Thank you very much. We appreciate your time. Is there anyone else left, Jason?
Yes, one more hand. Lisa Traum, I've allowed her to speak.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Hello, my name is Lisa Traumann, T-R-L-I-S-A-T-R-E-I-L-M-A-N.
Do you swear or affirm, tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth?
Do you live in a neighborhood?
I do. I live on the 1300 block of Cree Street as well.
Are you in favor of this project or against?
Very much in favor.
Thank you so much for taking your time to cause.
Planning Commission.
Anyway, I'm bored with the Planning Commission.
This testimony will be for 1211 and 1213 Cree Street.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning application
from the existing single-family residential RSA 5.
The appellant has not shown that there are unique physical conditions
or circumstances that would prevent the property from being used in
conformance with the zoning code. The Planning Commission recommends that the
board deny the requested variance for child care center.
I'm going to do both at the same time.
MI 2024-005-512-1330
13 Cree Street, and MI 2024-005-612-1211 Cree Street, I vote yes for both.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes for both.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes for both.
Tana Graham, my vote is yes for both.
Aya Nguyen, my vote is yes for both.
Ishmael Shahid, my vote is yes for both.
Thank you, counsel.
Thank you.
All right, we're going to move on to number 12, MI 2024-005-520-912-28 Walnut Street.
Michael Phillips is the attorney.
Recommendation of unanimous non-opposition from Washington Square West.
A letter of non-opposition also from Council Member Squilla.
Hey, counsel, you've already been sworn. Just for the record, state your name.
Good afternoon. Michael Phillips, Claire Harrison, 1835 Market Street,
Creek 1400, Philadelphia PA, 19103. Here on behalf of Sweet Green Philadelphia, LLC.
And our vice chair has a few questions for you, sir.
Good afternoon, counsel. Do you agree to weigh the reading of the refusal or stipulate towards accuracy?
I do. Have you emailed them all the required documents and exhibits that's needed to proceed with this case five days in advance of this hearing. Thank you. Please proceed and share your screen.
Thank you.
So, good afternoon. I will try to keep this one as brief as possible. I know I have a tendency to be loquacious, so I'm going to do my best here.
So, good afternoon. I will try to keep this one as brief as possible. I know I.
This is an application to expand an existing sweet green at 10th and Walnut from its existing 1,269 square feet to 2050 square feet.
Essentially, Sweetgreen is taking over a former dry cleaner that's next door right here, Expert Cleaners and Tailors.
So this is currently Sweetgreen.
They're just expanding their operations.
This is the existing business.
Again, the location received special exception approval for takeout restaurant use in 2005.
And this is the proposed new area. There will be a water station, some additional seats, and there's no signage that's part of this. This is the new area all to the left.
This is the existing area. There is not going to be any change in hours of operation, staffing levels, menu offerings.
It you know, the business will continue to operate during the course of the improvements that are made further there.
And I'm just going to pull up a letter that we have in here from Sweetgreen that I think lays out right here.
You know, there will be no significant changes to existing refuse load, pickup schedule, loading, unloading.
The trash plan that was submitted in 2005 will remain the same.
Again, there's no change here.
We're simply expanding the use.
It's a special exception, not a variant.
So there will not be any additional detrimental impacts by virtue of expanding the use.
I'd just like to ask Pamela Haver, if she's here, on behalf of Sweet Green, if she could be promoted to panelists to adopt my testimony.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell it for the stenographer?
Please wait for your virtual hand to wait to be sworn in.
And if Pamela Haber is not available, I would ask Erin Flatter if she can be promoted.
Which one is available?
Do we see a hand?
Yes, Pamela Haber.
Okay, sure.
Hi, could you please state your name and spell for the stenographer?
Yes, it's Pamela, P-A-M-E-L-A.
Last name Haber, H-A
B as in the boy, E-R
Where or if I'm to tell the truth
The whole truth, nothing but truth
Please proceed, counsel
Ms. Haber, did you hear my testimony a moment ago?
Okay, and do you agree
That everything that I stated is true and accurate
To the best of your knowledge, information, and belief?
And do you agree to adopt my testimony
As if it were your own?
I have no further questions for Ms. Haber and would offer ourselves available for any questions.
Questions for the board.
Questions or comments from our attorney, Hillary Emerson?
Only a note for the board that we did receive the fully executed copy, the lease that we requested, so this matter is ready for a vote. Thank you.
Questions or comments from the virtual audience?
I do not see any further answer, Mr. Chair.
Planning Commission.
Amy Boyd with the Planning Commission.
The comprehensive plan recommends no change in zoning at this location from the existing commercial mixed-use CMX-5.
The appellant has shown that the proposed takeout restaurant would not cause detrimental impacts beyond what would normally be expected.
The Planning Commission recommends the Board grant the requested special exemption for takeout restaurants.
Thank you. MI 2024-005-520-912-18 Walnut Street. I vote yes.
Michael Johns, my vote is yes.
Cheryl Gaston, my vote is yes.
Tanetta Graham, my vote is yes.
Iowan, my vote is yes.
Ishmael Shahid, my vote is yes.
Thank you, counsel.
Thank you very much.
Number 14, MI 2024-005-554-522 South 17th Street.
Henry Clinton is the attorney.
There's a letter of opposition from Center City Residents Association.
There's a letter of opposition from Center City Residence Association.
No explanation.
No explanation.
Applicant did provide a support with 28 signatures, five from the block.
Back in the other hand.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Sir, you have already been sworn once today, because just for the record, could you state your name?
Henry Clinton, A-T-N-R-Y, C-L-I-N-T-O-N.
Could you identify your client in relationship to this property?
My client is Waybar, LLC, and the principal of which Robin Barrera is on the call, B-A-R-U-A.
Vice Chair has a few questions, sir.
Good evening, Counselor.
Do you agree to wait to read another refusal or stipulate to his accuracy?
have you emailed them all the required documents and exhibit that's needed to proceed with this
case obviously in advance of this hearing i did but two days ago i sent in the streets approval
everything else was in timeline that's fair uh please proceed and share your screen
thank you mr sheeve thank you mr clinton
good afternoon mr chairman members of the board uh henry clinton on behalf of waybar llc
um table of contents a1 through a10 uh this is a straightforward request uh for a single family
house in an rsa5 zoning district uh and we had two refusals one had to do with open space which
we have cured so the only issue before the board is whether or not we're going to maintain the
status quo of keeping a curb cut that's been in place for 65 years has been recognized by the
city with a no parking zone sign in front of it, is supported by the neighbors on the block,
and there's other garages in the area. And I'll go through it step by step. So here's a refusal,
two refusals. As I said, there's an open space, occupied area refusal. We've cured that. We do
have a proviso form in my package if the board looks kindly upon this request. So now the maximum
occupied space is 75%. The second refusal has to do with the curb cut, as I said, that's been in
place since 1959, and I have a zoning record to support that. The RCO letter, just opposition,
as you say, there's no explanation, but I know the three reasons. The three reasons were the
open space refusal, which we've cured.
Second was they don't want a parking spot on 17th Street,
even though, again, it's been there 65 years.
And the third is they wanted a tree.
If we could fit a tree, we'll put a tree.
The soil is loose and granular per our geotechnical report.
And we'll put planters in front of the building
and I have photographs of what those planters
would look like.
here are our support signatures we have support signatures of as you say mr chairman five on the
block there's four on this page uh and one on the other page here it is 513 interesting the
the letters of support are these are 521 and 525 are directly across the street
and these two signatures 518 and 520 are on either side of the property
so here are the photographs here is 17th street
I'm just using my cursor from north to south this is a parking garage in place now there's
a curb cut here already I don't know if that curb cut is used by this garage I think the
cars actually ended on south street but here 601 and 603 south 17th street both have garages
So right now, this is a vacant lot.
And as I said, it's been vacant since 1959.
There's an existing curb cut.
There's a cyclone fence here.
There's two cars actually in the parking area right now.
And when you think about it, the garage that we're proposing is actually going to be less
onerous than what's here now.
When individuals are using this space, they have to take the cyclone fence, pull it out
on the sidewalk.
I don't know if they double park or park across the street, and then go into the space.
With the garage that we're proposing, it's going to open automatically, and a car will simply go in and out as needed.
Down the street, again, this is southbound.
South Street is right here where my cursor is, but southbound, the garage is here,
and the other garages on 17th Street are where my cursor is on the left-hand side.
this is the view looking towards center city again what i didn't point out was
Again, what I didn't point out was here's a no parking sign indicating no parking in front of the curb cut.
here's a no parking sign indicating no parking
So the city recognizes that there is a curb cut there.
And as I said, it's been in use for many, many years.
A close-up view.
Right now, two cars parking there.
We're proposing one car.
Here's our zoning notice.
These are some planners in the neighborhood of the type that we would suggest using in lieu of a tree.
We do have a proviso plan indicating that we did reduce the open space area to 75%,
and we will add a tree to the sidewalk to the property next door,
because my clients are also going to develop 520,
and we also will add a planner to the sidewalk pending Philadelphia Street's approval.
These are the plans.
a four-story property with the rooftop deck we're not you know not exceeding the rear yard space
requirements nor the height requirements a nice appointed garage door all brick
all the way up this is the rear of the property little balcony above the sliding glass doors on
the first floor there is no basement this is a slab on gray construction
uh metal siding on the rear of the property uh this is the zoning excuse me the turning radius
again i have streets approval at the end of the presentation and we've uh highlighted or circled
the areas of changes of the plans if we can get street approval for a street excuse me for a tree
next door we'll do it because my client owns that property uh and this is the
open space that we change in the rear. And then this is the planner if we're able to get
streets approval for that. Floor plans, I'll start from the left to the right. Again, as I said,
there'll be slab on grade, one car parking, bedroom on the first floor, ample rear yard,
second floor living room, kitchen area, a little deck in the rear, two bedrooms on the third floor
and two bedrooms on the fourth floor with access to a rooftop deck.