[0:11] You see that?
[0:40] Good.
[0:41] >> Y
[0:46] the September 2025 meeting of the city
[0:49] of Scranton Zoning Hearing Board will
[0:51] now come to order. Will the zoning
[0:53] officer please take role?
[0:56] Mr. McDermott
[0:57] >> here.
[0:58] >> Mr. Morris
[0:58] >> here.
[0:59] >> Mr. Walsh
[1:00] >> here.
[1:01] >> Mr. Welby
[1:02] >> here.
[1:02] >> Mr. Matty Evage
[1:03] >> here.
[1:04] >> Please stand for the pledge of
[1:05] allegiance.
[1:10] I
[1:10] >> pledge allegiance to the flag
[1:13] of America to the republic for which it
[1:16] stands. One nation under God,
[1:19] indivisible, liberty and justice for
[1:21] all.
[1:22] >> Mr. Mr. Chairman, before you start, may
[1:23] I ask for a moment of silence for all
[1:25] the victims of 911, which is the 25th
[1:27] anniversary tomorrow?
[1:27] >> Sure. Sure.
[1:35] » Thank you, sir.
[1:42] » In accordance with the Pennsylvania
[1:44] State Sunshine Law, this board shall
[1:46] render its decision on each case either
[1:48] at the end of each hearing or within 45
[1:50] days of a hearing. If you are here to
[1:52] give testimony in the case, please come
[1:54] to the podium, raise your right hand,
[1:56] and wait to be sworn in. After being
[1:59] sworn in, state your name and address,
[2:01] and then proceed with your testimony.
[2:04] Also, anyone given testimony does not
[2:06] become a party to the case may obtain a
[2:08] written decision from the zoning office.
[2:11] I also have two announcements of law. If
[2:13] you are granted a variance or a special
[2:15] exception, you must wait 30 days from
[2:18] the date of our decision to obtain
[2:20] necessary permits to start work.
[2:22] However, you may obtain permits sooner
[2:24] by signing a waiver that any work done
[2:26] during that 30-day period is at your own
[2:29] risk. A favorable decision by this board
[2:32] shall expire 12 months from the date of
[2:34] set authorization in accordance with the
[2:36] article 10.3C of the zoning ordinance.
[2:40] If you fail to obtain necessary permits
[2:43] or do not comply with any or all
[2:44] conditions of set authorization, you
[2:47] must seek an extension. Is there any
[2:49] remarks from the board?
[2:53] » Mr. Chen, one
[2:56] point of clarification. Can I get a
[2:59] >> Can I get a definition of the board?
[3:04] uh because I I this is my third meeting
[3:07] and there was two previous rulings that
[3:11] came back from the courts to the board
[3:14] and uh I was unable to participate in
[3:18] those deliberations, decisions or any
[3:20] votes as I was not here when they first
[3:24] went through. But my question first is
[3:26] what is the definition of the board?
[3:28] Because the court remanded those back to
[3:30] the board. So, if I am an appointee for
[3:33] a five-year term by city council to the
[3:35] zoning hearing board, then based on that
[3:39] definition, I believe that I should be
[3:41] able to participate in those
[3:43] deliberations decisions if I was
[3:47] provided uh through the synographer, the
[3:50] agenda, all of the minutes, all of the
[3:52] previous testimony from those those
[3:54] actions. That's that's one thing. and the the the point of clarification
[3:58] of why I'm asking that is the one that
[4:00] came uh to the board uh for the uh July
[4:04] meeting which was the end of July was
[4:06] appointed uh two weeks before that
[4:10] yourself and and Mr. Gatens was also
[4:13] appointed to the board for renewals.
[4:17] If you were not reappointed and if Mr.
[4:20] Gatens was not reappointed, there would
[4:22] have only been one person that would
[4:25] have been able to vote on that thing,
[4:26] which would have been Mr. McDermott. So
[4:29] my question is, when it comes back from
[4:31] the court, it says the board. If the
[4:33] court does not specifically say the
[4:35] board that was present at the time the
[4:37] original uh I'm not a lawyer that the
[4:40] decision was taken is the one that
[4:42] that's remanded to. But I I'm thinking
[4:43] that as a member of the board, if I had
[4:45] all of the testimony, I believe that I
[4:47] should be able to participate in those
[4:49] discussions and deliberations. And I'm
[4:51] just asking that as a as a question.
[4:54] >> Uh Dan, you want to elaborate on that,
[4:56] please?
[4:56] >> There there were two different remands
[4:59] from the court. One was remanded for a
[5:02] new hearing which you would be able to
[5:04] participate in. The second one was
[5:07] remanded for a clarification on the
[5:10] zoning ordinance in effect at the time
[5:14] the property was supposedly
[5:17] changed to a uh multifamily.
[5:22] That was that was nothing that the board
[5:25] could vote on anyway. It was something
[5:28] that we just had to to clarify. I'm
[5:30] sorry to clarify and then send it to the
[5:33] court. So,
[5:35] >> so if it comes back from the court for
[5:37] the board to render the decision, any
[5:39] member of the board can vote on it. Not
[5:41] >> it it depends on how it came back.
[5:43] >> How it came back from the court.
[5:44] >> Right. Okay.
[5:45] >> And one other point of housekeeping. Uh
[5:48] I know that uh you ask in in when you
[5:50] open up these meetings that the uh
[5:53] zoning officer goes and posts all of the properties and they go around to the
[5:57] different telephone polls and they post
[5:58] those yellow signs on them. Is there any
[6:00] way that we could ask code enforcement,
[6:04] they're driving through the
[6:05] neighborhoods, that when this meeting is
[6:08] over, that when they ride by those polls
[6:11] and see those signs on them, for them to
[6:13] remove them because I I know there are
[6:15] people that used to go through the
[6:16] neighborhoods to take all the signs,
[6:18] Lucy buys houses, diabetic strips off
[6:21] the telephone polls. And you know,
[6:22] there's people like to keep their
[6:24] neighborhoods clean. And if they could
[6:25] get those, we can get those off, you
[6:27] know, you know, that would be nice. So,
[6:29] if you can just ask the code enforcement
[6:31] to do that,
[6:32] >> I I I would more than happily do that
[6:33] for you. That's no problem.
[6:34] >> That way, we keep the neighborhoods nice
[6:35] and clean, you know, that's just some housekeeping, you know.
[6:38] >> Absolutely. Matter of fact, the next day
[6:39] I I could go on. I I'll personally do
[6:41] that. That's no problem.
[6:41] >> Appreciate. You know, that'd be a nice
[6:43] thing.
[6:43] >> Sure. No problem.
[6:43] >> Thank you.
[6:45] >> Anybody else?
[6:48] >> Uh Chad, uh the testment and
[6:50] verification of the postings, please.
[6:51] >> Yes, sir. They're posted. Okay. Thank
[6:53] you. Uh I believe uh is it case number
[6:57] three? That's
[6:59] >> case number three.
[6:59] >> So if anybody's here for case number
[7:02] three, which is that Yol Weiss uh 1021
[7:05] Monroe, that has been continued till
[7:07] next month.
[7:09] That's the only one, right, Chad? Right
[7:11] now? That's correct. Yes.
[7:12] >> Yep.
[7:13] >> Okay. Um can we call the first case,
[7:16] please?
[7:16] >> Absolutely. Case number one is Ruvian
[7:19] Handlesman who seeks variance to
[7:21] construct 14 townhouse units at 1501 Far
[7:25] Street, the intersection of Far Street
[7:27] and North Sum Avenue in R10 zone.
[7:31] >> This this was heard previously
[7:34] and town houses are allowed. They have
[7:38] the parking. They have the setbacks, but
[7:40] there's only eight town houses that will
[7:43] be allowed without coming here. So
[7:46] they're asking for relief to increase
[7:48] over the eight.
[7:51] >> Is anybody here for that case? Is the Is
[7:53] the gentleman here that's doing the town
[7:55] houses on Far Street here?
[7:59] » Do you want to put that towards
[8:01] >> We'll put we'll put that at the end to
[8:02] the end. Okay.
[8:03] >> And also I think uh Mr. Evans said that
[8:07] the uh number two guy Tori Weaver was
[8:11] headed here from Jersey and may not make
[8:13] it in time. So, we're going to put that
[8:15] at the end also.
[8:17] >> Oh, we made it. Okay.
[8:20] >> Okay. Can we call number two, please?
[8:23] >> Didn't didn't know you were here.
[8:25] Case number two is a Tory Weaver who
[8:28] seeks a variance to operate a seven room
[8:30] boarding home for traveling healthcare
[8:34] workers, medical students, interns,
[8:37] contractors, and other professionals
[8:39] temporary working or training in the
[8:42] Scranton area at 1010 Monroe Avenue in
[8:46] R10 zone.
[9:04] Yes.
[9:04] >> Can you state your name and spell it for
[9:06] me for the record?
[9:07] >> Tori Weaver. Uh, T O R Y. Last name
[9:11] Weaver. We wa V is in Victor. E R.
[9:18] » You may proceed. Um, so I'm just, um, I
[9:22] currently own a property on, uh, Monroe
[9:25] Avenue in Scranton, 10 Monroe Avenue.
[9:27] Um, it is a, um, single family property.
[9:31] Um, I'm currently operating it as a um
[9:37] furnish rental for travel professionals,
[9:41] um nurses, [clears throat] um sometimes
[9:44] I have um interns that may work in in uh
[9:48] you know around the area. So, right now
[9:49] I'm it's seven bedrooms. Um I got a
[9:53] notice.
[9:54] >> Sir, excuse me one. You want to pull
[9:55] that microphone up a little bit closer
[9:56] and just speak up a little bit louder.
[9:58] >> Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[9:59] >> Thank you. So, I I got a notice a couple
[10:01] months ago to um stop operating the
[10:04] property um as it as it you know
[10:07] existing. So, um it said that I couldn't
[10:10] rent out more than four bedrooms to uh
[10:13] unknown uh um or unrelated individuals.
[10:16] So, um I was advised to apply for um
[10:21] apply to the the zoning board to come
[10:22] here and and see if I can um ask for
[10:25] permission to rent out to seven seven uh
[10:28] bedrooms.
[10:33] Just for the record, um, a shortterm
[10:37] rental in an R10
[10:39] zone needs a special exception if it's
[10:42] an accessory use to Mr. Weaver living at
[10:46] the property, but you don't live at the
[10:47] property full-time.
[10:49] >> No, I don't live at the property. Um, I
[10:51] also don't rent under under 30 days. I
[10:54] know that short-term is considered 30
[10:56] days or less. So therefore we are
[10:57] hearing this as a variance
[11:01] >> and attorney peneter that's a variance
[11:02] for a boarding home according to the
[11:05] agenda.
[11:06] >> It's a variance for a
[11:08] >> boarding home seven room not a
[11:11] short-term rental. Short-term rentals is
[11:12] an Airbnb short-term.
[11:13] >> This is a boarding home.
[11:15] >> Short-term rental for seven people. Yep.
[11:18] >> Okay.
[11:23] I just want to add that these are not
[11:25] like um just regular tenants. They're coming from out of state. They
[11:30] stay on um three-month contracts most of
[11:32] the time. Some some will extend uh
[11:35] further than that. Um I do have uh
[11:37] copies of my leases right here. So, you
[11:39] could I do background checks for them.
[11:41] Um the state also does a background
[11:43] check that I that I um that I request or
[11:46] require before I actually um would allow
[11:48] someone to rent.
[11:51] Uh Dan with with seven unrelated people
[11:55] uh but what would be the parking
[11:57] requirements for that?
[11:58] >> Seven spots.
[11:59] And how many spots do you
[12:02] have sir?
[12:03] >> So I I have four uh spots right now, but
[12:05] I don't these most of the time they come
[12:08] when they come in the area they they
[12:10] don't have vehicles. So right now like I
[12:11] said I have um I have six people in the
[12:14] property right now and only three of
[12:16] them have vehicles. So, but I have four
[12:19] spots. I've never had more than uh four vehicles at the
[12:24] >> vehicles are not Dan. They still need
[12:25] seven, right?
[12:27] >> He needs to have seven spots.
[12:28] >> Correct.
[12:31] >> And you said this uh home was was
[12:33] previously a single family home. Always
[12:35] was a single family.
[12:37] >> Yes.
[12:37] >> Okay.
[12:42] And you're saying that you wanted for
[12:44] traveling doctors and nurses and
[12:46] students and interns and contractors.
[12:48] >> Yes, that's all I
[12:48] >> just to uh
[12:50] >> stop you if you were get a positive uh
[12:52] vote from this board to turn it into a
[12:56] home for anyone, not nurses and doctors
[13:00] and students, and just have it a
[13:01] boarding home like they have u in other
[13:04] areas of the city and charge them $100 a
[13:06] week to live there. $500 a month. you
[13:08] know, people who don't have cars are
[13:10] just
[13:12] moved into the area and looking for
[13:14] places. You know, what's the
[13:15] >> I'm sure Mr. Reaver's intention is good,
[13:18] but we can't limit it to a certain class
[13:21] of people that he could run to.
[13:23] >> Okay.
[13:25] >> I'm just asking because it's just the
[13:27] way that the uh application was written.
[13:29] I was listed for medical students,
[13:31] workers, interns, contractors, other
[13:33] professionals. So, I figured I could ask
[13:35] that uh question. I mean, if if I'm I'm
[13:39] the I'm renting it out. So, if I don't
[13:41] rent to I don't have to rent to uh the
[13:44] regular, you know, uh tenant. That's
[13:46] what I choose to do. I mean, I don't you
[13:48] know, I'm not trying to run a that type
[13:50] of I live out of state. I manage this
[13:52] myself, so I don't want the headache. Um
[13:54] you know, I've I've dealt with um you
[13:56] know, certain types of tenants, and you
[13:59] know, I keep the property up. Um like I
[14:01] said, I manage it myself. Um, I have
[14:03] someone local that that also um can
[14:06] respond um if necessary.
[14:10] » Thank you. No more questions.
[14:13] >> Anyone else?
[14:14] >> I I just have a few questions. The uh
[14:16] you said you have parking for four cars
[14:18] and the rear the lot is 40 ft wide
[14:22] and uh four cars you're talking uh 36
[14:28] ft. So that leaves four feet to get in
[14:31] and out of cars. you're you're more or
[14:33] less jamming four vehicles in that spot
[14:38] >> for your off streetet parking right now.
[14:40] >> And then uh just to get uh for the
[14:43] property
[14:44] >> on the assessment records, it's showing
[14:46] uh three bedrooms
[14:50] and uh the latest assessment, three
[14:52] bedrooms and you're going not seven,
[14:55] you're going eight, counting yourself
[14:57] when you're there at times. So there's
[14:59] eight bedrooms in the house. they have
[15:01] down three. And as far as full baths,
[15:04] it's listed as one. On your plans,
[15:07] you're showing three full baths.
[15:10] >> And uh
[15:12] >> I'm not sure I'm not sure what um what
[15:15] you're looking at, but I'm looking at
[15:17] the assessment.
[15:18] >> I'm going to say the assessment records
[15:20] are not always accurate. That's
[15:22] somebody's somebody's opinion. Whoever
[15:26] entered that in the computer from the
[15:27] assessor's office, they're they're not
[15:30] they have not gotten
[15:33] looked at the property.
[15:35] >> Yeah, this is their uh
[15:39] from uh the other day. They're listed as
[15:42] a threebedroom single family home.
[15:45] >> When I when I purchased it, it was it
[15:47] was six bedrooms, three full bathrooms.
[15:49] Sure. Well, somebody's with the
[15:51] assessment wants a lower tax rate by
[15:55] saying there's one bathroom and three
[15:57] bedrooms.
[15:59] But uh besides that, with the
[16:02] uh boarding house, the uh four unrelated
[16:05] people, I'm uh I'm very strict on that.
[16:08] Four unrelated people in one single
[16:11] family home. Not seven, not eight.
[16:17] And this is an R10 zone. I know you're
[16:19] near the University of Scranton.
[16:21] Anything can change, but as far as uh
[16:24] anything more than four unrelated
[16:26] people, I am against.
[16:30] >> Thank you.
[16:31] >> Anyone else? You good?
[16:34] >> You good?
[16:35] >> Anyone here in the audience wants to
[16:37] give testimony on this case? Okay. If
[16:39] you want to step aside, sir, you could
[16:40] sit there at the at the table if you
[16:41] want. And uh I would
[16:54] The testimony you give today will be the
[16:55] truth. The whole truth.
[16:57] >> I do.
[16:58] >> And can you state your name and spell it
[16:59] for me, please?
[17:00] >> My name is Sims. S O L A T H A Sims. S I
[17:04] Ms.
[17:08] » You may proceed, sir.
[17:10] >> Yes. So, I've been living in um this my
[17:12] current address for the past 30 years.
[17:16] Uh the apartment across the street from
[17:18] me, I've known them for there was always
[17:21] a single dwelling there for the last 30
[17:24] 29 years that I've been in this place.
[17:27] Right now, we have right now on Mono
[17:29] Avenue, we have two boarding houses
[17:33] right now. And what's know what's going
[17:36] to come next, I don't know. But right
[17:38] now, the parking is the main thing.
[17:40] What's going on there? If this gentleman
[17:42] sells his apartment next week, he's
[17:44] allowed to have it. Who is he going to
[17:46] let out to? He's written out right now
[17:49] supposedly the choice medical students,
[17:51] doctors, um, college students. But how
[17:55] do we know that's going to last more
[17:56] than six months?
[17:59] Another thing I have to say is the
[18:00] parking is tight already.
[18:03] Um, I've gone through I don't know if
[18:05] you get four cars in that parking lot in
[18:06] the back. I don't think it can from my
[18:08] observation,
[18:10] you know, I'm no parking engineer or
[18:12] whatever, but it's my observation
[18:16] and and what the with the boarding rooms
[18:19] that are here already now, it seems like
[18:21] in Scranton, wherever there's a single
[18:24] dwelling, the first thing they want to
[18:25] do is turn it into a boarding house and
[18:27] make a lot of money renting out to 8, 9,
[18:29] 10, 20 people at a time, not no regard
[18:32] for the neighborhood they're moving
[18:33] into.
[18:35] is a very nice neighborhood at the time,
[18:37] but I don't know what's going to happen
[18:38] in six months with this this is this
[18:40] boarding house across the street from
[18:41] me. I don't know. Nobody here knows
[18:44] what's going to happen. You know, the
[18:46] attorney said, um, you can't make a
[18:48] judgment on the people, but we can make
[18:50] a pretty good judgment that it might
[18:52] change over.
[18:55] So, I wouldn't be so sure to say you
[18:57] can't make a judgment on people like
[18:59] that. we can make a judgment that could
[19:00] possibly changed to a more I don't want to say trouble
[19:06] neighborhood, a more scrutinized
[19:08] neighborhood with the people that might
[19:10] move after this. So, I'm here just to
[19:13] say I hope something's being done. Let's
[19:16] just stop these automatic turning these
[19:18] places into boarding houses and
[19:20] affecting the neighborhoods that live
[19:21] the neighbors that live here. I live
[19:23] here as resident all my life. I've went
[19:26] to grade school, high school, traveled
[19:28] around the country, been all over the
[19:29] place. It's been a very nice
[19:31] neighborhood for the last 30 years, and
[19:33] I would like for it to stay that way.
[19:35] That's all I have to say.
[19:36] >> And then, sir, uh thank you for your testimony. But, uh if you have
[19:39] other issues on that block that you
[19:41] think that there's boarding houses on
[19:43] that block, you can reach out to this
[19:45] gentleman, Chad, here, and you can call
[19:46] the city, and he can he can investigate
[19:48] that to see if they're legal or or not.
[19:51] >> Okay.
[19:51] >> All right.
[19:52] >> Y M Mr. Sims is right. granting of a
[19:55] variance goes with the property. So if
[19:58] Mr. Weaver sells the property to
[19:59] somebody else, it still goes with the
[20:01] property. You you were right on that.
[20:04] Yes.
[20:05] >> Thank you.
[20:06] sir.
[20:07] >> I just I just wanted to ask you, sir,
[20:08] have you have you had any issues with
[20:10] >> at at the end you can come up and speak.
[20:12] All right.
[20:14] >> I look for issues any other my point of
[20:17] view being there 30 years. I don't know.
[20:22] I haven't really talked to anybody in
[20:23] that building yet because I don't know
[20:26] them. I don't know them.
[20:29] You know, consider medical students,
[20:30] whatever, whatever. I don't know that.
[20:33] All I know is want I want my property
[20:35] value to remain the same. Boarding
[20:37] houses, my property values go down. We
[20:40] all know that. What happens the property
[20:41] value to a boarding house? They down
[20:45] automatically. I wasn't there for 30
[20:47] years for my property go. It's not a
[20:49] castle, but it's my castle. You
[20:51] understand?
[20:53] >> Yes.
[20:53] >> Thank you.
[21:12] » I do.
[21:14] >> It's Lesniaak. That's s h t e r n a.
[21:19] Last name is z h e l e z n i a k.
[21:26] Um I'm at 1025 Monroe A. Um right next
[21:30] door to the 1021 which was mentioned
[21:31] before. Um
[21:34] >> second
[21:36] yours is off too.
[21:38] >> Um so I'm right next door to the 1021
[21:40] Monroe A. I don't I didn't know that
[21:41] there was a hearing scheduled for that.
[21:44] Um, so that's a separate note. I would
[21:46] love to get notified of those hearings.
[21:48] I didn't see a not I did see the notice
[21:50] about this one, but I didn't see a
[21:52] notice about the 1021 one. Um, whenever
[21:55] it's a short-term rental, and whenever
[21:57] there's renters there, sometimes they
[22:00] come with multiple cars, um, and block
[22:03] all our parking spots. They do
[22:04] officially have three parking spots in
[22:06] the back. Um, but they're never used
[22:08] because it's a lot easier to park in the
[22:10] front because our backyards are a floor
[22:13] down. Now, you're across the street, so
[22:15] you don't have that. But if you look in
[22:17] the alley, the those parking spots in
[22:20] the back are not I don't believe that
[22:22] there's four there. And even if there
[22:24] are four, they're not really accessible.
[22:26] Um, and that affects us. If I come home
[22:28] late at night, I want to be able to just
[22:30] easily park. And
[22:33] if there are four parking spots there,
[22:37] how are we to um enforce that they use
[22:41] those for parking spots instead of the
[22:43] street parking clock clogging it up? Um,
[22:47] [clears throat] and yeah, the the
[22:50] it changes the the neighborhood if there
[22:53] is short-term rentals versus long-term
[22:57] homeowners that actually care about the
[23:00] environment of the neighborhood. Um,
[23:03] yeah.
[23:06] >> Thank you.
[23:23] Yes,
[23:26] >> sure. It's Joanna Johnson. J O A N A.
[23:30] Last name is Johnson. J O H N S O N.
[23:34] 10:15 Monroe A.
[23:37] So the boarding house is directly across
[23:39] from our house and I would say that the
[23:42] issue started before people even started
[23:44] to move in because code gave you stop
[23:49] work orders. But rather than abide by
[23:51] the code orders, they continued
[23:53] construction on the weekends because
[23:55] code enforcement wasn't around on the
[23:56] weekends. So that's when the issue
[23:58] started. There are only three parking
[24:00] spots behind the building. Not four,
[24:02] there are three. And they're super tight
[24:04] spots. There's a wooden handrail that's
[24:06] going to prevent somebody from parking
[24:07] there regardless. So, technically,
[24:09] there's really only two usable spots.
[24:11] >> There are 23 houses on our block. Out of
[24:15] 23 houses, eight of them have small
[24:17] children that live there or frequent
[24:19] there, such as my grandchildren, my
[24:21] across the street neighbors
[24:22] grandchildren. So the transient nature
[24:25] of a boarding house in the middle of a
[24:27] residential neighborhood is just not a
[24:28] good fit for the quality of life that we
[24:31] bought our houses we pay taxes for. And
[24:33] it's being advertised as a single room.
[24:36] You're advertising on apartments.com and
[24:37] stuff like that as a single room. Shared
[24:40] access to the um living room or the
[24:42] bathrooms and the shared living spaces.
[24:44] So like you're renting out bedrooms in a
[24:46] house. That's not what our neighborhood
[24:47] was designed to have and to let people
[24:50] occupy in that form or fashion. Um the
[24:53] parking situation right now there are
[24:55] five cars associated with that building.
[24:57] Five cars. Five people in that building
[24:59] have cars and it's been operational for
[25:01] going on a year now. So I think that you
[25:05] have just shown a willingness in your
[25:07] behavior to not do things the correct
[25:09] manner and not figure out if this was
[25:11] something you should have done in the
[25:12] first place. So I think that just based
[25:14] on that like there's no reason to think
[25:16] that anything would change going
[25:17] forward.
[25:19] And I think that's all I have. Thank
[25:21] you.
[25:31] » Hello,
[25:33] name is Gary Johnson.
[25:42] » I do.
[25:44] >> Um, yeah, this is my wife who just
[25:47] testified. I'm at 10:15 Monroe. Um, the
[25:51] issue I have with is the way they came
[25:52] in with this.
[25:55] If they applied for a boarding house
[25:57] when they came in, it would have been
[26:00] squashed.
[26:01] They applied for as a single family home
[26:04] as you said.
[26:06] You know, that's so I had apartment,
[26:09] five unit apartment before I paid five
[26:12] trash bills for each apartment. They've
[26:16] been getting over for trash bills
[26:19] as far as picking up trash. All the
[26:21] money I pay taxes, I pay my trash bills
[26:24] and everything else. And like my wife
[26:27] said, look, they don't use that bat.
[26:29] Only one car uses that bat. And now
[26:32] they're scared. So they start parking
[26:33] around the corner after they got the
[26:35] notice. So the thing about it is, I
[26:39] mean, when you came into this situation,
[26:41] you supposed to check the codes. the
[26:44] code wouldn't allow you to put eight
[26:46] rooms in that house. That's where I'm
[26:49] getting it at. And just like um 1021,
[26:54] you know, it's a B&B. The guy's in jail
[26:58] who owns it. His brother's running it.
[27:00] >> We'll talk about that case next next
[27:02] month.
[27:03] >> And um the situation in our
[27:05] neighborhood, it just just got crazy,
[27:08] you know, last year. And my problem is
[27:10] if he would have did the right thing
[27:11] when he came in, they would have denied
[27:14] it because it's the code system doesn't
[27:17] allow that to happen in their
[27:19] neighborhood to the codes. So you came
[27:21] in here with a agenda of making money
[27:23] and doing whatever you're doing. But you
[27:26] got to come to the to the codes,
[27:29] you know, you got to do the right thing
[27:30] when you when you purchase a a building,
[27:33] construction, whatever. You have to get
[27:35] the permits and everything else. You
[27:37] know, I haven't seen your face not one
[27:40] time. And I'm nosy.
[27:43] >> You seen me? I'm I'm glad you did cuz I
[27:46] am nosy.
[27:48] You know, and like I said, my grandkids
[27:51] live there. Everybody lives there. And
[27:52] the guy told me when he first did it, he
[27:54] said, "Yeah, we have parking in the
[27:56] back." Cuz there was parking on the
[27:57] other side of the street. And I had to
[27:59] go explain to him, you know, you can't
[28:02] be parking. You should have parking in
[28:04] the back for a business like this. I had
[28:06] a five unit apartment. I know what it is
[28:09] to handle far as tenants and everything
[28:11] else. It's a mess, you know, and the
[28:14] money that you you ain't paying taxes. I
[28:16] mean, trash bills for for a year, they
[28:19] made me pay for five five units. Every
[28:22] unit had to have a separate trash bill.
[28:26] There ain't no dumpster back there. You
[28:28] know what I mean? So he's been we pay
[28:31] taxes and that's why stuff keeps going
[28:33] up cuz people don't ain't following the
[28:35] rules trash bills with taxes and
[28:38] everything else you know and I hope you
[28:41] guys you know it's a good it's a good
[28:44] plan but not there
[28:46] you know and that's what that's all I
[28:48] have to say.
[28:49] >> Thank you sir.
[28:50] >> Yeah.
[28:51] >> Did you have anything else to say?
[28:53] >> Um I wasn't aware
[28:56] >> go back up to the microphone. Go back to
[28:57] the podium.
[29:02] So, I wasn't aware of the um the
[29:06] resident's parking on the street or
[29:08] around the the the corner from the
[29:10] property. Um I advised everyone that the
[29:14] there's parking in the back um of the
[29:16] property. I got a note like I I got a
[29:18] notice about this a few months ago. So I
[29:21] wasn't aware of the um of the city code
[29:25] regarding the four um uh unrelated
[29:29] individuals in one property. So I mean
[29:31] that's my negligence. I should have
[29:33] checked that but um initially when I
[29:35] purchased the property I was going to
[29:36] sell it but you know things changed uh
[29:40] after you know after purchase. So, um I
[29:42] didn't want to deal with the um college
[29:46] students um just regular uh tenants. So,
[29:48] that's why I advertised it as furnish
[29:51] rentals for our professional housing. Um
[29:54] and it's only medical professionals um
[29:56] in I haven't had any college students. I
[29:59] don't rent to college students. So, but
[30:01] I mean I I understand uh you know what
[30:04] these uh what the neighbors are are are
[30:06] speaking about.
[30:07] >> Thank you.
[30:15] Make a motion.
[30:17] >> Second,
[30:22] » Mr. Mccur.
[30:23] >> Well, due to the uh inadequate parking,
[30:26] uh a boarding house in the residential
[30:30] area, uh more than four unrelated people
[30:35] living in uh single family home. Uh, for
[30:39] those reasons, I vote no.
[30:44] » Mr. Morris,
[30:45] >> no.
[30:47] >> Mr. Walsh?
[30:48] >> No.
[30:50] >> Mr. Wilby?
[30:51] >> No.
[30:52] >> And Mr. Matt Evovage?
[30:53] >> No.
[30:54] >> A vote of five to zero. You've been
[30:55] denied.
[30:56] >> Can I just ask one question?
[30:58] >> Um, is is it the the parking that's the
[31:00] issue or
[31:02] >> I I think the whole situation,
[31:03] unfortunately.
[31:04] >> All right. Thank you.
[31:07] Excuse me. Sorry to be out of order. Can
[31:10] I ask you an unrelated question? The
[31:12] four unrelated people. Can you explain
[31:14] this part?
[31:17] >> Dan, you want to explain?
[31:19] >> The ordinance
[31:21] says that four unrelated people still
[31:25] constitute a family. Um, so a single
[31:30] family dwelling with four unrelated
[31:32] people is allowed.
[31:33] >> Okay. Yeah.
[31:37] » And not short term. Is that correct,
[31:39] Dan?
[31:39] >> Not short term,
[31:41] >> right? Not short term,
[31:42] >> but yeah, they they're supposed to have
[31:45] one four of them signing one lease as a
[31:48] family.
[31:50] >> Four unrelated people signing four
[31:53] individual leases.
[31:54] >> No, signing one lease.
[32:02] I have a quick question in regards to
[32:06] the short-term rental. What what
[32:09] classifies short-term rental?
[32:11] >> Sir, I can advise you maybe uh if if you
[32:13] want to call call Chad tomorrow and he
[32:16] can help you along with with further
[32:17] stuff. Okay.
[32:20] >> Can we call uh case number four, please?
[32:23] Case number four is Dolce Mongro seeks
[32:27] variance used garage structure in the
[32:29] rear of property as a vehicle repair
[32:31] garage at 325
[32:34] Green Street in R10Zone.
[32:54] Yes.
[32:54] >> Okay. I'm going to have you raise your
[32:56] right hand, too. So, I guess you both in
[32:57] at once. Um, can you both raise your
[32:59] right hand for me?
[33:01] >> Do you swear
[33:03] you will be the truth? The whole truth
[33:05] and the truth.
[33:06] >> Yes.
[33:07] >> Can you say you spell your name for me,
[33:09] please?
[33:10] >> Da Monro. D U L C E. M O N E G R O.
[33:18] » Okay.
[33:20] So basically I'm a small investment. I
[33:24] bought the property last year as a
[33:27] single family. We already fixed the
[33:29] primary home. The garage is bigger than
[33:32] the primary residence. So we was uh we
[33:36] considering rent it out the garage, turn
[33:39] it to like a shop to a mechanic or
[33:42] something like that.
[33:44] >> Is that a permanent structure garage or
[33:46] is that a pole barn converted into a
[33:48] garage?
[33:48] >> No, it is a garage right now. big. Very
[33:51] big. Like 10 cars would fit in there.
[34:00] » So, you're looking to rent it out.
[34:02] You're not trying to operate it
[34:03] yourself. You're looking to rent it out
[34:04] to somebody else.
[34:05] >> That is correct.
[34:09] » And what hardship would you have if you
[34:11] did not get approved here tonight?
[34:14] I mean, I already invest a lot of money
[34:16] in the property, fixing the primary
[34:18] home, and I put in the application if
[34:20] the garage is not approved to be a shop,
[34:22] if I can turn it to an extension of the
[34:25] property, like another apartment within
[34:27] the property.
[34:29] >> So, it's a financial hardship, not
[34:31] anything with the property itself.
[34:32] >> No,
[34:33] >> it would be a financial hardship if you
[34:35] didn't get approved.
[34:36] >> Correct.
[34:36] >> And financial hardship is not one that
[34:39] qualifies for variance. Correct.
[34:40] >> That's correct.
[34:41] >> Thank you, sir. Anybody
[34:46] else?
[34:48] >> If you do rent it out, what would be the
[34:50] days of the week that it' be in
[34:52] operation?
[34:54] >> What would be the dates?
[34:56] >> Like would it be open six days a week,
[34:58] two days a week?
[34:59] >> No, no, no. It's going to be rental like
[35:00] a regular lease a year, two year,
[35:02] whatever the tenant decide they wanted
[35:04] to. Probably they're going to be working
[35:05] six days a week. I would say
[35:07] >> six days a week. What would the hours
[35:09] be? Uh most shop they works probably
[35:11] from 8:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the
[35:13] afternoon.
[35:14] >> Okay. And any outdoor lighting for
[35:18] security around the uh garage?
[35:20] >> We we are considered to put security
[35:22] cameras outside within the property.
[35:26] >> Okay. So uh
[35:29] and the entrance and exit that alley
[35:33] that you could just just about drive
[35:35] through.
[35:36] >> It's in the back.
[35:37] >> Yeah. In the back. Yes.
[35:39] >> And to get into your property, it's a uh
[35:45] very tight squeeze with the neighbor's
[35:47] garage that's there.
[35:50] >> So, you're saying that garage could
[35:52] easily fit 10 vehicles. That's going to
[35:54] be uh
[35:55] >> No, I'm traffic. I'm talking about like
[35:58] inside, but usually they don't put more
[36:00] than two cars or three cars when they
[36:02] working within the cars. But the space
[36:05] is big, sortable. If they need to like
[36:08] to park the cars, people leave the car
[36:11] there, come back two day, three days.
[36:13] That's what I'm gonna say.
[36:15] >> So, they'll be parking the cars in the
[36:16] garage because you can't park in the
[36:18] courts and it's an L-shaped court and
[36:21] you won't be parking them out on Green
[36:22] Street because there's no room out
[36:23] there, right? So, where will you be
[36:25] parking the extra cars that people
[36:27] leave?
[36:28] >> This this space in the back that fits
[36:30] like three cars in the back of the
[36:31] garage also.
[36:33] So, it's all in the rear of the
[36:35] property. Nothing on Green Street.
[36:36] >> That is correct.
[36:40] » Good.
[36:42] >> Is there anyone else uh here to give
[36:43] testimony on this?
[36:45] >> You come on up.
[36:56] » Jose Argua. A r gua.
[37:01] I actually live next door to 325 on 331
[37:03] Green Street.
[37:04] >> Excuse me, sir. I missed the spelling.
[37:06] Could you spell it again?
[37:07] >> Last name. A R G U E T A.
[37:12] >> Thank you.
[37:14] >> Like I said, I live right next to 325.
[37:16] Um, I bought the house about two years
[37:18] ago with the intentions of, you know,
[37:21] having a nice life there. But to have a
[37:23] mechanic shop next door, I that my wife
[37:27] and I are even considering if it does
[37:28] happen, we're selling, you know, I don't
[37:31] know how you fit 10 cars in there. I
[37:33] don't even know how you fit four cars in
[37:35] there in the back when the garage is
[37:36] closed cuz it blocks my public easement
[37:39] to my, you know, backyard. I don't know
[37:42] if you guys have the plans in front of
[37:43] you, but it blocks my public easing. I
[37:46] don't know how that works. Even if that
[37:48] you were to go through either side of
[37:50] the alley, how do you tow a truck or a
[37:54] car in there? It's a tight squeeze
[37:56] because you have barriers at the
[37:58] beginning of the of the alleys. I just
[38:01] don't see it. You know, I had spoken to
[38:04] her when she first broke, you know,
[38:05] bought the property. you know, we were
[38:07] cleaning it up, my neighbor and I,
[38:09] because nobody was, you know, keep up
[38:11] keeping up with the yard. And then once,
[38:13] you know, the property was, you know,
[38:14] bought, they were still not keeping up
[38:16] with the yard. We did it for a couple of
[38:17] months, but after, you know, a while,
[38:19] that's gas that I'm spending on my lawn
[38:21] mower, [clears throat] you know, strings
[38:23] that I'm, you know, spending on somebody
[38:25] else's property. You know, that the
[38:28] backyard was not done for I don't know
[38:29] how long. I'm the one who keeps who mows
[38:32] down that grass in that public easement,
[38:34] my neighbor and I. And then if you got
[38:36] cars right now, you got animals coming
[38:38] out of there. There's a whole bunch of
[38:39] cats coming out of there.
[38:41] >> Three weeks ago, it wasn't cleaned up
[38:42] when I rode by.
[38:44] >> I can tell you I was keeping up with it.
[38:46] You know what I'm saying? But I'm not
[38:47] going to keep doing somebody. If if a
[38:48] property is already bought, that person
[38:50] should have the responsibility to that
[38:52] property. I'm not supposed to be keeping
[38:54] up with it. Like I said, you know, there
[38:57] I have cameras around my whole thing and
[39:00] I'm not trying to call people out. I
[39:01] don't like, you know, coming out here
[39:03] and put putting people on the spot. But
[39:06] the same thing as the other case, you
[39:08] know, job was being done there and there
[39:09] were stop permit orders on there because
[39:12] things were done, I guess, without
[39:13] permits. And the same thing, they were
[39:15] coming in on the weekend doing the same
[39:17] exact thing. Coming in doing work, you
[39:21] know, I if it doesn't bother me, I
[39:23] usually just, you know, turn away, don't
[39:25] look at it. But now I mechanic shop. I'm
[39:29] sorry, but that that makes me if it does
[39:31] happen, I'm selling.
[39:33] >> I have a question.
[39:35] >> Um, can I ask you if you're looking from
[39:37] the street at the house, are you on the
[39:40] left or right?
[39:41] >> I'm on the right side.
[39:42] >> So, behind the property there at the
[39:45] corner of the alley, is that alley
[39:48] property like where that red truck is
[39:50] parked or is
[39:51] >> that red truck is no longer there? That I guess you're looking at old
[39:55] photos or that the
[39:56] >> there. Which red truck
[39:59] >> out behind the property?
[40:01] >> There's a red car, but there's no red
[40:03] truck blocking that alleyway.
[40:05] >> Okay. Is that What property is that
[40:08] would be behind
[40:10] uh her property and to I guess your
[40:14] yard? I mean, I'm on Google Maps.
[40:16] >> Yeah.
[40:17] >> Um but I was there inspecting the other
[40:19] day.
[40:19] >> That red truck, if you see if you're
[40:21] looking at Google Maps, that red truck
[40:22] is is actually blocking my public key.
[40:25] That used to be the old, you know,
[40:26] whoever owned the house before. I guess
[40:28] they were old back taxes or whatever.
[40:30] And, you know, but the city took care of
[40:32] all that. You know, they took the red
[40:34] truck out and that was and I was able
[40:36] to, you know, bring in my cars now.
[40:38] >> But if she brings in, you know, a
[40:40] mechanic shop, how am I going to get
[40:41] into
[40:43] my my driver?
[40:44] >> That little rectangle coming from where
[40:47] the alley turns. Okay.
[40:50] >> And going straight into would be yours.
[40:52] There's that
[40:53] >> straight shot. It's mine.
[40:55] >> Whose is that spot behind like would be
[40:58] behind her property?
[41:00] >> Is that
[41:00] >> public? That's in That's public.
[41:02] >> Okay. Okay. That was my question.
[41:04] >> Like I said, I keep up with it because
[41:06] obviously I have to get my cars in
[41:07] there. I don't mind that cuz I have to
[41:08] get my cars in there.
[41:09] >> Okay.
[41:12] >> Thank you, sir.
[41:13] >> Anyone else?
[41:16] Just for the record, you have in front
[41:18] of you a email from an Amber Azerelli
[41:23] who is against the project for the
[41:26] reasons stated in the letter and we will
[41:29] make the letter part of the record.
[41:40] » Good.
[41:41] >> I make a motion.
[41:43] >> I'll second.
[41:46] Mr. McGomery,
[41:47] >> no.
[41:49] >> Mr. Morris,
[41:50] >> no.
[41:52] >> Mr. Walsh,
[41:53] >> no.
[41:54] >> Mr. Wby,
[41:55] >> no.
[41:57] >> And Mr. Matt,
[41:58] >> no.
[41:59] >> Vote of five to
[42:00] >> I'm sorry. Vote of five to zero. You
[42:01] have been denied. Thank you.
[42:05] >> Call number five, please.
[42:10] Case number five is Pat Rogan. seeks
[42:13] variance to construct a self storage
[42:15] facility at 1740
[42:18] North Main Avenue in end zone.
[42:28] » I do.
[42:30] >> Um, thank you for your time. Uh, for
[42:32] those who don't know me, my name is Pat
[42:33] Rogan. This board uh actually approved
[42:35] my other project, Central Scranton Self
[42:37] Storage, a few years back on North
[42:39] Washington Avenue. It's uh been a very
[42:41] successful project. Um
[42:46] » is that is that better?
[42:47] >> Okay. Um this project will be very
[42:51] similar in size and scope to the
[42:52] existing storage facility we have on
[42:54] North Washington Avenue on in Greenidge.
[42:56] Um that was like as I mentioned it was
[42:58] previously approved by this board. Um we
[43:00] don't have our plans finalized yet but
[43:02] the preliminary concept calls for
[43:04] approximately 250 self- storage units.
[43:06] Uh the facility will be locally owned
[43:08] and operated with construction and other
[43:10] project work utilizing local
[43:12] contractors. Um with the continued
[43:15] housing shortage, more people are living
[43:17] in smaller homes, staying in apartments
[43:19] longer, um creating an increased need
[43:21] for self storage um so people could stay
[43:23] in smaller homes. The project will
[43:25] provide a needed service for residents
[43:27] while making productive use of a
[43:28] property that's sit vacant for some
[43:30] time. Um we've done a lot of due
[43:33] diligence on this project already. We've
[43:35] met, we have engineer reports, we had
[43:37] on-site visits uh with PennDOT. Um we do
[43:40] have uh three four requests tonight. The
[43:43] first is for use. Um the second is for
[43:45] the amount of impervious. Um the third
[43:48] is uh requesting not to pave the
[43:50] facility and then the fourth is uh to
[43:52] not have parking on site. As you know
[43:54] with self storage, um unlike retail,
[43:57] people aren't parking. They're coming
[43:58] in, they're putting their stuff in their
[44:00] unit, and they're leaving. Um a little
[44:03] information
[44:03] >> about that, Pat. There's actually a
[44:05] fifth one, the uh rear setback.
[44:07] >> Um I actually spoke to Don King about
[44:09] the rear setback. We do not need that
[44:11] variance after speaking with Mr. King.
[44:13] >> Okay. Thank you.
[44:14] >> Thank you. Um property. Little
[44:17] information about the property. Um one
[44:20] of these properties is a former funeral parlor that includes an existing
[44:25] garage and apartment. This is on the far
[44:27] left if you're looking um from Main
[44:29] Avenue. Um it's at the intersection of
[44:31] Mainav and Oak. It's predominantly a
[44:34] commercial institutional uses in the
[44:36] area. This is not a cohesive residential
[44:38] neighborhood by any means. Um the
[44:41] property was initially listed for
[44:43] auction in March 19th. Um in an effort
[44:46] to see if there was market demand for
[44:48] the property in is in its most recent
[44:50] uses. Um there was not a successful
[44:52] bidder in the auction. Property was s
[44:55] subsequently placed back on the market
[44:57] but experienced little to no activity
[44:59] until my offer was accepted. The
[45:02] location of the property presents
[45:04] significant challenges for continued
[45:06] residential use. Um, when I tour the
[45:08] property myself, being in the property,
[45:09] you could hear every vehicle that comes
[45:11] by. They're very close to Main Avenue.
[45:13] Um, and as I mentioned, the main
[45:15] building was previously used as a
[45:16] funeral home. Um, that's what it was
[45:18] built for. Um, again, situated right on
[45:22] North Main and Oak Street. many of the
[45:24] surrounding buildings, gas station right
[45:26] across the street, there's a gas station
[45:27] to the left, convenience stores, uh
[45:29] child care, the post office, um
[45:32] surrounding uses. Again, it's not
[45:34] suitable for a residential use. Um given
[45:38] the property's location, surrounding
[45:40] development pattern, existing
[45:41] improvements, and lack of market
[45:43] activity, um that the previous use is
[45:46] not the highest and best use of the
[45:47] property. My proposed use would provide
[45:49] a more appropriate transition between uh
[45:52] the existing commercial uses in the area
[45:54] on North Main Avenue while putting a
[45:56] currently vacant and under utilized
[45:59] property back into productive use. Um
[46:01] the requested variance would allow the
[46:03] property to be utilized in a manner
[46:04] that's consistent with the character of
[46:06] the neighborhood while providing an
[46:08] opportunity to improve and maintain the
[46:10] structure and property. Um if I could
[46:13] provide to the board, I do have uh a few
[46:16] items to present. The first is um this
[46:19] is a a draft mockup of the facility. Now
[46:22] this is not exact. The mockup that was
[46:25] done shows uh water retention above
[46:27] ground. All the water retention will be
[46:29] below ground. There'll be no retaining
[46:31] ponds. Um but all the water retention
[46:33] just like our other facility will all be
[46:35] in tanks below grade. Nobody will even
[46:37] see it, but it will retain uh any runoff
[46:39] from the facility. And the second one um
[46:43] this is every storage facility in the
[46:44] city of Scranton. Um the pictures aren't
[46:47] the best, but if you drove by any of
[46:49] them, none of them are fully paved. Um
[46:52] every other one is using uh some sort of
[46:54] stone or modified. Um if I could
[46:57] approach with these.
[46:58] >> Sure.
[47:00] Uh Dan, while he's passing that out, uh
[47:03] what would be the required uh parking
[47:05] for for for this if
[47:10] Well, for a storage facility, it's one
[47:13] for every 2,000 square feet of storage.
[47:17] Um I'm not sure whether we know what the
[47:21] >> I know you said 250 storage units, but I
[47:24] don't know how big they would be. Our
[47:25] engineer um said the code would call for
[47:27] 17 parking spots.
[47:28] >> 78
[47:29] >> 17 Okay.
[47:31] >> And at our current facility, we have
[47:33] none. And there's there's no issue. No,
[47:35] nobody parks long term out of self
[47:37] storage. Like I said, you you pull up
[47:38] your truck or your car in front of your
[47:40] unit, take stuff in, bring stuff out,
[47:43] and then you you go on.
[47:45] >> You'll have more people parking their
[47:47] car at the ice cream place from the gas
[47:48] station than at your storage facility.
[47:50] >> Absolutely. And the closest residence is
[47:53] probably across from the ice cream
[47:54] store. And then there's a beacon
[47:57] assisted living next to the gas station
[48:00] going up Maine on the other side. After
[48:02] the intersection, then everything else
[48:04] from you is is businesses up to correct
[48:06] >> to Market Street.
[48:07] >> That's correct. And would your facility
[48:10] uh have lighting and cameras to uh
[48:12] assist our our our city officers or the
[48:15] police department if there's anything
[48:16] that happens up there at those
[48:18] restaurants that they used to have
[48:20] opened? I don't know if they're opened,
[48:22] you know, again in those car lots. So,
[48:23] would you be willing to share any video
[48:26] that you have from your facilities with
[48:27] the city, you know, if necessary?
[48:30] >> Absolutely. We we plan on having dozens,
[48:32] if not a hundred cameras. Certainly
[48:35] dozens. I can't commit to 100, but
[48:36] there's going to be a ton of cameras. Uh
[48:38] we'd certainly cooperate with the police
[48:40] department uh whenever we can.
[48:42] >> Thank you,
[48:44] >> Pat. What's the range of the property?
[48:47] Uh we're looking from the empty lot if
[48:50] you as you look at it from the street,
[48:52] the empty lot on the right part uh
[48:55] against the driveway.
[48:56] >> So,
[48:57] >> which was Nurka's old funeral home. If
[48:59] you're looking um from the left, so the
[49:01] funeral home to the left of the funeral
[49:02] home is a there's a garage in the rear.
[49:06] I believe that was actually used for the
[49:08] funeral home back in the day. Um to the
[49:10] left of that there's a small like shack,
[49:13] tan shack,
[49:14] >> which used to be the post office years
[49:16] ago.
[49:16] >> Okay. And that that building from that
[49:18] building over would be the scope. That would be the starting the starting
[49:22] point.
[49:22] >> So right up to Dean these collectibles
[49:25] all the way down to the driveway.
[49:26] >> Correct. Correct.
[49:27] >> Okay.
[49:29] Pat,
[49:29] >> is there any office or anything in in
[49:31] these? No, no office.
[49:32] >> No office. All of our leasing at our fac
[49:34] current facility in this one would be
[49:36] the same. It's all online. Uh people go
[49:38] online if they need a unit, they
[49:39] purchase it where they call us. We have
[49:41] a call center. Um so they could call in and uh rent storage uh through
[49:46] the phone
[49:48] >> without having a plan in front of us.
[49:50] the entrance exit signage, you know, no
[49:55] right turn, no left turn, you're at a
[49:57] traffic light intersection,
[49:59] you know, what do you have? Yep.
[50:02] >> Because we don't have anything in front
[50:04] of us.
[50:04] >> So, we did meet with PennDOT on site
[50:06] about 30 days ago. Um, and because it is
[50:09] a state road, we're going to have to
[50:10] comply with whatever PennDOT's rules and
[50:12] regulations are. What their engineers
[50:14] suggested is most likely that it's going
[50:16] to be a right turn only leaving the
[50:19] facility. so that you're not making a
[50:21] left crossing Main Avenue. Um, regarding
[50:24] traffic, I did pull a report from our
[50:28] current facility, which is about the
[50:30] same size. Um, and this is a six-day
[50:33] run. Now, two of them are weekends, and
[50:35] this is our gate code. I could give you
[50:36] this to look at as well. Um, these are
[50:40] the number of people that came in and
[50:41] out of the facility on a given day. 18,
[50:44] 28, 25, 17, 19. This is not a hightraic
[50:48] use. Um, like I said, people come, they
[50:51] drop off their stuff, they leave. Many
[50:53] of them don't come back for years. And I
[50:56] >> And it'll be fenced in, gated,
[50:58] >> 100% vents. There'll be a gated. Nobody
[51:00] can enter the facility without an access
[51:02] code. Um, each tenant has a unique
[51:04] access code um that's unique to them,
[51:07] but everything will be gated. And I do
[51:08] have that report if you would like.
[51:11] >> No, that's okay.
[51:12] >> Okay. Thanks.
[51:14] along that line with access from I mean
[51:17] obviously you have to deal with pen dot
[51:19] and whatever pen dot says is what
[51:21] happens or it doesn't happen um with
[51:26] pulling in to would be a gate for an
[51:29] access code would you be able to pull in
[51:32] or would you be blocking the sidewalk
[51:33] and main avenue to get in?
[51:35] >> You you would be able to pull in. Um, if
[51:38] you look at our if if anyone's ever seen
[51:40] our facility on North Washington Avenue,
[51:41] there's you could actually have a couple
[51:43] vehicles in there before you're out to
[51:45] the street. Um, it would be set up in a
[51:47] similar manner. Really, our plan is to
[51:49] kind of carbon copy what we did over
[51:51] there and put it in North's Grant.
[51:54] >> Okay,
[52:00] you good. Anyone here to give testimony
[52:03] on the case? Come on up.
[52:08] How are you?
[52:10] >> Good, thanks.
[52:12] Michael Mancini, MAN ci.
[52:16] >> For the record, I'd like to object to
[52:17] this testimony. I see it's within
[52:19] proximity to facility.
[52:21] >> I I'm uh testifying based upon my years
[52:24] of experience operating mortgage
[52:27] brokerages, looking at over 1,500 uh
[52:30] appraisals, closing 1,4 mortgages
[52:34] without one recision. Did you live close
[52:36] by this property? Where do you live?
[52:37] >> I drive by it and
[52:40] >> uh Dan, I I know we we had a meeting
[52:42] with council on this. Did Did we come up
[52:43] with a
[52:46] >> The board has the discretion
[52:48] to set limits as to how far away from
[52:52] the proposed facility
[52:55] uh any testimony could be taken.
[52:59] Again, the farther away from the
[53:02] facility, the less likely we would take
[53:03] testimony,
[53:04] >> right? I mean, unless you're within, you
[53:07] know, a th00and 2,000 ft, I I I think
[53:09] we're not going to be taking testimony
[53:11] on this.
[53:12] >> So, regardless of the characteristics or
[53:16] the fact that, you know, it's an
[53:18] exterior obsoles and 75% of residents
[53:21] live within that general area and
[53:23] they're looking down on the facility.
[53:25] >> Excuse me, Pat. Can you just use the
[53:27] microphone if you want to say anything?
[53:30] I would just like to reiterate the the
[53:32] objection. Uh he he's currently
[53:34] testifying. This isn't back and forth.
[53:36] Uh he's not within the zone. I would
[53:38] like the objection to be decided by the
[53:40] board.
[53:41] >> Thank you, sir.
[53:42] >> Thank you.
[53:44] >> Anyone else?
[53:46] >> Yes. I'm looking at when looking at the
[53:51] projects that come before us, um we go
[53:53] out, we look at every property, we study
[53:55] it.
[53:56] There's spots like this that have been
[54:00] empty. Nara's funeral home has been gone
[54:03] I don't know how many years. Um these
[54:06] adjacent buildings are empty and there's
[54:10] not much
[54:12] want for development in that area for
[54:14] apartments for businesses. Businesses
[54:17] are dead up there. And I look at
[54:21] if not this, then what? Um, what can be
[54:24] done to this property to develop it and
[54:28] basically put it back on the tax force?
[54:30] Make it nicer than it's run down. It
[54:34] looks like hell. And if that's what's
[54:37] going to happen, you have objection
[54:39] obligation to do that and um work with
[54:43] PENDOT because it is a tough
[54:45] intersection. obviously the crosswalks
[54:48] but
[54:50] um that's my take is developing
[54:53] properties. So
[54:54] >> thank you.
[54:55] >> I think I think any vote we would have
[54:58] to add the condition that Pendot has to
[55:01] approve the ingress and egress
[55:04] >> and then Dan this also has this have to
[55:06] go through planning also after us
[55:08] >> probably. Yes.
[55:10] >> Yes. Okay. So you need both planning
[55:12] approval and pendot approval before the
[55:16] project can go forward.
[55:29] » Yeah, Jan, I'd like to add those
[55:31] stipulations,
[55:33] >> okay,
[55:34] >> that we just discussed.
[55:35] >> We'll add those as conditions of any
[55:37] approval.
[55:43] And Mr. Chairman, just a a question and
[55:44] attorney penitentar on those
[55:46] stipulations. I I third meeting I was in
[55:50] the last one and where we put
[55:52] stipulations on certain properties over
[55:54] on Mineral Avenue for fire escapes and
[55:56] so on and so forth. uh probably many
[56:00] meetings before that there were
[56:02] stipulations on and once that the
[56:05] applicant leaves this meeting tonight
[56:08] and gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down a
[56:11] thumbs up that's when the stipulations
[56:13] will kick in. How
[56:16] do we as board members
[56:20] be updated on those stipulations?
[56:22] Because
[56:23] >> the first the first one is easy.
[56:25] >> Okay. Pendot has to approve it otherwise
[56:28] he can't get in and out.
[56:29] >> The second one he has to go before
[56:31] planning.
[56:32] >> Right. So we we put those
[56:34] >> that Mr. Evans could uh
[56:36] >> we we put those stipulations on. But how
[56:38] do how do I know
[56:40] >> how do I know as a as a as a board
[56:42] member that's voting on this item that stipulation was adhered to? Will I
[56:47] be notified through?
[56:50] >> No, we're not notified. The law
[56:52] department then takes care of that from here on out. So, okay, just to just
[56:56] to make sure cuz I get questions all the
[56:58] time, you know, and just in two months,
[57:00] you know, you did this. How do we know
[57:02] they're following up? I said, I don't
[57:04] know. Call the city. You know, I don't
[57:05] like to give somebody that answer. I
[57:08] like to say, well, this is how I know
[57:10] because as an individual, I have a
[57:12] reputation that I need to uh keep in in
[57:14] the community. So, that's why I like to
[57:16] answer. So, if it's call the city and
[57:18] the law department, well, that's the
[57:20] answer that I'll give them and it'll I
[57:22] can point them to this meeting. It's on
[57:24] the record that I asked a question, but
[57:25] that's just, you know, for my own
[57:27] personal understanding.
[57:29] >> Well, you drive by and check it out
[57:32] >> and then I got to call the city.
[57:34] >> And I could assure you if PENDOT does
[57:37] not approve it, we're not building it.
[57:39] So,
[57:42] » I tried to use this as an example for
[57:45] anything else that comes before us, who
[57:47] has come who has came before us because
[57:49] I get asked the questions. I'm new to
[57:50] this. You know what I mean? I'm going to
[57:51] be here for five years as long as I live
[57:53] in the city. So, I'm going to have a lot
[57:54] of questions for everybody.
[57:58] » I make a motion
[58:01] >> with the stipulations.
[58:04] >> Second.
[58:12] » Okay.
[58:13] >> Mr. McDerman.
[58:14] >> Yes.
[58:15] >> Mr. Morris.
[58:16] >> Yes.
[58:17] >> Mr. Welby.
[58:18] >> Yes.
[58:19] >> Mr. Matt Ev.
[58:20] >> Yes. Hey, Mr. Wash.
[58:21] >> Yes. Five to zero. You've been approved.
[58:23] Good luck.
[58:23] >> Thank you very much.
[58:27] » Can we call case number six, please?
[58:30] >> Case number six is six of Pittston LLC.
[58:34] Seeks variance to allow an impervious
[58:36] cover of 95% of the lot area instead of
[58:40] the 75% lot coverage allowed to
[58:42] construct an apartment building at 616
[58:45] Pittston Avenue, R11 zone.
[59:15] You raise your right
[59:18] testimony today.
[59:22] » I do.
[59:25] >> Jordan Clark, C L A R K.
[59:35] » Um, just for the record, uh, apartment
[59:38] buildings are allowed in an R1 zone. So,
[59:40] the use is allowed. The question Mr.
[59:44] Clark will answer is how many apartments
[59:46] are there? How many parking spots are
[59:48] there? That kind of stuff.
[59:50] >> Yes. So, currently the client owns four
[59:52] adjoining lots. What the plan would be
[59:54] is to demolish two of them are vacant, I
[59:56] believe. Two of them have buildings on
[59:58] them, one being where he operates his
[59:59] business. He'd like to demolish the
[1:00:01] buildings, do a lot consolidation, and
[1:00:03] construct a 24-unit apartment building.
[1:00:06] Uh the building itself, conceptually
[1:00:08] designed, um would be 24 units. Um, and
[1:00:11] the need for the variance would be
[1:00:13] simply to meet the off- streetet parking
[1:00:15] requirements. So, it'll allow us to get
[1:00:17] 24 parking spots um access through Chris
[1:00:21] Court of the rear. [clears throat] Um,
[1:00:24] and that would make the project viable.
[1:00:27] Everything else is within um the zoning
[1:00:29] regulations and ordinances.
[1:00:31] >> So, how many parking spots do you have?
[1:00:33] >> 24.
[1:00:33] >> You have 24.
[1:00:34] >> We would have 24. Yes. I think we could
[1:00:36] get a 25th, but again, we're conceptual
[1:00:38] trying to get, you know, see if this is
[1:00:41] feasible.
[1:00:43] >> I count 24 and then the walkway, but one
[1:00:47] of those the handicap spot has to also
[1:00:50] be van accessible.
[1:00:52] >> Yes.
[1:00:52] >> So, that's another 8 ft.
[1:00:54] >> Yes. That's shown striped.
[1:00:58] >> I don't see it.
[1:00:59] >> We also have we also have a dumpster
[1:01:00] enclosure shown. That's the walkway
[1:01:03] >> where the cross lines are.
[1:01:06] >> Yes.
[1:01:07] >> Yeah. There's a sidewalk in front.
[1:01:10] >> So
[1:01:13] accessible spot.
[1:01:15] >> So the van accessible would be say
[1:01:18] number 14
[1:01:20] um closest to the building.
[1:01:22] >> Yes. Closest to the building for
[1:01:24] >> and then that with the lines through it.
[1:01:26] That's a walkway sidewalk up to the
[1:01:29] building.
[1:01:30] No, that's that's the clear area next to
[1:01:32] the next to the vehicle parking.
[1:01:33] >> You got to have a walkway.
[1:01:35] >> Yeah, it would be curbless right onto
[1:01:37] the sidewalk. So, it would act as the
[1:01:39] walkway as well. It would be paved
[1:01:40] >> from the parking lot to the building.
[1:01:43] >> Yes.
[1:01:43] >> You have to have a walkway.
[1:01:44] >> Yes.
[1:01:45] >> Where's that?
[1:01:46] >> That's shown right across the back of
[1:01:48] the building.
[1:02:06] I think what he's trying to say, Jordan,
[1:02:08] how does he come from like the middle of
[1:02:09] the parking lot into the back of the
[1:02:10] building? You actually have to come down
[1:02:12] to the side and then
[1:02:13] >> Oh, no.
[1:02:15] So, you basically take the picture all
[1:02:17] the way down
[1:02:19] this
[1:02:22] lobby.
[1:02:23] So the tenants that come out the back
[1:02:25] any visitors where I think would have
[1:02:26] access from the front mail and
[1:02:27] everything.
[1:02:28] >> So how do they get where's the walkway
[1:02:30] is what he's saying into the parking lot
[1:02:32] in the middle. So they come out of the
[1:02:34] back.
[1:02:34] >> You come off the middle.
[1:02:37] >> So this right here.
[1:02:43] » So they're going to walk through the
[1:02:44] parking spaces to get to the
[1:02:46] >> walk up just like a normal parking. But
[1:02:48] I mean to say we could identify a
[1:02:50] parking area. I'm sure we can. Or
[1:02:52] walkway. I'm sure we can. Again, we're
[1:02:54] just trying to meet the the requirements
[1:02:55] of the ordinance. Now,
[1:02:58] >> in the handouts you just gave us that I
[1:03:01] believe has more parking spots than the
[1:03:05] colored one. So, I'm not sure which one
[1:03:08] to look.
[1:03:08] >> Yeah, the site the site plans to scale
[1:03:10] that got kind of squished in the
[1:03:11] printing.
[1:03:12] >> Okay. Because I I just Yeah, that's a
[1:03:15] conception.
[1:03:15] >> The map doesn't add up. That's more of a
[1:03:17] conceptual rendering to see what what
[1:03:19] the building and property the site just
[1:03:21] to try to try to make it more readable.
[1:03:24] But yes, there would be, you know, we
[1:03:26] the need for the variance is to meet the
[1:03:28] parking requirements.
[1:03:30] >> What size are are these units going to
[1:03:32] be apartment size?
[1:03:33] >> Uh, one and two bedroom.
[1:03:35] >> What square footage size?
[1:03:37] >> Uh, anywhere from 600 to 800 about. So,
[1:03:42] the total gross building area would be
[1:03:44] about 30,000 square feet, three stories.
[1:03:47] And
[1:03:47] >> one bedroom, two-bedroom units,
[1:03:49] >> a mix.
[1:03:52] >> All right, I'm going to ask you
[1:03:53] straight. Why can't you get a green
[1:03:55] space in there
[1:03:57] >> to meet the parking requirement? I mean,
[1:03:59] we could probably shrink the building,
[1:04:00] maybe do a less unit. Again, we haven't
[1:04:02] really designed the full building yet
[1:04:04] because we don't know if we can if we
[1:04:05] get the impervious coverage. I'm sure we
[1:04:07] can work out a lot of things.
[1:04:10] It might end up being 22 units once we
[1:04:12] size a trash room appropriately, you
[1:04:14] know, but it would be no more than 24.
[1:04:18] >> I don't care about the number of units.
[1:04:20] I just want green space. For you to get
[1:04:22] 95% of a lot that's what is it 150 by
[1:04:26] 150?
[1:04:27] >> 180 by 120 or 40, something like that.
[1:04:30] >> Something like that. Um I don't see why
[1:04:34] you can't design some kind of a green
[1:04:35] space in there. and whether it be a
[1:04:39] place to sit or
[1:04:41] >> Yeah, we can certainly work some side of
[1:04:42] the building, some small bench areas. Uh
[1:04:44] we have planners plan from the front of
[1:04:45] the building off Pittsson Avenue and
[1:04:47] across the rear of the building with a
[1:04:48] sidewalk where we're planning with a
[1:04:50] walkway. Um I I think that's certainly
[1:04:53] possible.
[1:05:02] Yeah, a small area to sit and wait for
[1:05:03] an Uber or something is certainly
[1:05:05] doable.
[1:05:07] I see nothing in the design that other
[1:05:10] than the little plantings across the
[1:05:13] front which are required
[1:05:16] and out back is purely a sidewalk up
[1:05:19] against the building
[1:05:21] >> with planter and everything. Yeah, I
[1:05:22] mean off the corners of the building and
[1:05:24] there's room on the sideyards too if we
[1:05:25] wanted to do more green space there as
[1:05:27] well off the where the stair towers
[1:05:29] would be.
[1:05:31] >> Well, what is your plan to hold all this
[1:05:33] water? uh we'd meet the requirements of
[1:05:35] the PAWC. So more than likely it would
[1:05:37] be an underground storage tank below the
[1:05:38] parking lot and it would slowly bleed
[1:05:40] back into the system. That's a shared
[1:05:41] system over there.
[1:05:44] So it would have to meet the
[1:05:46] requirements from the PAWC.
[1:05:50] Dan, I'm assuming this would have to go
[1:05:52] in front of planning commission too,
[1:05:53] right?
[1:05:54] >> Absolutely. For certainly for the
[1:05:56] drainage and other items. Yeah. And with
[1:05:59] the height with it being three stories,
[1:06:01] there's no height variance needed for
[1:06:03] this.
[1:06:05] >> Not that I'm [snorts] aware of.
[1:06:08] >> There's not.
[1:06:09] >> I believe it's it's up in it probably.
[1:06:11] >> No, we can go up to 40 ft. So it it
[1:06:15] complies.
[1:06:17] >> So with even a 10ft ceiling height plus
[1:06:19] the structure, I think we'd be no higher
[1:06:21] than 36 37 feet
[1:06:24] at its most. and plus an elevator tower
[1:06:27] poking through.
[1:06:36] » So Jordan, you hear the concern of of uh
[1:06:40] Paul here. Uh so you're saying you can
[1:06:42] drop down a few units to uh maybe get us
[1:06:45] like what size green space were you
[1:06:46] thinking? Uh
[1:06:48] >> I I mean you're looking at 95%
[1:06:50] which I believe is just way way too
[1:06:53] much. Um,
[1:06:55] >> yeah, it's currently 75 is the zoning.
[1:06:58] >> Yeah, the ordinance says 75. He's he's
[1:07:01] requesting 95. That is the one variance
[1:07:03] that he's requesting here.
[1:07:05] >> That's that's my question is with all of
[1:07:08] that land. Um, I don't agree with
[1:07:12] blacktapping the entire thing. That's
[1:07:16] you talking four properties
[1:07:19] and everything's going to be right
[1:07:24] just
[1:07:25] >> I I
[1:07:25] >> just myself but I I
[1:07:27] >> we get into it if we drop to 23 units 20
[1:07:29] units that just frees up spots for green
[1:07:32] space. I mean we just you know this
[1:07:33] would be our maximum. I personally when
[1:07:36] we design it, you know, when we get into
[1:07:38] it, it might be less units. It might,
[1:07:39] you know, once you get into amenity
[1:07:41] space, a community room, things that are
[1:07:43] just not worked out yet, you know, there
[1:07:45] might be, if we plan for eight units a
[1:07:48] floor, the first floor probably only
[1:07:49] have four really. You know, it's
[1:07:51] probably closer to 20 units in the end,
[1:07:52] which frees up parking outside for green
[1:07:55] space.
[1:07:57] >> You know, you need at least
[1:07:58] >> Jordan, if you could get it down to 75%
[1:08:01] impervious coverage, you don't need to
[1:08:03] be here at all.
[1:08:06] But to to meet the parking requirement,
[1:08:08] I I don't see how we're not going to
[1:08:10] need up to
[1:08:11] >> right. I don't think you can get to 75.
[1:08:13] >> I don't think we we will not we will not
[1:08:14] get to 75
[1:08:17] without with meeting the parking
[1:08:19] requirements. So our our plan was rather
[1:08:22] than asking for a parking relief, ask
[1:08:24] for a lot coverage variance and we can
[1:08:26] certainly work out landscaping and green
[1:08:27] space when a total number of units was
[1:08:30] decided. it would be no more than 24.
[1:08:35] That's, you know, roughly the maximum we
[1:08:37] could possibly get in there. And again,
[1:08:39] that doesn't account for other other
[1:08:41] areas the building needs
[1:08:45] to operate.
[1:08:46] >> Now, the the parking spots of course are
[1:08:48] 9 by8.
[1:08:50] >> Yes.
[1:08:54] And the dumpster area is probably a
[1:08:56] little oversized, but you know,
[1:08:58] convenience of getting it out there,
[1:08:59] protecting it, accessibility.
[1:09:06] This would have to go through a full
[1:09:07] land development plan, correct?
[1:09:09] >> I'm sorry.
[1:09:10] >> This would have to go through full land
[1:09:11] development with the with the lot
[1:09:12] consolidation, everything. Correct. So,
[1:09:14] that's what we're planning on.
[1:09:15] >> Yeah.
[1:09:21] So, you're here tonight asking for the
[1:09:24] 90%
[1:09:28] 95% prior to
[1:09:31] having the lots combined into one.
[1:09:33] Correct. This is your first condition.
[1:09:35] >> This is is the project viable? If we can
[1:09:37] get up to 95%,
[1:09:39] we can pull the project off. If we have
[1:09:42] to dial it back down, if there's a
[1:09:43] certain percentage that's agreeable, you
[1:09:45] know, we'll rework our program as we
[1:09:47] begin to design the building. You know,
[1:09:48] we didn't go too far in that until we
[1:09:50] see there's an appetite to meet the
[1:09:52] parking requirements. I know there's
[1:09:53] nowhere really to park down there, so
[1:09:56] providing the parking would be, you
[1:09:57] know, rather important to the tenants.
[1:10:12] Is there anyone else here to give
[1:10:13] testimony on this case?
[1:10:16] There is not
[1:10:24] with walking around there. I know the
[1:10:27] neighborhood quite well. My family is
[1:10:29] from Willow Street. Um
[1:10:33] I just cannot
[1:10:36] see
[1:10:38] taking that entire place and hardcape
[1:10:41] it. I just don't agree that
[1:10:44] the ordinance is there's reason for it
[1:10:48] and if we don't follow that ordinance
[1:10:51] then
[1:10:53] why why not? So I I mean
[1:10:58] I would be voting against that unless
[1:11:01] you can change the percentage from 90 to
[1:11:08] less 80.
[1:11:12] We could try to work something out, but
[1:11:14] I mean there's there's a number that
[1:11:15] makes the project economically and
[1:11:17] financially,
[1:11:18] you know, worth it to a developer as
[1:11:20] well. So if if you dropped to like 20
[1:11:22] units like you said, [clears throat]
[1:11:23] what percentage do you think you would
[1:11:25] be at?
[1:11:25] >> Well, if we dropped to 20 units, that's
[1:11:27] four parking spaces at 18 9 by 18* 4
[1:11:33] plus the aisle width. That's got to be
[1:11:36] five or 600 square f feet is lot
[1:11:38] coverage, which what are we 10,000
[1:11:42] square feet about?
[1:11:44] I mean, it's got to be five or 6% at
[1:11:46] least, if not more.
[1:11:49] So you'd be down to like 88% somewhere
[1:11:51] around there,
[1:11:52] >> right?
[1:12:08] And when we get into the particulars, we
[1:12:10] might end up getting a 92, we might end
[1:12:11] up being 89. It's just this is just a
[1:12:14] blanket concept. Drop it on the site.
[1:12:16] Does it work? What do we need to get? Um
[1:12:19] 95 would certainly be no more than 95. I
[1:12:23] think it'd be closer to 90 when the full
[1:12:25] calculations came out.
[1:12:30] [snorts]
[1:12:32] If I'm looking at an apartment building
[1:12:35] and big, it's nice. Yes, you do good
[1:12:38] work, but
[1:12:41] I want a green space. I want a place to
[1:12:43] go out and sit, a courtyard or whatever.
[1:12:46] And I think that's what we have to do in
[1:12:50] order to follow the ordinance.
[1:12:52] >> I've got no issue trying to work that
[1:12:53] into I think I mean off the top of my
[1:12:56] head dropping two or three units freeze
[1:13:00] up
[1:13:02] here.
[1:13:08] It's just a number of units.
[1:13:13] » Did you
[1:13:16] So if that translates to 90% you know we
[1:13:19] could certainly agree to that
[1:13:20] >> down to 20 units and freeze up those
[1:13:22] four park spots on that side to have a
[1:13:24] courtyard
[1:13:27] that's you think that's
[1:13:34] » Jordan you think you can work at at 85%
[1:13:36] and get it done
[1:13:39] >> if that's the maximum we could get then
[1:13:41] probably we'll have to it'll be you know
[1:13:43] we'll have to play the game how many
[1:13:45] units for versus law coverage. I think
[1:13:50] you know we are asking. So I think
[1:13:52] there's somewhere we could meet in the
[1:13:53] middle and everybody's happy.
[1:13:59] » Dan, I think we're going to we're going
[1:14:00] to make it a stipulation 85% max with the green space
[1:14:07] » dropped down to 20 units.
[1:14:09] >> Well, whatever it comes out
[1:14:10] >> whatever he can fit with the 85%
[1:14:12] >> whatever comes out depend. So, yes, we
[1:14:14] would meet the parking requirements for
[1:14:16] however many we can fit with the after
[1:14:18] we deduct for the green space.
[1:14:20] >> Maybe it's 19, maybe it's 21. I mean,
[1:14:23] >> right.
[1:14:23] >> But I think that's that's more than
[1:14:25] fair.
[1:14:25] >> Okay.
[1:14:27] Back to the drawings. Um, with the
[1:14:33] Now, we just got these today, so you
[1:14:36] know, um, with the front setback, um, we
[1:14:40] got a 10-ft setback. Is that from the
[1:14:43] sidewalk in or is that from the curb to
[1:14:45] the building
[1:14:45] >> property line? So that's right inside
[1:14:47] the sidewalk.
[1:14:52] » And of course they'd redo the sidewalk
[1:14:53] cuz I'm sure they'd inevitably dig it
[1:14:55] up, but so that would all be new.
[1:15:10] Wait a moment.
[1:15:12] stipulations.
[1:15:13] >> I make a motion with the stipulations.
[1:15:19] >> Second.
[1:15:22] >> Mr. McD.
[1:15:24] >> Yes.
[1:15:25] >> Mr. Morris.
[1:15:26] >> Yes.
[1:15:27] >> Mr. Wilby.
[1:15:28] >> Yes.
[1:15:30] >> Mr. Mattyage.
[1:15:31] >> Yes.
[1:15:32] >> And Mr. Walsh.
[1:15:33] >> Yes. Vote of five to zero. You You've
[1:15:34] been approved. Good luck with the
[1:15:36] project.
[1:15:36] >> That's approved with the 85% charge.
[1:15:38] >> 85%. Any green space?
[1:15:52] Uh, can we get case number seven?
[1:15:54] >> Case number seven. Steve Serge seeks
[1:15:57] variance to operate a vehicle sales
[1:15:59] facility at 420
[1:16:02] and 422 North Main Avenue in Enzone.
[1:16:08] » Hello.
[1:16:15] I do.
[1:16:17] >> Sure. Stephen with a ph s e p h e n.
[1:16:21] Serge s e er g e.
[1:16:26] Uh good evening. Um my father and I uh
[1:16:29] Mr. Ray Serge sitting over there. Uh as
[1:16:31] you may or may not know we own Serge's
[1:16:33] barber shop. uh been a good commu member
[1:16:36] of the community in Westside for uh
[1:16:38] going on four actually over four going
[1:16:40] on five decades. Uh we rec recently
[1:16:43] acquired uh 420 422 uh as an investment
[1:16:48] property. Um we purchased the property a
[1:16:50] year ago. Uh we went through the proper
[1:16:53] procedure to bring everything up to
[1:16:54] code. uh had the city come in, NEIC,
[1:16:57] gave us the recommendations,
[1:16:59] um uh did the required work, uh
[1:17:02] permitted uh by the uh by the uh proper
[1:17:05] contractors,
[1:17:06] um uh uh got approved for our occupancy
[1:17:09] permits, and uh my background, I'm not a
[1:17:12] barber. I was the stupid one who went in
[1:17:14] the car business. Uh but, uh uh I have a
[1:17:17] strong background in the car business.
[1:17:19] I'm still active with a location up in
[1:17:21] Blakeley. uh and I also do some
[1:17:23] consulting and with the um the car
[1:17:25] business is moving in such an online
[1:17:28] direction the need for a huge facility
[1:17:31] like Motorworld or Toyota Scranton
[1:17:33] especially for a small independent
[1:17:35] becomes less and less each day. Um I'm
[1:17:38] sure if you've watched TV in the last uh
[1:17:40] six years during COVID you've seen a
[1:17:42] commercial for Carvana but I'm sure
[1:17:44] nobody here could tell me where Carvana
[1:17:46] is located. Um, and that's actually how
[1:17:48] we want to operate 420 and 422. Uh, we'd
[1:17:52] actually like to put two car dealerships
[1:17:54] there. Um, uh, recognizing the, uh,
[1:17:58] state requirements, uh, for display
[1:18:01] areas, uh, the 420, uh, or I'm sorry,
[1:18:05] yeah, uh, 420 would, uh, utilize the,
[1:18:09] uh, rear parking of the building for an
[1:18:12] outside display area, which is a minimum
[1:18:14] parking for five cars. Uh 422
[1:18:18] would utilize the indoor display area
[1:18:21] which is allowed by the state um
[1:18:23] inspected at the time of licensing and
[1:18:25] checked on regularly. Um the front of
[1:18:28] the building um would allow for uh uh
[1:18:32] two to three uh customer cars including
[1:18:35] um uh a handicap spot. Um we have no
[1:18:38] intention on displaying any cars out
[1:18:40] front. the front of the building six
[1:18:42] months from now if this is approved will
[1:18:44] look no different than it does now other
[1:18:46] than a small sign in the window and uh
[1:18:49] that's why we're here.
[1:18:52] >> Well, what's the reason for for two car
[1:18:54] dealerships? I'm not understanding that.
[1:18:57] >> Invest I have two investors who are
[1:18:59] interested in leasing the places.
[1:19:01] >> So, you're not going to operate this
[1:19:02] year?
[1:19:03] >> I might take one depending on, you know,
[1:19:04] if the if the approval goes, I might
[1:19:06] move my location from from Blakeley uh
[1:19:08] down to here. I mean, regardless, uh,
[1:19:10] you know, an LLC still has to be set up,
[1:19:12] uh, etc., etc., but, uh, uh, I may take
[1:19:15] the 422 side and then lease out the 420
[1:19:18] side.
[1:19:22] » So, w with both sides, you you have
[1:19:24] enough for the PENDOT regulations to
[1:19:27] >> Yeah, we have I I have and show them
[1:19:30] inside.
[1:19:31] >> Yeah, correct. Yeah, I have I have no
[1:19:32] choice in that matter. You know, if once
[1:19:34] you say yes, I still got to jump through
[1:19:36] the hoops with them. uh you know and and
[1:19:38] again having done this for 25 years I
[1:19:40] know you know I know I know what to
[1:19:42] expect and what not to expect and and if
[1:19:44] I didn't think it was possible and uh
[1:19:46] and a and a positive use for the
[1:19:48] building I wouldn't be here right now
[1:19:50] >> and and for parking for employees and
[1:19:52] customers you have some spots in the
[1:19:55] front Yeah. for you you you probably
[1:19:58] have some agreement to utilize going
[1:20:00] down the spot between uh Dr. Ross's
[1:20:03] office and the shop and in the back of
[1:20:05] the shop.
[1:20:06] >> Exactly. I mean, our our our footprint
[1:20:07] on that city block, we actually have the
[1:20:10] second largest parking available uh uh
[1:20:13] other than the six-pack store where the
[1:20:15] old Wendy's used to be. I mean,
[1:20:16] technically speaking, if you look at our
[1:20:19] footprint between the barber shop next
[1:20:21] to Dr. Ross is the back and that we
[1:20:23] actually have parking for 35 cars and
[1:20:25] but we have no intention on putting 35
[1:20:27] cars.
[1:20:27] >> Thank you. That's just just a question.
[1:20:29] Parking Park has been one of the issues.
[1:20:30] So,
[1:20:32] >> there's a lot going on up here. I
[1:20:33] appreciate you bringing that up.
[1:20:35] >> [laughter]
[1:20:36] >> Steve with the in the back we got that
[1:20:39] open area. Um it appears that is there
[1:20:43] driving through that to access the next
[1:20:46] property or do they access from the
[1:20:48] rear?
[1:20:49] >> No. Well, so do you have I did I did do
[1:20:51] a small print out that I submitted with
[1:20:53] the application. Do you happen to Okay.
[1:20:55] So, so, so where you see the the the
[1:20:57] five cars parked, that would be the
[1:21:00] display area for um uh for the 420 uh uh
[1:21:05] suite, if you will. The uh display area
[1:21:09] for 422 would actually be indoors. So,
[1:21:12] you know, naturally, I can't show that
[1:21:13] from an aerial view, but the the indoor
[1:21:15] display area actually fits six cars. The
[1:21:19] state of Pennsylvania requires f display
[1:21:21] area for five cars for um for a PA
[1:21:25] dealer's license.
[1:21:26] >> Is that in the back of the business?
[1:21:29] >> Uh well, there's a there's a garage door
[1:21:30] in the in in the back. Correct. Yeah.
[1:21:32] And even with the five cars there, there will still be enough room for uh
[1:21:37] you know, an operator to park one or two
[1:21:39] cars there, daily driven, and still be
[1:21:41] able to access inside the uh inside the
[1:21:43] garage into the display area.
[1:21:45] >> And the back building, what is that?
[1:21:46] >> I'm sorry. the back building. Is that
[1:21:48] something you will be using or
[1:21:50] >> No, no, no. The uh uh the building uh
[1:21:53] behind where those cars are on that
[1:21:55] little map, that's that's not our
[1:21:56] property.
[1:21:57] >> Okay. Yeah. Okay.
[1:21:58] >> Yep.
[1:22:01] » So, where are the people that work in
[1:22:02] the other unit going to park
[1:22:05] >> that work where
[1:22:06] >> that work in the other suite? Well, I
[1:22:09] mean these are really these are really
[1:22:10] set up for a to again with the online
[1:22:14] model to not only work remotely but for
[1:22:16] the for the for when they are there uh
[1:22:19] which would be limited times. I mean
[1:22:20] these are really set up with a fivecar
[1:22:22] display. You're really an owner
[1:22:23] operator. You're really only going to be
[1:22:25] one person.
[1:22:26] >> And then where is the customers park?
[1:22:28] >> Out front.
[1:22:29] >> There's parking in the front of the
[1:22:30] building.
[1:22:30] >> There is correct. Yes.
[1:22:31] >> How many spots are in the front? Uh
[1:22:33] well, it's the it's almost the same
[1:22:35] distance as the as the rear of the
[1:22:37] property, which means I mean technically
[1:22:38] I could probably shoehorn four, but the
[1:22:41] state actually would only require one
[1:22:43] handicap spot and then one uh one retail
[1:22:47] spot per suite. So technically speaking,
[1:22:49] I only need three spots to comply with
[1:22:51] the state
[1:22:54] » and they back right out the main avenue.
[1:22:57] >> I'm sorry.
[1:22:57] >> They back out to Main Avenue,
[1:22:59] >> correct? Yep.
[1:23:03] My measurements are from the building to
[1:23:05] the curb 25 ft. Of course, you need 18
[1:23:08] for a spot.
[1:23:09] >> Correct.
[1:23:09] >> Without blocking the sidewalk,
[1:23:11] >> correct?
[1:23:12] >> As a long truck.
[1:23:13] >> Yep.
[1:23:14] >> Yeah. I mean, in natur I mean, if
[1:23:15] someone came with a larger vehicle,
[1:23:17] again, I mean, they could utilize the
[1:23:18] barber shop, they could still park
[1:23:19] behind the building, but uh, you know,
[1:23:21] the bare the bare minimum up front, you
[1:23:23] know, the front of the building for
[1:23:25] retail parking uh will suffice.
[1:23:29] And again, as I mentioned, uh, you know,
[1:23:31] if if approved, you know, the state
[1:23:33] comes in, they inspect both suite suites
[1:23:35] to make sure that they meet, they comply
[1:23:37] with all PA dealer laws. Um, uh, photos
[1:23:40] have to be sent. Uh, you know, tenants
[1:23:42] even receive a background check. I won't
[1:23:44] bore you with the details about, you
[1:23:45] know, getting someone in there that's,
[1:23:47] uh, of good nature and stuff like that.
[1:23:49] and they come back for uh there's no set
[1:23:52] uh structure but uh you typically annual
[1:23:55] to buy annual inspections uh to make
[1:23:57] sure that you're comply you know that
[1:23:59] your facility is complying with the with
[1:24:01] the dealer law dealer law. So it's not oh yes you're good and then it
[1:24:05] turns into the wild wild west. You got
[1:24:06] to play by the rules.
[1:24:09] >> Will there be any like working on the
[1:24:11] cars besides besides cleaning them and
[1:24:13] >> No, just general detailing and stuff
[1:24:15] like that. That's it. That's it. And
[1:24:16] like I said, our intention is actually
[1:24:18] really to put no cars there. I mean,
[1:24:19] this is again going with I mean, you
[1:24:21] know, we can't I know you can't uh weigh
[1:24:24] your decision strictly on that because
[1:24:26] naturally if we ever sold the building
[1:24:27] and stuff like that, you know, uh you
[1:24:29] know, I'm I'm telling you we wanted to
[1:24:30] go with an online business model. You
[1:24:32] know, maybe the next guy won't, but our
[1:24:34] intention isn't to put really have any
[1:24:36] cars there. You know, the business is
[1:24:37] set up now where, you know, if you were
[1:24:39] interested in a, you know, 2024 Toyota
[1:24:42] RAV 4, I could email you photos from the
[1:24:45] auction, purchase the car, and have it
[1:24:47] delivered right to your address, just
[1:24:49] like Carvana. That's the way the, you
[1:24:50] know, the this industry has been headed.
[1:24:52] And and it's kind of neat. It's
[1:24:54] exciting, you know,
[1:25:00] » and it would put some life into the
[1:25:02] vacant buildings there.
[1:25:03] >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I hate to say, but
[1:25:05] the life will be minimal because, like I
[1:25:06] said, it's not going to really have a a
[1:25:08] huge impact on the uh uh on the uh on
[1:25:11] the neighborhood, but but it will prompt
[1:25:12] us to, you know, put some more money
[1:25:13] into the building, spruce it up. You
[1:25:16] know, I know you mentioned uh uh
[1:25:17] lighting and cameras with the other
[1:25:19] businesses. You know, we already have
[1:25:20] that with the barber shop. Naturally, we
[1:25:22] would be doing that with this as well,
[1:25:23] too, and stuff like that. So, yep.
[1:25:29] um whatever lighting you're putting up,
[1:25:31] you know, shaded so we don't reflect the
[1:25:34] neighbors properties. Oh,
[1:25:35] >> of course. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
[1:25:36] I mean, technically speaking, our uh you
[1:25:38] know, our neighbors over on that side
[1:25:40] are are are all commercial, but yeah.
[1:25:41] yeah, we you know, again, we
[1:25:43] want to be good neighbors with everybody
[1:25:44] without a doubt. Yep. As we have been
[1:25:46] for 40 plus years.
[1:25:56] » Is there anyone here to give testimony
[1:25:57] on this case?
[1:25:59] There is not.
[1:26:02] I'll make a motion.
[1:26:04] >> I'll second it.
[1:26:07] >> Mr. McDermott.
[1:26:08] >> Yes.
[1:26:09] >> Mr. Morris?
[1:26:11] >> Yes.
[1:26:11] >> Mr. Willby?
[1:26:12] >> Yes.
[1:26:13] >> Mr. Matt Evvich?
[1:26:14] >> Yes.
[1:26:14] >> And Mr. Walsh?
[1:26:15] >> Yes. Vote of five to zero. You've been
[1:26:17] approved.
[1:26:18] >> Gentlemen, thank you.
[1:26:19] >> Good luck.
[1:26:28] Okay, what do we got?
[1:26:30] >> Call case number eight, please.
[1:26:32] >> Case number eight is Robert Franklin
[1:26:34] seeks variance to construct a storage
[1:26:36] shed at 621 Deacon Street in R9 zone.
[1:26:57] I see.
[1:27:50] I do.
[1:27:54] » Go ahead. You go, please.
[1:27:57] >> Robert Franklin, R O B E R T. F R A N K
[1:28:01] L I N.
[1:28:04] >> Matthew Mandola, professional land
[1:28:07] surveyor, M-at T. H E W M D O L A
[1:28:14] Good evening to all. Um my name is
[1:28:17] Matthew Mandola, professional land
[1:28:18] surveyor from Menan Associates. Uh here
[1:28:21] tonight, um representing my client, uh
[1:28:26] the owner is Bob Franklin for REF Realy
[1:28:29] LLC.
[1:28:31] Um what I provided in front of everyone
[1:28:34] is a
[1:28:36] proposed lot consolidation plan uh that
[1:28:40] looks to consolidate both existing
[1:28:42] properties. Parcel 46 uh that is a um a
[1:28:48] vacant piece of land and parcel 48
[1:28:53] that's an existing uh ice cream stand
[1:28:56] with a room for a party in the back. Um
[1:29:00] what we're looking to do is propose a
[1:29:04] proposed uh poleb barn uh that will
[1:29:07] service as a storage unit uh for party
[1:29:11] supplies and things like that uh for for
[1:29:14] the building itself. A little bit
[1:29:16] history of this parcel is uh my client
[1:29:19] was here three or four years ago and
[1:29:21] received approval from converting the
[1:29:23] old Legion building into an ice cream
[1:29:27] standpart.
[1:29:29] um building. We're looking to continue
[1:29:32] that use. Um I he right now he already
[1:29:36] has uh the permits aligned uh approved
[1:29:40] for the specifications of the pole barn
[1:29:41] height and all that good stuff. Um so
[1:29:44] that's not an issue at all. Um if we did
[1:29:48] get the lock consolidation already
[1:29:50] approved, this wouldn't even be an issue
[1:29:51] at all. I wouldn't be in front of you.
[1:29:53] Uh I believe he wants to get started on
[1:29:55] the uh pole barn as soon as possible.
[1:29:58] That's why we're here before you
[1:30:00] tonight. But I would just like to say
[1:30:02] and reinforce that we are looking to do
[1:30:04] a lot consolidation where we wouldn't
[1:30:06] even need uh special exception or use
[1:30:10] for this project.
[1:30:15] » I guess if we looking at these plans and
[1:30:17] we give approval and you don't get the
[1:30:19] lot line adjustments, that's on you.
[1:30:21] >> Correct.
[1:30:24] There should be no issue with the lot
[1:30:25] consolidation from a technical
[1:30:28] standpoint. Um, we're meeting all
[1:30:31] setbacks, all area. There's a big
[1:30:34] asphalt uh parking lot there, so there's
[1:30:36] no issues with driveway or parking.
[1:30:40] >> So, what lot consolidations are we
[1:30:43] looking at? You have the main place now
[1:30:46] and the parking lot and the grassy area
[1:30:49] that has the stockade fence.
[1:30:52] >> Yeah. When I when I purchased that
[1:30:54] property Yeah.
[1:30:55] >> When when we purchased that property, it
[1:30:58] came with the main building and those
[1:31:00] two lots, everything together. And when
[1:31:02] I purchased it, it was one deed and I
[1:31:05] thought it was all under one. But when I
[1:31:07] put the application in for the permit,
[1:31:09] Don King emailed me back and said that
[1:31:12] it's three separate PIN numbers on one
[1:31:14] deed. So I didn't. So then they said I
[1:31:17] it'd be easier for me just to try to get
[1:31:19] the special exception to have
[1:31:21] everything, you know, to give me the
[1:31:22] approval. And then I hired Menon
[1:31:24] Associates. They're actually
[1:31:25] consolidating everything now. They're
[1:31:27] already in the process. So I've already,
[1:31:29] you know, they're already a month into
[1:31:31] the work to just to remove that line,
[1:31:33] which because I'm I'm good. I may meet
[1:31:35] the 20 feet in the front, six feet on
[1:31:38] the side. I've no problem. I think it's
[1:31:40] 26 feet in the back, which or I forgot
[1:31:43] exactly what that was, but we're good in
[1:31:45] the back. The the only problem we have
[1:31:47] is right next to our own property now,
[1:31:49] which he's going to remove the line,
[1:31:51] consolidate, and then we're good.
[1:31:54] >> That's where those two orange pegs are
[1:31:56] starting in the in the front there. The
[1:31:57] two
[1:31:58] >> section the stockade.
[1:31:59] >> Yeah. Those two orange pegs is where it's going to start. Yeah. Which
[1:32:03] is I'm 20 ft from the inside of the
[1:32:05] >> inside of the pegs. And that's what the
[1:32:06] two orange pegs are going to go.
[1:32:07] Straight down.
[1:32:08] >> Straight down. Yeah. And I'm going to
[1:32:09] remove those. We only put those those
[1:32:12] fences up just to block the neighbor
[1:32:14] because of what they had in their
[1:32:15] backyard just so we would people having
[1:32:17] parties weren't looking at that.
[1:32:18] >> That double white house going down the
[1:32:20] street.
[1:32:21] >> So, you said this building was strictly
[1:32:23] for storage purposes
[1:32:25] >> for now. Yes. And then what I'm going to
[1:32:27] do is um we have like we have like baby
[1:32:29] showers, birthday parties, and stuff
[1:32:31] like that. So, for now, we're just going
[1:32:33] to use it for our storage. And then down
[1:32:36] the road, we may um if we have like an
[1:32:38] overflow of parties, just you know, for
[1:32:40] it's only kids parties and baby showers.
[1:32:42] We're not like like we have no liquor
[1:32:45] license. We don't sell alcohol. It's
[1:32:46] just mainly kids come in, have a party,
[1:32:48] ice cream, and that's so if we wanted to
[1:32:52] use that for that, I would just go to
[1:32:53] the city and ask them.
[1:32:55] >> It's a closedin pole barn versus an open
[1:32:58] >> in the front, garage door in the side,
[1:33:00] and there's a door to get in. Like
[1:33:02] there's there's we don't there's no
[1:33:04] windows proposed.
[1:33:05] >> Pole barn not not a permanent structure.
[1:33:07] >> Yeah. Like a pole barn like they there's
[1:33:09] no foundation.
[1:33:09] >> It's just like Yeah.
[1:33:15] » Just for the board. Uh he's in an R9 and
[1:33:18] an R9 allows for a storage shed
[1:33:24] accessory to the principal use. The
[1:33:26] principal use being the ice cream stand.
[1:33:27] So, this is really accessible to that as
[1:33:31] an accessible use.
[1:33:34] And the only reason he's here is because
[1:33:35] the lots haven't been consolidated yet.
[1:33:38] As soon as he does that, then he doesn't
[1:33:39] have to be here anymore.
[1:33:41] >> Perfect. Is there anyone else here to
[1:33:43] give testimony on this case?
[1:33:46] There is not.
[1:33:48] Good. Make a motion.
[1:33:49] >> I'm good.
[1:33:51] >> Make a motion.
[1:33:52] >> I'll second it.
[1:33:55] » Mr. McDermott. Yes,
[1:33:57] >> Mr. Morris.
[1:33:58] >> Yes,
[1:33:58] >> Mr. Welby.
[1:34:00] >> Yes,
[1:34:00] >> Mr. Matty Evage.
[1:34:01] >> Yes,
[1:34:01] >> and Mr. Walsh.
[1:34:02] >> Yes. Vote of five to zero. You've been
[1:34:04] approved. Good luck.
[1:34:05] >> Thank you for your time. Good luck.
[1:34:06] >> See you for some ice cream.
[1:34:08] >> Yes.
[1:34:09] >> Are we going to recall this first case?
[1:34:11] Even though I think they're not here.
[1:34:12] >> Yeah, it doesn't appear that anybody's
[1:34:14] here for the first case. So, we'll move
[1:34:16] it to the next uh
[1:34:19] next month's agenda. And if he doesn't
[1:34:21] show up in next month, then we dismiss
[1:34:23] it.
[1:34:24] >> Okay.
[1:34:28] Oh, we're good.
[1:34:31] It's meeting a journ.