Stakeholders discuss new dimensional standards

ZCC Special Public Session 

ZCC Program Coordinator Natalie Shieh provided an overview of new dimensional standards in the draft code and fielded questions focused mainly on building mass and access to light and air. Other issues of concern included the overlap between zoning provisions and Streets Department regulations and the impact of the Conversion Map, which will automatically replace Philadelphia’s current zoning map when City Council adopts the new zoning code.

The discussion began with proposed “sky plane” regulations, which would control massing on lots zoned CMX-4 and CMX-5 that front on east-west streets in the densest areas of Center City. These regulations govern building mass in relation to the visibility of sky from the sidewalk level. No such controls would apply to CMX-4 and CMX-5 lots outside of the designated areas. Community groups are concerned that the code does not consider other places in the city where density and height are an issue now or could be in the future. These areas, they said, should have some sort of form and design controls in place.

Community stakeholders also wanted to know how access to light and sky would be addressed in dense residential areas where sky plane regulations do not apply. They recommended that the definitions for terms such as occupied area, open area, and yard be revisited to clarify how new zoning provisions would apply to decks and canopies or to parts of a building that are cantilevered out on upper floors. These features may impact a neighbor’s visibility along a street or in a rear yard. “We want to get the definitions right and avoid inconsistent application of the rules,” one participant said.

Others questioned how zoning interfaces with current Streets Department regulations that control encroachments into public streets and sidewalk areas. Natalie Shieh said the ZCC pulls in the Streets Department and other agencies as needed and will take the lead role on determining whether the new zoning code conflicts with other codes. “That is why there needs to be a transition period,” she said. While some questioned whether a proposed six-month transition was enough and how implementation will be monitored, Ms. Shieh assured the group that background training is already underway and a mechanism will be put in place to track progress.

The biggest issue related to the transition, however, was the impact of the Conversion Map, which will go into effect immediately when the new zoning code is adopted by City Council. The official remapping process will be conducted by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission once the district comprehensive plans are complete. Although the primary purpose of the Conversion Map is to address the renaming and consolidation of current zoning districts, some consider it a de facto remapping because any changes to dimensional standards or uses in the new code will be automatically put in place. “What if it is considered down-zoning or a taking?” Sam Little of the Logan Square Neighborhood Association asked. “If the budget isn’t there to pursue the remapping phase or a new mayor has different policy priorities, the changes and process are over with the conversion map,” Little continued. “I can see a lot of heartburn coming with this map if communities do not have a full understanding of what it does.”

The next X-Change is scheduled for Wednesday April 27 at 5 PM. All meetings are being held at 1515 Arch Street on the 18th floor. Visit http://www.zoningmatters.org/for the complete schedule of meeting times and topics and the latest updates on the draft code and related documents, including two new tools for analyzing the code: A Review of Use Changes in the New Zoning Code and the Top Ten Things You Should Know About Philadelphia’s New Zoning Code.

See reports on all the Stakeholder X-Changes at the links below.