PCPC’s Tuesday meeting: Foxwoods CED leads agenda

At the next City Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2008, two agenda items involve the proposed Foxwoods Casino at The Gallery at Market East. The Commission wants to make sure that thepublic understands the nature and intent of these matters.

First, the City Planning Commission staff will make an “information only” presentation about the proposed casino. In that presentation, the staff will describe the urban context around the proposed site, identify the key stakeholders and summarize the concerns we have heard from them to date, explain general design issues and goals for the area, describe the development approach proposed by Foxwoods, and outline the process of reviews, approvals and public meetings that will be associated with the proposal. There will not be a presentation of any casino design, as it has not yet been formulated by the developers.

Second, the City Planning Commission will consider two bills introduced in Council by Councilman DiCicco on October 16. The first of the two bills amends the existing Commercial Entertainment District (CED) zoning classification to permit gaming in a designated Center City location. The second of the two bills alters the underlying zoning of the 1000 block of Market Street from “C5” Commercial to CED. The effect of these zoning bills is to establish the permissibility of gaming at the proposed location. It does not approve a plan, issue zoning or building permits, authorize the start of construction, or permit gaming to occur until a formal Plan of Development is prepared, presented in public, and approved by the City Planning Commission, City Council, and the Mayor.

After the zoning bills are considered by the City Planning Commission, a recommendation will be forwarded to City Council. City Council will conduct a public hearing on the proposed legislation on Saturday, November 1, 2008. The developer will prepare a Plan of Development that describes their proposal in detail, including its design, traffic and parking plans, lighting, and signage. The City Planning Commission intends to hold public hearings on the Plan of Development as it emerges over the next
several months.

This process will be reviewed again at the meeting of the City Planning Commission on October 21st. This meeting is open to the public, and will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Academy of Natural Sciences, located at 19th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

TENTATIVE AGENDA
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. Academy of Natural Sciences Auditorium
19th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1. Approval of the Minutes of the September 16, 2008 meeting.

2. Executive Director’s Update.

3. Information Only: Planning Process for Evaluating the Proposed Foxwoods Casino Relocation to Gallery II at Market East (Alan Greenberger)

4. Zoning Actions for the Foxwoods Casino Relocation to Gallery II at Market East, 1000 block of Market Street (Martin Gregorski)

        a. Bill No. 080742 – An Ordinance amending provisions of Section 14-400 of the Philadelphia Code, the “Commercial Entertainment District” classification. (Introduced by Councilmember DiCicco on October 16, 2008.)

        b. Bill No. 080741 – An Ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designation of certain areas of land located within the area bounded by Market Street, Filbert Street, 10th Street, and 11th Street. (Introduced by Councilmember DiCicco on October 16, 2008.)

5. Bill No. 080724 – Amending Section 14-305 of the Zoning Code entitled “C-4” and “C-5” Commercial in the area bounded by Arch
Street, Cherry Street,15th Street, and 16th Street. (Introduced by Councilman Clarke on September 25, 2008) (Martin Gregorski)

6. ZBA Case No. 7201: Development of the former Schmidt’s Brewery site, 1101 N. 2nd Street (Applicant: Tower Investments)

7. Bill No. 080649 – Amends the Philadelphia Zoning Code by adding telemarketing as a prohibited use in the Passyunk Avenue Overlay (Martin Gregorski)

Routine Items:

8. Bill No. 080630 – An Ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades to extend Ontario Street to Delaware Avenue (Bill Erickson)

9. Bill No. 080637 – Striking Portions of Packer Avenue from Christopher Columbus Boulevard to the Delaware River (Bill Erickson)

10. Bill No. 080652 – An Ordinance striking from the City Plan and abandoning a right of way reserved for gas main purposes within the lines of former 17th Street from the intersection of Wood Street and 17th Street to Franklintown Boulevard. (Bill Erickson)

11. Bill No. 080641 – An Ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 128 by striking from the City Plan and vacating 18th Street from Cambria Street to Indiana Avenue and reserving and placing on the City Plan a right-of-way for drainage purposes and water main purposes within the lines of 18th Street being stricken, under certain terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmember Miller on September 18, 2008.) (Sarah Chiu)

12. Bill No. 080643 – An Ordinance amending Section 2 of an Ordinance (Bill No. 040569) approved July 1, 2004 entitled “An Ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 205 in the vicinity of Fairhill Street and Annsbury Street; under certain terms and conditions” by extending the period for compliance with the terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmember Sanchez on
September 18, 2008.) (Sarah Chiu)

13. Bill No. 080635 – An Ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 34-S in the area south of Oregon Avenue and west of Christopher Columbus Boulevard by striking from the City Plan and abandoning a portion of a right-of-way for drainage purposes reserved within the lines of former Bigler Street and placing on the City Plan a right-of-way for drainage purposes in
an alternate location laying north of former Bigler Street, and authorizing acceptance of the grant of such right-of-way to the City all under certain terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmember Tasco for Council President Verna on September 18, 2008.) (Martine DeCamp)

14. Bill No. 080631 – An Ordinance authorizing the grant to the City of right-of-way for gas main purposes within the lines of former Stevenson Street, southeast of Frankford Avenue, and the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 323 by placing on the City Plan the right-of-way; under certain terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmembers Krajewski and O?Neill on September 18,
2008.) (Martine DeCamp)

15. Bill No. 080644 – An Ordinance authorizing the revision of lines and grades on a portion of City Plan No. 158 by striking from the City Plan and abandoning a certain right-of-way for drainage purposes, which extends southeastwardly from the easterly side of “B” Street to the northerly side of Tioga Street under certain terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmember Quiñones-Sánchez on September 18, 2008.)
(Martine DeCamp)

16. Bill No. 080725 – Authorizes the revision of lines and grades by striking and vacating Cleveland Street from Girard Avenue to Stiles Street. (Introduced by Councilman Clarke on September 25, 2008.) (Michelle Webb) Items in Accord with Previous Policy:

17. Bill No. 080636 – Authorizes the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development, notwithstanding any contrary requirements of the Philadelphia Industrial and Commercial Development Agreement between the City, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and PAID, to convey fee simple title to a certain property located in the vicinity of 61st Street and Eastwick Avenue to the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority for a total consideration of One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00) under certain terms and conditions. (Introduced by Councilmember Tasco for Council President Verna on September 18, 2008.) (Michelle Webb – Previous PCPC August 19, 2008)

18. Bill No. 080632 – A Zoning change Bill for the area bounded by Thompson Street, Juniata Street, Salmon Street, Berkshire Street, Richmond Street, and the Betsy Ross Bridge Approach. (Martin Gregorski – Previous PCPC May 31, 2005)

19. Bill No. 080653 – An Ordinance  placing on the City Plan an extension of Mount Vernon Street from Percy Street to 10th Street. (Sarah Chiu – Previous PCPC July 17, 2002)

21. Bill No. 080625 – An Ordinance Striking and Vacating 30th Street from Walnut Street (lower level) to a dead end. (Bill Erickson – Previous PCPC June 17, 2008)

22.  Bill No. 080628 – An Ordinance placing and revising  rights of ways  for municipal and public utility purposes within an area bounded by Market Street, former 32nd Street, Chestnut Street, and 33rd Street to allow Drexel University to build the Integrated Science Building. (Bill Erickson – Previous PCPC June 17, 2008)

23. Bill No. 080629 – An Ordinance extending the time for (Bill No. 060730) “An Ordinance placing on the City Plan Delaware Avenue from Hellerman Street to Magee Avenue and by placing Magee Avenue from Delaware Avenue to New State Road.” (Bill Erickson – Previous PCPC
September 19, 2006)

==================================
Philadelphia City Planning Commission
One Parkway, 13th Floor
1515 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1583

Voice:    215.683.4615
Fax:       215.683.4630
E-Mail:   info@philaplanning.org
Web:      www.philaplanning.org
==================================

 
 
Posted by Matt Golas. Contact him at mgolas@design.upenn.edu