Rainy year, PHA auction draws hundreds, concerns over Magarity redevelopment, historic Shane’s reopens in Old City

Good morning, Philly. It’s a chilly and damp fall day, and it’s only going to get cooler as the day goes along. Yesterday Philly recorded its rainiest year on record, with 56.76 inches of rain, NewsWorks reports. More today, so don’t forget your umbrella.

Yesterday the Philadelphia Housing Authority auctioned of vacant, surplus properties, and hundreds of people turned out to bid, the Inquirer reports. This auction was largely geared at moving groups of properties, and was therefore geared toward developers, a move that upset residents in North Philly neighborhoods hoping to bid on an individual property at auction. Another PHA auction in December will focus on individual parcels.

The Planning Commission’s support for a major mixed-use development in Chestnut Hill is on hold, due to concerns about spot-zoning, density, height, and the effect of adding retail spaces while there are so many storefront vacancies on Germantown Avenue. Bowman Properties proposed the redevelopment of the Magarity Ford property at 8200 Germantown Avenue, and Amy Z. Quinn is following the story for NewsWorks/PlanPhilly.

Shane Confectionery, an Old City candy institution, reopens late this month with Franklin Fountain’s Berley brothers at the helm. The Berleys gave PlanPhilly’s Kellie Patrick Gates a peek behind the storefront in advance of the opening. Tease your sweet tooth by watching the videos.

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