COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON RULES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:15 a.m. - - - PRESENT: COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN W. WILSON GOODE, JR. COUNCILMAN BILL GREEN COUNCILMAN WILLIAM GREENLEE COUNCILWOMAN DONNA REED MILLER BILL 080901 - An ordinance continuing the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District beyond the date of termination... BILL 080952 - An ordinance amending Chapter 14-1800 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning Board of Adjustment," to prohibit accessory uses in connection with a principal use authorized by variance... - - - 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 morning, ladies and gentlemen. The Committee on Rules is now in session. We have a quorum, with Vice-Chair Councilman Kenney, Councilman Clarke, Councilman Greenlee, Councilperson Miller and Councilman Goode. I want to make an announcement that Bill No. 080952 will be recessed until February 24th at 10:00 a.m. So if there's anybody here to testify on Bill 14 No. 080952, you should take note of that and be back on the 24th. The bill we will hear is Bill 17 No. 080901, which is an ordinance 18 continuing the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District beyond the date of termination of the district in the area that generally includes both sides of Germantown Avenue from 7640 to 8705, both sides of Bethlehem Pike from 10 to 105 and certain blocks of streets that intersect that portion of Germantown 3 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 Avenue, and for which Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District, Inc., a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation, serves as the neighborhood improvement district. Is there anyone to testify on this bill? (Witness approached witness table.)
Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of City Council. My name is Andrew Frishkoff and I am the Director of Neighborhood Economic Development for the City of Philadelphia's Commerce Department. I am here today to provide testimony in support of Bill No. 080901. This bill 21 will allow for the re-establishment of the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District. The creation of business improvement districts, or BIDs as they 4 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 are often known, is consistent with the City's Strategic Plan, especially with the core service areas of Jobs and Economic Development, and Healthy and Sustainable Communities. BIDs strengthen local business and residential communities through cleaning, beautification, public safety and marketing activities. BIDs are also consistent with the goals of our ReStore Philadelphia Corridors program, designed to help re-establish neighborhood commercial corridors as central places to work, shop and meet neighbors. BIDs are one of the best examples of collaboration between the City and our neighborhood commercial corridors. Like their counterparts in other BIDs throughout the City, Chestnut Hill businesses and property owners recognize the need to improve the environment within which they and their customers live and work. Their continuing efforts to make the Germantown 5 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 Avenue business corridor clean, safe and attractive helps ensure the stability of the entire community. In these difficult economic times, efforts to keep this key commercial center competitive and successful are more important than ever. Given the stresses imposed on neighborhood retailers by the current economy, we urge the District to continue to deliver high-quality services at the lowest possible cost to business and property owners. The Commerce Department is supportive of these proposed services as long as they have the backing of the affected businesses. While I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, I hope that you will have the opportunity to hear from businesspeople and community members who have invested their time and energy into developing the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District. They are the local experts. 6 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Thank you for your testimony. There are no 6 questions for you, but who else is here to testify on behalf of the bill? (Witness approached witness table.)
Good morning. My name is Bonnie Greenberg. I am a property owner and the present Chair of the Board of the Business Improvement District of Chestnut Hill. Over the past five years, the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District has demonstrated its ability to maintain the strong business district we already have and proactively direct its future. However, with increased competition from a resurrected Plymouth Meeting Mall and the big box mecca of Chemical Road and the continued shifting 7 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 of shopping patterns primarily due to the Internet, merchants and property owners cannot afford to be complaisant. Furthermore, because of the general downturn in the national economy, the Chestnut Hill business community must now, more than ever before, promote the ambiance and charm of our main street to attract shoppers, as well as provide satisfactory levels of convenience and security. To this end, the Chestnut Hill BID has devoted itself to the maintenance, improvement, beautification and safety of the Germantown Avenue business corridor. With 100 percent of our assessments collected and with $117,000 in grant monies and approximately $110,000 in contributions in kind, the Chestnut Hill BID has, for example, hired a full-time maintenance employee who has collected more than 4,000 pounds of trash per year, above and beyond the City's collection. He has 8 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 also cared for our award-winning flower baskets and barrels, which make Chestnut Hill a true garden district. The BID has financed the repaving of three parking lots and the installation of a mechanical arm at another lot. The BID has sponsored the Cope-Linder Streetscape Study, which is used as a guideline for improvements to Germantown Avenue. As advocated by the study, a pedestrian bump-out for the corner of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike has been designed and is now out to bid. This project is being funded by a grant awarded to the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District by the City of Philadelphia's Commerce Department. The BID has embarked on an ambitious signage program. Designs for parking lot signage were completed, and wayfinding/informational kiosks are being fabricated for three key areas in the Business District. 9 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 The BID organized and funded the "Let's Get Lit" campaign. Working with PECO, the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District has secured a dedicated electrical source for the District's important holiday display. The BID organized and sponsored AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill and 2. Zoo 1 in 2006 brought thousands of new visitors to the Hill and raised $78,000. Zoo 2 was installed this past September and raised an additional $20,000. The BID has promoted the "Open on Sundays" campaign. Today, Sunday is the second busiest shopping day of the week in Chestnut Hill, with 75 percent of the stores open for business. In the course of the past five years, the Chestnut Hill BID has worked very closely with other Chestnut Hill organizations, such as the Chestnut Hill Business Association, the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation and the Chestnut Hill Garden District Fund. 10 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 Dedicating our resources to bricks and mortar projects has allowed the Chestnut Hill Business Association, for example, to devote its budget solely to advertising and promotional activities. The Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District has forced a more efficient division of labor among these organizations in their contribution to the vibrancy of the Germantown Avenue corridor. Working with the Business Association, the Chestnut Hill BID has made outreach to other Northwest community organizations to promote the historical, cultural and architectural uniqueness of our area. Specifically, we are investigating a project with Mount Airy USA and the Mount Airy Business Improvement District.
The success of this project may allow us to work jointly for a form of "green" transportation along Germantown Avenue for weekend shoppers, diners and tourists. Such 11 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 regional requests, we have been repeatedly told, are more apt to receive state and federal grant monies. Other future projects would include an ambitious campaign for new streetlights and improved pedestrian crosswalks. Our reauthorization would enable us to continue our general maintenance of Germantown Avenue. The Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District would like to have a more symbiotic relationship with local institutions, such as the Chestnut Hill Health System, the Chestnut Hill College and the Morris Arboretum, as their customers should be our customers as well. None of this is possible without a dedicated funding source, one that also has the ability to attract grants. Approximately one-half of our budget, over $90,000, comes from absentee landlords and businesses that have a record of contributing nothing towards 12 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901 the maintenance and beautification of the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District. Without the Chestnut Hill BID, Germantown Avenue's infrastructure would erode, adversely affecting the sustainability of our unique small businesses. As one of Forbes' seven best urban enclaves in the United States, Chestnut Hill needs Germantown Avenue, and Germantown Avenue needs the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District. In closing, I would just like to acknowledge the support of state officials Cherelle Parker and LeAnn Washington, and give a special thank-you to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and her staff for the continued assistance and support. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Are there any questions from the Committee for this witness? (No response.) 13 2/10/09 - RULES - BILL 080901
Is there anyone else to testify on the bill? (No response.)
Seeing none, I want to thank you for your voluntary financial contribution to that effort and also for your volunteer efforts on the part of the Board. So thank you. As part of the statutory requirements of this process of reauthorization, this is the first of two hearings, and if there's no other business or testimony, I would like to recess the Bill 080901 and request a recess to the call of the Chair. Thank you for your attendance. (Committee on Rules adjourned at 10:25 a.m.) - - - 14 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 February 10, 2009, 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.)