April 9
It's the market, more than politics or zoning processes, that determines whether developers keep drawing up plans and pouring concrete in Philadelphia, according to one consultant.
Still, the city's zoning and planning process is not exactly one that developers love dealing with. There's the confusion over zoning rules; the myriad departments that need to approve sometimes simple requests (as many as 14, for some); the battle with community groups and the zoning board; a zoning code overflowing with overlays and changes made on an individual, piecemeal basis.
Today's Primary Concerns looks at the issue and what the next mayor would do to help streamline the zoning process in the city.
What happens next could depend on whether voters approve a May 15 ballot refrendum that would create a Zoning Reform Commission, which would study the issue and make reccomendations to City Council for wholesale changes. Other related referendums include one that would professionalize the planning commission, ensuring that qualified individuals with the proper experience sit on it.
A similar measure addressing the funhouse of the zoning board was killed by politics; Councilman Jim Kenney was forced to withdraw his attempt at ensuring qualifications for those sitting on that board. Kenney says it's dead for now. (The next mayor will put his own picks on the board, anyway.)
"It was a mistake, but mistakes happen," zoning board Chairman David Auspitz said of Kenney's attempt. "Sometimes things sound good, but when you think about them they're not."
Auspitz rationalizes that mandating qualifications isn't a good move because it's important that people feel comfortable with the board's members.
"They feel comfortable with other people [like them] up there," he said.
March 19
Hear from the candidates
There have been multiple forums specifically addressing the environment this campaign, including the Next Great City initiative forum, where the candidates were questioned about a 10-point plan from the group
One of the easiest environmental issues to think about, one that most Philadelphians get at least a weekly lesson in, is recycling. From the days they first started giving out those little blue buckets, to the slow spread of single-stream, recycling has been a perplexing issue in Philly.
It
almost feels like you need a personal assistant to figure out when it's
your week to put the recyclabes out, let alone taking the time to sort
papers, plastics and glass. Single stream makes that easier, with
everything going into one large container and sorted at the plant.
A single-stream recycling pilot program is spreading from Northeast Philly to West and Southwest Philly as the city tries to get its recycling over rate above a meager 7 percent. It's something all of the candidates believe needs to be rolled out throughout the city.
For the candidates' take on recycling and the environment go here, or here for the experts' take.
(Photos: Rikard Larma/Metro Philadelphia)
March 12
Hear from the candidates
Whenever the issue of SEPTA comes up at mayoral forums, Tom Knox makes sure to let everyone know that he sometimes rides the bus.
Just so you know, even multi-millionaire businessmen-turned mayoral
candidates know the travails of
SEPTA, from off-schedule buses to
annual fears of fair hikes to that wonderful smell emanating from the
(insert stop) subway station.
This week's Primary Concerns addresses SEPTA, with looks at what transportation experts believe the next mayor has to do to address the transportation authority's issues. The candidates offer up ideas from reestablishing the office of transportation to teaming with outlying local governments to go to Harrisburg to fight for dedicated funding.
Meanwhile, three of the candidates (Chaka Fattah, Tom Knox, and Michael Nutter) would work to level out the SEPTA board. The city currently only has two voices on the 15-member board. (Dwight Evans says altering the governance of SEPTA isn't at the top of his priority list.)