Zoning discussion at last night’s Frankford Civic meeting

Tag Pete Specos

Frankford Civic announces new acting president at start of November meeting 1

Nov10

Before the Frankford Civic Association meeting got started Thursday, zoning officer Pete Specos had an announcement.

Alice Henry will withdraw from the board for personal reasons, with Specos taking the helm. Henry joined the board as vice president in January. continue reading »

5 ways L&I has become a better agency in three years, says city rep 8

Sep9

If you had a bad experience in the past with the city’s once notorious Licenses and Inspections department, it’s time to give it another shot.

So went the address Thursday night from a representative of the city agency charged with enforcing its zoning code and related statutes.

“Let’s be real: things were bad,” said Maura Kennedy, the L&I director of strategic initiatives, of the agency before current Commissioner Fran Burns came on. “But we’ve worked very hard to get things in order in the past three years, and we want you to give us another try.”

Kennedy, who was speaking at the Frankford Civic Association meeting, outlined how her agency has changed and, along the way, took questions on a longstanding neighborhood beef with L&I over recovery homes.

Changes to upcoming Frankford Civic meeting 0

Feb2

Zoning officer Pete Specos (black shirt) is rumored to have resigned from the Frankford Civic Association.

The Frankford Civic Association meeting planned for tomorrow night has been postponed until next week due to the weather. The group will meet at Aria Health Frankford’s 2nd floor conference room at 7 p.m.

We’ve also received word that zoning officer Pete Specos has resigned. We’ll report back when more details become clear.

Tartaglione “disappointed” by Rendell veto of firefighters cancer presumption bill 2

Dec3

State Senator Christine Tartaglione is “disappointed” with outgoing Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell’s veto of a bill that would extend the requirements of municipalities to provide health coverage for firefighters diagnosed with various cancers.

House bill 1231, dubbed the cancer presumption bill for firefighters, had some bipartisan support, but Rendell, who vetoed two other bills the same day, expressed concern about excessive costs to already burdened local governments. Nearly two dozen Pennsylvania mayors signed a letter urging Rendell to veto the measure, which was introduced by state Rep. Kevin Murphy and backed by Tartaglione, among others.

“I’m very disappointed with our outgoing governor,” she said of Rendell, while addressing just three residents and a handful of executive board members at the Frankford Civic Association meeting inside Aria Health Frankford. “This bill will come back next year.”

Thelma Young, 76, longtime Frankford Civic Association board member, dies 5

Nov12

Thelma Young at the September 2010 Frankford Civic Association meeting, of which she was a member for at least 15 years, according to the board's president. Click to enlarge.

Updated: Nov. 13 @ 11:14 a.m. with more family background.

Updated: Nov. 15 @ 10:22 a.m. with more personal details, courtesy of Northeast Times reporter John Loftus, who shared to limit the burden on the family.

NEast Philly will continue to update this profile of Thelma. We encourage anyone to contact us with additional information or share your memories of her in the comments below.

Thelma Young, 76, the feisty, passionate and funny, gray-haired, bespectacled and baseball-capped Frankford Civic Association board member, has died, a fellow board member has confirmed. Her age has not yet been confirmed, nor has the cause of death, though zoning board member Pete Specos referred to it as “sudden.”

“She was always active in the community, always looking to better the place she lived,” said Frances Clay, the President of the Frankford Civic Association. Young was a member of the both the civic association and the 15th Police District Advisory Council, or some form of it, for at least 15 years, Clay said. Young had spoken briefly during meetings about growing up in Frankford, though Clay couldn’t confirm details.

Aramingo Rail Transfer is ‘bad for community’ says those at Frankford Civic 2

Nov5

A proposed nine-acre trash transfer site for the outskirts of Frankford is facing a growing collection of neighborhood groups and legislators.

The proposed Aramingo Rail Transfer, which would deposit hauls of waste onto rail cars to be taken to landfills and was first portrayed as a greener alternative to trucking trash out, has come under fire in recent months, according to petitions circulated by the founders of an adjacent business.

Frankford Civic Association updates on Friends School expansion, recovery home 0

Oct8

The October Frankford Civic Association meeting took 30 minutes — and that seemed thin.

No zoning and a no-show from state Sen. Christine Tartaglione, who was double-booked, meant conversation was sparse for the not-quite 10 residents in attendance.

Frankford Friends expansion gets neighborhood civic association OK 1

Sep10

Joe Hohenstein, the clerk of the Frankford Friends School board committee and a 1979 graduate, discussing expansion plans at the Sept. 9, 2010 Frankford Civic Association meeting.

Updated: 9/10/10 @ 3:56 p.m.

A $1.6 million expansion project that would remake the capacity of a fixture of Frankford was given approval Thursday night by the neighborhood’s civic group.

The Frankford Friends School, at the corner of Penn and Orthodox streets, would see a modern, single-floor, multi-use, 32-foot additional building constructed east of its historic 1833-era school house if the city’s zoning commission approves a change to the property’s zoning distinction.