Nutter to veto Callowhill spot-zoning, union contract for Silverliner assembly, investment in Hunting Park, Sheppard Elementary anchors

Mayor Nutter calls spot zoning, and promises to veto the City Council’s bill to allow advertisements to wrap a building at 7th and Willow. The Daily News reports that the bill could also jeopardize federal highway funding because it violates the Highway Beautification Act by placing ads within 660 feet of the Vine Street Expressway. Outgoing Councilman Frank DiCicco sponsored the spot-zoning bill, which Council passed on December 1.

Workers building SEPTA Silverliner V railcars in South Philly have their first union contract with Hyundai Rotem, the South Korean manufacturer. The Inquirer reports that the 3-year contract stipulates that workers will stay on at the plant after assembling SEPTA’s 117 new Silverliners to work on railcars for Boston and Denver.

Hunting Park is a neighborhood on the rise, reports Flying Kite, thanks to millions of dollars invested in the neighborhood and its residents. Change is coming at the hands of faith-based groups committed to social change, arts-based development, a new health center, and the revitalization of Hunting Park itself.

What will West Kensington lose if the 114-year old Isaac Sheppard Elementary School closes as part of the School District’s facilities master plan? Benjamin Herold shares a day in the life of Sheppard for The Public School Notebook and NewsWorks, finding an intimate learning atmosphere and a positive institution that helps anchor a community burdened by major drug trade.

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest.