COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PUBLIC WORKS - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, June 5, 2008 12:45 p.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN DARRELL CLARKE, CHAIR COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO BILL 080496 - An ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City, to acquire from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority the properties known as 917, 919, 923, 925, 927, 929 and 931 South 22nd Street... - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services Eleven Penn Center 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2
Good afternoon. This is the Committee on Public Property and Public Works. Will the Clerk please read the title of the first bill.
Bill No. 080496, an ordinance authorizing the Commissioner of Public Property, on behalf of the City, to acquire from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority the properties known as 917, 919, 923, 925, 927, 929 and 931 South 22nd Street, under certain terms and conditions.
Thank you. We have established a quorum. We have Councilwoman Miller, Councilman Greenlee and Councilman Rizzo present. (Witness approached witness table.)
Thank you, sir. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: Good afternoon, Chairman Clarke and members of the Committee on Public 3 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 Property and Public Works. My name is John Herzins, Deputy Commissioner in Public Property. I'm here on behalf of Commissioner Schlotterbeck to testify in support of Bill No. 080496, an ordinance 7 authorizing the Commissioner, on behalf of the City, to acquire from the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority the properties known as 917, 919, 923, 925, 927, 929 and 931 South 22nd Street, under certain terms and conditions. This bill will enable the City to acquire the necessary properties for the creation of a neighborhood park and open green space. The park will be maintained by the Recreation Department. The Department of Public Property supports this measure and, accordingly, we respectfully ask that City Council approve Bill No. 080496, as well as request that this Committee vote the bill out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules be suspended to permit first 4 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 reading at the next Council session. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. The park will be maintained by Recreation, okay. I just wanted to make sure. Is this a part of an existing recreational location or does it -- DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: No, it's not.
-- stand alone? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: It's vacant lots.
Interesting. Do you know of any other instance where we have acquired a parcel and then the Department of Recreation has maintained it when it's just green space? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: We have someone here from the Horticultural Society that could talk about the plans for this park.
Well, I 5 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 understand. I just want to talk more about the City's policy, because, unfortunately, I have a whole lot of vacant lots in my Council district and there are instances where -- DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: This is the first one I know I have testified on.
That we are actually creating a new park that will be maintained by the Department of Recreation? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: Right.
So we are setting a precedent? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: I'm not sure about a precedent, but I know I have no other knowledge of that happening.
Has there been money put in the budget for that 6 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 maintenance? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: There is grant funding that has been set aside for this.
Are the near neighbors all aware of -- DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: Yes.
How did this happen? What brought this to today? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: I think the friends group, the friends of the park that they've formed to actually probably be working on the creation of this park, got together and decided they wanted some green space in this area and started working with the Horticultural Society to try to obtain some funding for the project.
Let's go back to the grant. How much is the grant? Because eventually somebody is going to have to start paying when the grant runs out. 7 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: He's here to talk about it. I think it's $100,000 initially.
Why don't we just bring the representative from the Horticultural Society to come up along with Mr. Herzins.
Good afternoon, Chairman Clarke and members of Council. My name is Paul Bonfante. I am the Senior Manager for Strategic Initiatives for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. I have some prepared remarks. Should I make those first or should I answer the questions on the floor?
I'm sorry. I'm having a hard time hearing you. 8 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496
I have some remarks, but I'm not sure if I should make those first --
I think one is that we've heard that there's actually a creation of a new park/green space and, two, I guess we're trying to get a sense of who is going to maintain it. It states here the Recreation Department, but the question is where is the funding coming from for the maintenance of that particular park, because I suspect that a number of Councilpeople will follow this up with requests to have similar type of situations in their Council districts. I can think of at least one, probably two that will subsequently request a similar type of arrangement.
So as for the first question, kind of how this has come about, this has been something we've only been working for the last two years. My understanding is that the community has been working with Council President Verna 9 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 for about six or seven years around it, in part because there was no park space in the immediate vicinity in this neighborhood. It's about half a mile to the nearest park. So there was a need there. The community has worked with Councilwoman Verna on that, and Councilwoman Verna has obtained resources to acquire the land. The land is now in the transfer process. As for the funding, we have worked with the community for the last two years. We've obtained $100,000 worth of funding. That will lead to sort of stage one for the park. It will put benches, trash cans, nice turf, trees and two lighting fixtures. That will be for the improvement of the park. Future improvement of the park would have to come from some other source. We're working with the community and with the Councilwoman to identify other potential sources. As for maintenance, the 10 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 Department of Recreation has agreed to take on maintenance, so they will add it to their trash pick-up schedule, they will add it to their grass contract and provide other repairs as necessary.
Thank you. That sounds great. It's nice to know that new space will be available, especially since it's so far -- the next facility is so far off. Thanks. Good work.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a quick question, kind of a spin-off question of the Chairman's a minute ago for the Horticultural Society. Do you have other locations, maybe not that were City-owned, but you kind of do this, you work with the community and get grants and at least get the process 11 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 going?
We work with the community all over the City of Philadelphia on a variety of projects. We work with a City contract to do stabilization of vacant lots. We also work with 100 parks around the City of Philadelphia. So this sort of is a merger of the two where we're working to take a vacant lot into a park. It's the first time we've ever done something like this.
You mean something that was City-owned, you worked with the City, you mean?
Well, we work with the City on all this. Through our Parks Program, we work with the Department of Recreation and the Fairmount Park Commission. We've been working with those agencies for the last 12 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 15 years. This is the first time we've worked on a project where we take a vacant lot and turn it into a park.
That's what I meant. So this is the first time you've done that, okay.
As for the question that was asked earlier, I know there was at least one case about 11 years ago a park in the 1st Council 12 District, Conrad Square, was turned from 13 a vacant lot into a park. I don't know 14 of too many other examples, of any other 15 examples. 16
Thank you. What is it today? Is it a park or have they been using it as a park or is it just a vacant -- 13 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: It's just vacant land.
So no one has done any improvements and the community hasn't been -- I know that if you go into these type of -- if you decide to set something up on vacant land, you're actually trespassing, but people trespass all the time because they're tired of seeing the vacant land and they plant flowers and some people even go as far as putting up a fence. But right now it's still just a whole bunch of lots all together? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: Yes.
And I have one other question. You have 917, 919 and then you go to 23. What is 21? DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: That parcel is already in Public Property's inventory.
Oh, okay. DEPUTY COMMISSIONER HERZINS: 14 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 So this will complete the block package.
Maybe my District Council colleagues can help me. We're saying that this is a precedent. Isn't there a program, especially at the ends of blocks, that we knock down -- we demolish some of the ends and made little community parks at the end of some blocks?
What we have done, particularly over the last couple of years under the NTI program, we have amended the demolition contract. So, one, when we demolish a property, we put the nice wooden fences up. And I don't know if that contract is with the Horticultural Society or part of the demo contract. And we green the lot, plant trees on it. We have a contract with the Horticultural Society and they 15 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 subcontract out with non-profit groups to maintain the grass. We have also had a contract with them to green certain lots, not necessarily owned by the City of Philadelphia, throughout the neighborhoods, put fences and similar treatment with grass and trees. So we have done that. I don't think that any of them are maintained by the Recreation Department or any other City department. They're primarily done with the subcontracts through the Horticultural Society. So we are doing that, but the reason I asked the question, because this is the first I can recall of us actually acquiring, "us" the City, and then entering into an arrangement where it's maintained by the City. But we are doing a significant number of those throughout the --
The reason I brought that up, because I visited one of those many months back and it was such a 16 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 pleasant environment where many of the folks that lived on the block were able to come in the late afternoon and they gathered, and it was nice, and they said that because they saved that end of the block, it really stopped other deterioration from occurring.
So it seems like that psychologically it actually worked.
Oh, absolutely. The downside is that we don't have enough money to treat enough of the vacant lots, because once people actually -- we just did some up in Strawberry Mansion and we stopped at, I believe, York Street. Now the people south of York Street are upset with me because I haven't taken it all the way down to Norris Street, but, unfortunately, resources are relatively thin. But it is a good interim strategy for vacant lots throughout the City. 17 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496
It is, and a lot of what happens on vacant lots when they're improved happens informally. People just put flowers on it, keep the grass cut, and it's all -- the citizens do that. There's no City agency or anybody else that participates. But then I've had instances where people have come along and want to purchase that land, and the citizens lose, particularly on the streets where there's so much density on blocks that there's not like large backyards and people are using some of this vacant land as a place where neighbors can barbecue or outdoor seating and places for children to play, but to actually make it an official neighborhood park. We did NTI tours. There were lots of requests. You know that?
This might open up a whole -- I am telling you. Okay. Thank you. 18 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496
Sounds like we need more NTI money, but that's a separate hearing. Any other questions of Mr. Herzins? And I understand that you still have testimony to give, sir.
Okay. There are no other questions of Deputy Commissioner Herzins. We'll just allow the individual representative from the Horticultural Society to give their testimony.
Thank you, Chairman Clarke and the members of Council for the opportunity to testify in favor of Bill 080496. My name is Paul Bonfante from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 19 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 We have been working for the last two years on turning this space at 22nd and Montrose into a beautiful park. We have worked in partnership with the community, some members of which are here today, as well as the Department of Recreation, the Redevelopment Authority, the Department of Public Property and Council President Anna Verna's office, and we're very excited to be at this point. The community around 22nd and Montrose has many assets, but lacks a public park. The residents have long recognized this need and have been advocating to have a park created in their neighborhood for most of this decade. Opportunity presented itself in the form of eight joined vacant lots, which, through the leadership of Council President Verna, were acquired by Redevelopment Authority. The acquisition of these lots by RDA was intended as a temporary solution while plans were 20 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 developed for the park and funding was pursued. We are now at a point when a park can be created at 22nd and Montrose. The Department of Recreation has agreed to take responsibility for the land and to maintain it as one of their neighborhood parks. The Redevelopment Authority Board and the City Planning Commission have approved the transfer. We, at the Horticultural Society, have obtained a total of $100,000 of funding for the project. We have also worked with the community to develop the stage one design for park improvements. These improvements will turn the space from a cleared vacant lot to a park with grass, trees, benches, trash can, lighting and planters. These initial improvements will, in addition to making a clean, safe and attractive park for residents to enjoy, galvanize more community involvement and attract further funding for additional improvements. 21 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 A tremendous amount of work from the community, City government and the non-profit sector has gone into the dream of a park at 22nd and Montrose. We ask you to please approve this bill and make it a reality. Thank you.
Thank you. Any questions of this witness by members of the Committee? (No response.)
Thank you so much for your testimony. Anyone else to testify on this bill? Please come up. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Gentlemen and ladies. My husband and I, we're Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 22 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496
We are long-time residents of the area at 22nd and Montrose Street and we've been working on the park for quite a while, with the help of President Anna Verna and Terry Gillen, to obtain the land, and as was said earlier, at the time, it was just lots and we started planting flowers, because we saw a need that there's no green space in the area. And we found that as we began to work on it, neighborhood children began to play in it after school. Grandmothers used it as a place to send their children while they watched them after school, and it just grew. We have a mailing list of almost 100 people, e-mail, and we also hold our monthly meetings at the neighborhood church at 21st and Christian. 23 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 There is no green space there, and we now see younger couples moving in who have toddlers and we'd like an area for them to come as well and sit with their children. The area we're calling -- we would like to call the group Friends -- we call ourselves correctly Friends of Julian Abele Park. We would like the park named Julian Abele, as he was a famous African-American who lived in that area and resided at 1911 Fitzwater Street, 721 South 21st Street and, finally, 1515 Fitzwater Street. He passed in 1950, and as you know, he is the architect of the library at Harvard University and the Franklin -- the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Free Library and many beautiful buildings in our city, as well as the architect of Duke University. There is nothing in this area that really is named after him, and we thought since he came from that 24 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 particular neighborhood -- and Marian Anderson has been talked about and there are things in the area that are named after her -- we would like to have the park named Julian Abele after this great man. We certainly hope that you pass our bill and make our dream a reality, because we have worked on it, and we're planning some things this summer at this area. So we wish you a good day. We won't belabor it, but we hope it's not in vain.
Thank you so much for your testimony. I'm sure that the members of the Committee will be supportive of the efforts of Council President Verna in naming of the park. We'll be very supportive of that initiative. Any questions of these witnesses? (No response.) 25 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496
Thank you. I want to thank you so much for your testimony.
You're welcome. Anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
There being none, we will now leave the public hearing and move into the public meeting. Councilwoman Miller, would you please give me a motion on Bill No. 22 080496.
I move that Bill No. 080496 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable 6/5/08 - PUBLIC PROPERTY - BILL 080496 recommendation and -- I guess we need a rules suspension.
And further move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session. (Duly seconded.)
The ayes have it. Bill 080496 is reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation with rules suspension. It will be read at the next session of Council. Thank you all very much for your time. (Committee on Public Property and Public Works adjourned at 1:05 p.m.) - - - 27 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on June 5, 2008, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)