At a February 2011 meeting, Upper Holmesburg residents review neighborhood plans. Civic Association member Paul DeFinis (not pictured) is a graduate of the Citizens Planning Institute. File Photo/Shannon McDonald

Philadelphia has a relatively new citywide comprehensive plan, Phila2035, and a new zoning code. To help residents better understand both and put their lessons to use in their neighborhoods, the City Planning Commission introduced its Citizens Planning Institute.

Thirty people graduated from the program recently, bringing the total number of citizen planners to 89 since the courses began last Fall. PlanPhilly has a list of the most recent graduates. Most hail from parts of South, West and Southwest Philadelphia, with a few North Philadelphia residents sprinkled in. None of the 3o new members is from the Northeast. 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 »

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, which means it’s time for a NEast Philly tradition: our 12 Days of NEastmas holiday song.

This song, which first ran on Nov. 27, 2009, after we felt the Northeast really needed its own carol, has become a tradition.

You can click below for an instrumental version of the song, with our original NEast-y lyrics.  continue reading »

Tacony Civic Association board member Lou Iatarola reviews zoning matters at the September 2011 meeting.

Lou Iataroloa had less than an hour to zip through a dozen active zoning issues in Tacony at Tuesday’s civic association meeting.

Before 15th District Capt. Frank Bachmayer took the floor at 8 p.m. for his town hall meeting, the association board had an hour to review old business, new business and upcoming meetings.

The zoning issues involved a variety of issues, including illegal duplexes and auto body shops. The rundown Iatarola, a TCA board member, is below. For pending permits and variances, neighbors living within 500 feet of the properties in question will receive a notice prior to the TCA’s meeting and the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing. continue reading »

Photo from Bill Green's Facebook page.

City Council will address the zoning code reform this session, looking to pass the changes that have been in the works for years.

Councilman-at-large Bill Green has issued a memo outlining 10 amendments he wants made to the new code to impact the way it’s implemented. One amendment in particular deals with an ongoing issue in Holmesburg.

If the methadone clinic proposed for the 7900-block of Frankford Avenue had been proposed after these amendments were in place, here’s the way Green sees the process going: continue reading »

Upper Holmesburg residents assist in their neighborhood planning with the help of the City Planning Commission.

The following information was provided by the City of Philadelphia’s Planning Commission.

The City of Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Planning Institute the City’s first educational program designed to engage citizens in the city planning process, has opened the application process for its Fall 2011 Course series. It launched as a pilot last fall and graduates from the first two course series—called “Citizen Planners”—are now using their knowledge and skills to create change in their own neighborhoods. Only 30 seats are available for each class to ensure a lively and interactive format for learning.

The CPI is the formal education and outreach arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, and its mission is to empower active and interested citizens to be more effective advocates in neighborhood and citywide planning issues. The Fall Course of the CPI is made possible with funding from the William Penn Foundation.

The CPI course structure includes a prerequisite core course and three elective sessions.  The core course consists of three sessions focusing on planning, land use, zoning and the development process.  The Fall series includes three elective sessions—Commercial Corridor Development, Preserving a Sense of Place in Neighborhoods, and Greening Philadelphia & Greenworks on the Ground.  Completion of the core course and two electives will earn participants a “Citizen Planner Certificate of Completion.” continue reading »

About a dozen protesters gathered Sunday outside St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church Sunday to oppose a zoning variance. Photo by Maureen Greene.

Bustleton resident Maureen Greene sent us the following update from Wednesday’s Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing, at which Tacony Academy Charter School was was set to request a zoning variance to send kindergarten and first-grade students to St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd.

“The hearing for the variance to allow a charter school to rent parts of St. Thomas Church was continued on Wednesday without a date for a new hearing.

The attorney for the Church confirmed that the charter school withdrew from their plans and the Church had to evaluate what they were going to do. continue reading »

About a dozen protesters gathered Sunday outside St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church Sunday to oppose a zoning variance. Photo by Maureen Greene.

St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Church at 608 Welsh Rd. has requested a zoning variance to allow them to rent their building to Tacony Academy Charter School for no less than two years.  There would be 150 kindergarten and first grade students housed there.  Since the School District does not bus kindergarteners, this would cause extreme traffic delays on a dangerous and congested stretch of Welsh Road.

Congregants packed a Greater Bustleton Civic League meeting to force the vote in their favor.  The Pastor admitted that they were looking for money for the mortgage and had only the hope of a flashing yellow light to potentially slow down traffic as any attempt to address the extreme safety concerns of the neighbors, some of whom have had relatives and friends injured or killed along that stretch of road.  The need for left hand turns into the narrow and nearly hidden driveway will create a major hazard. continue reading »

The Far Northeast will get two additional red light cameras. That was one of the bigger announcements at last week’s Somerton Civic Association.

Councilman Brian O’Neill said two busy intersections — Grant Avenue and Academy Road and Bustleton Avenue and Byberry Road — will be among the many Northeast corners to have red light cameras.

Zoning and crime updates took precedence during the second half of the meeting. Those details are below. continue reading »

At a February meeting, Upper Holmesburg residents identified areas that need improvements or enhancements.

Four months’ worth of work came together Thursday night at the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, where the City Planning Commission unveiled its “Neighborhood Goals and Strategies Report” for neighborhood development and improvement.

The report is based on the efforts of the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, the Planning Commission and neighborhood planning team and the 100-plus residents who attended meetings to share their ideas for the neighborhood.

“It’s just amazing what we did here,” UHCA board zoning officer Paul Definis said.” Definis, along with others, has been involved with deciding what Upper Holmesburg would like to see come out of the Planning Commission’s proposals, which are part of the city’s larger Phila2035 plan. continue reading »