September 8th, 2020 marked Ridge Park’s first meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was held virtually. Our presenters and guests alike braved the tech issues early on, and patiently sat through the zoning presentations. At one point, there were 166 logins, which is beyond belief! We are shocked and amazed that so many of our neighbors joined us.
Meeting Summary
- We approved the requested variance regarding 531 Livezey Street; there was no opposition.
- We also approved the requested variance regarding 6778-84 Ridge Avenue; again, there was no opposition.
- The variance requests with respect to 6738 Pechin Street were approved by a vote of 48-16. We agreed to table the vote regarding 5001 Umbria Street until our October meeting (exact date to be confirmed).
- After much discussion, the proposal regarding 209-211 Delmar Street was voted down. The final tally was 6 in favor and 70 opposed.
We received quite a number of new and renewal memberships over the past several weeks, and we are very grateful for the increased community support. Anyone who attended the Tuesday virtual meeting but did not join the RPCA, is welcome to do so at this point, and we hope you will.
As you know, we are a neighborhood under siege, and we are working tirelessly to control, to the extent we can, development proposals we feel are unwise. Please understand that by-right proposals do not have to be brought to us for review. We can only review and vote on proposals which are not in compliance with the Philadelphia Code and require variances.
In order for us to oppose variance requests, we must attend Zoning Board hearings accompanied by legal counsel. Our lawyer is very competent, has served us well to date, and bills us at a discounted rate. That said, our legal costs are still considerable, and the dues we collect will not cover the bills in full. If you are able to make a contribution, and are willing, we will happily accept donations large and small. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, so your contributions are tax-deductible.
We accept checks, donations via PayPal, and now, Venmo. We also have a GoFundMe page.
The RPCA Executive Board thanks each and every one of you for your support. Feel free to be in touch if you have any questions. We look forward to supporting our neighborhood through the remainder of this troubled year and beyond.