CDAG refines comments for master planners; decides to take meetings on the road

Members of the Central Delaware Advocacy Group continued to refine their comments, questions and concerns on the in-the-works Master Plan for the Central Delaware at their Thursday meeting.

At a Feb. 4 meeting, CDAG Chairman Steve Weixler said that he would compile member comments and concerns into a document that would be forwarded to those working on the master plan at the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. But Weixler said it was later decided that all CDAG members should approve any document before it was sent on to DRWC, and that it was not something he should do on his own.

Thursday’s discussion further refined comments from the previous meeting. Members had expressed concern about what types of businesses would operate in areas the planners have pegged for light industrial use. CDAG decided Thursday to include with their comments for DRWC a list of uses that Philadelphia zoning rules allow in light industrial areas, and to ask DRWC to specifically say which of these uses the master plan will call for.  Similarly, CDAG members want to make sure that when the master plan calls for “mid-rise” buildings, everyone agrees on a common definition of mid-rise. So they will ask DRWC for specific heights.

CDAG member Mary Stumpf, who is also a member of Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront or NABR, led the earlier discussion by going over a matrix of questions, comments and concerns from NABR and CDAG members and their constituents. The questions and comments that remain outstanding were then synthesized into a shorter summary, and Stumpf and CDAG member Joe Schiavo agreed to update the summary with the latest discussion points. It is this summary that will be given to DRWC, in preparation for two upcoming workshops between CDAG and DRWC.

After these workshops, which will not be open to the public, CDAG members feel they will be better able to advocate for the master plan – and also to push for any changes they feel should be made.

CDAG members also voted to hold some of its monthly meetings at night and in different locations so that more members of the public might participate, and also so CDAG members, who represent waterfront neighborhoods and organizations, can get to better know the entire swath of the Central Delaware.

Meetings will continue to be held on the second Thursday of each month, but will alternate between the usual time and place – 8 am at the Society Hill Towers Community Room – and a 6 p.m. start in another community. March’s meeting will be held in Pennsport, at a location to be determined.

Meeting times and locales, along with other CDAG news, can be found at the website.