COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON RULES Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:10 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCILMAN JAMES KENNEY, CHAIR COUNCILMAN DARRELL CLARKE COUNCILMAN FRANK DiCICCO COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN WILLIAM K. GREENLEE COUNCILMAN JACK KELLY COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN BILLS 100013, 100092, 100156 and 100253 - - - 2
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The Committee on Rules is now in session. We have a quorum with myself, Councilman Kenney, Councilman Clarke, Councilman Greenlee, Councilman Goode and Councilman DiCicco. I have an announcement to make. Bill No. 100013, dealing with Market Street and an advertising district, will not be heard today. The bill is being held. So if you're here to testify on that bill, for or against it, we'll be taking no testimony today. The first bill on the agenda is Bill No. 100253, which is an ordinance 18 amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, relating to "Zoning and Planning," by amending Chapter 14-1600, entitled "Miscellaneous," by amending Section 22 14-1611, entitled "Benjamin Franklin Parkway Controls," by exempting certain building features from being considered as part of the height of a building 3 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. within a specified area subject to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Controls, under certain terms and conditions. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good morning, Councilman Kenney and members of the Rules Committee. I am William Kramer, Division Director of the Development Planning Division of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here today to testify on Bill No. 100253, which was introduced by Councilmember Clarke April 15th, 2010. Bill No. 100253 amends Section 19 14-1611 of the Philadelphia Zoning Code, entitled "Benjamin Franklin Parkway Height Controls," by exempting certain building features from being considered as part of the height of a building. The proposed exemption would apply only to the block bounded by Vine Street, 18th 4 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Street, the former Wood Street and Franklin Towne Boulevard. This bill 4 proposes to exempt monuments, belfries, cupolas, minarets, pinnacles, gables, spires or ornamental towers not intended for human occupancy from the 125 foot height restriction mandated by Section 9 14-1611 of the Zoning Code. This block has a zoning designation of "C-4" Commercial and the Commercial section of the Zoning Code does not establish these exemptions. They do exist in the Residential section of the Code. It is our understanding that this bill is being proposed to allow this site to be considered for the construction of a new Mormon Temple. However, to date, no plans for such construction have been submitted to the staff of the Planning Commission for review or consideration. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission is scheduled to consider Bill 25 No. 100253 at their meeting of May 18th, 5 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. 2010 and will be presented with a staff recommendation for approval. That concludes my testimony. If there's any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Good morning, members of Council. Peter Kelsen on behalf of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. With me is Ahmad Corbitt from the church. We appreciate your consideration and your time today. This matter concerns the property that's located at 18th and Franklin Towne Boulevard, basically 18th and Vine Street. It's about 1.6 acres. This property has been used as an open-air parking lot for decades, and we are proud to bring for your consideration 6 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. a proposal to utilize the site as the home of the Philadelphia temple for the church. The project would include construction of a monumental temple -- and you're going to see illustrations of that in a few moments -- meetinghouse, ancillary facilities, underground parking facility for 200 vehicles and other supportive services. The lot itself will be extensively landscaped. It will be an anchor, in our opinion, for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It will constitute a world-class institutional use that will anchor the footway of the Parkway and allow the prominence of the Parkway to continue. It is consistent with other religious and institutional uses along the Parkway, most specifically the Basilica. The project will generate a significant amount of positive economic impact to the City. Our consultants from 7 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Econsult will give you a briefing on that, but let me give you a few numbers, if I may. The temple project will generate about $68 million in output within the City during construction, supporting 300 jobs and $11 million in earnings and create $700,000 in local taxes for that phase of the project alone. Ongoing expenditures will generate 50 jobs and a million dollars in earnings and additional significant local taxes. Finally, and probably most importantly, the visitation that will be attracted to Philadelphia solely as a result of the temple and the related complex will have an impact of $20 million in terms of revenue to the City. It will support 200 jobs, $4 million in earnings and approximately $300,000 annually in taxes. So this will be a significant economic generator to the 8 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. City and to the surrounding community. I will tell you -- and I think it's important to put out right in front -- this project will also be supported with an EOP plan. The church has committed to it, and we are working with Councilman Clarke and other members of Council. That report will be submitted to Council prior to enactment of this ordinance, should Council see fit to move this forward. We would respectfully request that if Council is disposed to act, that the rules be suspended to allow for passage as quickly as possible.
Yes, there is a proposed amendment. Do the members to Council have that?
We would ask that the amendment be adopted, which would create a maximum height of 209 feet for 9 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. the spires that we're speaking of. That would be consistent with the height of the top of the cross at the Basilica. I will tell you that the amendment as well as the change to the Parkway -- to this height control only deals with spires. The balance of the building, as you'll see in a few moments, cover the Parkway Control lines. We're building the cornice line and the shoulders of the building to match what you see at the library and the courts, and it will be in keeping with the Parkway Control. All of the uses that we are contemplating are by-right in this district, and we will be well below the maximum FAR allowable on site. Let me at this time introduce to you Ahmad Corbitt, the representative of the church, and then we will have Mike Kihn and Econsult give brief testimony, if that's okay.
Good 10 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. morning. Please identify yourself for the record.
Thank you. My name is Ahmad Corbitt. I'm a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Thank you, Peter. It's my distinguished honor to be here before you this morning. I bring greetings on behalf of the presidency of the church and also a couple of local church members, who will actually use this facility, should we be permitted to go forward with it. Vai Sikahema could not be here today, but sends his greetings, as does Andy Reid. We very much look forward to providing whatever economic benefit this project will engender here in Philadelphia. We have great expectations of our projects. It's not unusual for our projects, our temple buildings, to have a value of some $500 to $1,000 per square foot in construction. So they're 11 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. exquisite buildings. They look very good. The grounds are always good. We also -- and we shared this with the Logan Square near neighbors and neighborhood association, as well as the Parkway Council in our meetings with them, that we would welcome people to use the grounds, to take evening strolls or whatever. So we very much look forward to being part of the community and appreciate your hearing us here this morning.
Thank you very much for your testimony. We do appreciate your interest in the City and your investment here. Any questions for this witness? (No response.)
Please. Sir, could you please identify yourself for the record. 12 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc.
I'm Michael Kihn. I'm a principal in the architecture firm of Perkins and Will, with offices at 1717 Arch Street here in the City. I'd like to start our presentation by just showing you the location of the project here between 17th and 18th and Vine, accessible by major lines of public transportation, a number of bus routes, SEPTA bus routes, the Broad Street Line and the Market-Frankford Line, and these circles indicate a five- and ten-minute walking distance to the site. This is a photograph of the existing site. It is, as Peter said, right now an open-surface parking lot with 18th, 17th and Vine Street and Wood Street, which is an easement just to the south of the water mark. This is the Family Courts building. This is an illustration of the proposed treatment of the site in terms of landscape, with the temple building 13 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. here, the ancillary building which contains offices and some assembly space and, as you can see, very extensive landscaping, both soft landscape, trees, and pavement, water features. So the intention is to make this a very beautiful and welcoming space, not only for members of the church but for the general public. Once again, just to orient you, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 18th and Vine Street. This is an illustration, a hypothetical illustration, using an existing temple. The temple is still in design, so this is not the actual design of the temple, but this is a very accurate representation of how the temple would sit on the site, with the ancillary building and with the landscape that you just saw on the site plan. You can see that the shoulder of the building matches the 80 foot cornice line of the Family Courts and the library to the west. 14 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. And this is, once again, a hypothetical view of the building, of the temple, from Logan Circle. You can see the main spire and the spire to the west. We do have a few illustrative facts, as Peter said. The site is roughly one and a half acres. The temple, of course, is a religious building, but also the project includes an ancillary building, which will include offices, classrooms, family services, a family history function, and underground parking for 200 cars. So there will not be any on-site parking proposed. The height of the temple, as I mentioned, is -- the shoulder of the temple is 80 feet, which matches the courts and library building. The ancillary building will be four floors, which is slightly lower than that. The proposed height of the spire in its current iteration as designed is 208 feet, which matches the 209 foot height of the cross atop the Basilica. The west 15 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. spire -- as you know, this is a two-spire building -- is approximately 185 feet tall. And the exterior materials will be stone, granite and stained glass.
Thank you very much for your description. I would like to acknowledge the presence of Councilmembers Miller and Kelly to the Committee. Are there any questions for any of these witnesses? Councilman Clarke.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning. Mr. Corbitt, if I can, just real quickly, just to give you -- because I've actually learned quite a bit about the Latter-Day Saints over the last several months, and I wasn't actually aware of the presence in the City of Philadelphia. Can you just very briefly, because we have a lot of bills today, just talk about the existing presence of the Latter-Day Saints and 16 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. some of the work that those facilities do throughout the City?
Absolutely. There are tens of thousands of Latter-Day Saints in the Greater Philadelphia area, thousands in the City of Philadelphia. I myself -- our church is broken up into units called stakes, which are similar to diocese. I am a Stake President. I preside over a diocese of some 12 congregations of the church. 13 To my right -- to my left, 14 Keith Coast, standing in the back, is another Stake President, who presides over some 12 or so units of the congregations of the church. And so thousands of people in the City of Philadelphia will be using -- would use this facility, would get there in various ways, either public transportation or driving. The ancillary building, to the second part of your question, Councilman, will have a number of features. One is, 17 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. it will have a church meetinghouse, which will operate on Sunday. And the temple incidentally will not operate on Sunday, so there's sort of a staggered use there, which is actually quite convenient in terms of -- in many ways. But another use for that ancillary building is that it will contain a family history center. You may know the LDS church has the largest genealogical archive and puts it online and makes it available to the public as a public service, as it does with its family history centers. So that will be there. We expect the public to be able to use that. It will have an employment center. It will have a family services center. It will have a church education system center. And so it will be a very functional building. The church also, without a lot of fanfare or publicity about it, seeks to alleviate the suffering of the poor. So we have a very extensive welfare 18 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. program throughout the City of Philadelphia. I myself, one of my responsibilities is to oversee the use of a regional storehouse, which is like a grocery store without cash registers. People access the storehouse simply with a recommendation from their Bishop, who presides over their congregation, and then they bring that form to the storehouse and they literally take home groceries for free, depending on their need as determined between themselves and the Bishop. So that -- we administer extensive welfare programs. That will not be administered out of this particular facility, but throughout the City we have such facilities and operations. And, Mr. Councilman, I'm conscious of time. If that answers your question, I'll stop there or I can go on.
Just one thing that intrigues me when I met you. I hate to ask you this in public, but where did you grow up?
That's an interesting question. I was born at 22nd and Diamond and lived for a few years in the Raymond Rosen Housing Projects, which are no longer there, but I grew up in Philadelphia. I graduated from John Bartram High School. Much of my family stills lives in Philadelphia, and we are Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, Eagles, on the really important stuff, but we -- this for us -- and let me maybe end on this point. This is as much an emotional investment for us Latter-Day Saints in Philadelphia as it is an economic one. We deeply, deeply love the City and we deeply, deeply love our church, and this temple project is sort of the confluence 20 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. of those two love affairs, if you will, and we very much appreciate the opportunity to be here.
I'm sorry. I only asked you that question because we grew up in the same era, literally three blocks from each other.
I didn't know you then, and for me to meet you now in this capacity and me in this capacity, it's quite amazing. So two guys from North Philadelphia did well. Thank you.
Thank you very much. What's the busiest day for the temple?
Probably -- for the temple will probably be Saturday. For the ancillary building, probably 21 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Sunday.
Will the parking lot be utilized by the public or it's solely for the use of the members of the church?
That's to be determined. We are actually -- we've actually commissioned a traffic study, which will include a parking component, so that we can look hard at that, as we've promised the Logan Square Neighborhood Association we would do. So we've undertaken that to look at that. As was mentioned, there are 200 subgrade, below-grade parking stalls. So we're still trying to figure that out. It's still very conceptual at this point, and as has been stated, the design hasn't even been completed, so we're pretty early.
Is it accurate to represent that this temple will serve as the Basilica serves for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as a similar 22 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. symbol of its location and its kind of centralized position? Is that a safe comparison?
It is a fairly safe comparison. It won't be -- there won't be as much administration of the church out of these facilities, but it will be an iconic center, a religious center and symbol of the faith in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Thank you. Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Are you sure you want to be here and not in my district? I was all set and ready to go.
I've been advised by counsel to be careful with my answer. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Be careful. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Any other questions for these witnesses? (No response.) 23 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc.
Seeing none, we will ask Mr. Panek and Mr. Little to please come forward. Thank you very much.
Councilman Kenney, could we do a very brief presentation by Econsult on the impact? Actually, we'll hand up that testimony.
That would be easier, because I think we're pretty much all okay. Councilman Goode. Hold on one second.
I was going to wait for the Econsult presentation, but I'll ask the question now. Why is the Economic Opportunity Plan not available for the hearing?
Councilman, we had been discussing the EOP plan with Councilman Clarke. We have been talking about it with the church from pretty much inception of the introduction of the ordinance, and it was our understanding 24 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. that like other EOP plans that have been presented, that we would give it deliberative thought and work with Council, but have it available in a final form prior to final passage.
I would prefer that it would be available at the hearing. I would like to break you of that habit. I've heard you say that before at other hearings. It's more appropriate that it's available at the hearing where we can ask questions.
So is the plan 50 percent done, 75 percent done, 90 percent done? How much is it done?
I know that we have undertaken it. We're in the process of doing it, and I can't speak to a percentage of when it will be done, but we can hustle and do whatever this body requires of us. We're trying to go forward with you. 25 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc.
What we have done, Councilman, is taken the ratios and the commitments for various City projects, such as the Barnes, Enon Baptist Church and about four other projects, and have circulated the ratios that are contained within those plans to the church, and we are working closely with Councilman Clarke to determine what the proper ratio would be. Let me say emphatically that the church is fully committed to the EOP plan. There's no ambiguity there. The only issue that we have to deal with in terms of timing is the finalization of the actual ratios and submission of the plan.
I mean, how 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. will the participation goals be set?
Consistent with other projects that have been either funded by the City of Philadelphia or are based on City of Philadelphia project approvals.
We're going to have ratios that are consistent with projects that have been approved.
First of all, are the participation goals going to be project specific?
They would be set in a manner that is virtually consistent with those that have been set and approved in other projects like I have just mentioned, Barnes --
Councilman Clarke, can you elaborate on that? 27 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc.
Yeah. Thanks, Councilman Goode. Thank you for bringing that question up. And I told them earlier that Councilman Goode would be asking this question, so I didn't ask it, because I knew he would. I think, Councilman, one of the reasons why there might be a slight delay is because of my request and requirement to set a goal of 50 percent participation on this project, which is extremely high, higher than pretty much every project that has happened in the City, and I think that there's some difficulty in reaching that goal, but I want to basically make this a cornerstone of participation. Will it reach 50 percent? I'm not sure, but that's the conversation that I've had with counsel, and that could in some way have something to do with the delay in getting an EOP that reflects that. But I've made it quite 28 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. clear that this bill will not pass until an EOP is a part of the process in a meaningful way with an opportunity for members, if they're not comfortable or if they are comfortable, to have subsequent substantive conversations about the EOP plan, and they have told me that they will do that. Councilman, if you're -- I'm sorry.
Mr. Councilman, I was just going to say that it was our understanding, the church's understanding, that we had, just on a procedural level, that we had more time to do that. We would certainly want to cooperate with this body. And let me just reiterate that we are absolutely committed to an EOP plan and to one that mirrors the desire of this body as much as possible.
Thank you. Thank you, Councilman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 29 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc.
Thank you very much. Any other questions for these witnesses? (No response.)
Thank you very much for your attendance and your testimony. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Mr. Panek, Mr. Little, please identify yourself for the record.
Thank you for hearing us this morning. My name is Sam Little. I am the President of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association, and with me is Ed Panek, who is our Zoning Chair. And I wanted to just say briefly but really do look forward to the opportunity not only to our neighborhood, which our neighborhood includes from Broad Street to the river and from Spring Garden to Market Street. It's a big area, and this 30 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. kind of project is important. We not only support the project, but we really want to support and underscore the process that the church and various people have done to bring this to our neighborhood, allow our neighbors to become both educated, informed, engaged and supportive of the project. And I would say, first of all, that Councilman Clarke triggered this well in advance of any meetings, but we had a chance to use our own neighborhood process, which includes a meeting with the near neighbors, where we went over many issues about traffic, really any issues that the near neighbors had, and then we have a larger and more finalized Board meeting. They made a presentation there. But in the meantime, there's been an interaction -- and an effective one -- about whatever concerns then became rotated into sort of support. And 31 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. it's really been the way we'd like to have all projects, and I think that you would too, when they're major and have an effect and can be positive in the community. The one thing I would say is that the continuation of our process and we understand that there will be continuing communication with the community, and we also have what's called a Neighborhood Development Agreement, which will formalize and document some of this good interaction and the results. And with that, I'd just like to say that the final point in our rather lengthy review earlier was that we wanted to welcome the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Logan Square neighborhood. I thank you for a chance to talk.
My name is Ed Panek. I'm the Zoning Chairman of Logan Square Neighborhood Association in which 32 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. this project will hopefully ultimately be built. We are here in support of Bill 4 No. 100253 introduced and recently amended with a height limitation. I must say that this is a great example of how a neighborhood project should work, certainly in our neighborhood and in our trading area. It was brought to our attention very early by Councilman Clarke, who urged us to find out what the people think regarding the project. We held not only meetings with the near neighbors in the several-block area that would be affected by the project where they could have all their questions addressed, and they were, and then we subsequently had a meeting of our Board of Directors, with another presentation by the church and by their attorney, Mr. Kelsen, at which Board members had additional questions, all of which were answered to their satisfaction. And there is unanimous support for this project, and I think it 33 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. is because of the way that the matter proceeded from beginning to end. So I just want to say thanks to everyone that's been involved in that process. It's been very helpful to us as Board members of Logan Square Neighborhood Association, and I think ultimately you wind up with getting a better product.
Thank you very much for your testimony. I just love when this happens. No one is mad. I appreciate it. Have a good day. Thanks for coming. Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
Let me just end by thanking Council for your consideration and giving us the honor to bring to you a project that would be world class and allow Philadelphia to enjoy a temple 34 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. structure like the other major cities of the world, Washington, New York, Los Angeles. So thank you for your consideration, and I assure you, we will be back to you to provide even more economic benefit and plan to the City. Thank you again for your consideration.
Thank you very much for your testimony and your presentation. That will conclude the testimony on that bill. By the way, I would like to acknowledge the presence of Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown to the Committee. The next bill for consideration is Bill No. 100156. It's an ordinance 20 amending Section 14-304 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "C-3 Commercial District," amending Section 23 14-1402 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Parking in Residential Districts," and amending Section 14-1405 35 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Off-Street Loading," all under certain terms and conditions. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good morning, Councilman Kenney, members of the Rules Committee. I am William Kramer, Division Director of the Development Planning Division of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here today to testify on Bill No. 100156, which was introduced by Councilmember Blackwell March 11th, 2010. Bill No. 100156 amends Section 19 14-304 of the Philadelphia Zoning Code, entitled "C-3 Commercial" and Section 21 14-1402, entitled "Parking in Residential Districts" and Section 14-1405, entitled "Off-Street Loading" in order to facilitate the development of an area bounded by 42nd Street, Walnut Street, 36 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Sansom Street and 41st Street. The development is being proposed for an area 156 feet west of 41st Street and has two phases. In Phase One, a ten-story 136-room extended-stay hotel is proposed as project Homewood Suites. The parking for this hotel is being provided at a parking garage located at 4100 Walnut Street and is part of the University of Penn campus. Phase Two of the development is called the Project Campus Commerce Center and is comprised of an 11-story office building with retail commercial space on the ground floor. The project anticipates over 6,000 square feet of open space in the form of a garden court and further is proposing to provide underground parking for the office structure. Bill No. 100156 will provide the required zoning relief for this development. The provisions of the bill 24 limit the impact of these zoning changes to this specific portion of the block. 37 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. The zoning requirements will be changed so that the legally required windows will only be required to comply with building code requirements. It will also permit walls that do not contain legally required windows to have a five foot setback for side yards, open courts and inner courts. The provisions of the bill 10 also allow for the Floor Area Ratio for this parcel to be 800 percent of the area of the lot as opposed to the current allowable 550 percent of the area of the lot. Parking requirements for the hotel will be changed to permit off-site parking within 1,000 feet of the hotel, provided there are at least 75 spaces provided. Lastly, the loading requirements are removed from the site and the size requirements for any provided spaces is changed by reducing the size of any provided loading space from 11 by 60 feet to a smaller size, 10 feet by 40. After discussion with both the 38 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. community and the Planning Commission staff, the attorneys for the applicant in this matter are proposing an amendment to the bill. The original legislation required the changing of a number of sections of the Code, and the amendment would make all the changes required to allow this project to be done in Section 10 14-304, entitled "C-3 Commercial." This amendment has been approved by the City Law Department and was submitted to Council staff earlier this morning. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission at its meeting of October 20th, 2010 considered Bill No. 100156 and recommended approval as amended. This concludes my testimony. If there's any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
Thank you very much. Any questions for Mr. Kramer? (No response.)
Seeing 39 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. none, please identify yourself for the record.
Carl Primavera. I'm the attorney for the applicant. To my left is Warren Burke, who is Vice-President of Campus Apartments. Very briefly, the process to identify an appropriate location for the Homewood Suites has been going on for a while, working with the Councilwoman's office and with Spruce Hill and with Penn and other stakeholders. We ultimately determined that a site that was acquired by Campus on Walnut Street would be an appropriate site. It's already vacant. And we looked at the rest of the block facing the east and determined that there was a larger opportunity, and we were working with the Planning Commission to do a phased development. Phase One, as you heard, is the hotel. Phase Two would be an office building, a large portion of which would be used for Campus itself. It's the largest privately owned owner 40 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. and operator of student housing in the United States, and they want to consolidate all their disparate offices into one building, and then there would be space left over for hopefully Penn or Drexel. So this has really been something that's been in the works for a while. It's especially important that we are here today, because we've been allocated tax credits through PIDC, which require that we start the project very quickly, the Phase One part of the project, and that's why we're here today. What I would like to do, because I do know your time is in demand and we have submitted both the packages showing all the architectural information, I would just like to have Warren read a short letter into the record.
Thank you. Good 41 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. morning again. My name is Warren Burke. I'm Vice-President of Development for Campus Apartments. I would also like to say that today unfortunately David Adelman, our CEO, could not be here due to an emergency dental procedure. Campus Apartments is one of the nation's largest developers, owners and operators of university-related real estate, with more than 26,000 beds in 12 states serving over 60 colleges and 13 universities across the country. 14 Headquartered in University City for more 15 than 50 years, Campus Apartments is the 16 area's largest -- one of the area's 17 largest landlords, with over 134 18 properties and over 110 employees. 19 Over the last 50 years, we have 20 worked closely with Penn officials, City 21 planners, institutional partners, as well 22 as the community and political leaders to 23 improve the quality of life for all stakeholders. Campus Apartments was 42 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. instrumental to the founding and development of the University City District, a nationally recognized special services district founded on a unique partnership of institutional and private interests. I am here today requesting your approval for this ordinance in order to take advantage of the Federal New Market Tax Credits committed to our project. This extended-stay hotel will provide patient families, consultants and itinerant employees visiting the area's institutions with a convenient and cost-effective place to stay. Further, the proposed office building will lure new businesses to University City while allowing Campus Apartments to continue to grow in a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility in the University District where we've been located for many years. I thank you for your time, and we'd be happy to answer any questions.
Thank you 43 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. very much for your testimony. I'd like to acknowledge in the audience two labor unions that are here today supporting the project, our favorite tourism and hospitality union, Philly Joint Board, and -- (Applause.)
-- and members of the Building and Construction Trades Council that have -- both industries have been hit really hard in the last months, so this comes at a 14 wonderful time for both unions. 15 So thank you very much for your 16 testimony. 17 Are there questions for these 18 witnesses? (No response.)
Thank you. We're going to be starting in the fall, with your support, and ultimately this could be a $100 million development. So 44 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. we are very excited. Thank you.
Is there anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
Thank you. No one else to testify on this bill. The next bill for consideration is Bill No. 100092, which is amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by amending Section 14-1631, entitled "Off-Street 45 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Parking Control District," by expanding the boundaries to be included in one such district and making certain technical changes, all under certain terms and conditions. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Mr. Kramer, if you just wait for a second until we have a little quiet. (Pause.)
Mr. Kramer, please identify yourself for the record and proceed.
Good morning, Councilman Kenney and members of the Rules Committee. I am William Kramer, Division Director of the Development Planning Division of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here today to testify on Bill No. 100092, which was introduced by Councilmember Tasco for Council President Verna February 25th, 2010. 46 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Bill No. 100092 amends Section 3 14-1631 of the Philadelphia Zoning Code by expanding the area covered by the "Off-Street Parking Control District" to include the area bounded by 25th Street, Washington Avenue, Broad Street and Moore Street. These controls currently apply to an area bounded by Chestnut Street, Schuylkill River, Broad Street, Oregon Avenue and the Delaware River. The provisions of this district provide that for newly constructed single-family and two-unit properties, no off-street parking is required. Parking would be permitted if being accessed from a common driveway easement serving three or more properties. In order to provide front-loaded parking, a certificate will be required from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. This requirement will allow such parking to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and approved only where the provision of such parking would be appropriate. 47 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission at its meeting of March 16th, 2010 considered Bill No. 100092 and recommended approval. This concludes my testimony. I appreciate the opportunity to appear and will answer any questions you may have.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Are there any questions for Mr. Kramer? (No response.)
Seeing none, please identify yourself for the record and proceed.
My name is Sylvia Wilkins and this is Ms. Betty Buford and Ms. Bonnie Walker.
We're here today representing the Point Breeze of South Philadelphia to ask that the boundaries of Washington Avenue to Moore Street and 48 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. Broad Street to 25th be included in the Off-Street Parking Control District. The Point Breeze community, which is surrounded by the other neighborhoods already included in this bill, strongly agrees with the legislative findings in this bill and believe it is extremely important that we be added, since recent development in our area has yielded the same safety, walkability and on-street parking issues. We are experiencing all the negative aspects associated with curb cuts and the scarcity of on-street parking when the off-street parking is created. Additionally, we have been negatively impacted by non-use of the off-street parking space. The space is sometimes used for storage rather than parking, or the resident owns an oversized vehicle and it is left on the sidewalk because it does not fit in the space. When the oversized vehicle is involved, it has resulted in an increase 49 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. in calls to 9-1-1 for assistance, because our attempts at resolution have fallen on deaf ears. We trust that you will recognize the necessity for the inclusion of the Point Breeze boundaries and that a favorable vote is received. Thank you for your time and allowing us to speak.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Are there any questions for these witnesses? (No response.)
Seeing none -- so you do support the bill in its current form?
Thank you very much. Anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
Seeing 50 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. none, that will conclude our public hearing of the Rules Committee. We will now go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee for a motion to approve the amendment to Bill No. 100253.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill No. 10 100253 be amended as presented in the public hearing. (Duly seconded.)
There are none opposed. The bill will be amended accordingly. The Chair recognizes Councilman Greenlee for a motion on the amended bill.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill No. 25 100253, as amended, be reported out of 51 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. this Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended to allow for first reading at our next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
There are none opposed. Bill No. 100253, as amended, will be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request made for rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco for a motion to approve the amendment to Bill No. 100156. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 100156 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation. 52 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. (Duly seconded.)
There are none opposed. Bill No. 100156 will be amended accordingly. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco on the amended bill. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill No. 14 100156, as amended, be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of City Council. (Duly seconded.)
There are 53 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. none opposed. Bill No. 100156, as amended, will be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request made for rules suspension to allow first reading at our next Council session. The Chair recognizes Councilmember Miller for a motion to approve and to suspend the rules for Bill 11 100092.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Bill 100092 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further request that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session. (Duly seconded.)
There are none opposed. Bill No. 100092 will be 54 5/12/10 - RULES - BILL 100092, etc. reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request made for rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. Thank you very much for your attendance and your cooperation. (Committee on Rules concluded at 11:55 a.m.) - - - 55 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 May 12, 2010, 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.)