Nice documented timeline. Thanks. Were you able to find any links about the UC New School as well?
-Wilma On 6/29/04 11:54 PM, "L a s e r B e a m" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: >> I'm not sure how this image is a "nuanced look." > > > back in the day (late 80s, early 90s), the uchs envisioned > an historic district called the west philadelphia streetcar > suburb historic district. look how big it was, shown here on > the uchs website: > > <http://uchs.net/HistoricDistricts/HistDistmap.html> > > later (november 2001), it was announced that uchs and shca > had joined forces to nominate the spruce hill historic district: > > <http://uchs.net/Newsletter/newsletter11-01.html> > > this spruce hill historic district, as it was now called, > comprised an area much smaller than the streetcar district. > look: > > <http://sprucehill.uchs.net/map.htm> > > "this covers a distinctive area within the Spruce Hill > neighborhood, and if approved, would provide property > owners with an effective tool for maintaining our > neighborhood's beauty and historic integrity...the > boundary of the Spruce Hill Historic District...does > NOT follow the boundary of the Spruce Hill neighborhood" > > meanwhile, as early as sept 1998, uchs and shca were asked > by penn to assist with the planning for the new > penn-assisted school: > > <http://uchs.net/Newsletter/newsletter9-98.html> > > later (july 2000) the catchment area for the new > penn-assisted school was drawn: > > <http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/v47/n19/PreK-8Map.gif> > > and immediately after (sept 2000) the shca opposed and left > the uccc over the catchment area issue (uccc wanted a > lottery, shca wanted a catchment area): > > > <http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/3af96d5179bc8?in_archiv > e=1> > > "Amy Williams, vice president of the Squirrel Hill > Community Association, said in an e-mail to a community > listserv that Grossbach simply overreacted to "being on > the losing end of the democratic process." She said the > UCCC passed resolutions that Grossbach opposed -- > including one against the then-proposed catchment area > for the new Penn-assisted public school -- and that the > shca withdrawal was based on an inability to work with > the council's other members." > > > today, the penn-assisted catchment area and the shca's > proposed spruce hill historic district coincide rather neatly: > > > <http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~rrorke/WestPhilly/districtpluscatchment.jpg> > > > and this coincidence exists even though the 2000 census > figures for that area show an overwhelming majority of > people living there are renters, not homeowners (89.4% > renters and 10.6% owner occupants), and they're not likely > to have school-aged kids (family households: 24.9%; > non-family households: 75.1%). in other words, we've ended > up with lines bounding both a catchment area for a new > school and a proposed historic district -- for an > overwhelmingly small % of people likely to consider either > to be in their main interests. > > but there may be good reasons for all this, according to jim > lilly, shca treasurer and new owner of metropolitan bakery > along penn's recently revitalized 40th street. as he wrote > to this list in april 2004: > > "An important fact we all need to keep in mind is that > only 18% of the properties in the proposed Spruce Hill > Historic District are owned by single families. All > other properties are owned/controlled by developers and > landlords. That's less than one out of five. We can fight > over the facts and nuances of period designation, paint > colors, spindles, slate, etc. but except for zoning, > historic designation is the only other city program that > has the ability to give such a minority some control over > what happens to a neighborhood as unique as ours. Do we > really believe that the majority of other 82% cares at > all what happens to Spruce Hill outside of making money > for themselves?" > > meanwhile, sensing that at least one of these boundaries > might not make sense if the other one was, tony west pointed > out (june 2004) on this list: > > "There HAS TO be a way that the reasonably attractive > (but not fanatical) character of our community can be > preserved, according to the standards of ordinary people, > without burdensome regulations that -- bluntly put -- > state the slate on your roof holds a higher priority > than the education of your child. Some of think that by > spending to educate our children, we are also doing our > part to preserve the neighborhood." > > > * * * > > how the boundaries got here and why they coincide today and > how together they represent and continue to serve the > interests of the people living here (as well as those of > competing institutions and community organizations) -- very > interesting, wouldn't you agree, elisabeth? nuanced, even. > > > > > > > ......... > laserbeam > [aka ray] > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
