Philly councilman scraps rezoning measure for Eastwick development
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<p>'Seeing our Voices, Signs of Germantown,' created in 2008, celebrates the deaf and hearing community in the neighborrhood. It features various sign language positions and their corresponding words. (Lou Mancinelli/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>'The Wister Eagles Dream Yard' at the John Wister Elementary School in Germantown was a project that involved the Philadelphia Eagles. (Lou Mancinelli/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Residents rode a trolley en route to seeing about two dozens murals in Northwest Philadelphia. (Lou Mancinelli/for NewsWorks)</p>
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<p>Participants check out the recently dedicated "Wissahickon Crossing" mural by Ann Northrup, painted on side of Bredenbeck's Bakery in Chestnut Hill. (Lou Mancinelli/for NewsWorks)</p>
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The land between 86th Street and the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is zoned single-family residential, but Korman has proposed a 722-unit apartment complex. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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The land between 86th Street and the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is zoned single-family residential, but Korman has proposed a 722-unit apartment complex. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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The land between 86th Street and the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge is zoned single-family residential, but Korman has proposed a 722-unit apartment complex. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Residents of the neighborhood where a 722-unit apartment building is proposed have objected on the grounds that it would increase flooding in the area. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
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Korman Residential has plans to build a 722-unit apartment complex in Eastwick near near John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, but existing zoning allows for single-family housing only. (Emma Lee/for NewsWorks)
Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson plans to pull a measure that would have allowed hundreds of apartments to be built in the Eastwick section of Philadelphia.
The 722-unit apartment complex proposed by the developer Korman Residential faced stiff opposition from neighbors, including Terry Williams who said he was “ecstatic” when he heard the news.
“The withdrawing of the rezoning bill certainly was a very important step for our community,” Williams said. “However, there are a number of issues that Eastwick has to deal with.”
Williams and other community members worry more development in the area would exacerbate existing problems with flooding. They packed two City Council meetings to testify against the development that was planned for an area near the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.
“The community consistently came out,” Johnson said, “and pretty much expressed their opposition to the project. Didn’t have any community support there speaking in favor of the project. That’s something I had to pay attention to.”
A lawyer for Korman said they have not gotten official word that the rezoning bill is off the table.
The parcel is currently zoned for single-family homes, but company officials say that kind of building isn’t viable, and they will continue to work with the community to come up with a mutually agreeable development plan.
The city of Philadelphia agreed to back the development in a multimillion-dollar court settlement that gave the city extra land for airport development.
It is unclear what impact the zoning bill recall will have on that settlement.
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