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It’s easy to get overwhelmed by zoning codes. From residential to industrial, there is a distinction for almost every single address or lot in Philadelphia. But what the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) is trying to do is visit neighborhoods by way of their civic associations to get a grip on how exactly residents see their respective necks of the woods evolving.
When City Council enacted a new zoning code on August 22, 2012, it was the first revision in nearly 50 years. With a partnership between the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), the Department of Commerce and the Zoning Board of Adjustments, a report was submitted to City Council one year after the zoning code revision passed to address which codes were working and which ones weren’t. As part of the revision process, the PCPC is currently knee-deep in a remapping process to communicate more clearly to Philadelphians how their streets are zoned block to block.
According to a Planning Commission Frequently Asked Questions report, the new code’s goals are five-fold: “To be easier to understand; To make future development more predictable for all concerned; To encourage high-quality, not piecemeal, development; To preserve the character of Philadelphia’s diverse neighborhoods; and To make sure the public has a voice in development.”
“You want to have a mix of good things,” PCPC senior planner Andrew P. Meloney explained. “Too much commercial will flood the supply and lower the price per square foot,” he added, mentioning the ominously ubiquitous presence of dollar stores and nail salons.
Many of the rezoning efforts strive to zone homes accurately as single-family or multi-family.
“Home ownership generally leads to community involvement and involvement goes up when you see more homeownership,” Meloney said.
So large swaths of single-family blocks might not be an appropriate place to drop commercial or multi-family categorizations.
At Tuesday night’s PCPC presentation to the Bella Vista Neighbors Association at Palumbo Rec. Center, 10th and Fitzwater streets, residents voiced their concerns about specific blocks and corners. The PCPC team took notes on specifics because their mapping efforts are drafts in a long, ongoing process that will result in City Council-approved maps in ’16.
“This is why it’s a draft and this is why we’re coming to you — is this a good idea or a bad idea?” Maloney asked.
Hypothetically, he poised concerns like “we want this to be our commercial zone and we want more density here. The community always knows more than we do.”
Last week saw a PCPC meeting at South Philadelphia High School, 2101 S. Broad St., which Maloney said was “pretty well-attended with lots of good discussion.” He said 15 out of 20 tables in a breakout session identified the forthcoming library and health center at Broad and Tasker streets as a future neighborhood focal point. Many attendees also have their eye on an awkward stretch of East Passyunk and Washington avenues that’s heavily populated with auto garages, breaking up the continuously evolving Passyunk pedestrian experience.
Of course, no matter what zoning code ends up on one’s block, it can be changed. But, by holding these community meetings over the next year, the City’s Planning Commission is offering South Philadelphians the opportunity to have an active voice. They want one to “think about how we want neighborhoods to grow,” Maloney said. “This is our opportunity to give the community the ability to help design how their neighborhoods are going to look in the future.”
Staff Writer Bill Chenevert at bchenevert@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
Staff Photo by Bill Chenevert
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