that we shouldn't "let the perfect be the enemy of the good" -- it may have
yielded rather positive results in this very thorny area.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'm not happy with the way they engaged in selective engagement. It was
deficient at best, fraudulent at worst. For example the greater body of SW
Philly had to travel to West or S Philly for meetings. Of course SW is where
there is significant vacant developable land and multi-billion dollar revenue
generators driving airport related expansion and discussion of a new zoning
class "airport related". Where is the effected community's input?
There is much to be concerned about; I will try to cite references later from
the East Falls community planning group.
Some real problems regard lowering or eliminating mandatory parking. Example,
Community Living Arrangements (CLAs) set in traditional single family dwellings
are invading many areas of the city but there may no longer be minimum parking
requirements for the multiple staff cars and their vans that may be parked on
the streets.
Bed and breakfasts with an occupancy of eight or less may no longer be subject
to neighbor approval. This may be an easy entree for boarding houses to slip
into many neighborhoods, and there are more.
The rewriting of our zoning regs may in fact be little more than the
Developers' Zoning Streamlining and Nutter Real Estate Tax Enhancement Act. The
only thing worse than careless Republican Rule is Greedy Democratic Rule.
And, less than perfect may mean we are stuck with not good enough for decades
to come.
So, what's the rush to not get it right?
Craig
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]
Sent: Mon, Dec 13, 2010 11:49 am
Subject: [UC] The case for city zoning reforms
I'm not a fan of the "community engagement" process on which Harris Sokoloff is
building his reputation, but -- keeping in mind the comment at the end of the
following article (in the Inquirer) that we shouldn't "let the perfect be the
enemy of the good" -- it may have yielded rather positive results in this very
thorny area.
Al Krigman
The case for city zoning reforms
By Kiki Bolender and Harris Sokoloff
How should residents be involved in zoning decisions in their neighborhoods? As
naysayers? Or as valued advisers to developers and architects?
The proposed new Philadelphia zoning code answers that question by honoring the
expertise of neighborhood leaders, and it should be supported by citizens who
value that expertise.
At the beginning of this year, neighborhood leaders, developers, architects,
and lawyers gathered for a series of workshops on the new code called "Common
Ground for Building Our City: Developers, the Public and the Zoning Code." The
project was led by the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of
Architects, the Penn Project for Civic Engagement, and WHYY.
The conversations were not easy. Participants struggled to get past
stereotypes: Architects and developers were seen as arrogant and paying only
lip service to community input; neighborhood groups were accused of engaging in
backroom deals and borderline extortion. And some architects, developers, and
community groups have engaged in those behaviors under the existing zoning
code.
But the workshop participants overcame those stereotypes and found common
ground. They agreed on ways to ensure that new buildings are good for the city,
neighborhoods, and developers. We sent a report to the Zoning Code Commission
in February, and the essence of those agreed-upon principles is in the new
code, which is expected to be presented to City Council soon.
The new code would take several steps to incorporate neighborhood expertise
into the zoning process:
Notification of coming projects would be more thorough.
Significant projects would require Planning Commission approval.
Applicants would be required to meet with the community, and both sides will
submit minutes for the record.
A Civic Design Review Committee would advise the Planning Commission on
significant projects. It would include someone with neighborhood zoning
experience and a rotating seat for a member of the relevant neighborhood group.
Under the new code and map, zones would more closely match actual uses. This
would correct cases such as that of Northern Liberties, which is largely zoned
industrial even though it has become one of the city's hottest residential
areas.
The new code would define buildings that significantly affect the public
because of size, location, or use. Those buildings would be reviewed even if
they don't require a zoning variance. And, as outlined above, neighborhood
input would be an important part of the review.
We believe zoning matters. With goodwill and a good zoning code, citizens can
shape the future of their neighborhoods and the city. And zoning can encourage
investment in rehabilitation and new construction, expanding the city's tax
base.
The Inquirer recently reported that Camden is considering laying off half its
police force and a third of its firefighters because it can't afford them. The
city simply lacks the tax base to pay for basic services. Camden's sobering
story should spur us to support a zoning code that inspires confidence in
Philadelphia as a place to invest, a place where investors are treated fairly,
and a place whose "Philadelphia-ness" actually adds value to buildings.
The new code's provisions for citizen involvement are not perfect, but they're
on the right track. Under the current process, some neighborhood groups are
happy with the influence they have on developers and the power some individuals
gain through that influence. But we would argue that under the new code,
citizen voices will be given a place of greater respect, to the long-term
benefit of their communities and the city.
As Philadelphia's huge, collaborative exercise in zoning reform is drawing to a
close, let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Let's get the new
code passed and use it to make Philadelphia the next great city - a soulful,
sassy, energized city of neighborhoods where people will be eager to build,
live, and work.
Kiki Bolender and Harris Sokoloff created the Common Ground project with the
support of a grant from the William Penn Foundation. Bolender is a partner in
Schade and Bolender Architects. Sokoloff is a professor at the University of
Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education
and the founder of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement. For the Common Ground
report,
Read more:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20101213_The_case_for_city_zoning_reforms.html#ixzz180jaTqwl
