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July 14 GCCA Zoning Meeting

Garden Court Community Association has a regularly scheduled Zoning and Development Committee meeting at 8pm on Wednesday, July 14th. We are still meeting virtually, via Zoom; log-in detail are at the bottom of this post.


Meeting Agenda:

  • 1. Zoning cases: 5102 Larchwood Avenue

  • 2. Call for membership.

  • 3. Report: any status updates for ongoing projects of significance (4900 Spruce, 4701 Pine, 303 S. 51st, 314 S 46th Street)

  • 4. Report: June Garden Court real estate activity - permits issued, home sales, and apartment rentals

  • 5. Councilperson's legislation introduced: mixed income neighborhoods overlay

  • Public Comment

  • Committee Working Session (closed)

  • Next Meeting: August 11 (may be cancelled for summer recess) or September 8th


1. 5102 Larchwood Avenue variance request.


The property in question is an existing 3.5 story rowhouse fronting on Malcolm X Park. The property is in a single-family district, and the applicant is seeking to legalize an existing 3-family use. No interior or exterior construction is proposed.


At our meeting, the applicant will present their proposal and neighbors, anybody from the public, and members of the committee will have the opportunity to make comment or ask questions. We will take a poll of support, opposition, or non-opposition from any neighbors and members of the public to share with the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). In its closed session, the committee will take a similar poll to determine its own position and share with the ZBA. The ZBA may consider these polls/positions and has the final authority to grant or deny variance requests.


The L+I refusal and existing floor plans are shown below.




2. Call for Membership


The Committee has four upcoming vacancies and is holding an open call for new members. We have been promoting electronically and flyers will be going up around the neighborhood this week. Applications are due 31 July 2021; more information and the application can be found here. Please consider applying and share with your networks and anybody else you think would be a good fit!



3. Significant project updates


GCCA zoning is trying to keep tabs on some of the larger scale developments underway in the neighborhood so that we provide our community with neutral, fact-based information about what's happening. From time to time, we may invite developers to provide a community update and answer questions.


314 S. 46th Street (25 apartments via adaptive re-use of the Good Shepherd Community Church building and erection of a new building on site). The roof has been replaced, foundation and vertical framing for the new structure are about complete complete, and work on the interior of the existing building have begun. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2021. The developer will unlikely join us for a special meeting on August to share as-built details and answer community questions. Stay tuned..


301 S 51st Street (apartments on site of a currently abandoned car service garage in the interior of the block). A zoning permit was issued in 2019; a building permit has not been due to non-compliance with the fire code. The developer expects to postpone its hearing with the Philadelphia Board of Safety and Fire Prevention for the foreseeable future as they continue discussion with