Like Kimm, I too wanted to give Ms. Lamond, SHCA, and UCHS the benefit of the doubt when they advocated for a historic designation. I saw that one provision in historic designation could be used by unethical associations and ruthless real estate gentrificationists.
With designation, poor and lower middle class families could be ordered to begin expensive repairs within 30 days of receiving an order. If they failed, designation could be the weapon to force the expensive renovations and bill the family eventually resulting in forcing them out of their house and out of the neighborhood. Ruthless gentrification associations would be the agents to force the process. Nevertheless, we could not know if actual goals of historic preservation were part of their goals even if they were being heartless towards their less wealthy neighbors. The hypocrisy this issue has revealed should put all doubts aside. It doesn't matter if UCHS, SHCA, Melani, and Lussenhop's other UCD associates supported the demolition of the 1850's historically designated building. As insiders, these so called community leaders failed to notify their members or the neighborhood that Penn secretly tried to get the property de-listed over the summer. Obviously, Lussenhop tried to clear the path for demolition with their knowledge while keeping the attempt hidden from all of us including Frank and Chris O'Donnell less than 1 block away. If these HD proponents put preservation above forced gentrification, the absolute minimum they would have done was to announce to their members and the public that Penn was attempting to do this instead of having coffee with Lussenhop. The issue is not having these "volunteer community leaders" do a damn thing for us except their primary duty; to notify the community instead of selling out the community for a fucking cup of Lussenhop coffee and the privilege of worming their ass kissing in to backrooms in the Franklin building. Our community leaders seem to want personal power to cut backroom deals with Penn and pompously assert that they are hard working volunteers serving us ungrateful masses of little people. They have completely lost all credibility as advocates for historic preservation and credibility as community leaders too. Like I said, it doesn't matter if they wanted the current Hilton project or were supporting the attempt to demolish the building. Mel, SHCA, and UCHS showed their hypocrisy by conducting secret backroom deals with Penn and refusing to notify us while Penn took this demolition plan to PHC and was refused July 13. Now, Lamond and West come to the public list as Penn jams its "tight schedule" on us, and they tell us to shut up with the usual ad hominem justifications unless we have a cost analysis and traffic engineers!!!!! These "community leaders" are unethical hypocrites and forced gentrification with them in the driver's seat was always always the obvious agenda! Period! Sincerely, Glenn Moyer, citizen and resident of the Spruce Hill section of West Philadelphia PS: I was one of the first to put multiple colors in the 1990's, Victorian colors, on my house on Baltimore Ave. And I restored my porch with wooden rails replacing the metal rails. I learned that those cats at SHCA were going to give me an award, but always assumed that it didn't happen when they discovered my principals.
