The RCO meeting was actually held on January 13th before Burholm Town Watch and Civic Association.
It was a joint meeting for both applications 48 and 4818.
The proof of mailing to let the neighbors know, here's the zoning notice poster is
Exhibit 7, as well as the photographs of the posting of the zoning notice poster.
These photographs are the posting at Unit 4 specifically.
OK, and here we have the overview.
Here's where 800 Cotman Avenue is located.
These in the front here are the commercial spaces.
As you can see, the surrounding street, while this is zoned RM2, while our building is zoned RM2, there are surrounding, there was formerly a Wawa directly across the street of Cotman, down the street about a block or so on Cotman, there's a number of fast.
of Cotman down the street about a block or so on Cotman there's a number of fast food
stores and auto repair and auto service shops. As I said before this property is
in the as well as the surrounding area have a history of commercial use.
So we were here about two months ago with regard to the signs that were being installed and I'm
not sure if you remember, but we explained that we had kind of modernized and given a facelift to
the existing commercial units. The facade has been redone, kind of modernized, and this overhead
picture just kind of shows the new commercial spaces. Four and three, the unit four, is this
unit here in the middle of the building.
And here's kind of a close-up of the new modernized finished spaces.
We discussed the zoning overlay is RM2 and the areas surrounded as you can see are commercial,
residential and industrial in this area.
The applicant, the tenant who would be coming into this space is Brilliant Stars Learning Center.
I'll give you a little bit of an idea.
And then some of the key features.
They take children.
They do provide services for families with children ages 6 weeks old to 12 years old.
They cater toward frontline workers and teenage parents with a flexible schedule.
They offer service available as needed on a 24-hour basis, five days a week,
and it's dependent upon the family's need. There will be a representative available in
the reception area for the key pickup and drop-off times, so we don't see any
to facilitate basically the flow of traffic through that area. And those times, the key
Key drop-off and pick-up times are 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
And Brilliant Stars meets all child care guidelines from the state of Pennsylvania as far as caregiver to child ratio.
So we've included in the packet the proposed floor plan.
This is how they foresee it.
Again, like I said, it's already been kind of set up into the two units from the previous daycare that was there.
The front reception area would be here.
And like I said, during peak hours, someone would be stationed here at the door to facilitate the flow of traffic in and out of the building.
And then the former permit for a child care use was 2009.
um and basically it was a larger I believe a larger daycare with up to 85 children um they
are I believe beginning to have approximately 50 children um I do have with me today the
representative of brilliant stars who can confirm the number it's the smaller number than I believe
the original um 85 from that application and we did meet with the like I said we did meet with
Earl Holm Civic Association, they did provide a letter of support. It should be in your mailbox.
The vote was unanimous 8-0 in favor of this project. Just to turn briefly to the other
project, which would be Unit 6 of the same set of commercial buildings, we're proposing to use
Unit 6 as a personal service use. Specifically, it's a facial spa and skin treatment facility.
Here's the appeal application, which is Exhibit 4.
Project information sheet is Exhibit 5.
Like I said, it was a joint RCO meeting, so we will go through that.
It's the same notice of mailing and both applications were listed.
The zoning notice letter was posted specifically to this unit, Unit 6.
And just to go back, Unit 6 is the end unit, as you can see right here.
This is Unit 6.
and just to give you a little bit of an idea of the facial spa some of the key highlights for that
property so that the facial service spa would be skin aesthetics company which was formed in
The facial service spa would be Skin Aesthetics Company, which was formed in January of 2019.
The esthetician brings over 600 hours of training to the salon.
They offer not just lashes and brow treatments, but also skin health services, such as treatment for preteens with acne issues and treatment of skin aging issues.
um the spa will operate as appointment only for the foreseeable future the hours are tuesday
through saturday 10 a.m to 6 p.m um and for both facilities uh the applicant um has a dumpster on
the property and the applicant the landlord handles the trash removal there's an existing
service agreement for trash and waste removal. And prior use for another unit, or possibly
this unit, it's unclear exactly which unit it was, there was a prior massage and chiropractic
spa also offered at some point back in 2008 that was approved for these park agreements.
and i should have david waterman from newtown park associates here with me um david if you could raise
your hand i'd like to ask money um i do have both i also have angel brown from skin aesthetics who
should also be or should be specific questions either brilliant stars um who and and there are
people their representatives shalice and shanita nailer as well as marin moon here too
Okay, so why don't we do this? Why don't you do the brilliant stars first, right? Bring the rep for there. Have your testimony adopted?
Yeah, I mean, David Waterman, the applicant, can adopt it.
Okay, good. Then bring him.
Yeah, just in case there's any specific questions, I do have representatives from both.
Right. Let's bring David first.
Mr. Waterman is no longer um listed he was but now he's no longer listed
okay so so so Natalie you're officer of the court we will take your word for what he was going to
say thank you um I mean and to the extent that the tenants are here they're well okay so just
wait so members of the board any questions about either one of these properties
No questions for me, Mr. Chair.
Carol?
Carol?
I forgot I was muted.
No, Mr. Chairman.
Thomas?
Thomas Holloman.
No, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you.
Questions from the virtual audience?
Chair, we have Hillary Emerson.
Right.
good afternoon mr chair members of the board hillary emerson on behalf of councilwoman
sherelle parker e-m-e-r-s-o-n could you spell your name for the court reporter please sure
hillary h-i-l-a-r-y emerson e-m-e-r-s-o-n right do you swear or affirm to tell the truth the
whole truth and nothing but the truth i do proceed i thank you mr chair um regarding um both of the
applications for 800 cotton avenue uh the councilman is is not opposed to the child care center
and personal services uses um these properties do have a commercial history um and in these
commercial spaces and they're also on a major commercial corridor um and there is uh parking
available to accommodate, particularly the child care center, which involves pick up
and drop off and that sort of thing.
We know that the community did support the applications, and thank you to the council
for the applicant for showing the letter.
We just received it as well and then head forwarded it to Ms. Saleta.
So that's all I have in this one here, Mr. Chair, thank you.
Any other questions or comments from the virtual audience?
i see no other hands chair planning commission
good afternoon chair peter bernard for the planning commission
the comprehensive plan recommends no change to the existing rm2 multifamily residential at this
location however there is a long history of the property being used as commercial mixed use and
the property use would be allowed by right if zoning reflected its long-standing use
Accordingly, the Planning Commission recommends the Board grant the variance.
Thank you very much.
On both cases, MI 2021-004817-800-Cottman and MI 2021-004818-800-Cottman.
and MI 2021-004818-800-Cottman. I vote yes for both. Carol Tenere, my vote is yes for both.
Thomas Holloman, my vote is yes for both. Ishmael? Ishmael Shaheed, yes for both.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Tanya, are we ready for number eight?
We can try it. Mr. Leonard, are you there?
Mr. Leonard Brumbidge, you can unmute yourself.
We're going to MI2020, 00631, 4230 Outer Street, number two.
Can you hear me?
Yes, Mr. Leonard.
We've sworn you in already
Now I still don't see that green button
So you're going to
You're not going to have to use it
The board was sent
The documents so that they can review them
Talk through your case
So that the board can understand exactly
What you want to do Mr. Leonard
Well yes I would like to have
Get the property certified as a duplex
I was at three herons, virtual herons, and I had a lot of difficulty because one of the
herons, my name wasn't there, or one of them.
There was another heron where they cut the, yeah, they cut everything short because it
was emergency.
And then the last hearing, virtual hearings that I was at, they never called my name.
So this is going to be a new day here.
So why don't you tell us what you want?
Tanya, do you have, is there any way we can look at the documents?
Can you put them up?
No, Chair, I can't.
And I'm using a phone device because I can't get on on my laptop because it's updating.
So I did send the documents to you all in your email or Karen did.
And just a little bit of background at this case was since 2018 into 2019.
And it kept getting confusing because we had a separate case that was Otter Street as well.
I do believe, let's see if he's here.
Nope, he's not here.
i thought andrew goodman might have been here to assist um because there's a background with the
with the case and andrew i thought was going to be available but he might not be to
discuss it so mr leonard would you be able to explain to the board what exactly it is that you
want okay mr mr chair one thing um i don't know if it would please the board i can share my screen
I see his documents
as an email to me.
Perfect.
There you go. Go ahead, Sherman.
I brought a...
Can you hear me?
Yes, we can, sir. Go ahead.
I brought this property
on a shelf sale
in 2004
in the West Philadelphia
community where I used to live at.
And I worked on it
I fixed the property up so that I could probably make, you know, make a little wage off, you know.
So, but the problem that I had with it is that it was a single family dwelling.
Right.
And so that was the problem.
I couldn't.
So the thing that I did, I couldn't make it a triplex.
So I was told that I could make it a duplex.
So I had an engineer come around and took the measurements and told me as well,
yeah, it could be a duplex, not a triplex. So I had three hearings, as I said earlier.
And so I wanted to get another hearing because the last meeting, that last hearing I had,
they never called my name. I called a couple times. I even called the RCO and he gave me
someone else a call. In other words, it was sort of go to this person, that person, neither
one of them was helpful. So I spoke with Mr. Goodman at the senior citizen law firm.
at the senior citizen law firm.
He's a higher lawyer.
No one told you.
Sir, you have support from all the RCOs.
We have support from all the RCOs,
and we have support from the Councilwoman's office.
Sherman, is there any photos in there?
Mr. Chair, I don't see any photo.
Oh, I see plans here.
but no photos of the actual property okay well and if if it pleases the chair i would um suggest
it's up to you all if you want to finish it the case hold it for photos to be submitted
and then you can make your decision at a later date that's fine i just really wanted to get him
heard because this has been a problem and it was our fault so sir did you hear that what we're
going to do is we just want you to take take photos of the picture of the building i do have
one or i do have one on the front of the building i didn't know well that's all that's all we need
we want to see what it looks like and what's around it that's okay let me see