City Council commences hearings on zoning code

Committee of the Whole Council

The Committee of the Whole began discussions on zoning reform today, meeting the Charter Amendment requirement that City Council commence public hearings within 45 days of when the Zoning Code Commission submits its Preliminary Report. Chaired by Councilwoman Marian Tasco, the Committee heard nearly two and a half hours of testimony. While some speakers said the code is not yet perfect, most agreed the ZCC’s proposal reflects broad-based stakeholder involvement and compromise. Speakers representing local business, community organizations, and individual interests spoke in favor of keeping the process on track for adoption in this calendar year. Although substantive discussions on the Preliminary Report will not take place until the fall, many view the summer as an opportunity to review the code in detail and educate Councilmembers on specific issues they want resolved. 

ZCC members and staff described the contents of the Preliminary Report and provided an overview of the reform process, which included an extensive public outreach effort. ZCC testimony highlighted how the new code meets the Charter mandates to make zoning consistent and easy to understand, improve the city’s development process, and protect the character of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. The restructured code is simplified with maps, charts, and tables; the number of base and overlay districts are reduced; and new strategies for uses and dimensional standards are intended to reduce the number of cases before the ZBA, while providing a system of checks and balances that will protect neighborhoods. Several ZCC members spoke about how public input has been significantly enhanced in the new code with a system for registering community organizations, improved public notice, neighborhood meeting requirements and Civic Design Review. New form and design controls, contextual zoning requirements, and sustainability features were also highlighted.

Councilwoman Tasco asked speakers to expound on a few points, including incentives for transit-oriented development, setbacks in rowhome neighborhoods, and details about registered community organizations. None of the other Councilmembers in attendance had any questions or comments.

About 19 speakers submitted public testimony. Representatives from the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, AIA Philadelphia, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Community Legal Services’ Child Care Law Project, and individual developers, architects, land use attorneys, business-owners, and residents urged City Council to move the process forward this year, even though they think the code may have flaws or they did not get everything they wanted. “The ZCC created a delicately balanced document; it is not flawed,” resident Brian McHale said. “It represents detailed discussion, compromise, and good faith effort.” He asked City Council to move forward as “expeditiously and judiciously as possible.” Former ZCC members Richard DeMarco and Andy Toy agreed. “Everyone had to give up some small piece of the pie,” Mr. DeMarco said. “Now it is up to City Council to give Philadelphia a world-class zoning code.”

Representatives from several community associations, including the Crosstown Coalition, East Falls Community Council, Concerned Citizens of Point Breeze, and the Germantown Community Connection acknowledged the effort by the ZCC and support zoning reform overall, but still have specific issues they want to address before City Council takes final action. Neighborhood groups want Council to allow time to review and fully understand the impacts of the new code and not to rush to final action. Cheryl Gaston of the Real Property Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association agreed. Ms. Gaston said that throughout the process, there was never enough time to adequately absorb and comment on changes to the numerous drafts of the code.

Click here to view a transcript of the hearing. The next hearing held by the Committee of the Whole on the Preliminary Report will be scheduled for the fall.