COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC MEETING BEFORE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON RULES - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tuesday, March 28, 2000 10:10 a.m. - - - BILL NO. 000105 - An ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of a portion of the Parkside National Register Historical District Redevelopment Area. . . PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANNA C. VERNA COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN COUNCILMAN FRANK DICICCO COUNCILMAN JAMES F. KENNEY COUNCILMAN MICHAEL A. NUTTER - - - VINCENT VARALLO ASSOCIATES, INC. Registered Professional Reporters Eleven Penn Center, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 561-2220 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 I N D E X Herbert Wetzel, Acting Executive Director . . Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority John Loeb, Senior Vice President. . . . . . . 10 Philadelphia Health Management Corporation James L. Brown, Acting President. . . . . . . 18 Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation Monte Carter, Public Relations Director . . . 22 39th & Poplar Street CDC 3 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 P R O C E E D I N G S
This is the public hearing of the Rules Committee. I would ask the clerk to read the title of Bill No. 105.
An ordinance approving the redevelopment proposal of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia for the redevelopment of a portion of the Parkside National Register Historical District Redevelopment Area, Parkside National Register Historical District Urban Renewal Area being the area generally bounded by Parkside Avenue and Girard Avenue on the north, the Conrail freight rail yard right-of-way line running east and parallel to 38th Street on the east; the railroad right-of-way line of the former Pennsylvania Railroad on the south; and Belmont Avenue on the west; approving the urban renewal plan and determining that such plan and redevelopment proposal conform to the general locality plan and make adequate provisions for individuals, business concerns, and families who are displaced; determining necessity for changes in and for zoning streets, alleys, public ways, street 4 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 patterns, locations, and relocation of public utilities; determining that the urban renewal plan and the redevelopment proposal prohibit discrimination because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or handicap; declaring that the condemnation is not imminent with respect to the project except as otherwise expressly provided in the proposal; and declaring the redevelopment undertakings in the project to be an important part of the City's program to remove and prevent the spread of urban blight.
Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
Good morning. My name is Herbert Wetzel, and I'm Acting Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia. Madam Chairwoman and members of the 5 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 Rules Committee, as I stated, I'm Herbert Wetzel, and I'm Acting Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Philadelphia. I'm requesting your approval of Bill No. 105, which would authorize the following, and it authorizes the establishment of the redevelopment proposal and urban renewal plan of the Parkside National Register Historic Redevelopment District. And being in the area generally bounded by Parkside Avenue, Girard Avenue on the north, the Conrail freight yard right-of-way running east of and parallel to the 38th Street, and on the east, the railroad right-of-way of the former Pennsylvania Railroad on the south, and Belmont Avenue on the west. Bill No. 105, the redevelopment proposal and urban renewal plan, would provide for the acquisition of five properties. The purpose of these acquisitions is to facilitate the development plan by the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation for the construction of Interim House West, a transitional housing for women with addictions and their children. The facility would provide housing for 20 adults and 6 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 45 children. This facility will also provide space for intensive drug treatment, primary health care, and computer-based job training. Relocation of one existing business will be necessary. The Planning Commission, at its meeting on February 3, 2000, certified the Parkside National Register Historic District Redevelopment Area as blighted, and adopted the Parkside National Register Historic District Redevelopment Area plan. The certification request was made on behalf of the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation and is supported by the Office of Housing and Community Developmental, which has allocated $110,00 for pre-development and acquisition activities. This bill will eliminate a blighting influence on the community, enhance community development, and support community economic revitalization efforts. Therefore, Madam Chairwoman and members of the Rules Committee, I respectfully urge you to take favorable consideration of Bill No. 105. At this time, I would also like to formally request a waiver of the rules to allow 7 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 for first reading of the bill on March 30, 2000, and a second reading and passage on April 6, 2000. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Wetzel. Are the five properties occupied, or are they vacant?
The one property is an existing business -- it's an auto repair shop -- and the other properties are vacant. And the auto repair shop is -- the operator of the business is leasing from the owner. They are not the owner- occupant of the auto repair shop.
And you're making the appropriate -- you're taking the appropriate steps to relocate the business?
Yes. The business would be entitled to relocation benefits as a commercial enterprise under the Uniform Relocation Act, which is a federal act which has governed this situation because we're using federal dollars to acquire the properties.
Can you tell us what the cost of acquiring the properties will 8 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 be?
Just one moment, please. (Mr. Wetzel confers off the record with colleagues.)
Do we know if there is community support for this?
Yes. Mr. James Brown is here. For those who don't know him, Jim Brown has been a major developer in the area and a resident of the community and will be testifying today, representing the Parkside community.
Thank you. Are there any other questions of Mr. Wetzel from members of the committee? The Chair recognizes Councilman Nutter.
In the -- it's actually the PHMC testimony, it talks about eight properties between Parkside Avenue and Viola Street; is that correct, is that what we're talking about? 9 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105
Yeah. I'm making the assumption that there's some private acquisition that's part of this as well. So we're taking five of the properties and the other three are being privately acquired.
Okay. And is it anywhere in the materials what the addresses are of the five properties?
There's a fact sheet, and if you don't have it, we will make copies of it, and I can read those addresses into the record if you would like.
4108-10 Parkside, 4112 Parkside, 4114 Parkside, 4114 Parkside, 4120 Parkside, and 4109-11 Viola Street.
Councilwoman Blackwell wins again. I just can't get some of that activity on the other side of Belmont Avenue. I was hoping that this might be the development that goes across, but. . . Thank you very much. 10 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105
Are there any other questions of Mr. Wetzel? (No further questions.)
I believe our next witness is Mr. John Loeb. (Mr. John Loeb comes forward.)
Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to come to testify in support of this project, Madam Chairwoman. My name is John Loeb and I'm --
Excuse me, Mr. Loeb, could you pull the microphone closer to you.
I'm sorry. My name is John Loeb, and I am the Senior Vice President at the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation. Philadelphia Health Management Corporation is a nonprofit organization. We were established in 1972, and we serve Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. Our mission is to improve the health of the community through outreach, 11 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 education and health promotion, research planning, technical assistance, and direct services. We've been working in collaboration with the Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation over the past three years as a part of their Parkside 2000 initiative, which is a comprehensive initiative that you have seen described in the document that was prepared by the City Planning Commission. Our efforts have been to help really cofound a coalition in East Parkside, or the Parkside Historic District, which is representative of all the community organizations, the churches, and the major institutions in the area, as well as helping to support the revitalization of the community organization in that area, the East Parkside Residents Association. We meet monthly as a coalition and we share each of the organizations, including such organizations -- and it's in the testimony -- as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Leidy School, Inglis House, Parkside Historic Preservation, Habit for Humanity. We share our progress on projects that will affect the area, and we make sure that 12 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 everyone is up to date. All of the organizations in the coalition support this initiative. You have the full testimony. The one major point that I wanted to emphasize is that in addition -- that the reason we are moving is because the facilities that we are in are really not adequate to support a therapeutic community for the families that we serve. In creating this new building, it will also free up rental 11 housing units that Parkside Historic Preservation 12 is now renting to us, so there will be increased 13 housing in addition to the transitional housing. 14 In addition, we have worked with the 15 community to identify services that will be of 16 benefit to the community, and those include job 17 training services, GED, and adult basic education 18 services that will be provided in the building, as 19 well as -- we're still negotiating, trying to 20 figure out a way to do after-hours day care during 21 the day. The families -- the 40-some-odd children in the facility will be receiving day care, but at late afternoons and evenings, the hope is that we can provide some kind of child care for families in the area who are involved in job training or 13 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 other activities. The building is 23,500 square feet. We will have a tot lot. It will also be adjacent to Jim Brown's first development, the Lansdowne Apartments, at 41st and Parkside, where we will have our tot lot connecting to a green area, so it will expand the green areas in the community. I'd be glad to respond to questions.
Thank you, Mr. Loeb. Where will the residents of the facility be coming from?
They're referred through a variety of sources. They come from detox programs, they are referred through the Department of Human Services, through Community Behavioral Health, through outpatient programs. There are -- we have about 40 referral sources. We maintain -- we've been in existence since 1993. We have an average census of about 17 families, and the families remain there for 6 months, and then we assist them to find permanent housing, assist them hopefully in terms of job placement. And during the same time, we provide 14 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 comprehensive services for the infants and toddlers as well as for the children, all of whom attend Leidy School, those who are school age.
So the average stay of the residents is six months?
Can you tell us what staffing will be at the center?
We have a staff of approximately persons. There's a full-time 13 program director, a deputy program director, a 14 full-time nurse, therapists, case manager, 15 resident persons who really supervise the 16 residents, a child-care coordinator, and a staff 17 who will work with the child care coordinator. 18 There are actually three child-care rooms in the 19 design for the new building for the three age 20 groups that see, from infants to toddlers to preschool to the school-age children. So that there's a very highly qualified staff. I should say that this program has been supported originally by federal money. It was a demonstration project, it was one of only, I 15 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 think, 15 to 16 programs nationally. It was funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Since the demonstration ended, we have been supported from funding from the City's behavioral system through Community Behavioral Health and through the Department of Human Services. Fourteen of the families can be families that are placed through DHS, or at least the children through DHS. So it's a combination of those funds. We also use McKinney Act funding because we are the health-care-for-the-homeless provider in Philadelphia and we refer women who are in shelters, who have addictions problems to the program. And we are also a United Way member agency, and the United Way helps support some supplemental services, including a day camp, which we have sited really on Fairmount Park since we're right across the street from Memorial Hall. It's an incredible location. It also completes the development on Parkside Avenue from the 4100 and 4200 blocks.
Thank you. 16 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 Are there any questions of Mr. Loeb from members of the committee? The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke.
Could you give me a little more specific information about the job training program and if there a placement component in that program also.
I can tell you about what we're doing now, and this is -- you know, since the building doesn't exist, some of this is plans. Some of these are plans yet to be implemented, but we work with Metropolitan Career Center, which is located in Germantown, with a number of our drug treatment programs, and they have three levels of job training, from a very intensive, several-month program called "Boss," which places persons in technical positions after intensive training, to a shorter-term program, to a basic skills program for persons who are not yet ready to go into those more intensive program 17 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 programs. And we have that program operating at two other treatment programs -- one in Mt. Airy Interim House and the other in Center City, an outpatient program on Callowhill Street, called "Chances." We also have provided ongoing GED, ABE education. We have an agreement with Community College to provide those services onsite, and we are working with MCC with the hope that they will be able to locate some satellite services at Interim House West. And we'll have a computer lab in the building.
Thank you. Are there any other questions of Mr. Loeb? (No further questions.)
Do we have anyone else to testify? (Unidentified witness comes forward.)
Good 18 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 morning. Kindly identify yourself for the record.
Good morning, Madam Chairwoman. My name is James L. Brown, V. I'm current the Acting President of Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation. I'd like to extend a good morning to you and to the members of the Rules Committee and a good morning to Councilwoman Blackwell. I have before me testimony to the Philadelphia City Council regarding the Interim House West facility project in the 4100 block of Parkside Avenue in the Parkside National Historic District. We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide testimony in support of the proposed new facility for Interim House West to be located in the 4100 block of Parkside Avenue. Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation is a nonprofit housing development corporation, the sponsor of the Parkside National Historic District, and we are committed to improving the living conditions in the Parkside neighborhood. This endeavor has leveraged an investment of approximately $21 million in a 10-year period and has resulted in the restoration 19 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 of all of the mansions on Parkside Avenue and the east side of Marlton Avenue, the south side of Thompson street, which was new construction resulting in 194 affordable housing units, serving a diverse population, special needs, handicapped, elder and families, some subsidized and some at market level. The Parkside 2000 Initiative, of which Parkside Historic is a part, will result in the removal of all the blight in the 4100 block of Parkside Avenue and the north side of the 4100 block of Viola Street. We believe that your support of this venture will demonstrate that public-private partnerships will encourage further investment in the restoration of Parkside National Register Historic District, a showcase of how innovative methods and cooperation produce a self-sustaining community. Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of this exciting project.
Thank you. Are there any questions of Mr. Brown?
I have just one comment, Madam Chair. 20 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105
Mr. James L. Brown, V, would you be kind enough to tell us who the young gentleman is to your right there.
Certainly, Councilman. This gentleman next to the right of me is my father, James L. Brown IV, who founded Parkside Historic Preservation Corporation when I was 11 and sponsored the National Historic District, 12 which we started this work. 13 It's very, very comprehensive work 14 that's been going on. And lately, as of December, 15 we met with several members of the community 16 through United Community Clinics at First African Presbyterian Church, which is located at 42nd and Girard Avenue. At these meetings, it was with the public and our residents of the community, it was expressed that there was a great concern for these needs, which Interim House West plans to provide with this new facility, and we believe that will give an opportunity for those needs to be addressed, as well as further empower the people in the neighborhood. 21 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105
Thank you. It sounds like you do very, very good work. I applaud you.
Are there any other questions or comments? Councilwoman Blackwell?
Thank you, Madam President. Certainly we don't have a big federally-funded and major supermarket and all that coming into our side of West Philadelphia. (Laughter.)
But we are very happy and proud to support this community. All of the groups in the area have come together to form this historic preservation corporation, and this coalition works very hard. And, certainly, we're happy to work with them and to support all of their efforts to include a community. And this community sorely needs it, so we would appreciate the committee's support.
Thank you, 22 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 Councilwoman.
Do we have anyone else to testify on this bill? (Unidentified witness comes forward.)
Mr. Carter, just pull the microphone closer to you, if you will. Thank you.
My name is Monte Carter, and I'm the director of Public Relations. I represent the 39th & Poplar Street Community Development Corporation. We're a nonprofit corporation, and we're looking to develop our community. First, I'd like to commend Mr. Brown for the work he's done in the West Philadelphia community. Secondly, I'd like to thank the community -- the committee for allowing me the 23 3/28/00 RULES - BILL 000105 privilege to speak for my community. We, the 39th & Poplar Street organization, is not into -- we're not in opposition of the historical Bill 105. What we oppose is that any -- the boundaries of the Bill 7 105 encompasses some of our community and what we -- what our position is that nothing is developed in our community without being agreeable to our community. And that's basically all I have to say is that, the 39th Poplar Street organization is not in opposition of the bill. But in the event that someone wishes to talk about developing something in our community, that we -- they first come through us.
Thank you, sir. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you very much. Certainly, we support all communities and the rights of communities to decide what goes there, and we would certainly ask that the speaker join us in the back and talk to Mr. Loeb and talk with Mr. Brown so that we can certainly make sure 24 3/28/00 RULES - PUBLIC MEETING that his group is included in all the things.
Thank you very much. Is there anyone else to testify? (No response.)
Seeing none, this will conclude public hearing - - -
We will now go into our public meeting. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney for a.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that Bill No. 105 be reported out of this committee with a favorable recommendation and I make an additional request for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 105 be reported out of committee with a favorable recommendation 25 3/28/00 RULES - PUBLIC MEETING and also a recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit consideration at our next session of Council. All in favor will signify by saying aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it and motion is carried. Thank you all very much. (Adjourned at 10:37 a.m.) - - - C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Tuesday, March 28, 2000, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON RULES BILL NO. 000105 __________________________________, JOSEPHINE CARDILLO, Registered Professional Reporter