Rodriguez Grocer in Lawncrest operates on a residential street. Photo/Laura Robb

This is the first of a two-part look at three Northeast Philadelphia business corridors, the areas and around them and how those businesses impact their communities.

Jeff Holden is the owner of the Lawncrest Family Barber Shop on the 300-block of Devereaux Street in Lawncrest. He opened his barber shop along a residential block two years ago, and said he didn’t experience any issues with the process.

“My business was previously a barber shop, so I just had to check before going through the city,” Holden said.

General Contractor Simon Kim experienced a similar situation: “I just went through the city.”

The A-1 Glass and Metal Co. along the 6300-block of Palmetto Street also was already zoned as a commercial property and only needed to go through the City of Philadelphia to open his business at that site.

“If a business itself existed before zoning, that business is grandfathered in, or someone can get a variance from the zoning board,” explained Ian Litwin, a Northeast community planner with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. continue reading »

Phil Grutmacher reviews Lawncrest's top zoning issues at the January Community Association meeting. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Last night’s Lawncrest Community Association meeting began with a word about burglaries from 2nd District Community Relations Officer Mark Mroz, ended with a $49 50/50 ticket and was interrupted by  a birthday cake for dedicated LCA member Peg Kramer.

But the meat of the meeting was zoning. With no guest speaker plan, President Bill Dolbow breezed right through the agenda and let Phil Grutzmacher take the mic to discuss zoning. Five proposals were reviewed, but the first is a site that’s been a thorn in the LCA’s side for months. continue reading »

2nd District's Captain McCarrick (far right) takes questions from Lawncrest residents.

Be involved and care about your neighbors. That’s the advice 2nd District Police Capt. Michael McCarrick gave to Lawncrest residents who are looking to protect their neighborhood.

McCarrick was the main guest at last night’s Lawncrest Community Association, which garnered more than 50 attendees and political assistants.

“We need more people from the community [at these meetings],” McCarrick said. The captain went on to say the “sense of community has been pillaged and torn apart” – a reality that he thinks can be attributed to absentee landlords who are typically less interested in community involvement. continue reading »

Eryca and Kaitlyn Bradfield were seriously injured in a Lawncrest hit-and-run yesterday. Photos courtesy of Action News.

UPDATE - Police are looking for 22-year-old Shawn Timbers of the 1200-block of Alcott Street in Oxford Circle. He is considered to be a person of interest in the case. Kaitlyn, whose abdomen was rolled over by the car, has been updated to good condition, from critical.

ORIGINAL STORY – Eight-year-old twin sisters were injured in a hit-and-run accident yesterday afternoon in Lawncrest.

Eryca and Kaitlyn Bradfield were walking to a nearby store to get candy around 3:30 p.m. when they were hit around the intersection of Colgate Street and Cheltenham Avenue. One of the girls was run over. continue reading »