COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING - COMMITTEE ON STREETS and SERVICES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, June 14, 2006, 2:54 p.m. - - - 060505 - An Ordinance authorizing Temple University and Temple University Health System, 100 E. Lehigh Avenue, 8th Floor Episcopal Towers Building, Philadelphia, PA 19125, its successors and assigns, to construct, own and maintain twenty-four (24) freestanding signs at various locations on the public sidewalk within their hospital campus area, bounded approximately by Ontario Street, Venango Street, Broad Street, and Germantown Avenue, under certain terms and conditions. 060509 - An Ordinance authorizing and directing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 307 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Ranstead Street from 15th Street eastwardly approximately 125 feet to a dead end, all under certain terms and conditions. PRESENT: COUNCILMAN FRANK DI CICCO, Chair COUNCILMAN JUAN F. RAMOS, Vice Chair COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED-MILLER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 - - - P R O C E E D I N G S - - - COUNCILMAN DiCICCO (Chair): Good afternoon, everyone. Excuse me. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you. Sorry for the delay. The Committee on Streets and Services public hearing is now in session. We do have a quorum. To my extreme right is Councilman Juan Ramos, who is the Vice Chair of this Committee. To my immediate right is Councilwoman Donna Reed-Miller, and to my left is Councilman Rizzo. I would ask the Clerk to read the title of the first Bill.
Bill Number 060505, An Ordinance authorizing Temple University and Temple University Health System, 100 E. Lehigh Avenue, 8th Floor Episcopal Towers Building, Philadelphia, PA 19125, its successors and assigns, to construct, own and maintain twenty-four (24) freestanding signs at various locations on the public 3 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 sidewalk within their hospital campus area, bounded approximately by Ontario Street, Venango Street, Broad Street, and Germantown Avenue, under certain terms and conditions. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Good afternoon, Chairman and members. My name is William Mautz. I'm a construction engineer with the Streets Department. I'm here to offer the following testimony for Bill Number 060505: This Bill authorizes Temple University and Temple University Health System to construct, own and maintain freestanding 16 signs at various locations on the public 17 sidewalk within the hospital campus area. 18 The proposed signs are part of the 19 Way-Finding initiative for Temple 20 University and Temple University Health 21 System, to bring clarity of direction to 22 those seeking to find their way to the 23 appropriate medical or dental building. 24 The Streets Department has reviewed the plans for this project. This Bill was 4 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 supported by the Department of Streets, and is recommended to your Committee for favorable action. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. Anyone else here to testify?
Yes. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: And I won't call you captain today.
No captain. Okay. I've been demoted to lieutenant. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Good afternoon.
Good afternoon, Chairman DiCicco, members of the Committee. Stephen Pollock, on behalf of Temple University Health Systems. And I have with me Catherine Levins who I know has appeared before this body before. Bill has really summed it up. If the members would like to see just what we're doing, we're trying to bring unity to our signs, street signs, so that the people can find the emergency room when they need it, can find Children's Hospital when they need it, and have a way of knowing very 5 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 quickly where they're going, so that they don't cause a hazard on the street, looking and trying to figure out information. So that's what we're trying to accomplish. And Mr. Chairman or Mr. Vice Chairman, if you'd like to see just a rendering of what those signs will look like, they're color coordinated to, you know, to match so that everybody will have an idea of what's going on. That's basically what we're doing. And there's about twenty-four of them. Three of them are in Councilwoman Miller's District and twenty-one of the street signs are in Councilman Clarke's District. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you.
And we've had... I know you're concerned about process. We've had tons of meetings with the community, and they're all on board. They helped us design -- At first we were a double pole. We're to a single pole because of the concerns of the community. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Catherine. 6 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06
The only thing I would add is -- COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Please identify yourself for the record.
Good morning, Chairman. Good afternoon, Chairman DiCicco, and members of Council. I'm Catherine Levins, Director of Government Affairs for the Temple University Health System. In addition to what Steve has mentioned, we've also worked pretty closely with our Council members. We've gone back over the past 15 months and revised these, taking the signs 16 down. The number of signs have been cut 17 drastically, and the style has been 18 modified a few times. We're now at the point where the community is in full agreement with the signage scheme. And we appreciate your support for this Ordinance.
We appreciate your support, and ask for a suspension of the rules. And hopefully we will be in line 7 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 for when you return in September. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Very good. Anyone else here who wishes to testify for or against this bill? (No response.) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Any questions from the Committee of these witnesses? (No response.) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Seeing none, thank you.
Seems like they've done a very nice job here. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Seems that way.
Okay. Thank you very much. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Seems that way.
Take care. Have a great summer. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Abernathy, please read the title 8 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 of the next Bill.
060509 - An Ordinance 4 authorizing and directing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 307 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Ranstead Street from 15th Street eastwardly approximately 125 feet to a dead end, all under certain terms and conditions.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee. My name is Frank Morelli, Survey Bureau Manager of the Department of Streets. And the Department of Streets would like to offer the following testimony on Bill Number 060509. This is not an administrative ordinance, but an ordinance 20 requested by Miss Eileen Quigley, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP, 1735 Market Street, 51st Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The purpose of this Ordinance is to strike and vacate Ranstead Street from the City Plan for vehicular ingress to loading 9 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 areas on the project site at 1414-1438 South Penn Square. This Ordinance is supported by the Department of Streets and is recommended to your Committee for favorable action.
Good afternoon, Chairman, and members of the Streets and Services Committee. My name is Martin Soffer, Director of the Planning and Development Division at the Planning Commission. I'm here to testify on behalf of the City Planning Commission. The purpose of this Ordinance is to strike an unneeded street, to allow for the development of two residential developments, namely, the Mariner Building and the Residence at the Ritz Carlton. The development proposal for both residential towers were approved by the Planning Commission. Therefore, the Planning Commission recommends that Bill 24 Number 060509 be approved. Thank you. 10 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06
Good afternoon, Councilman DiCicco, Chairman DiCicco, and members of the Committee. My name is Eileen Quigley, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. We represent the Arden Group. At this time I cannot add to what Mr. Morelli and Mr. Soffer have so eloquently said, so we would just request a suspension of the rules. Thank you very much. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. Any questions for these witnesses from the Committee? (No response.) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Anyone else here wishes to testify for or against the Bill? (No response.) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Seeing none, that's the last Bill. Right? This concludes the Public Hearing on the Committee of Streets and Services. (Public hearing concluded; 3:00 11 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 p.m.) 12 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the public hearing of The Philadelphia City Council, taken on June 14, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. _____________________________ DAVID A. DEIK, RPR and Commissioner of Deeds (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.) 1 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC MEETING - COMMITTEE ON STREETS and SERVICES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wednesday, June 14, 2006, 2:54 p.m. - - - 060505 - An Ordinance authorizing Temple University and Temple University Health System, 100 E. Lehigh Avenue, 8th Floor Episcopal Towers Building, Philadelphia, PA 19125, its successors and assigns, to construct, own and maintain twenty-four (24) freestanding signs at various locations on the public sidewalk within their hospital campus area, bounded approximately by Ontario Street, Venango Street, Broad Street, and Germantown Avenue, under certain terms and conditions. 060509 - An Ordinance authorizing and directing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 307 by striking from the City Plan and vacating Ranstead Street from 15th Street eastwardly approximately 125 feet to a dead end, all under certain terms and conditions. PRESENT: COUNCILMAN FRANK DI CICCO, Chair COUNCILMAN JUAN F. RAMOS, Vice Chair COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED-MILLER COUNCILMAN FRANK RIZZO - - - V A R A L L O Incorporated Litigation Support Services 1835 Market Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215.561.2220 215.567.2670 2 - - - P R O C E E D I N G S - - - COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: We will now move into the Public Meeting. Chair recognizes Councilman Ramos.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move that Bill Number 060505 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation, and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this Bill at our next Council meeting.
Second. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: It's been properly moved and seconded that Bill Number 060505 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation, that the rules of Council be suspended. All those in favor, signify by saying aye. (Chorus of "ayes.") COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Those opposed? (No response.) 3 Bills 060505, 060509 - 6/14/06 COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: The Bill's approved. Councilman Ramos.
Move that Bill Number 060509 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation, and further move that the rules of Council be suspended, to permit first reading of this bill at our next Council meeting.
Second. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: It has been properly moved and seconded that Bill Number 060509 be reported out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation, that the rules of Council be suspended. All the those in favor signify by saying aye. (Chorus of "ayes.") COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Those opposed? (No response.) COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: The Bill's approved. This concludes the Public Meeting on the Committee of Streets and Services. Thank you for attending. (Public meeting concluded; 3:02 p.m.) 4 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings and evidence are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the public meeting of The Philadelphia City Council, taken on June 14, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. _____________________________ DAVID A. DEIK, RPR and Commissioner of Deeds (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.)