Nutter makes his Planning Commission, ZCC choices

Jan. 18
 

One day after completely overhauling the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Michael Nutter appointed five new members to the City Planning Commission and five new members to the newly formed Zoning Code Commission. Nutter retained standing member Patrick Eiding.

The ZCC appointments canceled out John Street’s last-minute selections to that commission – which included his son Sharif – and completed the membership of the 31-member panel, fully five months after the ZCC began its work. The ZCC meets this Wednesday at 8 a.m. on the 18th floor at 1515 Arch Street.

The press release and bios below

MAYOR NUTTER APPOINTS NEW MEMBERS TO
ZONING CODE COMMISSION AND CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

Today, Mayor Nutter announced his five new appointees to the Zoning Code Commission and six appointees to the Philadelphia City Planning Commission.

To the Zoning Code Commission, Mayor Nutter appoints: Judith Eden, Natalia Olson de Savyckyj, Guillermo Salas, Sam Staten Jr. and Daniela Voith. Charged by the voters with developing a new zoning code, the Zoning Code Commission is composed of 31 members, five of which are appointed by the Mayor with the following qualifications: a zoning attorney, a member of the building trades, an urban planner, an architect and a developer. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to add additional expertise to the Zoning Code Commission,” said Mayor Nutter. “I am committed to reforming and modernizing Philadelphia’s outdated zoning code. These five individuals bring a wealth of talent, experience and perspective to the complex re-zoning process.”

To the City Planning Commission, Mayor Nutter appoints: Patrick Eiding (current member), Alan Greenberger, Bernard Lee, Natalia Olson de Savyckyj, Nilda Ruiz, and Joe Syrnick. “I am serious when I say that I want to restore the Philadelphia City Planning Commission to being the preeminent planning commission in the country. The City Planning Commission plays an important part in the development process. These appointees have the skills and the vision to help guide Philadelphia’s growth,” said Mayor Nutter. The City Planning Commission is composed of six mayoral appointees, Managing Director Camille Barnett, Finance Director Rob Dubow and Acting Commerce Director Duane Bumb.

“I would like to thank the current members of these Commissions for their dedication and service to the city,” said Mayor Nutter.

ZONING CODE COMMISSION:

Judith Eden, Esq. is a zoning attorney in private practice. She served as a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment for four years and is the past Co-chair of the Center City Residents’ Association Zoning Committee, a position she held for over ten years. Judith is a Board Member of Center City District and Friends of the Mural Arts Program.

Natalia Olson de Savyckyj, MCP is a Transportation Planner and Project Manager at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), where she manages transportation multimodal planning projects. She is also involved with the DVRPC Sustainable Planning Steering Committee. Formerly, Natalia worked internationally for the State Department.

Guillermo (Bill) Salas, Jr. is the Co-founder of the Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises (HACE), a local non-profit community economic development corporation. Nationally, Mr. Salas has provided consultation to Latino businesses and community groups on community economic development. Locally, Mr. Salas serves on numerous community and civic boards.

Sam Staten Jr. is Business Manager and Political Director for Local 332 of the Laborers Union. He is a former member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Daniela Voith, AIA, LEED, IIDA is a Principal at Voith & Mactavish Architects LLP, an architecture, preservation, planning, landscape, and interiors firm. Her teaching experience over the last twenty-five years includes courses at Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and teaching Architectural Design at Bryn Mawr College since 1984.

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION:

Alan Greenberger, AIA is a Principal at MGA Partners, where he directs many of the firm’s architectural, urban design and planning projects. Mr. Greenberger is the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of the Design Advocacy Group. He is a Visiting Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Department of City Planning and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the Drexel University Department of Architecture.

Bernard Lee, Esq. is a partner at WolfBlock. His areas of concentration are real estate, corporate and municipal law, including real estate development and financing, mixed-use and mixed-finance projects and public-private projects. Mr. Lee is a member of the Board of the Metropolitan YMCA and the Board of SCAN.

Natalia Olson de Savyckyj, MCP (see bio above)

Joe Syrnick is President and CEO of Schuylkill River Development Corporation. Previously, he worked for the City of Philadelphia, where he was Chief Engineer & Surveyor, with responsibilities for highway and bridge design, bridge construction, transportation planning and surveying. He is a Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor.

Nilda Iris Ruiz, MBA is the President and CEO of Asociación de Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc. (APM, Inc.). Prior to her position at APM, Ms. Ruiz served as the Senior Community Development Director for the East Coast at National Council of La Raza. She has worked in the community development field for the past 12 years and has done extensive work in predominantly Latino communities.

Pat Eiding is President of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO. He is a current member of the City Planning Commission, being re-appointed to serve by Mayor Nutter. A leader in the Philadelphia and Pennsylvania labor movement, Mr. Eiding is active in many civic, charitable and government affairs.