Thank you.
This is Hillary, Mr. Chair.
I'm back on, I heard.
Thank you.
All right.
and okay thank you Mr. Kerr and I apologize to other folks who are still waiting to be heard
you will have an opportunity as Tanya said you can either do it via email or when we come back
on the 20th you'd be more than welcome to hear your testimony thank you thank you thank you Mr.
Chair thanks everyone thank you that concludes the two o'clock session oh god I thought today
was going to be easy um it's eight minutes after take a 10 minute break does that work
that's good yes chair work for you court reporter that's what i'm looking at
all righty thanks see you shortly see you around 20 after okay
Good evening, everyone. My name is Frank DiCicco. I'm the chair of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
I'll be participating in today's hearing along with our Vice Chair, Ms. Carol Tenere,
Board Secretary, Confessor Plaza, and Board Members, Mr. Thomas Holloman and Mr. James Snell.
Board Administrator Ms. Tanya Sunkett and Board Attorney Ms. Sharon Saleta are also in attendance.
For those of you who haven't yet participated in one of our virtual hearings, I'll go through some
of the basics of what you can expect. First, we will be administering oaths to individual
participants prior to their testimony. Second, for the benefit of anyone participating by phone,
we ask that attorneys and witnesses identify themselves prior to speaking or testifying.
Third, we'd like to advise everyone that this proceeding is being recorded
and that by participating, you acknowledge your agreement to be recorded.
Fourth, for anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify,
you must raise your hand by hitting star 9 and then star 6 to unmute yourself.
I'll repeat.
For anyone participating by phone, if you wish to testify,
you must raise your hand by hitting star 9 and then star 6 to unmute yourself.
Finally, to enter an appearance statement, call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address
and the address of the property at issue. I'll repeat. To enter an appearance statement,
call Google 267-270-5548 and leave your email address and the address of the property at issue.
with that being said and but before our vice chair calls our first case we'd like to ask if
anyone is requesting a continuance or an appeal excuse me a continuance or withdrawal for an
appeal for this evening's hearing list in the meantime i will read off a couple of cases that
we've already been requested to continue. Page number one, MI 2020-001436, 1446 West
Medro, NEDRO Street. MI 2020-001435, excuse me, 2322 West Tioga. MI 2020-001529,
2120 East Arizona Street.
If the applicant and or an attorney is present for the cases I just called off
and believe those cases are being continued in error, please raise your hand.
And again, if anyone is requesting a continuance or withdrawal,
please raise your hand at this time.
Chair, we have Charles Richardson.
He's been unmuted.
Mr. Richardson, you're putting a full day in today.
Mr. Richardson.
This is true, Mr. Chair.
Identify yourself and you've already been sworn in.
Charles Richardson from the Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass, Room 312, City Hall.
Charles Richardson from the Office of Councilwoman Cindy Bass, room 312, City Hall.
2232 West Estall Street, which is MI2020-001434.
Asking for a continuance because we, our office and the RCO have received no communication from the individuals.
Okay, that's number four for the board members on our sheet number four.
um excuse me this is Sharon I'm sorry chair I didn't mean to interrupt um we we also received
the request from Swampoodle RCO but we did receive exhibits from the applicant so if we could check
to see if they are here yeah is the applicant of it here for 2232 east s tall e-s-t-a-u-g-h street
chair we have a caller from with the phone number ending at 6845 i'm sorry fatina no
this is clear this is clarence dupree you've been unmuted you can speak to the
continuous request okay uh i have no objection to the continuous request mr dupree would you
please identify yourselves by your first and last name and give us your address my name is clarence
Dupree. That's C-L-A-R-E-N-C-E-D-U-P-R-E-E. My address is 647 West Park Lane. I'm the applicant
and the owner of the building. We're in a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the
truth? I do. You've heard there's a request from the Councilwoman's office for a continuance and
addition to, I believe, Swamp Poodle as the RCO. Any objection to continuing this case?
I have no objection to continuing the case, although I did notify them both.
And I have been trying to notify at least Swampuro as well as the other RCO multiple times.
That's contained in my exhibits, but again, I have no objection.
Okay. These are trying times, as you know, and sometimes we're having difficulty connecting.
So it's just...
I'm sorry.
Mr. Chair.
Okay, go ahead, Charles.
Go ahead, Charles.
Okay. Just wanted to let you know the Swamp Poodle is not the coordinating RCO for that property.
It is Tioga United.
So I have to get in contact with them. Swamp Poodle is not the coordinating RCO.
Okay. Thank you for clearing that up.
All right.
I reach out to both of them, Swamp Poodle and Tioga United.
And I have emails from both, but I'll be happy to reach out to them again.
Okay. You can work with Mr. Richardson, the Councilwoman's office.
i think that would be helpful as well sure thank you for your cooperation so mi 2020
i'm sorry i just wanted to ask a question for what i would do um mr dupree do you have any
kind of time limits or concerns about this here property where you really need to get
it scheduled sooner than later no no no okay sounds good thank you so very kindly
Thank you, Tanya. MI 2020, that's 001434, 2232 West Estall Street is continued.
Chair, if you could also confirm whether anyone is here for numbers seven and eight,
I don't have a record of having received exhibits and in case anyone is here to participate,
We wouldn't want them to wait needlessly.
Okay, sure.
Is anyone here for 6415 Harbison Avenue?
Anyone here to testify on 6415 Harbison Avenue?
Only have your hand up if it's for Harbison.
The call-in user, are you here for Harbison?
You're going to mute yourself.
Calling users press star six.
So Sharon will continue this case, correct?
Correct.
Thank you.
And Tanya, has this case already been continued?
Is this the first time?
no this here is from november 2019 so must be heard would be wonderful that's why i'm asking
you okay mi 2020 that is zero zero zero zero six six six four one five harbison avenue is continued
must be heard is there anyone here for five four oh five christian street is there anyone on
who would like to testify on 5405 Christian Street.
Who would like to testify on 5405 Christian Street?
Please identify yourself.
Spell your name.
Give us your full name.
Spell it and your address, and that's where you're in.
Lloyd M. Carpenter.
L-L-O-Y-D.
Carpenter.
C-A-R-P-E-N-T-E-R.
Your address?
5430 Webster Street.
Wearing a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Are you the applicant?
No, I'm not.
You are?
In what capacity are you involved?
46 Ward RCO.
Well, Sharon, do we have any exhibits?
No, I do not have exhibits for this one.
Okay, sir, we're going to continue this, and we'll put it down as a must-be-heard.
okay okay okay thank you for your participation mi2020-0000295405 christian street is continued
must be heard i well i did have an attorney here listed um sorry about that um mr gossett are you
here for this case? I am here, yes. Sorry about that, sir. No problem. Are you prepared to go
forward with this case? I am prepared to go forward, Chairman. It's my understanding that
the documents have previously been sent into the zoning board, and I'm ready to go forward.
Excuse me, this is Sharon Saleta. When you say they were sent in, were they emailed in?
yes they were okay um can you provide us information regarding that the date they were
sent in and by whom i can't i believe that it was sent in from from the um participating rco i
believe it was sent in a few days ago no from from the actual applicant or attorney must submit
documents relative to this particular hearing proceeding and if we have not received them
then the case would be continued. So, there are required documents to go forward for this hearing.
Right. That would have been the deed. That would have been the tax compliance. That would have
been the letter. Right. You said the RCO. That's not their role. I was CC'd on the actual email
that was sent in. Again, if I could be very clear, the requirement is for the applicant,
attorney or owner to submit the documents was that done i'm not exactly sure who i know that
it was sent in because i was cc but i cannot tell you exactly who sent it in well it doesn't appear
they've been they were sent to the right party so we'll have to continue this case okay all right
MI 2020-0000295405, Christian Street is continued.
Any other requests?
Chair, we have one more.
Adam Levere.
Adam Levere.
Number two on our list, North Howard Street.
I think that must be a technical error.
I did not raise my hands.
We're prepared to proceed with the case in due course.
Okay, thank you.
Only hands up for anyone who is requesting a continuance or withdrawal.
One last time.
There are no hands here.
Thank you.
I know I keep leaving this out, but I would ask it.
no one attempt to testify in the chat. Any comments should be directed to the Board Administrator.
With that, we'll go to number two is our first case, MI 2020-000832-1700-06 North Howard
Street. Good evening, Mr. Laver. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the
board. If you can give us one second we're going to promote him. He's been promoted. Thank you Mr.
Labor do you swear and affirm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth? I do Mr.
Chairman. And please identify yourself for the record. Mr. Chairman members of the board Adam
laver of blank rome one logan square philadelphia pa 19103 thank you miss uh canary has some
questions for you labor do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its
Mr. Laver, do you agree to waive the reading of the refusal and stipulate to its accuracy?
accuracy
Yes, Mrs. Tenere, I do.
And have you emailed the exhibit packet with the required documents, which would include proof of ownership, tax compliance, a copy of the refusal or referral, photos and or plans of the property five days in advance of this hearing?
And have you met with the RCO and hopefully you have a letter?
Yes, Mrs. Tenere, all of that is correct.
In addition, we submitted revised proviso plan and form to Ms. Saleta, counsel for the board.
Great. Thank you. You may proceed.
Thank you very much.
Members of the board, I'm here on behalf of 1700 North Howard Street LP, the equitable owner of 1700-30 North Howard Street, as well as its parent entity, Urban Conversions LLC.
urban conversions has appeared before this board before with us are andrew zachroff of urban
conversions and sergio kosha and charles long of kosher moose architecture as uh mrs tenere
asked i have submitted a package with 18 exhibits and revised proviso plans to the board
at this time i'm going to attempt to screen share and up on up on the screen you should see some
examples of urban conversions work in the past as the board may recall urban conversions uh
prides itself on its reputation for creative adaptive reuse of historic properties throughout
our city. Now on the screen I have some photographs of the subject property. This case concerns the
proposed repurposing of a historically designated but unfortunately neglected industrial property.
You see it most clearly in photographs A and B. This is the circa 1865 decorating plant of
gillinger and sons franklin flint glassworks the property is individually listed on the
philadelphia historical commission's register mr labor pardon the interruption could you
enlarge that yes that's good a little a little smaller now okay that's good thank you
oh in the upper left hand corner uh you are seeing the cecil be more frontage
uh where it says road closed in this photograph uh is howard street uh in b we're looking at
howard street c is howard street and i'll show you uh in a while some waterloo photographs uh
wrapping around in the nomination mr chairman to the philadelphia register of historic places
the property was described by the nominator an outside party the keeping society
as, quote, a rare surviving industrial building relating to the glass industry in Kensington.
Here is an aerial photograph of the site, and I'm trying to zoom in a little bit.
You see the 1700 North Howard Street property right there on the corner across from the schoolyard.
The nomination goes on to attest, quote, like many other industrial complexes, the subject
building had its own recognizable presence, as it does today at the northwest corner of