Cantonese interpreter.
There are several provisos, but there's unanimous support from South Broadstreet Neighbors Association.
Mr. Anastasio.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon.
I think I already swore you once this morning, right?
You came on earlier this morning. Yes, sir. Okay. All right. So could you identify your
clients in the relationship to the property? My client is Isu Zhao. She is the owner of
the property. It's two separate parcels, but it is connected. Right. So is our Cantonese
interpreter available? Now, Vern, you mentioned to Hillary that you would only need the interpreter
when he's tested, when the person's testifying. Is that right? That's correct. Okay. Do we have
our interpreter here here i'm here oh good good good could you please state your name and spell
for the stenographer yeah sure my name is bun wang uh b-u-n and then w-a-n-g do you soundly
swear or affirm that you will interpret accurately completely and impartially from english to
cantonese and from cantonese to english to the best of your ability yes okay thank you very much
um um so verne explain to me you'll use her when he's going to when your person is going to
testify yeah mr chair my plan is to just present my case as i normally would uh and then at the
end of my presentation ask my client to raise her virtual hand uh and when i uh do that the
interpreter can uh sure our vice chair has a few questions for you thank you good afternoon
Good afternoon.
Have you submitted your documents and exhibits for both cases five days in advance?
And do you waive the reading of the refusals and stipulate to their accuracy?
Okay, thank you.
You can proceed with your case on your screen.
Thank you.
And Vern, you're handling both at the same time.
But I'm only going to, it's one packet, at least for here, for this presentation.
But I'm only going to, it's one packet.
At least for here, for this presentation.
The application is for, second, there it is, is for visitor accommodation.
This is a very large property for generations.
It has been either a convent or a rectory for nuns and priests and things like that.
So now Ms. Zau would like to use it for visitor accommodation.
It's tailor-made.
It's already outfitted for that.
So and that's what we've been spending the last eight months trying to work through with the RCO.
We have a CBA.
There are some provisos that we can talk about if you'd like at some point, all of which we have no objection to, of course.
So that's the refusal.
we're here to seek the uh the zoning variants for the visitor accommodation i'm going to stop
sharing this screen i'm going to share another uh there it is hold on
okay and these are the plans and i'm going to be zooming into them so you can see them better
okay 1240 1242 or the other way around uh the uh you're going to see a shared business center
uh upon entrance you're also going to see a shared lounge and dining area
and then of course a kitchen on the other side you're going to see unit one hallway unit two
and Unit 3. Go up the stairs here to the southernmost property and you'll be on
the second floor for Units 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Again, all existing conditions. And then
And going up the stairs again, you'll have units 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
We've agreed to commercial trash pickup.
We've agreed to plant some trees.
We've agreed to have contact information available not only to the RCO, but on the property itself.
In addition to having a South Philadelphia property management team.
And with that, I'm going to just call my client.
uh on obviously this property because of its long history you got photos of the property
oh sure my apologies i should have sent you those
i had them hold on for one second
I'm trying to clean up my opening, my open boxes here, so just give me one second.
it yeah properties the photos are awesome you don't want us there we go here's the basement
and we'll take you through some photos it's all very well appointed
Here's the flyer that was mailed to all folks in 350 feet.
Here's the proof of mailing.
And we have, of course, the deed and tax documents have already been sent to the staff at the zoning board.
And with that, I'd like to have Ms. Zhao raise her virtual hand.
Is this the old St. Reedus?
Yes, I think
You know, I lost track of the parishes
But it is certainly a former archdiocese property
That was used for nuns
Interpreter, could you please call the person?
Yes, you are in what way?
你在這裡嗎?現在要到你身邊,你在這裡嗎?
You are in what way?
廣東話的講完
是不是?趙先生,你在這裡嗎?
Hai Su Zhao
Hai Su Zhao,你是不是姓趙啊?你在這裡嗎?
Chair, they're answering as a panelist.
Thank you.
Interpreter, introduce yourself first.
Hi, you're welcome.
I'm going to help you with all of these things.
I'm going to ask you to use a simple,
a simple word to translate.
Do you hear me?
She might be taking a while to get on.
Okay, she actually speak Mandarin, but no problem, I do both.
Okay, you may go ahead.
Thank you.
Well, does Ms. Al need to be sworn?
Could you, I'm going to get her to state her name and spell for the interpreter.
你把你的名字讲出来,然后拼出来,哈?
我的名字AICIDOU
Thank you.
Miss Al, I have three questions
Hold on, ask her
Does she swear or affirm
To tell the truth
The whole truth is nothing but the truth
就是今天你所说的
这是真实无物所知的全部
没有隐瞒是不是
Okay, please proceed
Thank you, Mr. Chair
Miss Al, good afternoon
Did you hear my presentation
to the board this afternoon?
你好,下午好啊
那你刚才有没有听到我刚才所讲的
就是关于那个房子那个东西
你有没有听到
And is it true and accurate to the best of your knowledge
我所陈述的都是
根据你自己的知识来讲
都是正确的对不对
And do you adopt it as your own testimony
你会把我刚才讲的
成为你自己今天的见证吗
it? Yes. Thank you. I have nothing further. So Vern, just before we go on, we have what we believe
are four enforceable provisos. Must obtain a certificate of occupancy, three-year temporary
variance, trash stored inside or in rear yard, no household living in the basement. Yep. We have,
again, all the provisos seem to be reasonable. We certainly don't object to the temporary
variance, although we do recognize the board's reluctance sometimes, considering that she may
have to put in $100,000 in fire mitigation upgrades prior to that CO. But we're not going
to object. We'll leave it up to the board's discretion. Questions from the board? Yes.
How many units per building are you going to use? 13 units total. So it's 13 between the two
buildings that's correct with a shared office space business space in the front and also a
shared dining area as well and a kitchen okay and what size units are these one bedroom two bedrooms
what do we they're all one bedroom i could bring them back up if you'd like there it's a it's a
former convent so i'll be happy would you like me to bring them back up yes yes because i think you
went by them pretty quickly i'm not going to disagree with you there madam secretary
um but yeah as you can see here there's the shared business center the shared dining area
we can't see it yet very oh yeah nothing my bad sorry it's okay there we go
Left to right, we're talking shared business center, dining lounge, kitchen.
Here's our units, one, two, and three.
Second floor, four and five.
The larger ones are 27 feet deep.
And then, of course, the smaller ones are about just under 13 feet by nine.
So who's going to be manning or providing these meals?
So who's going to be manning or providing these meals in this shared kitchen?
Oh, no one provides meals, right?
This is a, there's an accommodation.
So they, people, people have their own meals.
They go out, they grab stuff, they put it in the fridge.
They could fix their own meals.
Yeah, I think that you, you mentioned there's a big dining room.
What's that for?
Right.
Well, people, this way they don't have to necessarily, this way they don't have to necessarily
eat in their room, right?
there's a there's a kitchen take it to there uh okay so the units themselves don't have like a
kitchen in them no no no no um some of the larger ones i think we saw some photos maybe a little
side table but that's about it okay so this is more like a hotel kind of thing yeah that
ostensibly is what a visitor accommodation uh kind of is right i mean technically technically
right i mean even though we don't like to say that um that's that's kind of what it is well i
mean you know usually they they're like one bedroom sort of apartment right units well we
definitely have a unique condition and living room and that kind of thing and okay yeah i mean this
obviously is a unique physical condition here you know an old nunnery for the work not a whole lot
we can do with a nunnery yes i mean i think i'm following the same vein of questions i feel like
typically when you see buildings like this laid out they're operated by a company for example
sonder where they're operating a bunch of these units at once but they are operating as boutique
hotels um for this unit i'm wondering for like the things that you would find in a hotel there's
usually other back of houses spaces that this plans don't seem to show where you're putting
the linens where they're putting all the mini soaps um how are what's the plan for the management