RE: [UC] A little consistency, please... or, maybe, an explanation

[J. Matthew Wolfe]

Dear Al:   I am on the SHCA Board, but I am not on the Zoning Committee.  I doubt if the Zoning Committee has taken this issue up as of yet, as it normally moves when a zoning change request is filed.  It is possible that they have been preliminarily approached by Penn or a developer, but I cannot say that I have heard about it at either a board or executive board meeting that I have attended.  To the best of my knowledge, the board has no official position on this subject.   While I have heard nothing official regarding this, I have for some time heard that Penn was thinking about developing the old College of Physicians property on the southwest corner of 42nd and Pine into condos.  Speaking personally, my first impression would be favorable.  I think that your characterizations of the SHCA's zoning committee's position are over generalized, but regardless I am by no means anti-development.  I do think generally that converting single family homes into apartments is not in the best interests of the neighborhood (and in this market is probably not economical).  A project like this, however, returns a property to residential in a residential area.  Zoning makes sense and divisions between uses are normally better for everyone.  People do not want to live next to factories.  Businesses tend to do better when grouped together so that customers of one become customers of many.  This property was originally the Elsinor mansion, owned by a family that owned a cigar/tobacco company.  At some point, the College of Physicians took over the property and built the office building.  The middle of a residential neighborhood is not the right place for an office building.  A school might work there, but the most logical use would be as apartments of condominiums.  There is already onsite parking (which I think is a vastly overblown issue in new developments), so that is not a fight in this case.  It would seem to be a better use.   The devil, of course, is in the details.  I have no idea how far along a proposal for this is, presuming that the rumors I have heard are true.  It is unlikely that Penn will use a stealth approach to this and the SHCA board and zoning meetings are open.    Sincerely,   Matt Wolfe -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 8:39 AM To: UnivCity@list.purple.com Subject: [UC] A little consistency, please... or, maybe, an explanation Today's DP included a story about a Penn Board of Trustees meeting from which the following is excerpted: The trustees will also discuss the conversion of a University-owned office building at 42nd and Pine streets into condominiums. Construction for the project -- which will be aimed at accommodating small families -- will begin in the spring. I assume they're referring to the sprawling building on the northwest corner.   Personally, I don't object to this conversion in principle -- it may well be a good use for the property and an asset to the neighborhood; and I don't have "standing" anyway because I'm far enough away from it to not be "detrimentally harmed" by this usage.   However, the Spruce Hill Community Association, whose zoning committee seems to oppose any conversions to multi-family use and/or any projects that may increase the population density, appears to have been mute on this project. If so (and if not, please correct me), could it be that they are currying favor with that 800-lb gorilla? Again.   If anybody from SHCA is still on this list (Matt?), can we hear the organization's position?   Al Krigman (Left of Ivan Groznyj)