I have many people in this city.

Acts 18:10b

pirit and
ruth Fellowship
4400 N. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19140
215-329-3220

May 4, 2015

Honorable Julia Chapman, Chair

Zoning Board of Adjustment
Municipal Services Building, Room 1130
1401 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1687
RE: 532 W. Annsbury Street - Calendar #24548, Application #580863
Dear Chairwoman Chapman,
I am the Ministry Coordinator of Spirit and Truth Fellowship, a church located on 6th and Cayuga. We
have a ministry and training center at 4455 N. 6th Street where our offices are located, and this location
has the 532 W. Annsbury Street business directly abutting it. Therefore, the decisions outlined in this
letter directly affect our working environment.
I am writing to state my opposition to the zoning appeal for 532 W. Annsbury Street, which will be heard
by the Zoning Board of Adjustment on May 20, 2015 at 5pm. The applicant cannot satisfy the burden of
proof required by 14-303(7)(e)(.1) and, therefore, I request that you deny appeal #24548 on the
following grounds:

14-603(9)(b) states that "Junk and salvage yards and buildings may not be located within 150
ft. of any Residential district." A significant portion of 532 W. Annsbury Street is within 150 ft. of
a Residential district.

14-603(9)(c) requires that "a masonry wall, not less than eight ft. in height and not more than
12 ft. in height, shall be constructed and maintained in good condition around all property
boundaries abutting a zoning district other than I-3 or I-P. There may be no stacking of
material above the height of the masonry wall... ." The entire front, rear, and much of the
westerly border of the property at 532 W. Annsbury Street has no masonry wall of any kind and
is therefore in violation of this requirement. Moreover, the applicant is currently stacking
material above the height of the incomplete masonry wall which does exist.

14-603(9)(d) requires a junkyard to be "landscaped in accordance with 14-705(2)" which

states "At least one street tree per 35 ft. of linear frontage shall be provided. The front of 532
W. Annsbury Street is 140 linear feet and provides zero street trees of the three required by
Philadelphia zoning code 14-603(9)(d).

14-603(9)(f) states that "No outdoor industrial processes involving the use of equipment for
cutting, shredding, compressing, or packaging may be conducted within 300 ft. of a Residential
district." The entirety of 532 W. Annsbury Street is within 300 ft. of a Residential district.

Moreover, 14-303(7)(d) requires the applicant to show that the granting of a special exception will not
cause detrimental impacts to the neighborhood through burdening schools, parks, or other public
facilities and 14-303(7)(e) seeks to prevent the impairing or permanently injuring of the use of adjacent
conforming properties. We hold seminary classes in our facility and the students park behind the
building. This area is in direct contact with the junkyard. Because of the junkyards refusal to follow the
requirements laid out above, our students and their vehicles are in direct danger of items falling into
them as well as whatever vermin might be hiding in the junkyard.
In addition to these technical disqualifications for the applicants proposed use of 532 W. Annsbury
Street, please know that the Hunting Park community overwhelmingly opposes this application on the
grounds that it is inconsistent with Hunting Park Neighborhood Strategic Plan 2022 developed as a
collaborative community effort and formally accepted by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
Sincerely,

Dr. Susan S. Baker

Ministry Coordinator