Untouched For 50 Years, Philadelphia's Zoning Code To Get An Overhaul
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia City Council today takes a long look at a top-to-bottom rewrite of the city's antiquated zoning code. The laws guide development in the city, and haven't been touched in five decades.
The current zoning code was written in the 1930's and was last revised back in the early '60's, says Eva Gladstein, executive director of the Zoning Code Commission, "It regulates uses that we haven't seen in decades, like tanneries and slaughterhouses, but it doesn't regulate or know what a computer store is."
And that code affects even the smallest projects. "One example that people relate to is: what are the standards for putting a deck on your house? Right now, there aren't standards, so those cases end up at the ZBA (Zoning Board of Adjustment) all the time."
So before City Council today is the Zoning Code Commission's rewrite of the regulations, the result of four years of work by the 31-member panel.
Gladstein says one goal is to set up a process for neighborhoods to have a voice, something on which the current zoning code is silent, "We really paid attention to having them participate in the process in an appropriate way."
The needs of developers are also addressed, says Gladstein, "We have done things establish timelines, so a project can't be drawn out forever, because for a developer time is money. I think we've achieved a good balance."
Another goal of the new code is to greatly reduce the number of requests to Council and ZBA for variances -- requests often made simply because the code is so out of date. Gladstein hopes this re-write will drop the number of such cases by 30%.
The ZBA, in fact, has heard at least 1,600 cases annually for the past three years.
"Right now we have more cases per year than New York City, which is a phenomenal number given how much larger than us New York City is," says Gladstein.
City Council at this stage is simply reviewing the preliminary re-write of the zoning code, and is allowed to make suggestions to the Code Commission. A formal vote only comes later, for the final proposed code.
Reported by City Hall Bureau Chief Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio 1060
