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Fwd: UCCC: proposed agenda for 3/7 meeting, minutes of 2/7 meeting

Richard Moreau
Sun, 24 Feb 2002 18:17:01 -0800

For your consideration. Let me know if you have any feedback that you 
would like forwarded  -Ricky

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> Subject: UCCC: proposed agenda for 3/7 meeting, minutes of 2/7 meeting
>
> NOTE:  NEXT MEETING THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2002!!!!!
>
>
> UCCC Minutes of the meeting of Thursday, February 7, 2002 at 7:30 pm
> at Calvary Center, corner of 48th & Baltimore (enter east door on 
> Baltimore
> Ave.)
> Hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors, Roger Harman, president
>
> Present:  Roger Harman, CPN; Lynette Jenkins & Gregorio Cojulun, GCCA; 
> Laura
> Whitton, SPN; Amy Williams, SqHCA; Horace Patterson, WHCA; Lucia Shen,
> Friends of Walnut West Library; Rita Cabry, 18th Police District 
> Advisory
> Council; Cindy Preston, Squirrel Hill Police Substation; Martin Cabry, 
> UCD
> Rep & Councilwoman Blackwell Rep; Sue Scanlin, Friends of Clark Park.
>
> Guests present for the special presentation only: Joanne Wiley & Terri 
> (Toni)
> Morton of Philadelphia Waste Services; Minnie Moore-Johnson, Executive
> Director of Concerned Parents, Inc. (on Woodland Ave.); Bill LeFevre,
> Executive Director of Historic Bartram's Gardens; Paul Boni, Esq. of 
> John
> Bartram Assn.
>
> Absent:  PVCA
>
> The meeting was called to order by Roger Harman and regular business 
> began,
> since the guests had been asked to await the arrival of Marty Cabry at 
> 8 p.m.
>
> 1. Minutes of 12/6/01 were approved as written.
>
> 2. Introductions and receipt of resolutions from new members, if any:  
> none
> present.
>
> 3. Non-member Reports & Announcements
>     a. University City Historical Society 's attendee, Warren 
> Cederholm, is
> out of town.  Melani reported that she and some other UCHS & SHCA 
> members are
> meeting with the Phila. Historical Commission on Friday, 2/8, for 
> information
> about some important questions raised on the listservs concerning the
> proposed local historic district, which is mostly in Spruce Hill but 
> also
> includes a small portion of Garden Court.  Also, there will be a UCHS 
> "Gift
> to the Street Awards" tea for members and invited award winners on 
> Sunday,
> 2/10, from 4-6 p.m.
>
> Special Presentation at the request of Marty Cabry for Councilwoman 
> Jannie
> Blackwell:
> Philadelphia Waste Services, Inc. wants to expand its Southwest 
> Philadelphia
> trash transfer services at 1620 S. 49th St., near Bartram's Garden.
>
> Joanne Wiley of Phila. Waste Service began the presentation, saying 
> that the
> company needs permission from the city, state and community to 
> proceed.   She
> distributed notebooks containing information and maps about the site and
> company, plus letters from current employees.  She said that the company
> currently is a transfer station for metal, cardboard and paper; they do 
> not
> accept garbage or tires; they produce no smells, attract no rats, and 
> do no
> burning.  They would like to also be able to accept demolition waste at 
> their
> facility.  If they are permitted to expand they will be able to hire 
> more
> employees, possibly eventually having 90 employees total (they have 40 
> now).
>
> Ms. Wiley said that she was not prepared to talk specifics at this 
> meeting,
> but was interested in starting a dialogue.  However, in response to UCCC
> questions, she continued.  The demolition waste would be processed 
> inside
> their current Phila. Waste buildings, she said, and would not include
> asbestos which "has to go elsewhere."  She said the current "stalemate" 
> on
> her company's expansion had to do with "timing and bad dialogue."
>
> Paul Boni, Esq., who has been on the Bartram's board for three years, 
> spoke
> next.  He said that he did want to discuss facts:  that Philadelphia 
> Waste
> has applied for a state DEP permit to be allowed to accept 
> "construction and
> demolition waste." The application is for 24 hours/ day, 6 days / week, 
> for 3
> million pounds every day.  Mayor Street's blight removal program will 
> cause a
> lot of waste, which could come here, but in addition, this application 
> filed
> is  to accept waste from anyplace in PA, DE, NJ,  and NY.  Trucks would 
> all
> come through the streets of Southwest Philadelphia on the way in and, 
> once
> resorted, on the way back out.   A truck dumps waste off in the 
> building,
> where it gets picked apart by employees with implements.  It then goes 
> back
> into trucks and is taken away.  They've applied for 390 truck trips per 
> day -
> tractor trailer diesel trucks.
> The application says the work will emit 27,000 lbs. per year of "fine
> particulate matter" (dust), and studies say that this causes asthma.
> Further, the facility does not own the trucks; they will accept trucks 
> owned
> by other companies, sometimes under contracts but other times as 
> drive-up
> business.  While they are supposed to turn away asbestos, lead-based 
> paint
> and radioactive material, if any of it arrives and is turned away, it 
> would
> still be driven through local neighborhoods.
>
> Boni said that there is not a "stalemate"; the state denied the 
> application
> last year.  The state law includes "exclusionary criteria" saying that 
> these
> facilities shall not be located within 300 yards of a public park.  
> Bartram's
> Garden is part of Fairmount Park and well within 300 yards of 
> Philadelphia
> Waste.
>
> However, the company has been lobbying to try to get a waiver and has 
> also
> gone to court, where they claim that Bartram's Garden is not a public 
> park.
> Since it is a park and they won't win in court, they are trying to get 
> Mayor
> Street to grant them a waiver. Councilmembers Blackwell, Rizzo, and 
> Verna are
> on record against this.  (Marty and Mr. Boni clarified that right now,
> Bartram's Garden and the waste facility are in Verna's district, but 
> there is
> impact in Blackwell's district.  With the current Council 
> redistricting, the
> lines could change.)
>
> Bill LeFevre, Executive Director of Historic Bartram's Garden, read a 
> list of
> organizations opposing the permit:  Audienried HS, Broad St.-West Civic
> Assn., Eastwick Project Area Committee, Community/Labor Refinery 
> Tracking
> Committee, Eastwick United Methodist Church, Girard Estates Area 
> Residents,
> Packer Park Civic Assn., Phila. Fire Dept., Phila. Police Dept., S. 
> Phila.
> Business Representative, Southwest Community Enrichment Center, Friends 
> of
> FDR Historic Park, Historic Bartram's Garden, Passyunk Homes Resident
> Council, Phila. International Airport, South Area Academic Office, South
> Phila. Communities Civic Assn., Sunoco, Inc. Phila. Refinery, Met, Inc.
> (Facilitator), Eastwood PAC.
>
> Minnie Moore-Johnson of Concerned Parents, Inc. on Woodland Ave. spoke 
> next,
> saying that the stalemate should not have been brought to the UCCC.  
> Previous
> speakers had also made that point.  She said she had been asking for a
> meeting with the other parties for some time.  She was critical of a 
> lack of
> representation of Bartram's Village residents on the board of and as
> employees of Bartram's Garden. LeFevre mentioned one board member who
> Moore-Johnson said is on the PHA staff at the Village, not a resident.  
> He
> later mentioned two other board members from Bartram's Village.
> Moore-Johnson said that the area desperately needs more jobs for its
> residents, especially those being released from prison.  She said 
> Bartram's
> Garden is sometimes closed to the public and the current dock is unsafe;
> children have drowned there.  Under questioning from UCCC, she admitted 
> that
> she is the paid executive director of her organization, not a resident 
> or
> board member, and the organization does not charge dues and has no
> neighborhood boundaries.
>
> UCCC members expressed concern about possible effects on Bartram's 
> Garden's
> green space, about the particulates  (Sue Scanlin, a pediatric nurse who
> works with children with asthma, was especially concerned that more 
> should be
> learned about the impact on residents), about the fact that there was no
> guarantee that new jobs would go to community members,  about the 
> effect of
> heavy trucks on our already poorly-maintained roads,  about the 
> residents of
> Bartram's Village not having all of the information given to UCCC.
>
> Roger summed up a few points, telling Philadelphia Waste that the mere 
> fact
> that they create jobs is not enough ("You'd create jobs if you were a 
> strip
> club, too!"); the company needs to better address the specific concerns
> brought up by their opponents.  He suggested that the representatives of
> Bartram's Garden need to speak to others in the community and hear their
> opinions.  And while he told Moore-Johnson that she spoke very 
> passionately,
> he questioned her group's legitimacy in representing the community.  
> ("Some
> might say, 'who the hell are you?"!")  Laura reminded all present that 
> if the
> law forbids this permit within 300 yards of a garden, then this 
> discussion
> may not really be necessary.  The guests left at 9:30 p.m.
>
> 4. Special Interest Group Reports & Announcements
>     a.  Friends of Clark Park  (NOTE:  FOCP has a new web address:
> www.clarkpark.info):  Sue  reported that FoCP planned to meet the next 
> day,
> 2/8, with the Recreation Commissioner, someone from the UCD, and 
> Councilwoman
> Blackwell (Marty will also be there) to talk about where to go with the 
> park
> project.  Because of continuing opposition, some of Clark Park's 
> supplemental
> maintenance funding people are withdrawing their support, and the UCD 
> has
> said that they will completely pull out unless they area asked to 
> manage a
> part of the project and are paid.  Sue explained that there is so much
> negative reaction toward the UCD that they feel that it is affecting 
> their
> other projects.  FoCP has a $25,000 grant right now that would need to 
> be
> spent by the end of June, but they would need to supplement it to move 
> on.
> Councilwoman Blackwell has asked them to put together a Fiscal Year 2003
> proposal for items such as lighting, walks, etc. which are not facing
> opposition.
>
> FoCP met again with the group who does not want them to do anything; 
> about 18
> people came; only 7 were among the group of 124 who had signed a 
> petition
> opposing the plan; the rest did not come.  Marty said most who signed 
> the
> petition appear to no longer oppose the plan.  Sue said that the small 
> group
> is not very specific about their current opposition.  There are about 
> 400
> members of FoCP.  Matt Wolfe made the motion to stop the plan at FoCP's
> annual meeting, and now many members have said that they won't come to
> another meeting to vote.  The organization's bylaws won't support a 
> proxy
> vote.
>
> FoCP needs help from the community organizations and the UCCC if the 
> project
> is to move forward.  SqHCA, SHCA and UCHS have sent letters, and CPN has
> promised one.  It appears that the opposition may take the group to 
> court.
>
>     b. For Friends of Walnut West Library, Lucia Shen announced upcoming
> events:  one for children for Valentine's day on 2/9, Read-Across 
> America on
> 3/2, and on 3/30, the annual Easter egg hunt.  The Mayor's report on 
> City
> Services ending June 30, 2001,  showed a tremendous increase in the use 
> of
> libraries, especially where they've been upgraded (which is now all but
> Walnut West), but even with Walnut West's small temporary space, use is
> increasing,  and it was already high.  Bidding is about to start for 
> removal
> of the modern glass; work is scheduled to begin in July; renovation is
> scheduled to take 14 months.
>
> Because of the late hour and absences, the meeting was adjourned at 
> 10:05
> p.m.   UCCC will meet again on Thursday, March 7th at 7:30 p.m. to 
> discuss
> unfinished regular business only, with no special presentations, again 
> at at
> Calvary Center, corner of 48th & Baltimore (enter east door on Baltimore
> Ave.)  The meeting will again be hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors, Roger
> Harman, president.
>
> Submitted by,
>
> Melani Lamond, Secretary
>
>
> Proposed Agenda for March 7th meeting,
> finishing up on regular business not covered on Feb. 7th is below.
> Please email me asap to add/subtract items.  NO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS!!!
>
> 1.  Approval of Minutes of 2/7 meeting (2 minutes) (Melani)
>
> 5. Old Business of UCCC
>     a.  Saidel tax proposal follow-up after Town Meeting with Jannie
> Blackwell (4 minutes) -Melani
>         o$40. for publicity due to Melani from 5 groups
>         oCity Council chaos instead of hearing on 1/30; hearing was 
> held on
> 2/12 instead.
>         oHallwatch originator, Ed Goppelt, being investigated by the 
> police (
> www.Hallwatch.org)
>
>     b. UCD (10 minutes) reports (if any) from reps present (Marty), 
> and/or
> from groups about their reps;
>     follow-up discussion on Marty & Betty's recommendations from 
> December
> meeting:
>         o should Eric Goldstein meet with our reps once a month?
>         o should we ask our reps to come to UCCC meetings?
>         o should Eric Goldstein come to UCCC meetings?
>
>     c.  Follow-up on non-attending UCCC members (5 minutes) - Carolyn,
> Melani, Beth Ann
>     Beth Ann and Melani attended a UCAL meeting; UC Pride was contacted 
> again.
>
>     d.  Baltimore Ave. planning group (5 minutes) - Melani
>     RFP responses
>
>     e. Trash transfer station update (2 minutes) - Marty
>
>     f. Local schools (10 minutes) - Betty, Sue
>         oGCCA's town meeting about Lea and the P-A school
>         oP-A school enrollment (Sue?),
>         oSolomon Jones' Phila. Weekly article on P-A school
>
> 6. New Business of UCCC (if any) (5 minutes)
>
> 7. UCCC Committee Reports
>
>     a. Group Homes (5 minutes) - Frank - distribution of written short 
> group
> homes policy summary
>
>     b. "Unofficial" group homes committee (5 minutes) - Mike, Sue, 
> Melani
>
> 8. Community Groups Announcements (5 minutes)
>
> 9. Adjourn (could be as early as 8:28 p.m. if we stick to time frames on
> agenda!)
>


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  • Fwd: UCCC: proposed agenda for 3/7 meeting, minutes of 2/7 meeting Richard Moreau