COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON RULES Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 PRESENT: COUNCILMEMBER CINDY BASS COUNCILMEMBER MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMEMBER GILMORE RICHARDSON COUNCILMEMBER CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMEMBER BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILMEMBER JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILMEMBER QUETCY LOZADA COUNCILMEMBER JEFFERY YOUNG, JR. BILLS 240058, 240157, 240242, 240332, 240368, 240385, 240415, 240421, 240426, 240427, 240432, and 240466 - - 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC.
This hearing is called to order. Members and guests will please take their seats. This is the Committee on Rules. Today is Tuesday, June 4th, 2024. Madam Clerk, please call the roll to take attendance. Members that are in attendance will please indicate that you are present when your name is called.
Present. Thank you. A quorum of the committee is present and 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. the hearing is now called to order. And this is the public hearing of the Committee on Rules regarding bills number 240058, 240157, 240242, 240332, 240368, 240385, 240415, 240421, 240426, 240427, 240432, and 240466. And, Madam Clerk, please read the title of these bills.
Bill Number 240058, amending section 14-702 of the Philadelphia Code entitled floor area, height and dwelling unit density bonuses to add requirements related to the use of payments in lieu of building affordable housing to receive floor area, building height and dwelling unit density bonuses. And amending section 14-533 entitled MIN, Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District to add requirements related to the use of payments in lieu of building affordable housing to satisfy certain minimum affordable housing building requirements under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 240157, amending Title 14 Zoning and Planning and Title 18 Commerce of the Philadelphia Code to clarify responsibilities of 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. the Department of Aviation and eliminated provisions related to passenger charges, all under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 240242, amending section 6 14-500 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Overlay Zoning Districts by amending section 14-524 entitled FDO, Fourth District Overlay District to establish use regulations on medical facilities under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 240332, approving the 6th amendment of the redevelopment proposal for the American Street Industrial Corridor urban renewal area being the area generally bounded by Lehigh Avenue, Burke Street, and Montgomery Avenue on the north, by Second Street and Phillips Street on the east by Gerard Avenue, Oxford Street and Jefferson Street on the south and by Germantown Avenue, 6th Street and 3rd Street on the west, including the 6th Amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan, which provides for changes that would make it consistent with the North Philadelphia redevelopment area plan and generally consistent with the most recent comprehensive plan approved by the City Planning Commission of the City of 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Philadelphia. Bill Number 240368, continuing a neighborhood improvement district known as the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District in an area that generally includes both sides of East Passyunk Avenue from the south side of Federal Street to the east side of South Broad Street. Certain blocks of streets that intersect the portion of East Passyunk Avenue, both sides of South Broad Street from the north side of McKean Street to the north side of Snyder Avenue and the west side of Broad Street from the south side of Mifflin Street to the north side of McKean Street. Designated the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District Incorporated, which has organized itself as a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation as a neighborhood improvement district management association for the district. Approving a plan for the district including a list of proposed improvements and their estimated costs and providing for assessment fees to be levied on property owners 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. within the district authorizing the director of commerce on behalf of the city to execute an agreement with the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District Incorporated related to the district. And authorizing the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District Incorporated to assess property owners within the district a special property assessment fee to be used in accordance with the approved plan, all in accordance with the provision of the Community and Economic Improvement Act and under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 240385, to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Snyder Avenue, 6th Street, Cantrell Street, and 7th Street. Bill Number 240415, to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bound by Island Avenue, the Delaware Expressway, and Bartram Avenue. Bill Number 240421, to amend the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC.
Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bound by Valley Avenue, Domino Lane, Ridge Avenue, Paoli Avenue, Pechin Street, extended Ridge Avenue, Hermit Street and Henry Avenue. And to amend title of the 9 Philadelphia Code by adding section 14-541, Ridge 10 Avenue neighborhoods overlay and making other 11 related changes, all under certain terms and 12 conditions. 13 Bill Number 240426, to amend the 14 Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within the area bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard, Adams Avenue, Ramona Street, Wyoming Avenue, and Whitaker Avenue. Bill Number 240427, amending section 20 14-305 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Nonconformities by providing further provisions on changes of non-conforming uses under certain terms and conditions. Bill Number 240432, to amend the Philadelphia zoning routes by changing the zoning 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by Kensington Avenue, Tioga Street, Jasper Street, and Allegheny Avenue. And Bill Number 240466, amending section 14-314 of the Philadelphia Code entitled Public Hearings of the Zoning Board of Adjustment to change the number of board members required for a quorum or for action taken at a zoning board of adjustment hearing, all under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. And as per the sponsor's request, today we will be holding Bill Number 240432. Madam Clerk, please call the first panel we have to testify this morning on Bill Number 240058.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
And as she's approaching, I know that the bill's sponsor, Councilwoman Gauthier, would like to make remarks. Councilwoman Gauthier?
Thank you for 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. the opportunity to comment, Madam Chair. I know that we have a packed agenda for this morning, so I'll be brief. This bill is part of a set that aims to correct what's essentially a lie that currently exists in our code. Many of our district -- my district colleagues might have experienced the situation where there's new development going up that's taller than what the zoning code currently allows by right because developers have paid into the mixed income housing density bonus. What we know to be true is that not only does this "payment in lieu" mean that no 15 affordable housing will be secured on site, but we also know that these payments have never led to a proportionate increase in the housing trust fund. And that, moreover, none of this money stays within the geographic vicinity of where the development is taking place. This leads to a situation that comes up time and time again where developers are doing what the city asks of them but community members are still upset and discouraged because they are getting over scaled development in their 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. neighborhood with none of the affordable housing benefits that were promised to them. We cannot turn a blind eye to this any longer. I've already proposed a charter change that would mandate this funding to the housing trust fund that was favorably referred out of committee last month. The next step is Bill 9 Number 240058 in front of this committee today, which calls on the city to spend the money on affordable housing efforts within the council district where the development is happening. This morning, we will circulate an amendment changing the language in the bill from a two-mile radius around the development to the same council district as the development to give maximum flexibility to Councilmembers and the administration in investing these funds. These changes will help make good on the original intent of the density bonus, which is for there to be a compensatory benefit that offsets the additional density allowed in the zoning code. I'll note also that the language is quite flexible, allowing for best efforts and 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. multiple years for planning and development to spend the funds. And as just referenced, it allows for these funds to be spent within the entire council district where the project will be built. For this reason, I think this is a reasonable and common-sense bill and should be referred favorably today. Thank you so much, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Councillady Gauthier. And now to the witness, Paula Brumbelow Burns. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, members of the Rules Committee. I am Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240058, introduced into City Council on February 1st, 2024 by Councilmembers Gauthier, Landau, O'Rourke, Brooks, and Squilla. Bill Number 240058 amends Section 14- 702 of the Philadelphia Code entitled floor, area, height and dwelling unit density bonuses. To add requirements related to the use of 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. payments in lieu of building affordable housing to receive floor area, building height and dwelling unit density bonuses. And amending section 14-533 entitled MIN, Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District. To add requirements related to the use of payments in lieu of building affordable housing to satisfy certain minimum affordable housing building requirements. This bill amends the mixed income housing bonus and the MIN, Mixed Income Neighborhoods Overlay District, by adding the requirement that the city uses best efforts to use in lieu fees within five years of the owner tending payment to the city for a project or projects within two miles of the development. If pursued in earnest, this new requirement would impose an administrative burden. Each housing trust fund, known as HTF expenditure, would need to be individually designated as drawing from the fees associated with given development. And funds remaining from each development's account would need to be tracked. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. In addition, HTFs expenditures are spent in response to applications by residents and developers. The need for housing programs is universal throughout the city, but development is generally concentrated in select areas of the city. As a result, we would need to target our programs that serve those in the areas in question. Further, HTF is just one source of funding that is often used interchangeably with other local state and federal funds which are not constrained by this code section, creating a somewhat piecemeal approach to serving the city's housing needs. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission considered Bill Number 240058 at its public meeting on March 21st, 2024, and they recommended the bill not be approved. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you for your testimony. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for your testimony. As 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. noted, we are changing the geographic boundary to council district. So with that change and with what was already in the bill best efforts, the planning commission would have five years. The planning commission has the entire council district to work in with collaboration with the Councilmember. I fail to see how this would be an administratively burdensome program. As city government, we have to allocate money to different geographic areas all the time. And I just want to bring us back to the original intent of the payment and lieu program. When high density market rate development is going up in Community X, we are telling neighbors that that is okay because they're going to get a corresponding investment in affordable housing, which was the original intent of the program as created by former Councilmember Maria Quinones Sanchez. These changes, one, to mandate that that payment in lieu money actually finds its way to the housing trust fund and to require that 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. there is some geographic coordination to where that money is spent so that it actually does provide an offset. Our commonsense changes, and I fail to see how the administration would not be able to make a corresponding investment in such a large geographic area within a five-year period. I think that we are more sophisticated than that. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones and also want to recognize the presence of Councilmember Mark Squilla.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Question, and it came to our attention that how much money have we received over the last couple of years for the housing trust fund from this --
Point of information, these payments have never exceeded, with the exception of one year that was an anomaly, more than $10 million a year. So it's a relatively small amount of money that equals about 1.9 percent of the total money that the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. city is spending on housing assistance.
Okay. My 8 question actually is, why does it go to the 9 general fund and not to the housing trust fund? 10
I don't actually know that answer. I had originally -- I believe the bill 16 was originally set up to go to the housing trust fund. I do not know what happened then that goes to the general fund. That I do not know.
-- distribute to the committee? Because that's the whole intention of creating a housing trust fund, is to put these kinds of dollars in it. And I don't 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. understand why it would go to the general fund.
Thank you. And I just wanted to add -- any other questions from members of the committee? Comments? I just wanted to add that based on what we've been doing and the way we've been operating in terms of not providing funding directly into the housing trust fund, it's created a fiasco. It's just a disaster of epic proportions because when we look at the number of people who applied for housing choice vouchers, I think the number was somewhere around 37,000. And at $10 million going into the housing trust fund a year and the rate, the price and the rate of real estate development right now, we are never going to be able to see our way anywhere close to being able to house the folks that need to be housed. I firmly believe that it's our responsibility as the City of Philadelphia to make sure that there's housing for those of 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. lesser means, to make sure that we're doing everything we can to make sure that people have a decent quality housing. So I applaud the bill's sponsor. I'm glad to hear that we're going to be making sure that this reaches neighborhoods that otherwise might not have been reached. So we're going to expand the boundaries of where these funds will go to where they're coming from and where they're going to. There'll be a larger catchment area, if you will, so that the funds can get out into the neighborhoods needed. So that being said, if there's no other comments for members of the committee. Thank you, Ms. Brumbelow Burns.
Madam Clerk, can we have you call the next members of -- the next panelist to testify?
Pamela Andrews, West Powelton/Saunders Park RCO, De'Wayne Drummond, Mantua Civic Association, and Garrett O'Dwyer from the Philadelphia Association of Community 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Development Corporations.
And while they're coming forward, I do want to recognize the presence of Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada from the 7th District and Councilman Jeffery Young from the 5th district. Good morning.
When you're ready, please state your name for the record and proceed.
My name is Pamela Andrews. I am the chair of West Powelton/Saunders Park RCO. Good morning. I am here today to testify in support of Bill 240058. For us, we feel the most important thing that you need to know about this bill is that West Powelton, we deal daily with the impact of the density bonus in our community. Developers come in. Their main focus in our community is to build multifamily housing. It has turned our community primarily into a bedroom community for the universities. We have to deal with oversized development, density, noise, trash, all of it. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. And there is no guarantees that none of the monies that are generated from the density bonuses come back into our community. We have seen absolutely none, and we need to see that changed. In our community of West Powelton, I will say to you, over the past year, as zoning chair of RCO, I have seen numerous large-scale buildings go up. All right? And no money has come back in the community. The monies that could be generated, the millions that have come from that development, we could basically, if it came back into our community, we could put together our own affordable housing programs. This needs to change. I'm constantly bombarded every day with phone calls, and this is a simple thing. But seniors who have lived in the neighborhood for 30, 40, 50 years, and because how this has impacted the neighborhood, they're calling every day saying, "Pam, you know, I've been here for 50 years and I've never seen rodents running up and down the street", because with all of this 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. density, the quality of life in our particular neighborhood is changing. We are happy about this bill. We applaud Councilwoman Gauthier for sponsoring this bill. And we want to see the density monies come back into our neighborhood and be utilized positively to create affordable housing. Thank you for allowing me to speak today.
-- the Rules Committee. I'd like to thank you all for hosting and having this very, very important topic. My name is De'Wayne Drummond. I am the president of Mantua Civic Association. And the Mantua Civic Association support this bill 240058. And I have to stand on the Mantua motto is plan or be planned for. This is an excellent, excellent strategy when it comes down to displacement. And displacement, we call at Mantua the G-spot. It's a gentrification spot 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. where a lot of development is taking place and the current residents is not benefiting from the development. And with this bill right here for you to go to pass through Rules Committee and go up to city council, I think this will be a win, just not for Mantua, but for the City of Philadelphia also. And it should not be that development take place and money get put in a trust. And instead of North Philly or West Philly getting that money, it get placed down in Center City, for example. So I ain't going to be long winded. I thank you for your time, and I hope you digest what everybody is saying about this bill. And thank you once again.
Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. And Garrett O'Dwyer.
Good morning. Chairperson Bass and Vice Chair Squilla, if he's still here, and members of City Council Committee on Rules. My name is Garrett O'Dwyer, and I'm the associate policy director for the Philadelphia Association of Community Development 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Corporations, or PACDC. We represent 60 Philadelphia CDC members and another hundred associate members engaged in community development, community revitalization, and community stabilization. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Rules Committee in favor of Bill Number 240058 that adds further requirements for payments in lieu in exchange for obtaining density bonuses for projects providing mixed income housing. If the City's goal is to create diverse, affordable neighborhoods of choice across Philadelphia, it is important that affordable housing be created where larger scale market rate projects are taking place. What we've seen is that payments in lieu in exchange for density bonuses are not necessarily utilized to expand affordable housing opportunities in the neighborhoods where the new developments are taking place. Currently, the payments to the housing trust fund can be used by the Housing trust fund anywhere in the city. While there is value in 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. having such flexibility, in this case a more targeted approach for use of these funds is warranted since new market rates development may lead to increases in housing costs in a neighborhood. In communities where we have seen increases in property values and resident displacement, an uptick in market rate development has been the lead indicator. Therefore, if we were to meaningfully combat displacement and build mixed income communities, it is necessary for there to be focused investments in exactly these communities before opportunities for affordability are foreclosed upon for good. PACDC supports Bill Number 240058 as amended, requiring payment and lieu funds to be spent within the council district at the project receiving the density bonus. But we are concerned that the council district may be too large a geography to ensure expanded affordable housing opportunities in the neighborhood where the project is being developed. We all know that neighborhoods can be 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. quite compact in Philadelphia, often smaller than blocks or about a mile. The original two-mile 4 radius is actually four miles from end to end, 5 which can span multiple neighborhoods. Council 6 district could be even larger. We would 7 recommend a smaller distance, a more targeted 8 geography for the greatest effect. 9 While not addressed in this bill, we 10 would also highlight the need to periodically evaluate whether payments in lieu are set at an appropriate rate to maximize affordable housing development on site, rather than payments to the housing trust fund because that is the surest way to create new affordable units within the neighborhood experiencing significant market rate development. Lastly, we are concerned that these proceeds are directed towards the Housing Trust Fund sub fund. While the original Housing trust fund has restrictions to ensure that at least 50 percent of funds are spent on our poorest neighbors making less than 30 percent AMI, the sub fund does not similarly prioritize those most in need. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Again, we'd like to thank Councilman Gauthier for her leadership. And we want to add our strong support for Bill Number 240058 as amended. And thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Thank you for your testimony. Any questions from members? Councilwoman Gauthier?
Quick comments. One, I wanted to thank everybody for testifying. Garrett, I just wanted to acknowledge your testimony. The change the council district was something that would make the bill work for all of the district councilmembers. So it was an important change but I do note your comment, and I also am very committed to working with you to see how we can strengthen on site affordable units and to tackle the AMI issue as we move forward. And then I also wanted to thank -- well, I call her Ms. Pam -- Ms. Pam and Dwayne for coming to testify today. They are in the thick of all of this development, market rate 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. development, where we're not seeing enough of an offset in affordable units. And I just wanted to give one quick example, because with the pace of development that's happening in and around West Powelton, in and around Mantua, this budget season, I've been advocating heavily for $14 million to support the rebuilding of 70 low-income units on the former University City town home site. We would have had that money already if we had this change several years ago. And I will note when we asked for it, we would have had that money already, and we wouldn't be coming hat in hand to the administration to ask for these units that we already settled on in federal court. So this is a very, very important piece of legislation to make sure that communities get what they deserve and that the most desirable neighborhoods in our city are open to working class people. Thank you so much for being here today.
Seeing that there's no other questions from the committee, Madam Clerk, please call for the next bill and 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. testify. Is there someone else here to testify on Bill Number 240058?
Okay. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Yes. My name is Pastor Jay Broadnax. I'm pastor of Mount Pisgah AME Church in West Philadelphia and a board member of the West Powelton/Saunders Park RCO. And I'm here in support of Bill Number 240058 concerning the use of in loop payments made by developers to purchase density bonuses to get around the requirement to include affordable housing in their projects. And you've just heard from others how the projects taking place are generating much in the millions and in lieu payments, especially in our West Powelton neighborhood. And I believe that the spirit and intent of the density bonuses 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. requirement is good. It's intended to make sure that somehow the seemingly unbridled development that is going on in certain sections of the city like ours, does not lead to homogeneous and exclusive neighborhoods through the spread of the cancer of gentrification. It's intended to provide resources to make sure that there are units being built in those neighborhoods that ordinary folk can afford. The problem is that the funds that are generated through the provision do not serve that purpose. The money's generated by development in our backyards end up being added to the general fund, thereby being a discretionary cash cow applied to purposes that it was never intended to fund. So the city's housing trust fund goes underfunded and more folks are priced out of their neighborhoods. In addition, even when it does go to the housing trust fund, the spirit of the provision is to ensure that the neighborhoods directly affected by the development, not some 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. area that has no connection to the generation of those funds get the benefit. With all of the demands on city revenues, that will never happen unless it's made to happen by this bill. I look around and I see the renewal going on, which is a good thing. But I also look around and I see faces that have been there for years, leaving, forced out. Let's fix this policy so that there's plenty good room for them and their children to stay around. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. Please state your name for the record and proceed.
Elizabeth Waring, and I'm a member of the West Powelton/Saunders Park RCO. Also, I manage the Holly Street Garden. And I'm saying these things because of development and the pressures and constant calls and other things being done because they want the garden, for one, to develop also the homes. So when I started in neighborhood and bought my home 44 plus years ago, it was a great 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. place to live. And I could afford to live there, raise my children there. We have less homeowners and more high- density buildings, stacking of people. And this has really created a problem. I'd like for my children to come back to the area where they grew up in but they can't afford to do it. So in seeing the constant development and what used to be multifamily units of three units, they are multiple in terms of hundreds now and it's just too much of a problem. And I don't know what's going to be done. I see certain neighborhoods, particularly West Powelton, being more developed than some areas. But I'm definitely in support of the bill and bringing some of that money back and hopefully not just a penny on the dollar, so that we could have more mixed income, that people can afford to come back and stay and raise their children and let it be the continued like united nations that it had been with all races. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Is there anyone else 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. here who would like to give public testimony whose name hasn't been called? And there are no 4 more questions or comments from members of the committee? Okay. All right.
I just wanted to thank both of them for their testimony, but moreover, all of your work in the community. We're grateful for all of you. Thank you so much.
Thank you. Okay. And so hearing no other witnesses here to testify, I want to thank the witnesses for their participation today on Bill Number 240058. Madam Clerk, please call the first panel we have to testify this morning on Bill Number 240157.
Shane Doud, director of government affairs for the Department of Aviation.
Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed.
Shane Doud, director of government affairs for the Philadelphia 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. International Airport, the Department of Aviation. Good morning. Chair Bass and members of the Committee on Rules. My name is Shane Doud, director of government affairs for the Department of Aviation, which manages both Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airports. I'm here to testify in support of Bill 11 Number 24157, which would clarify responsibilities of the Department of Aviation, eliminate provisions related to passenger charges. A thorough summary of these changes was shared in advance of this hearing. Most of these changes are technical in nature and update aspects of the Philadelphia Code that still reference the Department of Commerce and Division of Aviation as overseeing PHL and PNE. As this committee may recall, these functions were transferred to the Department of Aviation as a result of a change to the Home Rule Charter early in 2023. This ordinance also eliminates federally preempted language in the Philadelphia 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Code relating to locally assessed passenger charges. Section 18-204 of the Philadelphia Code, which was enacted in 1976, authorized a local passenger charge. Several years later, in 1996, this section of the Philadelphia Code was preempted by federal legislation, USC 40116. This federal law, known as the Anti-Head Tax Act, prohibits states and localities from assessing a fee, tax, or head charge on an individual traveling in air commerce. As this local charge cannot be assessed, our team recommends removing the language from the Philadelphia Code. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to present testimony today on Bill 17 Number 240157. I kindly request adoption of the amendments related to the -- to this ordinance. These amendments include additional technical changes to the code that were caught after bill 21 introduction. I respectfully ask for the Committee for adoption of the amendments, a favorable recommendation of the ordinance, and that the rules be suspended to allow first reading at the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. next session with councilmembers.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Okay. Seeing none. Is there anyone else here to testify on this bill? Bill Number 240157? Okay. And seeing none. Thank you very much for --
-- your testimony today. Madam Clerk, please call the next witness for Bill Number 240242.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
I'm Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240242, introduced into City Council on April 4th, 2024 by Councilmember Jones Junior. Bill Number 240242 amends the Philadelphia Zoning Code by amending section 14- 524 entitled FDO, Fourth District Overlay District to establish use regulations on medical facilities in the Winfield Heights neighborhood 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. of the West Park Planning District. This bill establishes a medical facility control area in the Winfield Heights neighborhood within boundaries that include Ford Road, Conshohocken Avenue and the Schuylkill Expressway. The overlay would prohibit the medical, dental, and health practitioner and hospital uses within overlay boundaries. The effect of the bill is to limit future medical facilities in the neighborhood. Planning commission staff would note that the zoning bill does not change the status of legally non-conforming medical uses and prohibit the medical use as described and could limit access to needed health care. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission considered Bill Number 240242 at its public meeting on April 18th, 2024 and recommended the bill not for approval. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you for your testimony. Chair recognizes Councilman Jones.
Always a pleasure 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. to --
-- discuss things with the planning department. My nickname for them is the Department of No. You always tell us no. And I understand you have to take those positions. But as a district council person who knows his respective communities, we try to err on the side of the community. And in this case, the good news is that I am really working well with the developer of this site. We are very close to figuring it out. But when I introduced this legislation colleagues, it was to make sure that there was a bullet in the gun just in case. Now, whether I was going to pull it and shoot it and use it is something I think with prayer and working together collegially that the developer and the community will figure it out. So what I am recommending at this point is that we pass it out a committee without a rule suspension so that we can keep it there as the progress of this particular site. And maybe I'll elaborate on the site 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. and I want you to know, let me prefix my remarks for the stenographer, high support rehabilitation of people who have drug dependencies. Not just in my words, but in my deeds. We have Parkside Recovery on Parkside Avenue, which we've worked out for now over a decade, good neighbor relationships. We've actually figured it out so that the community isn't overly burdened with, that the property values in the neighborhood aren't negatively affected, and the people, more importantly, that need that work, need those services get it. We further went along with the, I think it's project home one on Parkside Avenue. Am I right? We approved a facility for women who are coming back off of those kinds of dependencies. So our history speaks for itself. However, in this case, we have to be cautious because of the mass impact that 300 beds can have on Winfield Heights. Now, I don't -- names like Blondell Reynolds Brown live across the street. Retired judges of all types that I have to hear from want to know what is going on in their neighborhoods. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. So, therefore, we have put this in place. I am, again, I'm going to say, for the record, I am happy with where we are in the negotiations with the developer. However, we don't want it to go south, and we love the planning commission weighing in on issues germane to our districts, even if you're wrong. Pause. All right. So thank you for your testimony.
Thank you. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. I just wanted to thank my district councilmember, Councilmember Jones, for introducing 240242 after much robust discussion with the Winfield Heights community. I know there has been grave concern relative to one particular site, but I think, overall, relative to how development is taking place in the community. And so I appreciate the feedback from the planning commission and the work that you all do, but I just wanted to underscore the importance of ensuring that the community is represented in these planning decisions and 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. ensuring that the uses that they want to see in their communities are always considered as a top priority. So thank you very much. And thank you, Councilmember Jones.
Thank you. Thank you very much. And this is a very timely topic. I know that Councilman Jones has been on the forefront of recovery and transitional housing and just really like a lot of different issues that are similarly related in your district for a very long time. I don't want to say how many years, so I don't want to make it seem like you're old or anything. Yeah. But I know that you've been working on it for a long time. But I just wanted to add this, and we have a resolution that we're actually holding. And we wanted to see how things are going to unfold over the summer months, because there is a lot of concern about the amount of transitional housing that's happening throughout the City of Philadelphia right now. And I just wanted to say on the record, I think that our biggest problem is that we as a 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. city have not properly provided the level of enforcement and just -- I say policing, for lack of a better word, but just sort of oversight. We have not provided the level of oversight that we should provide that would make facilities better and communities more embracing of these particular sites. So I just wanted to throw that out there. So thank you for your bill, and I thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else -- or actually, Madam Clerk, can you call the next witness to testify?
Good morning. My name is Cheryl White. I want to thank all of you who are before me today and working hard to represent the city's best interests and the best interests, obviously, of the communities therein. I represent Park Plaza Condominium. It is a vertical community, 350 units. We have over 700 people living in this condominium community. And we are located at 3900 Ford Road, right within Winfield Heights. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. So I'm here to support this bill. I think it's very important that communities be involved and be represented and respected, especially as it relates to concerns of density, traffic, parking, etc. And this particular bill, as I understand it, puts a level of oversight, as one of you mentioned, at the forefront of developers and other entities coming into the community. And so with that in mind, if as it relates to issues of medical concerns, etc., if that puts some level of responsibility with the RCO for the various areas to have oversight of what and who is coming into the community, that's very important to me. And it's one of the primary reasons that I support this bill. So I'd like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent my community and its interests and for all of the work that each of you do respectfully.
Well, thank you so much for your testimony, for being here today. We thank you for coming down. No questions for the witness today. So we thank you for coming 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. and joining us and giving us your testimony.
Thank you. Okay. Is there anyone else here to testify on this bill 6 240242 whose name has not been called or anyone else who wants to speak on this bill? Hearing none, I want to thank all of the witnesses for participating on Bill Number 240242. And, Madam Clerk, please call the first panel we have to testify this morning on Bill 12 Number 240332.
Angel Rodriguez, deputy executive director, Real Estate Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.
Okay. Is there anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 240332? No. Okay. And seeing no one, Madam Clerk, please call the witnesses to testify on Bill Number 240368.
Philip Green, senior 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. manager, business advocacy, Department of Commerce.
Philip Green with the Department of Commerce. Good morning, Chairwoman Bass and members of city council. My name is Philip Green and I'm senior manager of business advocacy within the Department of Commerce. My primary role at commerce is to assist and advocate for the needs of the city's 15 business improvement districts. I'm here to testify in support of Bill 18 Number 240368, providing for the reauthorization of the East Passyunk Business Improvement District. In 2002, property owners and businesspeople along East Passyunk and a segment of South Broad Street created a bid to fund enhancements for their district. Their bid assessments have funded marketing and promotions, special events, 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. cleaning and beautification, assistance to local businesses and other activities. Commerce has been pleased to support these efforts through business grants such as the Storefront Improvement Program and support for the bids operations through the CDC tax credit program. The bids work has been complemented by cleaning and property acquisition management and business recruitment provided by a separate organization called the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation. We're pleased to see both organizations working together to provide the critical services that the area needs to remain strong. Over the years since the bid first launched, the 17 district has become a nationally renowned dining 18 destination and a vibrant gathering place for 19 neighbors and visitors. 20 The bid has been instrumental in this 21 growth, but to maintain the district and the 22 organization's forward momentum, it must increase its assessment revenue. The budget proposed in this reauthorization will gradually bring East Passyunk Avenue bids assessment revenue on par 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. with bids of similar size and scope of services elsewhere in the city. The leadership and services the bid provides are critical to maintaining the success that I've established -- that have established along with their partner -- they have established along with their partners. Pardon me. These efforts deserve the support of the city. Thank you for your consideration. I'm happy to take questions.
Thank you. Any questions? Seeing none for members of the committee, thank you very much for your testimony.
You're welcome. Is there anyone else here to testify on Bill 19 Number 240368?
Okay. Please come forward, state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
My name is Michelle Gillen Doobrajh. Good morning, Chairperson Bass 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. and members of the Rules Committee. My name is Michelle Gillen Doobrajh and I'm the president of the board of directors for the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District. I own Tildie's Toy Box, located at 1829 East Passyunk Avenue, a retail store focusing on gender neutral toys, books and gifts for all ages. I opened the store in 2016 and currently have four employees at my Philadelphia location. I also have another location in Haddonfield, New Jersey. As I just mentioned, I'm also the president of the East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District. I've been a board member since September of 2020 and I joined the bid in order to be involved in the community on a deeper level and to do my best to support the businesses on East Passyunk Avenue through event planning, outreach and attracting people to the avenue. Established in 2002, East Passyunk Avenue Bid was formed to address increasing vacancies on the avenue and revitalize the commercial corridor. Now serving approximately 300 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. properties and over 200 businesses, these Passyunk bid encompasses a one-mile stretch of East Passyunk Avenue from South Broad Street to Federal Street, South Broad Street between Mifflin and Snider Avenue, and several adjacent properties to East Passyunk Avenue at major intersections. Of the businesses within the bid's boundaries, the vast majority are locally owned mom-and-pop shops, with only a handful of storefronts being national chains and or big box retailers. Further, about half of the businesses along East Passyunk Avenue are women-owned. The mix of businesses on the avenue is wide ranging from bars and restaurants to boutique shops and salons to consumer and professional services. This mix of businesses is one of the main reasons East Passyunk is so walkable and accessible. Coupled with the proximity to not one but three broad street line stops, several bus routes and an indigo bike share in the heart of the district. Residents and visitors alike are able to address most, if not all, of their 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. commercial needs in one place. The bid provides essential services to the avenue like street cleaning and sidewalk sweeping. The bid also supports the businesses through marketing and PR initiatives, facade improvement grants and hosting events to draw people to the avenue. We focus on making East Passyunk Avenue an attractive hotspot not only within Philadelphia, but the surrounding suburbs and tourists as well. Over the years, the first four commercial vacancy rate in East Passyunk has been as low as 5 percent. Currently, the vacancy rate is around 10 percent, which, while higher than historically average, is still considerably lower than most other parts of the city. Businesses are continuing to navigate a post COVID world where attitudes toward dining and shopping continue to change. With the changing economy, the EPA bid is essential in continuing to provide support and guidance to businesses through the changing climate. Earlier this year, East Passyunk bid 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. launched a survey to evaluate the needs of our constituents and the greater community. Not only were bid property and business owners notified via individual email and postcard mailings, but so was the general public via email, marketing campaigns, social media and our website. Over the course of a month, the survey garnered over 360 responses, the majority of which came from immediate residents of East Passyunk crossing and Passyunk Square neighborhoods. percent, however, were bid 13 property and or business owners. 14 This needs assessment summary was 15 presented to membership virtually on Monday 16 evening, March 6th, and subsequently posted on 17 the EPA bid's website.
This feedback was then 18 used to drive the bids five-year plan, of which 19 the details I will get into next. This final 20 plan was then presented to the membership in a second meeting on Tuesday morning, April 2nd and also subsequently posted on our website. The general consensus of the survey was threefold. Continue programming and events and marketing the avenue, reduce storefront vacancies 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. and diversify the business mix, and make Passyunk Avenue a more pedestrian friendly and create more public spaces. These directives are very much in line with the bids current mission and service offerings. So today's proposed bid plan aims to continue that work. While there are no real changes to the bids proposed services and programs, there are several changes to the bids budget, method of assessment and boundaries. Over the past 13 years, prices have increased by 50 percent due to 14 inflation. 15 During that same time period, however, the EPA bid's assessment revenue has been locked and remained ostensibly flat at $200,000 a year. To compound matters, EPA bid used to receive funding from the Pennsylvania Downtown Center's main Street program, which provided $50,000 in supplemental staff salary and $25,000 in facade improvements. With the discontinuation of that program several years ago and the inability to keep up with inflation, the bids budget has lost 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. significant buying power over the years. To right the bids budget to a sustainable level, the bid is increasing its year one budget by $75,000 to $275,000. In years two to five, the plan allows the board to implement a maximum 7 percent year over year increase to eventually catch the budget up with inflation. In addition to flat assessment revenues, the bids method of assessment calculation considerably limited the bids ability to maximize collectible assessments and update property owners' assessments to reflect the changing property values. In this proposed plan, the method of assessment would move to a budget-based model, a common practice and best practice among all other bids in the city. In this method, current year assessments will be based on the recent office of property assessment market values as of April 1st of the preceding year. And each property would pay a portion of the bid budget proportional to their total market value of all assessable properties in the district. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. There are a few exceptions to this calculation. First, owner occupied and taxes and properties would be excluded from the equation entirely. Also, properties with outlying market values will either pay a $365 per year equivalent to $1 a day or a maximum of percent of bid 9 budget. The minimum assessment would only apply to properties with structures built on them. In other words, empty lots and patios would still be assessed but excused from the 365 minimum. By our estimates, this minimum would apply to a dozen or so properties within our district. The capped assessment at $25,000 per year in year one would only affect one property in our district, the Constitution Health Plaza at 1930 South Broad Street. The last set of changes to the bid plan are a handful of additional properties. A few parcels within East Passyunk Avenue frontage were mistakenly left out of prior ordinances because of misleading mailing address as an example of which being 1304 to 06 South 9th street that doubles as 1303 and 1305 East Passyunk Avenue. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. 833 Wharton Street and 1100 Wharton Street, on the other hand, are being added because they were recently developed and are speculated for major development, respectively. In summation, I support the bid because I have seen firsthand as a resident, then a business owner, a board member and now the board president, how much the community and businesses benefit from a bid.
Things that go unnoticed on the avenue, like street cleaning, become apparent once you step outside our boundaries. Commercial corridors without bids suffer from a lack of PR and events. Less tangible is a sense of community and belonging that comes with a bid. We are a diverse group with a shared goal of bettering our community, supporting our businesses and creating something special. The bid is the glue of the neighborhood and I've had the opportunity to see that from many viewpoints. We appreciate the assistance provided by Councilman Squilla and his staff and request your support in reauthorizing the East Passyunk 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Avenue Business Improvement District. Thank you for your time.
And thank you for your testimony. Councilman Squilla.
Thank you. I want to thank you for all the hard work and dedication to it. I mean, it's always challenging when we're dealing with all different types of businesses and ownership, but also dealing with community issues and concerns that surround the corridor. And it's not always an easy job. But I know that it's a lot of hard work and we appreciate that. And we appreciate how East Passyunk has been able to adapt to changes and challenges along the way. So hopefully we'll be able to move that forward and continue another five years. Thank you.
Thank you. Any other comments from members of the committee? No. Seeing none. Okay. Thank you very much for your testimony. And is there anyone else here to testify on this bill? Please come forward. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. State your name for the record and proceed. Is there anyone else also here for this particular bill?
Good morning. Please state your name for the record and proceed.
I am here representing myself at 1325-29 East Passyunk Avenue, and my neighbor, Freddie and Janet Daddy, longtime residents of 1323 East Passyunk Avenue. They cannot attend due to medical procedures they're having today, and they asked me to speak on their behalf. They live on a fixed income and this yearly assessed fee will only gouge their already limited income that has also been reduced by the OPA. Our neighborhood has been dramatically overtaxed in the past couple years. I've been 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. fighting the OPA for years now. I'm not even going to tell you how much my building has been assessed now. But anyway, the beautification that the Passyunk Business Improvement District has instituted seems to really help the younger businesses and not the older residents. And I just bring this forward because in case Freddie is an older resident and we still don't have trash cans on our block. The beautification definitely is happening. But if anything we're feeling is the overtaxing of our properties. Freddie wanted me to also say that him and his wife have been harassed repeatedly at their home and at their property on Passyunk Avenue by someone from the business district. And as a gentleman, he did not disclose this person's name, but he wanted me to say that he is really grateful that she finally gave up. They wanted to buy his property. I understand that the business improvement district really wants to make it a better avenue of thoroughfare. They already own 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. several properties. And according to the Exhibit A, Section 4, they determine who gets extra funding as a business and who doesn't. That being said, a noisy brewery exists across the street from me, and they got help when a coffee shop down the street from me where neighbors actually really congregated didn't get the help they needed to stay afloat. That was a personal thing. But still, it just seems to me that there is favoritism and us who have been there more than years before 13 this was even put into effect don't necessarily 14 see the results. 15 I know that they need a third of the 16 residents need to protest the renewal. And I 17 know I'm only one of two residents, but I would 18 be remiss for me not to be here to basically 19 speak for the 1300 block of Passyunk Avenue. 20 Thank you for your time.
And thank you for your testimony. Chair recognizes Councilman Squilla.
Yes. Thank you for your testimony. And so do you own the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. property at --
I live on the third floor. I have a tenant on the second floor.
No, no, no. It's been unoccupied because I can't find any contractors to work for me.
And did you get a letter about the bid that you received the packet?
And did you submit that a request back? 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC.
No. I did not, sir. I'm not sure I understand what that was supposed to do.
Well, when a bid goes out, you get to respond whether you oppose the bid or not.
Oh, I thought that's what I was doing by showing up here today.
No, during the packet, you respond one third of the people, one third of the ownership of the properties. If they respond in a negative way, the bid would not move forward.
When you get your packet, there's a response in the packet that you send in.
But I'd be happy to work with you on your assessments because the bid does not do OPA assessments. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. They work their assessments off OPA. If you are believing that you're being over assessed for OPA, my office will work with you on that.
When I was suing the opaque, your office did try to help me, but it didn't really do much. But I would love to redo that if that's possible.
Okay. Well, we'll work with you on the assessed values. And the other issue about the residents, only the property owner pays the assessment to the bid and it's based on your OPA value. So if your assessment goes down, your bid payment also goes down.
Right. Yeah. The assessments don't go down. They just haven't. I've tried. I really try.
Yeah. I was in court twice with a lawyer. Had to pay the fees. Oh. So, you know, I'm trying. I'm really trying, but it's just -- I feel like an uphill battle because the OPA has determined that my property is -- I'm undervaluing my property. But that's a whole other conversation, so.
I'd like to talk to you offline on that and see if we could help in any way.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman -- thank you, Mr. Councilman Squilla. Chair recognizes the next witness. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Michael Giangiordano II. Thank you, Chairperson Bass, Councilmember Squilla, and other members of the Rules Committee. I am a board member of the East Passyunk bid, as well as a business owner. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. My dad and I own Century Forrester, located on the avenue, as well as being a property owner and more importantly, a neighbor. And I just am here in support of this bill to reauthorize our bid for another five years, because the East Passyunk corridor is really the lifeline of our neighborhood. And it really embodies Main Street America. And the work that we do at the bid is really important to our community. So thank you. Thanks for your consideration.
Thank you very 14 much for your testimony. And is there anyone 15 else here to testify on Bill Number 240368? 16 Anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 17 240368? Anyone? Please come forward now. Okay. 18 Please state your name for the record and proceed 19 with your testimony. 20
Hi, my name is Anne 21 Lisuka, (phonetic) and I'm a consultant for the East Passyunk bid on their reauthorization. I just wanted to make some clarifying statements in regards to Miss Sweitzer's testimony. I really do thank her for coming here and giving her 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. feedback this year. However, according to our invoicing records, she actually has not been assessed by the East Passyunk district at all during its tenure. So moving forward, she was labeled as owner occupied. We definitely understand hardships and that sort of thing. However, moving forward, next year, if she were to be assessed because it's 50 percent owner occupied, she can apply for an exemption and then the exemption would be applied accordingly. However, to date, she has not contributed any portion by assessment to the bid.
Okay. All right. Thank you for the clarification. Anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 240368? All right. Seeing none. Madam Clerk, please call forward the witnesses to testify on Bill Number 240385.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
I am Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240385 introduced into City Council on May 2nd, 2024 by Councilmember Squilla. Bill Number 240385 amends the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning of land located within an area bounded by Snider Avenue, 6th Street, Cantrell Street and 7th Street in the Whitman neighborhood of the South Planning district. This bill will change the existing CMX to CMX commercial mixed-use district for a portion of the block bounded by Snider Avenue, 6th Street, Cantrell Street and 7th Street. The change in zoning will reflect the commercial nature of the block and will support the construction of a new headquarters and community center for the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition. The Philadelphia City Planning 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Commission considered Bill Number 240385 at its public meeting on May 16th, 2024, and recommended the bill for approval. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing none. Is there anyone else here to testify on this bill? And we thank you for your testimony today on Bill Number 240385. Madam Clerk, please call forward the testifier on Bill Number 240415.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
I am Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240415, introduced into City Council on May 9th, 2024 by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for Council President Johnson. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Bill Number 240415 amends the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning within an area bounded by Island Avenue, the Delaware Expressway, and Bartram Avenue in the Eastwick neighborhood with the Southwest planning district. This bill will rezone a portion of land that is located along Interstate 95 and the exit ramps for the airport and Bartram Avenue. The property is currently a vacant office building that is owned CMX 3 commercial mixed use and will change to I2 medium industrial. The use will support the preservation of land for industrial uses that reinforce PHL operations. The staff of the planning commission will be recommending for approval as this supports the preservation of land for industrial uses and reinforcing PHL operations within the Philadelphia 2035 citywide vision. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission will consider Bill Number 240415 at its public meeting on June 6th, 2024. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you very 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. much for your testimony. Are there any questions from members of the committee? Seeing none. Thank you very much for your testimony.
Is there anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 240415? No? Okay. Seeing none. Madam Clerk, please call the next witness to testify on Bill Number 240421. Guess who it is.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation, Philadelphia City Planning Commission.
All right. Moving right along. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony on Bill 19 Number 240421.
I am Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240421 introduced into City Council on May 9th, 2024 by Councilmember Jones. Bill Number 240241 amends the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Philadelphia Zoning Code and maps by changing the zoning maps for land bounded by Valley Avenue, Domino Lane, Ridge Avenue, Paoli Avenue, Pechin Street, Ridge Avenue, Hermit Street, and Henry Avenue. The bill also will add section 14-541 Ridge Avenue neighborhoods overlay, RAN, impacting several neighborhoods along Ridge Avenue of the lower Northwest planning district. This bill will update zoning for several properties along Ridge Avenue for a five mile stretch from Crescent Street to Domino Lane. The zoning will correctively zone commercial and multifamily properties. The existing Ridge Avenue neighborhood conservation area will be moved to a new, unique overlay and will also apply to large residential properties that are zoned RM 1 residential multifamily. The overlay will also add in new requirements that will allow for right sizing new developments to be more in character with the surrounding neighborhoods. The staff of the planning commission will be recommending approval for this bill. Our 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. office has worked over two years with a consortium of impacted community organizations and members to address concerns along Ridge Avenue to create this relocated overlay and update the zoning maps. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission will consider Bill Number 240241 at its public meeting on June 6th, 2024. I will be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you very much. Chair recognizes Councilmember Jones.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to thank you for being supportive of this legislation. See, we can all get along. Thank you so very much.
It was our pleasure. It was a very long process but every community group along that stretch was at every single meeting we had over the two years. So it really was beneficial.
Thank you for your testimony. Any other questions from members of the committee? Seeing none. Okay. Thank you 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. for your testimony. And is there anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 240421? Okay. Please come forward and state your name for the record. Good morning. Please state your name and proceed.
Good morning. My name is John Carpenter. Thank you, Chairwoman Bass, Councilman Jones, and members of the Rules Committee. My name is John Carpenter, and I'm here today as president of the Central Roxborough Civic Association. As a registered civic organization, CRCA has hosted many public presentations of proposed developments that require variances through the zoning review process. Through these public meetings, we have heard a great deal of public comment regarding these proposals. We also heard concerns about the numerous projects that have been built by Wright without formal input over the past few years. As the volume of this development increased, the neighbors of these projects grew increasingly concerned that their quality of life was being eroded by these projects. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. As a result, over the past more than two years, CRCA worked with our neighboring RCOs, including the Ridge Park Civic, Wissic interested neighbors, Interested Citizens Association, the Wissic and Neighborhood Civic Association, as well as the Roxborough Development Corporation and the City Planning Commission to develop the bill that's before you today. A few weeks ago, we also hosted a public meeting attended by well over 100 residents where this bill was presented and discussed in detail. The bill modifies the Ridge Avenue neighborhood commercial area overlay to address many of the concerns we heard from neighbors at the past few years of public meetings. It regulates the multifamily developments that have, up until this point, not been subject to any overlay regulations. It allows developers to build and use underground parking facilities for their tenants that had been previously forbidden by a prior version of this overlay. It creates increased setbacks and lower height limits in sections of 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Ridge Avenue to help development better fit into our already diverse, historic and thriving community. The conversation that was had a few bills ago this morning is important to us because the other thing our bill does is it preserves the incentives for affordable housing development in our neighborhood. But it insists that if a developer takes advantage of those density bonuses, that that money be spent in that property to create affordable units in that property. I understand that may be a little extreme version of what you were talking about this morning. But we've had probably more than 2000 units of new housing built in our neighborhood, and not a single one of those units is affordable to the people who -- children of people who grew up in our neighborhood. We think that's appalling, and we would like to see that changed. This bill also promotes the development of new commercial space at the ground level that can be used by businesses like restaurants and retailers by requiring suitable ceiling heights, 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. 14-foot minimum ceiling heights so the HVAC and other basic systems to support those kinds of businesses can be installed and you still have a spacious space for that use. It requires appropriate parking for new residential units to ensure that these projects do not adversely affect existing residents. And finally, it rezones a number of properties along the avenue to better fit their current uses or their planned best use. We want to thank the planning commission staff, Councilman Jones and your staff, and the many residents who took the time to raise their concerns with our organizations over the past few years, and we urge you to support this bill. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Please state your name for the record and proceed.
Jacqueline Cusack. I am the executive director of the Roxborough Development Corporation. Thank you for having us here today, Councilman Bass and the Rules Committee. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Roxborough Development Corporation is a nonprofit entity that manages the Ridge Avenue Business Improvement District. And I'm here today to express our support for the Ridge Avenue neighborhoods overlay. As John mentioned, we worked with the five other RCOs in the neighborhood along with the Philadelphia Planning Commission in a very lengthy process to find the balance. The neighborhood of Roxborough Long Ridge Avenue has a very unique fabric that defines our area and I believe this overlay is essential for preserving enhancing the neighborhood's character. Ridge Avenue is not just a thoroughfare, it's a lifeline of the community of Roxborough. It's in a period of transition that is looking to bridge the legacy businesses and legacy residents with the transformation along the business corridor. As many of the areas of Philadelphia in the last few years have seen rapid, large scale, dense development, Ridge Avenue is experiencing the same thing. The recent development, however, has not always balanced the needs of the 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. residents and the existing business community with the vision of the developers. The proposed overlay seeks to address this imbalance by ensuring the future developments are thoughtful, sustainable and in harmony with the existing neighborhood. The overlay presents a comprehensive plan that supports increased density while maintaining the character and livability of our community with a clear understanding of compromise and long-term planning. By implementing these changes for future development, we can ensure that the growth is managed in a way that benefits everyone. This means more opportunities for businesses to thrive without compromising the quality of life for residents. It means safer, more walkable streets, better public spaces, and more vibrant community overall. One of the critical components of this overlay is the creation of different height limits on different segments of the avenue. By implementing these restrictions, we can preserve the aesthetic continuation and historical 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. significance of ridge Avenue while preventing the overshadowing of smaller and historic buildings. The topography of Roxburgh is challenging and this careful planning is crucial for maintaining the unique skyline and ensuring the new construction are harmonious with the existing structures. Additionally, the incorporation of residential multifamily parcels into the overlay and the remapping of the parcels to align with their current use or the parameters of this overlay is paramount. This strategy ensures that the zoning reflects the actual needs and uses of the area, providing clarity and stability for both residents and developers. I believe by doing so, we can create a cohesive and well-organized community structure that supports diverse housing options and meets the evolving demands of our neighborhood. Roxborough's strength lies in its growing diversity and the strong sense of community among its residents. The Ridge Avenue neighborhoods overlay recognizes this by incorporating community input and addressing 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. concerns about preserving the essence of our area. It promotes mixed use development that cater to modern needs while respecting the heritage and scale of our neighborhood. Moreover, the overlay supports strategic density. By encouraging development in targeted areas, we can provide more housing options and reduce sprawl, leading to more efficient uses of resources and better infrastructure. This will help us accommodate new residents and businesses in a way that is sustainable and beneficial for RL. The IDC urges the Rules Committee to adopt the Ridge Avenue's neighborhood overlay.
This plan represents a balanced and forward-thinking approach to development that respects the unique identity of Roxborough's neighborhoods while promoting growth and sustainability. I just want to thank the Philadelphia Planning Commission staff, Councilmember Jones and his staff for the guidance during this process and for your time today. Thank you.
Thank you very 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. much. Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions? Councilman Jones?
I want to thank them for their continued work. This didn't just pop here today. This is over a year's worth of work collectively with the respective organizations along the ridge. The privilege I have to represent the corridor is that George Washington walked up and down Ridge Avenue, spent the night there, and I can only say that some of those buildings still exist because of overlays like this. I would also say that it is one of the best small towns in the City of Philadelphia and because of the character of the architecture that is being preserved and kind of blending some of the design to match that. It's a great walkable space. And I appreciate Passyunk Avenue. I used to work down there. Remember Squilla? In another life at PCDC. But y'all ain't got 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. nothing on Ridge Avenue. Yeah, I remember that. No PCDC. John Jurasse, (phonetic) a guy who used to represent the Passyunk Avenue. So I look forward to the continued work that we're doing to preserve some of the qualities of a small town while encouraging development. People need places to live, but the people who similar to your plea today, that people who live there through the good times and the challenging times should be able to afford to live there and their children live there in the future. And I would only say that Ridge Avenue is only second to Germantown Avenue by way of historic significance. Like, you guys probably have one of the most historic corridors, business trips in the City of Philadelphia. So thank you for your work. We appreciate it. And the unnamed staffer that has worked so hard on this, his name is Joshua Cohen. And he fights very hard for these areas, all of the district, but in particular that part of the district, because he lives there. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Chair recognizes Councilwoman Gauthier.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I wanted to one, commend Councilmember Jones on this bill, but also on what sounds like a really robust community engagement and community planning process. And wanted to thank our testifiers. Special thanks to Mr. Carpenter for your comments on my bill and just for your work overall. When I was just starting off my career at LISC, I was looking to people like you and others in housing and community and economic development to learn. Right? So thank you so much, not only for today, but for your work in the city over a very long period. Not as long as when George Washington was walking the streets, but definitely for several decades. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony today. Thank you, Councilwoman Gauthier and Jones. Is there anyone else here to testify on Bill Number 240421? Anyone? Okay. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. Seeing none. Madam Clerk, please call the next testifier for Bill Number 240426. And while we prepare for them, I would like to open this up first to Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada, who had some opening comments. Councillady.
Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee. For years, the Northeast Philadelphia has been one of the residents. There's been a need for health services. The Northeast has been a public health desert for a really long time. Health Center 10 has more than four times the average wait time for initial visits for children at the city's other health centers, and nearly twice that time for adults. The Department of Health produced a proposal to establish two new health centers that would close this gap in coverage, providing more people with care and making our communities healthier. The proposed health center, located at the Friends Hospital campus, will offer 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. comprehensive adult and pediatric care and on- site pharmacy, radiology, dental care, a lab, women's health services, prenatal care, insurance counselors, health navigators, and behavioral health counselors. These services are very important to making our communities safer and healthier for all. Upon my arrival in council in 2022, I was under the impression that robust community engagement around this project had been conducted. I found as we began the process that I was wrong, and I wanted to ensure that we provided patients providers and community residents an opportunity to voice their concerns, their support, or comments around the project. And so my office held five community meetings that the health center around the areas of where the health centers would serve. At each meeting, the room was at or near capacity and filled with Passyunk residents interested to learn more. At the conclusion of each presentation, residents were able to ask questions and give testimony about their concerns 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. and just learn more about the project. I would like to thank community residents, some of whom are here today, who participated in those meetings. Your active engagement throughout this process ensured a vigorous, properly vetted analysis of this proposal. I would also like to thank the city's public health department, Councilmember Phillips, whose constituents will also likely use this health center, and former Councilmember Sharon Vaughn, who's also the board leader who attended the meetings and helped bring out members of the community. It is after these meetings with each of these public officials and community residents that I decided to move forward with the proposal, and I encourage my colleagues to provide a favorable recommendation on this bill. There is a lot of controversy when new things are happening in different neighborhoods and there's always questions. But my goal has always consistently been to ensure that a community engagement process does occur and that 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. people feel that their input was valued and respected. And more importantly, that it is taken into consideration. And I believe that after these five community meetings, we have done so. And so I ask for a favorable recommendation for Bill Number 240426. Thank you.
Thank you, Councilwoman Lozada, for your comments. Are there any other opening comments from members of the committee? No? Seeing none. Please state your name for the record and proceed with your testimony, Paula.
Hi. I'm Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill Number 240426, introduced into City Council on May 9th, 2024, by Councilmember Lozada. Bill Number 240426 amends the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning of land in an area bound by Roosevelt Boulevard, Adams Avenue, Ramona Street, Wyoming and Whitaker Avenues in the Northwood neighborhood. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC. This bill will correctively change the zoning district from RSA 1, residential single family attached to SPC, special purpose civic for the lower Northwest Friends campus by allowing civic, educational and medical special purpose land use to be permitted by right. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is proposing a new city health center on the campus that will offer comprehensive primary care for adults and children. The proposed city health center will complement buildings and landscaping on the historic Friends Hospital campus. The new facility will also include a safe drop off lane inside the campus for those with mobility impairments. Also, public transit improvements will be made to the existing SEPTA Langdon Street bus stop. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission will consider Bill Number 240426 at its public meeting on June 6, 2024, and will recommend the bill for approval in accord with previous policy. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time. 6/4/24 - RULES - BILL 240058, ETC.
Thank you, Madam Chair. What's the dollar amount size of this project?