Permits have been issued for the construction of a new two-family residential building at 4232 Howell Street in Wissinoming, Northeast Philadelphia. The approved residential building permit calls for a two-story wood-frame detached structure on reinforced concrete footings and foundations. The building permit identifies Renato Rizaj as contractor, while the zoning permit lists Museum Mods, LLC as the applicant. The 2025 amended zoning plans were prepared by MC Architects.
Permits list a total construction cost of $350,000. The cost breakdown includes $300,000 for general construction, $20,000 for excavation, $10,000 for electrical work, $10,000 for mechanical work, and $10,000 for plumbing work.
4232 Howell Street Plan via MC Architects
The residential building permit lists 3,700 square feet of total construction area. The 2025 amended zoning analysis shows a 2,071-square-foot lot, 1,239 square feet of proposed building coverage, and 3,712 square feet of total floor area across the basement, first floor, and second floor. The same table lists a proposed occupied area of 60 percent, open area of 40 percent, a front yard depth of seven feet eight inches, a five-foot side yard, a nine-foot rear yard, and a proposed height of 22 feet.
Plans place the structure on a corner parcel at Howell Street and Walker Street. The site plan labels the building footprint at 1,239 square feet and shows proposed egress wells, stairs, a rear yard, a side yard, and an existing two-story building on the adjacent lot. The amended drawings show a simple two-story residential volume with a finished basement and a flat roof. The section drawing labels residential space on the first and second floors, with the roof line at 22 feet and one-quarter inch above the sidewalk. The same drawing shows exterior stairs and a rear-yard condition.
4232 Howell Street Location Map via MC Architects
The current version of the project reflects a December 2025 zoning amendment that changed the building type to detached, reduced the gross floor area, changed the height, and removed the roof deck and roof deck access structure from the earlier approval. The project had previously received zoning approval for an attached building with a roof deck following a refusal and ZBA action, while the current building permit describes a two-story detached two-family structure.
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The plan for three planters on Walker St. is problematic. Planters have limited soil volume and are prone to drying out, so bushes and foliage do poorly. It would be far better to place three street trees in the ground. A sidewalk 12-foot wide is sufficient.
Currently, 4232 Howell St. is being used as a side yard for 4230 Howell. The yard is well maintained, with a lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs, a moderate sized tree, a fence, and at least one outdoor table and chair set with an awning.
It’s an interesting choice to build a 2-story (although contextual) with a basement as primary living space rather than constructing three floors with all residential areas above ground.