as ian explained there's really no other place to do parking given the hardship on this site
we also at the request of the council office set up another meeting with the rco which happened
last night in which we again discussed this um and you know they i'm sure they will express you
know their concerns but we did feel um from our perspective at least that we've tried to um you
know mitigate any issues with parking and do think that um it would be sort of short-sighted to have
17 units on a site on 33rd street with no parking given the concerns with parking in this area and
in general. So I'm happy to answer any additional questions. I just would like to have Keith on to
attest to the testimony that I provided and then happy to take questions and move this forward.
Thank you.
Please raise his hand.
There's no one.
all right um okay i'm sorry is this calvin williams you waiting for no okay people just
raising their hands just because that's from the community all right any questions from the board
no no no anyone else wish to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
chair i have mary jones from the council's office mary you can unmute and wait to be sworn in
good morning ms jones please identify yourself for the record
good morning um mary jones from council president daryl clark's office room 494 uh city hall
we're in a firm to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
i do thank you please proceed um yes last last night we did um have a community meeting
where uh many of the community uh expressed uh concern about the safety uh of pedestrian
concern about the safety of pedestrians and of the traffic and the traffic
street.
concerns around having a parking garage with people able to drive in and out.
We support them and their concerns and and just hope that you will listen to
them and that and what they um what they think should be uh how the situation should be handled
thank you anyone else wish to who would like to testify in this case please raise your hand
here we have tanetta tanetta you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in
Chair, Tonnetta is available for you to swear her in.
Okay, ma'am, please identify yourself for the record, first and last name.
Spell your first and last name and give us your address.
Good morning.
My name is Tonnetta Graham.
We spell my first name T-O-N-N-E-T-T-A.
Last name, G-R-A-H-A-M.
My address is 2234 North 30th Street, and I am one of the coordinated RCOs for the project,
Strawberry Mansion CDC.
Thank you.
You swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you.
Please proceed.
Thank you.
Good morning, panel, and thank you so much for allowing the RCO process to move forward.
There wasn't the proper RCO meeting was held on this project last night.
so this has definitely been a quick turnaround um it was um this is a contentious issue as we
all put out there and as you may have you will hear today but our issues and concerns are for
the safety of not only the potential pedestrian traffic but the location of this uh parking
accessory accessory parking um we do appreciate the fact that there's parking provided however
this location um in our viewpoint is not ideal um this is uh the entry and exit us from this
driveway is located on a Pennsylvania highway on north 33rd street so it is a highway and this
proposed driveway not only um is on a highway but it is at the landing of a vertical crust of a
bridge and as you move up that bridge it has ebbs and flows as well as curves so there is a south of
the bridge is a horizontal curve the vision and site is limited and uh you're limited to be able
to see in this proposed driveway there is no signage that uh uh even talked was even talked
about or discussed about putting um a driveway there so that drivers can see what's what's coming
this highway is heavily used by bikers vehicles septa buses and is frequently congested during
rush hours and special events in center city on and on kelly and mlk drives this is also a gateway
to Sherbury Mansion it's a gateway also for our park entryway so in order this is a way we our
community uses Fairmont Park I don't know if I have the ability to share but we do have several
videos and we have a couple pictures that we'd like to show that to give you an idea a visual
of how dangerous this intersection this this parking would be if it was allowed to take place
Thank you. Please, if you can share that, that'd be helpful. Thank you.
No, she doesn't have the authority. Do you want her to be promoted?
Yes, please.
okay lots going on okay all right I think I have the ability to share my screen now
thank you
okay this is a video
that we'd like to share
so first video
this is the point where they would like to put this park and entry exit way as
As you can see, they're coming off the crest of that hill, so there's no time to stop or whatever for these drivers.
you can see they're coming off the crest of that hill so there's no time to stop
We do know that the attendance traffic speed limit is 25, but as you can see, some folks out there, mostly they don't.
So this is one of the videos we're going to show.
The edge of that bridge is right there.
This is our primary concern.
Traffic is a steady flow of traffic.
this is all day every day okay and I will show you video number two of actual the
actual drive along this road so this is highway 33 33rd Street Pennsylvania PA
highway as you can see it's an incline with a lot of curves there's two sharp
curves happening on this um lane and at when this vehicle stops that this is
where they would like to put parking you have no time to stop for anybody trying
to enter and exit this parking garage and as you can notice on the left cars
are continuing to zoom by as this car stop this again is the situation there
all day every day then I'd like to end with a couple of photos that we can
share this is what we see every day again this is a highway on you can see
the cursor this is where they want to have they're proposing their parking
entry and exit way this road is always bottleneck again whenever things are
happening in center city or on the drive um this is a major bus route this is our primary concern
yes we do appreciate the thoughtfulness of having parking there but we feel as though in this
particular case uh buy right what works best because we do not want to hear about anybody
dying or a variety of traffic incidents along this route which we know will happen if this
parking is allowed to be there thank you okay thank you miss graham is there i'm sorry have
you concluded miss graham have you finished oh i'm sorry yeah i have others but i can go on for days
but no no we don't have many days thank you thank you good job thank you uh anyone else who wish
would like to testify in this case if so please raise your hand
and it would be helpful if you offer something new and different
francis you've been unmuted you can wait to be sworn in
please identify yourself with the record spell your first and last name and
in your address please give us your address yes my name is francis
Mangobot. And the property I own in the neighborhood is 1442 North Myrtlewood Street.
And your last name is spelled?
Mangobot. That's M-A-N-G-U-B-A-T.
We're in a firm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, I do.
Please proceed.
So I purchased 1442 North Myrtlewood in April of 2018. There's 17 new construction houses on the
block. Funny, I was in the neighborhood with my brother yesterday and he has his car. And just
from having the 17 new houses on the block, he got two more bumps on his car just from having
it parked on the sidewalk. And then on 33rd Street, I think what's crazy is just from two
buildings, just from this one, 1501 North 33rd with 17 units and 1519 North 33rd has 32 units
with no parking. And, um, during our last meeting, there was another gentleman who swore in and that
lives on the block stating that, uh, it's basically like bumper cars being on the block.
So I can't even imagine having, you know, 70 people living on the block with no parking.
Um, so, so parking would definitely be great. I think the neighborhood is, uh, over congested
as it is. And I think, you know, if you have another 70 cars that are on the sidewalk,
you know in traffic's going that fast people are trying to get out of their cars there's a
likelihood of them opening their door and having you know a fast moving car you know running by
their door i just think it really makes sense to have parking and can't have 50 new units and 50
new people moving in potentially having you know two cars each another 100 cars there and having
no parking. Thank you. Anyone else? Something new and different, please. Raise your hand.
Do you see Keith? I'm sorry. Do you see Keith?
Do you see Keith, Tanya?
I'm sorry?
Do you see Keith?
He said he was the owner.
Yes, I do.
Okay, thank you.
Chair, we have Calvin.
Calvin, you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in.
Calvin, please identify yourself, your name and address.
My name is Calvin Williams, 1814 North Nutrona Street.
That's Calvin, C-A-L-V-I-N, Williams, W-I-L-L-I-A-M-S.
Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Thank you, sir.
Please proceed.
I wanted to say, it was mentioned earlier about the curb cut that's originally there.
the building has always been a commercial building prior to a warehouse and a garage in the future
in the past the the previous officials of the city somehow knew that that is not a good spot
for residential because you notice uh along the street there there may be three or four more
houses everything else is commercial so uh it was able to provide in and out traffic here and there
for taking care of regular business.
As an M1 location, I'm still not understanding
how it's meant to be a residential space.
I'm saying that it was never originally meant to be there
because there's good sound reasons for Fairmount Park
and the activities that goes on there
and all of the traffic that happens there.
Originally, the garage was there with horse and buggy
at a time to come in and out of there.
So certainly traffic was not a problem for them.
So I totally oppose this project
and hoping that you and the board
will find a way to refuse it.
Thank you.
Chairman, anyone else?
We just addressed the zoning really quick.
It's zoned RM1, so it's zoned for residential,
not zoned for commercial.
And arguably commercial would probably be worse
with no parking or just more congested in general with loading and people trying to drive in and out
if it was commercial before and there was a curb cut then obviously there was some parking on this
site or the ability for parking on this site at some point. Anyone else? Keith? Rachel? Yes please.
He can unmute himself and wait to be sworn in.
Keith, are you there?
I see his name, but he's mute.
There you go.
Ms. Sauer, please identify yourself with the record.
Spell your first and last name.
Is there audio issues or something?
um rachel is that he's your client yes as an officer of court we'll we'll agree that he
would adopt your testimony unless you have he has something different that
um no i think i think all right uh anyone else would like to testify please raise your hands
something new and different i have tyrone tyrone you can unmute yourself and wait to be sworn in
mr williams please identify yourself for the record spell your first spell your first and
last name give us your address sure my name is tyrone williams tyrone t-y-r-o-n-e williams w-i-l-l-i-a
illness as a long-time resident of north mr williams mr williams your address 25 i'm so sorry
Neutrona Street, Philadelphia, PA
19132.
Can you swear in the family to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Yes, sir, Mr. Chair.
Please proceed.
Thank you. As a long-time resident
of Strawberry Mansion, of North Philadelphia
and the current resident of Mansion,
and have played in Fairmont Park
for many years as a child,
being able to safely
across 33rd Street
with assistance.
The location in which
is being proposed is
a dangerous location for pedestrians.