Land Use & Zoning Archives

Hydraulic fracturing, as our readers known, is a drilling process in which water, sand and chemicals are blasted underground to break apart rock and free up trapped natural gas. The process has brought about a surge in energy production to Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado, and lowered natural gas costs.

Last Wednesday, the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a developer’s plans to knock down three buildings on the southeast corner of 15th and Walnut Streets and set up a glass, three-story building that would include the city’s first Cheesecake Factory restaurant. The demolition is set to begin within 30 days.

Our readers may be aware of the challenge currently before the state Supreme Court regarding natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. The decision involves the legality of Act 13, which has become controversial for several of its provisions. Perhaps the most controversial provision of the law is that which removes the ability of local zoning boards to make any decisions about drilling.

In our last post, we began speaking about the city’s councils recent decision to override Mayor Nutter’s veto of proposed changes to the Philadelphia’s new zoning code. The major sticking points for those who are opposed to the changes are the expanded notice requirements, the possibility of needing to have multiple meetings, and the weak requirements to be a registered community group.

Last Thursday, the Philadelphia City Council made a far-reaching change to the city’s new zoning code when it voted to override Mayor Nutter’s veto to….

City Councilman Brian J. O’Neill, in a recent victory for gardeners in Philadelphia, recently dropped a proposal to change the city’s zoning code that would have made it more difficult for farmers and gardeners to operate within the city. The proposal would have required that community gardens and farm obtain special permission from the Zoning Board of Adjustment in order to operate.

It has taken three years, but the final land development application of Medical Mission Sisters has finally been approved by the Abington Code Enforcement and Land Development Committee. The property spans parts of both Abington and Philadelphia and the sisters will be constructing 61 new apartment units.

Some time ago, we wrote about a proposal to create a 50-foot buffer zone for streams and rivers in the Philadelphia area. That proposal sparked what was the first big conflict to come out of the new zoning code, pitting environmentalists concerned about protecting waterways against developers worried about the impact of a buffer zoning on their businesses. Last Wednesday the controversy was resolved when City Council reached an agreement on the matter.

A controversial bill introduced by Council Brian O’Neill on behalf of Council President Darrell Clarke seeks to address the serious problem of parking shortages in certain neighborhoods of Philadelphia. The bill, which received committee-level approval earlier this month, would require developers to provide parking in some residential and mixed-use areas where they don’t have to under the current code. The bill would also change certain lot sizes.

On Monday, October 29, the Philadelphia City Council will hold a hearing on the issue of the city’s new zoning code, under which neighborhood block organizations no longer have any input into zoning decisions. The new law reserves that task to Registered Community Organizations instead, which must claim a service area of at least five blocks.