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Queen Lane Water Revitalization Plan:

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The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is asking Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. to advance what the East Falls Community Council (EFCC) believes to be flawed legislation to rezone the Queen Lane Water Treatment facility, which fronts on the residential blocks of Henry Avenue and Queen Lane.  The EFCC is engaged in representing East Falls to improve the legislation and to obtain from PWD a community agreement that would protect the neighborhood.

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The zoning change was requested originally in December of 2022 without any consultation with our community. The councilman’s office acknowledged this oversight and pulled back the bill after representatives of the EFCC spoke at several hearings.

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The core purpose of the zoning change is to better reflect the actual use of the reservoir site so that PWD can start planning its decades long, multi-million-dollar reconstruction without seeking zoning variances, which can be a burdensome and lengthy endeavor at the Zoning Board of Adjustment.  The proposed “Civic Use” designation would put the process of permitting and construction on the fast track, without needing a master plan or community input. We have seen the consequences of “by right” on Midvale Avenue.

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EFCC supports the change in concept. The EFCC supports the proposed core zoning change, but giving PWD carte blanche presents unacceptable risks.  The bill as stated earlier needs to be modified, and it must be accompanied simultaneously with an executed and enforceable community agreement that will provide stipulations and pro-actively guide a master plan for the reconstruction of the facility.

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Since January 2023 the EFCC has hosted three public meetings in which PWD officials have described their need for the Queen Lane Reservoir rezoning and explained that it was too premature to share any conceptual plans. The “Civic Use” zoning would allow uses such as transit stations, research labs, day care facilities, which PWD has agreed to exclude – resulting in two by-right uses: water treatment facilities and wireless transmission equipment.

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Regarding wireless transmission equipment, EFCC is concerned that the bill does not adequately limit the height or location for such antennas.  For example, a 100 ft tower would be inappropriate near Henry Avenue or Queen Lane.  The PCPC appears to acknowledge this concern, and is working on addressing this issue.

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A more fundamental flaw is that the bill does not include a requirement for an approved master plan. A master plan is commonly  used throughout the city so that development at university campuses and other large complexes for example, are accomplished with at least some planning oversight by the city and public input. Specifically, by-right zoning is granted, in return for the owner (in this case the PWD) to maintain a master plan approved by the Planning Commission and City Council. Amendments are also approved.

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For example, if the PWD needs added driveways for trucks, the master plan process will prevent them from being placed in particularly bad locations. If large buildings or noisy equipment needs to be built, a master plan would help limit negative impacts on our residents. 

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Secondly, as stated earlier, PWD previously agreed that the zoning change bill would be simultaneously accompanied by a strong community agreement.  This agreement would contain all the other concerns raised in the meetings with the community and the immediate neighbors.

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To protect the community’s quality of life, EFCC has worked with neighbors to develop stipulations and requirements including landscape buffers, lighting and fencing, preservation of some existing buildings and stone walls, and noise and dust controls which are not sufficiently provided for in the zoning code. These were incorporated in an outline and submitted to PWD.  PWD officials knew of these concerns and initially agreed to include them in an agreement.

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At the beginning of October, the EFCC submitted the agreement outline and PWD officials took more than a month to send back their edits.  The PWD edits dismembered the outline and added non-committal phrases such as "to the best of our ability," "as much as possible” and "will endeavor to negotiate in 2030." PWD also wants to change the form of the document from an agreement to a letter of commitment.

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​EFCC seeks an executed binding community agreement to accompany passage of the bill.  Considering the amount of work to salvage our agreement, we are pleased to announce that Councilmember Jones has agreed to withdraw the bill and reintroduce it in January, giving us more time. We appreciate his understanding. We are also asking PWD to do better in understanding the importance of our requirements in advancing our agreement.

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Following the input of attendees at our community meetings and the recommendation of the EFCC Zoning Committee, we have hired a zoning lawyer to restore the draft agreement to enforceability.

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EFCC will continue to insist on the requirement of a master plan, a better-defined wireless transmission equipment provision and a meaningful and binding community agreement with PWD.

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What can residents do to help?

• Stay tuned to the EFCC Zoning website, www.eastfallscommunity.org/currentzoning, for updates and other ways to help.

• Contribute to the legal fees of our zoning attorney.  The fundraising goal is $7,500. Please send checks payable to East Falls Community Council at: PO Box 12672, Philadelphia, PA. 19129.  Reference Queen Lane Community Agreement.

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Final Note: The PWD has completed test borings for the connecting tunnel between our reservoirs and those of Belmont this fall. These were located in areas where there was no impact on our roads and residential properties. The route of the tunnel will follow the Roosevelt boulevard through rock under the Route 1 Twin Bridges. Pump stations that will power the water through the tunnel have been approved in land owned by the Park.

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3500 Ainslie (CMX-1):

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This is the corner property located at the corner of Ainslie & Conrad. It used to be a bar with apartments above. The owner appealed to legalize 5 existing apartments.

 

Ainslie neighbors have strongly objected over time to the poor condition of the property, the continued use of the sidewalk for trash and recycling storage and 5 to 7 cars parked adjacent.

 

Neighbors and EFCC zoning committee requested with a proviso that a maximum of 4 appts be approved and the ground floor be restored to Commercial use.

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The Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) supported the community in their decision. A notice of an appeal by the owner to the ZBA decision has not been received by EFCC to date.

 

Neighborhood Commercial Area (NCA):

 

Described at length in the East Falls Now and the subject of a community meeting and vote on June 12th, the EFCC has been working with a coalition of business stakeholders and the Development Corporation to update the existing east Falls NCA.

 

An NCA is an overlay to the Zoning Code which contains additional local requirements appropriate to our neighborhood. The updated NCA has now become part of the Zoning Code being passed before the PCC summer layoff. The update is available for review on this EFCC website Zoning page.

 

A second round of updates has been discussed and will be further described in an upcoming update. Items under review are for example limiting height for CMX-3 projects on Ridge Avenue and adding a parking requirement to CMX-2.5 projects. For example, the new CMX-2.5 developments on Midvale Avenue do not require off street parking by the zoning code. An updated NCA would mandate it.

 

The goal is to pass a 2nd update in the springtime 2024 council session.

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Click HERE to see the NCA updated in June.

 

Wissahickon Brewery:

 

PECO have done their due diligence of the sale and bought the land under the Brewery. The PECO plan was to relocate the transformer substation adjacent to the creek to higher ground. PECO have not responded to requests for or provided details of any intentions or plans that will indicate the future of the Brewery or the Transformer Station. However, PECO is compelled to honor the terms of the existing lease which for now allows operation of the Brewery for the next 7 years. The Brewery is a significant community asset.

 

3300 West Schoolhouse Lane (Penn Charter):

 

The ZBA has approved the Masterplan and Lower school. One neighbor situated on the Oak Road has lodged an appeal to the masterplan, particularly related to issues of parking, traffic flow and landscaping and parking at the Historic Timmons House.  However, the construction of the Lower School will proceed starting with demolition of the field house in the Fall. This is the site of the new lower school.

 

4401 Ridge Avenue:

 

PHA have stated that the property will be put up for sale once again. There is a short recent history to this.

 

EFCC Leadership met with PHA in February 2023 to lay the groundwork to avert a repeat of the ATAPCO 4401 Ridge Avenue project. Over 2 years this was a wasteful, time consuming and expensive process that fortunately resulted in the withdrawal of an inappropriate development.

 

The project was a misfit being both an oversized neighbor to HillTop and Falls Ridge as well only minimally contributing to the walkability and continuity of the commercial/retail environment. The bulk of the units were one bedroom and studios warehoused in an eight story building at the rear of the site, the building length exceeding that of the demolished Falls Towers!

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Our understanding of our meeting above, was that PHA would authorize a sale to a developer if, and only if that developer had worked out a mutually acceptable project with the community and stakeholders. PHA had stated at this time that they no longer had an obligation to HUD for this site.

 

However, David Grasso, the developer of The Driftway at Calumet and Ridge Avenue reached out to EFCC on June 29th to state he had would like to develop the site at 4401 Ridge and that he had spoken to PHA, who told him to work out a project with the community and then report back to them. They did at the same time state that there was still a HUD obligation for the site. EFCC leadership contacted PHA to confirm if the obligation to HUD was on or off the table, who confirmed that indeed any sale of the site is now required to conform to current HUD regulations This now means there will be a straight sale 10% plus/minus market price to a developer and there will be no pre-sale project that could be worked out.

 

Our hope is that a modified NCA will actually be the tool that results in a successful development appropriate to our neighborhood. We will strongly support any developer who can come to the table with a project that advocates homeownership and or multi bed units encouraging vested stakeholders.

 

3520 Indian Queen Lane:

 

This site or any proposed development related to it, is not yet part of any zoning application, but it would be of significant impact if a housing developer would for example seek a variance for apartment dwellings which on the surface would appear to be a not just a worst-case scenario but a possible one.

 

This is the Site of Longs Auto and is currently zoned I-1 Industrial. The site is under contract and the sale is pending an environmental review. This site should remain as zoned I-1, meaning that any proposal for residential development would be an automatic variance that would bring the proposal before the neighbors and community to which it is suspected, there would be strong opposition to a high-density development that favors only the developers bottom line.

 

As a neighborhood we currently have 745 Apartment dwellings nearing completion with only 555 parking spaces provided. We are not a transit-oriented design community! We have regional rail with only adequate rush hour service and good access to roads radiating everywhere - this means at least 50% of our residents likely commute by car to their work - meaning we will remain a congested vehicle centric neighborhood with increased levels of service on our roads (LOS).

 

This data excludes New Courtland (formerly EPPI) and the Falls Center (formerly MCP).

 

The potential impact of another 100 units with 100 cars on a one-way street that is already a speedway cannot be underestimated.

 

What’s critical here is that those who find it easy to comment in media forums, take the step to come to EFCC community meetings and appear at ZBA zoom meetings, so their opinions are considered and acted upon.

 

Please check into the EFCC website zoning page for any zoning news and potential dates for hearings and not just pertaining to 3520 Indian Queen Lane.

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