COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON STREETS AND SERVICES - - - Room 400 City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, 10/28/99, 10:30 am - - - BILL NO.'S 990162, 990163, 990164, 990184, 990335, 990336, 990426 - Establishing parking regulations. BILL 990452 - Withdrawn at request of sponsor. BILL 990534 - Authorizing Filbert Street Associates, LP, to. . . BILL 990535 - Authorizing revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 121. . . BILL 990536 - Authorizing Christopher Ryan. . . BILL 990561 - Establishing a parking regulation. BILL 990567 - Authorizing all-way stop signs. . . BILL 990568 - Authorizing all-way stop signs. . . BILL 990569 - Authorizing all-way stop signs. . . BILL 990571 - Granting permission to Frank Milorey to. . . BILL 990572 - Held at request of sponsor. BILL 990606- Granting permission to Level 3 Communications to. . . BILL 990618 - Authorizing all-way stop signs. . . BILL 990619 - Authorizing all-way stop signs. . . BILL 990620 and 990621 - Authorizing street name changes. BILL 990622 - Establishing a parking regulation. (Full text of all bills contained herein.) PRESENT: COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO, Chairman COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILWOMAN DONNA MILLER COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER COUNCILMAN DARRYL L. CLARK COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 2 10/28/99 STREETS & SERVICES COMMITTEE I N D E X PAGE BILL NO. 990162 Pat DeCina, Parking Authority. . . . . . . . . 4 BILL NO. 990163 Pat DeCina, Parking Authority. . . . . . . . . 5 BILL NO. 990164 Pat DeCina, Parking Authority. . . . . . . . . 6 BILL NO. 990184 Pat DeCina, Parking Authority. . . . . . . . . 7 BILL NO. 990561 Pat DeCina, Parking Authority. . . . . . . . . 9 BILL NO. 990335 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 10 BILL NO. 990336 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 12 BILL NO. 990462 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 13 BILL NO. 990622 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 14 BILL NO. 990534 John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager, Streets 16 BILL NO. 990535 Paul Lonie, Survey Bureau Manager, Streets . . 18 Mary Soffer, Planning Commission . . . . . . . 19 20 David Gifford, Esq. . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Presta, President, West Girard Bus. Assoc. 21 BILL NO. 990620 Paul Lonie, Survey Bureau Manager, Streets . . Paul Deegan, President, PIDC . . . . . . . . . 24 23 BILL NO. 990621 24 Paul Lonie, Survey Bureau Manager, Streets . . 29 Pal Deegan, President, PIDC. . . . . . . . . . 25 3 10/28/99 STREETS & SERVICES COMMITTEE (Index, cont'd.) BILL NO. 990536 John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager, Streets 30 BILL NO. 990571 John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager, Streets 32 BILL NO. 990606 John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager, Streets 34 BILL NO. 990572 John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager, Streets 36 Patricia Woods, Yorktown Resident. . . . . . . 37 Diane Blanden, Private Citizen . . . . . . . . 43 Sarah Austin, Temple Area Resident . . . . . . 47 BILL NO. 990567 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 49 Bernadette Ampthor, St. Lucy's Parish. . . . . 53 Robert Medlock, St. Lucy's Leadership Council 57 Rose Canicci, St. Lucy's Parish. . . . . . . . 63 Josephine Cofone, Private Citizen. . . . . . . 64 Irene Madrak, Exec. Dir., No. Lake Comm. Ctr. 65 Robert Polson, Private Citizen . . . . . . . . 85 BILL NO. 990568 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 95 BILL NO. 990569 Marilyn Shaffer, Lower Indian Queen Lane Assoc. 98 Marjorie Greenfield, East Falls Resident . . . 101 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 104 BILL NO. 990618 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 128 BILL NO. 990619 Jim Morris, Private Citizen. . . . . . . . . . 133 Charles Trainor, Traffic Engineering, Streets 138 4 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990162 P R O C E E D I N G S
Good morning, everyone. The Committee on Streets and Services is now session. In attendance this morning: to my far left is Councilwoman Miller, Councilmember Cohen, Councilmember Mariano, who's running the controls, and I am Frank DiCicco, and I'm the Chair of this committee. What we will do is, we will read -- we will first do the parking bills because there are about nine of those, and we can get through those quickly. So is there anyone here from the Parking Authority? Come up, please, and the clerk will read the title of the first bill.
Bill No. 990162, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Seventh Street, both sides, Christian Street to Carpenter Street.
Pat DeCina. I'm from the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Bill No. 990162, introduced by Councilman DiCicco by request, this bill 5 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990163 establishes a parking regulation on Seventh Street, both sides, Christian Street to Carpenter Street. The new regulation has been in effect for a period of eight months, with no apparent problems. The Philadelphia Parking Authority recommends favorable consideration of the bill.
Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990163, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Clarion Street, west side, Jackson Street to Wolf Street.
This bill establishes a parking regulation on Clarion Street, west side, Jackson Street to Wolf Street. The regulation has been in effect for a 6 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990164 period of at least eight months, with no apparent problems. The Philadelphia Parking Authority recommends favorable consideration of this bill.
Are there any questions for this witness? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990164, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Clarion Street, west side, Dickinson Street to Tasker Street.
Bill No. 99164, introduced by Councilman DiCicco, this bill establishes a parking regulation on Clarion Street, west side, Dickinson to Tasker Street. This new regulation has been in effect for a period of at least eight months, with no 24 apparent problems. The Philadelphia Parking Authority recommends favorable consideration of 7 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990184 this bill.
Are there any questions for this witness? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill. Before the clerk reads the title of the next bill, let the record reflect that Councilmember Darryl Clarke and Councilmember Rizzo are now in attendance.
Bill No. 990184, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on York Street, both sides, Jasper Street to Front Street.
Bill No. 990184, introduced by Councilman DiCicco, this bill 22 establishes a parking regulation on York Street, both sides, Jasper to Front Street. This new regulation has been in effect for a period of eight months. The Philadelphia 8 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990561 Parking Authority recommends favorable consideration of this bill.
Are there any questions for this witness? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990335, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Rhawn Street, both sides, from Jeans Street to Tabor Road.
That's not a Philadelphia Parking Authority bill. We only have one more on the second page. That's not the Parking Authority.
Do you have one, Bill No. 990426? 9 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990561
Bill No. 990561, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Christian Street, both sides, 17th Street to 18th Street.
Bill No. 990561, introduced by Councilman Kenney, this bill 11 establishes a parking regulation on Christian Street, both sides, 17th to 18th Street. The new regulation has been in effect for a period of at least eight months, with no 15 apparent problems. The Philadelphia Parking Authority recommends favorable consideration of this bill.
Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the 10 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990335 clerk will read the title of the next bill. And thank you, thank you for your testimony.
Bill No. 990335, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Rhawn Street, both sides, from Jeans Street to Tabor road.
Good morning. Please identify yourself for the record.
Good morning, Councilman. Charles Trainor from the Streets Department, Traffic Engineering. With reference to Bill No. 990335 proposing to establish a no-truck-parking regulation on the north and south sides of Rhawn Street, from Jeans Street to Tabor Road, the following report is submitted: Rhawn Street is 40 feet wide, two-way, with parking on both sides. In July of this year, Traffic Engineering posted on a trial basis no 22 park-trucking anytime on the north and south sides of the 500 through 1100 blocks of Rhawn Street. This was done in response to a request from Councilman O'Neill on behalf constituents. 11 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990335 This regulation has been in effect for several months, without any complaints, to our knowledge. Therefore, the Streets Department has no objection to the proposed ordinance.
Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill. We'll do all Charlie's bills, right?
Bill No. 990335, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Rhawn Street --
I'm sorry, I didn't check it off. My apologies. Bill No. 990336, an ordinance 25 establishing a parking regulation on Verree Road, 12 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990336 both sides, from Hartel Street to Ripley Street.
With reference to Bill 4 No. 990336, proposing to establish a no-truck- parking regulation on the east and west sides of Verree Road, from Hartel Street to Ripley Street, the following report is submitted: Verree Road is a 50-foot-wide, two-way street, with parking on both sides. In July of this year, Traffic Engineering posted on a trial basis no truck-parking anytime on the east and west sides of the 7800 and 7900 blocks of Verree Road. This was done in response to a request from Councilman O'Neill on behalf of his constituents. This regulation has been in effect for several months, without any complaints, to our knowledge. Therefore, the Streets Department has no objection to this proposed ordinance.
Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against the bill? (No response.) 13 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990462
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990462, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Susquehanna Road, both sides, from Pine Road to Verree Road.
With reference to Bill 9 No. 990426 proposing to establish a no-truck- parking regulation on the north and south sides of Susquehanna Road, from Pine Road to Verree Road, the following report is submitted: Susquehanna Road is 40 feet wide, two-way, with parking on both sides. In November of this year, Traffic Engineering will post on a trial basis no truck-parking anytime on the north and south sides of the 400 through 700 of suspended Road. This will be done in response to a request from Councilman O'Neill on behalf of his constituents. Traffic Engineering does not anticipate any complaints. Therefore, the Streets Department has no objection to this proposed ordinance.
Are there any questions for this witness from the Committee? 14 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990662 (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990452 has been withdrawn at the request of the sponsor. Charlie, which is your next bill?
Bill No. 990622, an ordinance establishing a parking regulation on Dunk's Ferry Road, both sides, from Mechanicsville Road to the county line.
With reference to Bill 19 990622, proposing to establish a no- truck-parking regulation -- I'm sorry, a no- parking regulation on the east and west sides of Dunk's Ferry Road, from Mechanicsville north to the City limits, the following report is submitted. Dunk's Ferry is a 22-feet-wide, two-way country road, with parking permitted but not 15 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990662 practiced on both sides. In November of this year, Traffic Engineering will post on a trial basis no parking anytime on the east and west sides of the 12900 blocks of Dunk's Ferry Road. This will be done in response to a request from Councilman O'Neill on behalf of his constituents. Traffic Engineering does not anticipate any complaints. Therefore, the Streets Department has no objection to this proposed ordinance.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990534, an ordinance authorizing Filbert Street Associates Limited Partners, 150 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19102, owner of the property bounded by 12th Street, 13th Street, 16 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990662 Filbert Street, and Cuthbert Street, to construct and maintain various building footings under the abutting footways of Filbert Street and Cuthbert Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
Good morning. Please identify yourself for the record.
Good morning, Councilman. My name is John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager for the Department of Streets. Returned herewith his Bill No. 990534, an ordinance authorizing Filbert Street Associates, LP, 150 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, owner of the property bounded by 12th Street, 13th Street, Filbert Street, and Cuthbert Street, to construct and maintain various building footings under the abutting footways o Filbert Street and Cuthbert Street, all under certain terms and conditions. The Department of Streets has no objection to the passage of this ordinance Bill No. 99053 a an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 121 striking vacating and reserving and placing on the City 17 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535 Plan a right-of-way for drainage and water main purposes within the lines of Street being stricken from the City Plan vacated under certain terms and conditions.
Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill. Please identify yourself for the record.
Bill No. 990535, an ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 121 by striking and vacating Chang Street from Girard Avenue to Poplar Street, and reserving and placing on the City Plan a right-of-way for drainage purposes and water main purposes within the lines of Chang Street being stricken from the City Plan and vacated by this ordinance, under certain terms and conditions. 18 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535
My name is Paul Lonie, Survey Bureau Manager, and the Streets Department would like to offer the following testimony on Bill No. 990535. This is not an Administration ordinance 11 but an ordinance requested by Mr. Phillip Lick, Esquire, of the Pavilion Suites, No. 621, 261 Old York Road, who represents the 27th and Girard Trust. The purpose of this ordinance is to combine three parcels and eliminate a portion of Chang Street, which borders and separates these parcels, in order to facilitate commercial development. This ordinance is supported by the Department of Streets and is recommended to your committee for favorable action.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.) 19 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535
Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Marty Soffer, from the Planning Commission. The purpose of this bill is to remove an unneeded minor street adjacent to a development parcel to permit future commercial development. The City Planning Commission staff reviewed and tentatively approved this action on April 20, 1998. Therefore, the staff recommends that Bill 13 No. 990535 be approved. Thank you.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Do you guys have anything else? Marty, Paul, do you have anything else? 20 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535
Well, while you're there, why don't we do those two, all right?
Oh, I'm sorry. I apologize. (Unidentified persons approach the witness table.)
I apologize for that, gentlemen. Please identify yourself for the record. And we're still on Bill No. 990535; is that correct?
Good morning, members of Council. My name is David Gifford. I'm an attorney representing the owner of the property. With me this morning to testify is Mario Presta (ph.), who is president of the local business association for Girard Avenue. 21 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535
Good morning. My name is Mario Presta, and I am the president of West Girard Business Association. We support this project. This project will realize our community residents and they will have employment opportunity in this project. Project will also take away from us this old dinosaur that we have over there on Girard Avenue, it will stimulate growth to their other business. And we did have a different meeting with our other business people over there, and they all support this project. So we will be happy to have that. Thank you.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Presta, has there ever been any community meetings to talk about your proposed development?
And were there records taken at those meetings? 22 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535
Well, every time we doe have a meeting, we have a sign-in sheet from the community.
Were there any petitions in support of or letters signed in support of this particular proposed development?
Okay. You had mentioned earlier that it was a dinosaur on this site currently?
And can you tell me for the record, what type of dinosaur was it? (Laughter.)
Let me tell you something. I've been there -- staying every day on Girard Avenue over there, and that is the one thing we've been actually praying to go, that building over there -- which has been already vandalized. We already saw yesterday part of the wall falling down, so -- either from one side or the other. I mean, it's -- you could really -- 23 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990535 we'd be happy, and I think the community will be happy to tear this building down.
Okay. As a result of that vacancy being there, has it decreased the level of shoppers on Girard Avenue?
And you anticipate this new development will enhance your ability to --
I think it will increase all the -- improve the area, but it also will be improving the other business.
Thank you, gentlemen. Any other questions for these witnesses? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the 24 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990620 clerk will read the title of the next bill.
On , Bill No. 990620, an ordinance authorizing the changing of the name of a portion of Hornig Road from a point approximately 1,000 feet southeast of Kubach Road to Woodhaven to Corney Drive.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is Paul Lonie. I'm Survey Bureau Manager and I'm representing the Department of Streets, and the Streets Department would like to offer the following testimony on Bill No. 990620. This is not an Administration ordinance 15 but an ordinance requested by Mr. Paul Deegan, Senior Vice President of PIDC. The purpose of this ordinance is to change the name of a portion of Hornig Road and the Byberry West Industrial Park to Corney Drive. This ordinance is supported by the Department of Streets and is recommended to your committee for favorable action.
Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Paul Deegan, D-E-E-G-A-N, Senior Vice President of PIDC. 25 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990620 As Mr. Lonie stated, these are street change names. Really, 620 and 621 are companion ordinances. And both ordinances, they change the name of two streets: one to Byberry East industrial Park, and one to Byberry West Industrial Park, on the other side of Roosevelt Boulevard. Bill No. 990621 has been submitted at the request of the new businesses on Corney Road, who determined that they wanted a street name that reflected their business activities, with a few high-tech companies on there. Compudata is the last company to buy a parcel on that road and start construction. So the companies met among themselves and they decided that "Commerce Way" would be the name of the street that they would like to be located on. But because Corney Road has been named after an old and prominent Northeast family, the District Councilman and PIDC agreed that the name should be preserved somewhere in the industrial parks in the Northeast, so we're changing the name of a portion of Hornig Road on the west side of the boulevard to Corney Way. 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990620 And I think the testimony's wrong. I think it should be "Corney Way," not "Corney Road"? And that will preserve the name of "Corney" in our industrial parks.
C-O-R-N-E-Y. It's a family name of a family who were active developers in the Northeast before World War II. And twenty years ago, when we acquired this property from the State, they had requested, through the District Councilman, that if one of the streets in the industrial park be named after their family, the Corney family.
Okay. We need to change that -- amend it to Corney Way?
Corney Way will be the new street in Byberry West Industrial Park.
It's written that way in the ordinance. It's our testimony that's flawed.
I hope it's my testimony and not the ordinance that's incorrect.
On the pink, it's 27 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990620 "Corney Drive."
I think I'm losing my grip on these two bills. It used to be Corney Road; now it's going to be Corney Drive on the west side.
And it should be Commerce Way, which will be the new street to distinguish it from Commerce Street, which is in Center City. So the Streets Department reviewed it and determined that there wouldn't be any conflict with other street names throughout the city.
We just wanted to know which way to go, okay. All right, thank you.
I think we're on the right 28 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990621 road now or the right way.
Are there any questions for these witnesses from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990621, an ordinance authorizing the change of Corney Road, from McNulty Road to a dead end northeasterly therefrom to Commerce Way.
I would just ask that my previous testimony be incorporated into the record. Do you have copies of my testimony? I have a number of copies here that --
I'm sorry. I should have handed this out earlier. It may have clarified some of these points.
All right, thank you. 29 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990621
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Paul Lonie, Survey Bureau Manager in the Streets Department. I would like to offer the following testimony on Bill No. 6 990621: This is not an Administration ordinance, but an ordinance requested by the abutting property owners on the street. The purpose of this ordinance is to change the name of "Corney Road" in the Byberry East Industrial Park to "Commerce Way." This ordinance is supported by the Department of Streets and is recommended to committee for favorable action.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill. 30 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990536
Bill No. 990536, an ordinance authorizing Christopher Ryan, owner of the property of 726 North 24th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19121, to construct and maintain various encroachments onto and over the south footway of Meredith Street adjacent to the property 726 North 24th Street, all under certain terms and conditions.
Good morning, Councilman. My name is John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager for the Department of Streets. Returned herewith is Bill No. 990536, an ordinance authorizing Christopher Ryan, owner of the property at 726 North 24th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19121, to construct and maintain various encroachments onto and over the south footway of Meredith Street adjacent to the property at 726 North 24th Street, all under certain terms and conditions. The legal footway of Meredith Street is eight foot wide. These encroachments, which include a Dumpster enclosed by a fence and a vestibule will leave between 4 and 4.5 feet 31 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990536 respectively for pedestrian travel. This is primarily a residential area with relatively low pedestrian travel. Therefore, the Department of Streets has no objection to the passage of this ordinance.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990571, an ordinance granting permission to Frank Milorey, owner of the newsstand located on the northwest corner of 12th and Market Street, to construct, 32 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990571 use, and maintain an electrical conduit and service line and a fiber optic conduit and phone service line in and under 12th and Market Street, for the purposes of supplying electrical service and phone services to his newsstand, under certain terms and conditions.
Good morning, Councilman. My name is John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager from the Department of Streets. Returned herewith is Bill No. 990571, an ordinance granting permission to Frank Milorey, owner of a newsstand located at the northwest corner or 12th and Market Streets, to construct, use, and maintain an electrical conduit and service line in and under 12th and Market Streets for the purpose of supplying electrical service and phone service to his newsstand, under certain terms and conditions. This proposal was reviewed and approved by the Department's Committee of Highway Supervisors. Therefore, the Department of Streets has no objection to the passage of this ordinance.
Thank you. 33 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990606 Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990606, an ordinance granting permission to Level 3 Communications, LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company registered to do business in Pennsylvania, and its successors, assigns, and agents, to construct, maintain, and operate, replace and remove a telecommunications system in and under the public rights-of-way and City streets and/or to place such telecommunications system within the existing facilities owned by Bell Atlantic-PA, PECO Energy Company, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, CSX Corporation, Norfolk Southern Consolidated Rail Corporation Shared Assets, or other entity holding a grant pursuant to other City ordinances, all under certain terms 34 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990606 and conditions.
Good morning, Councilman. My name is John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager for the Department of Streets. Returned herewith is Bill No. 990606, an ordinance granting permission to Level 3 LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company, registered to do business in Pennsylvania, and its successors, assigns, and agents to construct, maintain, and operate, replace, and remove a telecommunications system in and under the public rights of way and City streets, and/or place such telecommunications systems within the existing facilities owned by Bell Atlantic-PA, PECO Energy Company, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, CSX Corporation, Norfolk Southern, Consolidated Rail Corporation Shared Assets, or other entity holding a grant pursuant to other City ordinances, all under certain terms and conditions. This is not an Administration ordinance 24 but an ordinance requested by Level 3 Communications, Incorporated, located at 2010 35 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990606 Corporate Ridge, Suite 700, McClean, Virginia. The purpose of this ordinance is to construct and maintain a fiber optics network and telecommunications system in and under the public rights-of-way at various locations along their route, as specified in the ordinance. The Department of Streets has no 9 objection to the passage of this ordinance.
Thank you. Are there any questions for this witness from the committee? (No questions.)
Is there anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.)
Hearing none, the clerk will read the title of the next bill.
Bill No. 990572, an ordinance amending Title 11 of the Philadelphia Code relating to streets by amending Chapter 23 11-200, entitled "Openings and Excavations in the Streets," by changing various requirements relating to the granting of permits that entail 36 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 closure of City streets, under certain terms and conditions.
Good morning, Councilman. My name's John Cunningham, Right-of-Way Manager for the Department of Streets. Councilman, we are not prepared to give testimony on this bill today. We were under the impression that this bill would be tabled until the next committee until we had a time to review it.
We'll talk to the sponsor of the bill. Councilmember Clarke?
Thank you. What we're going to do today, we have members from the community who wanted to testify, so I would like to afford them an opportunity to testify on the bill. And at the appropriate time when you're ready to testify on behalf of the Administration, we'll make that available to you, if that's okay with the Chair.
That would be fine. And with that, would those folks in the audience who wish to testify on this bill please 37 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 come forward. (Community members come forward.)
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Streets and Services Committee and other Councilmembers who are present. I am Priscilla Woods, from Yorktown, a neighborhood in the North Central Philadelphia community. I'm here today with some of my neighbors to express our support for Bill No. 11 990572 relating to opening and excavations in the streets. I respectfully request that you carefully consider this bill from a perspective of the opportunity to abuse the Department of Streets' liberal policy of granting extensions on permits for construction projects. The measure is particularly significant to our neighborhood that, for the past two years, has had no access to a main northbound thoroughfare. In this instance, the extension process was repeatedly utilized long after the completion of the project for which the original permit was granted. You may recall that during the spring and early summer of this year, representatives 38 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 from a coalition of North Central Philadelphia neighborhood groups attended the weekly meetings of this Council in protest to Temple University's fenced and gated close of 13th Street and Montgomery Avenue. We also expressed our outrage that the Department of Streets would continue to grant one extension after another to the institution. It was clear to everyone that the lengthy closure and repeated requests to the Department by the University was a methodical self-serving tactic designed to blatantly disregard and arrogantly attempt to undermine the needs and hopes of the community at large. This was nothing less than a myopic attempt to close a portion of 13th Street permanently, from Cecil B. Moore Avenue to Norris Street, to create a secured green promenade for the exclusive use of the University. It was not necessary, critical, or essential to the completion of a project. Bill No. 990572 will provide an appropriate and much-needed mechanism for institutions, developers, and contractors to set and adhere to realistic timelines. It will also 39 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 foster a heightened consciousness of developers to the impact of their projects on the long-term residents of communities where they do business. Most importantly, the measure will serve as a deterrent to the outright abuse of the policies of a City department. We encourage you to return this bill to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Thank you.
Thank you. Any questions for this witness from the committee?
Miss Woods, can you tell me what specifically the neighbors have done to attempt to get the street open? Have you talked to the any departments or any elected officials in trying to gain access to that street during the last year or so?
Yes, we have. We had a letter-writing campaign to the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. We wrote letters to Mr. Moy, the 40 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 Commissioner of the Streets Department. We had conversations with the administration at Temple University. And we've also expressed our concerns and our own aspirations for the community to the 5th District, our Council office, and our concerns were supported by the 5th District Councilperson -- at the time, Mr. Street -- and also to your office.
Okay. Have you gotten any responses from those other individuals or institutions?
No, we have not. We did receive information. We had an ongoing dialogue with the Commissioner's office. Someone there, Wendy, asked for information, would give us information that additional extensions had been granted. Our letters -- I don't think anyone, and these are some of the residents of the community who wrote letters to the Mayor, I don't think any of those letters were acknowledged. The Mayor did invite us very recently 41 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 in, and he gave us some information that suggested that if we did not allow the street to be closed, we would be responsible for jobs not coming to Temple University. So. . . And we know that there have been many businesses that have left the City -- Breyer's Ice Cream left, the Navy Yard left. I don't recall seeing where the Mayor actually accused the community of being responsible for those jobs leaving. So that was how we perceived the information that we received from the Mayor recently, but our letters to the Mayor were back during the spring, and we received no response, not even an acknowledgment.
Miss Woods, could you share with us what the response was from the Commissioner of Street was? What was the reasoning they were giving you for the extensions?
The response from the Community Relations Representative from the Commissioner's office was that there was more work 42 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 that needed to be done underground, that steam vents needed to be put in. And I think the last extension, we saw a copy of the letter, and I didn't really see any justification for the continued closing.
With the District Councilperson's permission, I'd like to, at some point in time, get a copy of the correspondence. And when you mentioned that the representative from the Streets Department indicated that there was additional work that needed to be done -- steam vents and whatever else it was -- did they say that it was not a part of the original contract? Did they indicate whether it was a part of the original contract?
I don't recall any explanation, that it was something additional or anything like that. I don't recall any of those terms.
All right, thank you. It would be helpful if you could -- I'd like to see a copy of that correspondence.
Thank you. 43 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 Ma'am, do you wish to testify?
Excuse me for a second. Councilman, that was a verbal correspondence. This was on the telephone, conversations to the representative, the Community Relations Representative, but there has been some documents that were made available to us that we do have in our --
Okay. I would appreciate it if you would share them with the Chair, please.
My name is Diane Blanden (ph.), and I am also a member of the community group that has been active to reopen 13th Street at Montgomery through Norris. I just wanted to say that I concur with everything that Miss Woods has said this morning. 44 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 What we experienced was a blatant misuse of government authority and any type of authority that (unintelligible) to persuade the Streets Department to keep the streets closed throughout the length of time that they had.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Miss Woods, Miss Blanden, during the recent extensions, were there any visible evidence of any construction taking place?
Nothing there taking up -- no excavation activities going on?
The closing of the street actually inconvenienced most -- all of the 45 10/28/99 STREETS & SVCS. - 990572 neighborhood. We had to travel out of our way to get to our homes. Children had to -- children were in jeopardy by the increased traffic on 11th Street. Children were not able to cross the streets, school-age children. So that -- I don't feel that --