September 26: City Controller subpoenas L&I | South Philly roof collapse | Crum Creek bridge repairs, closure | Society Hill neighbors protest development | Bike Coalition reminders | How community groups communicate

Hello Streeters! 

In the continued struggle between City Controller Alan Butkovitz and the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Butkovitz issued a subpoena for five years’ worth of city demolition records. Butkovitz charged the Nutter administration with trying to undermine his audit of city demolition practices. In return, the Nutter administration accused Butkovitz of grandstanding to benefit his reelection bid in November and a possible campaign for mayor in 2015. 

The roof of a vacant home collapsed on the 1900 block of Morris Street Wednesday, and while no one was injured in the collapse, officials evacuated residents from the three surrounding homes. This happened just days after several residents were evacuated from two homes next to a recently demolished building because those adjacent homes, on the 1900 block of Carpenter Street, showed signs of pending collapse. 

SEPTA will close the Media/Elwyn line’s Crum Creek bridge for repairs this Sunday and next, reports the Delaware County Daily Times. SEPTA will shuttle passengers by bus from Morton Station to Swathmore, Wallingford, Moylan-Rose Valley and Elwyn stations from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Sundays. Inspections over the past two weekends revealed that the 100-foot high, nearly 1,000-foot long Crum Creek bridge is “a very tired structure,” SEPTA’s Deputy General Manager Jeff Knueppel said. SEPTA will repair corrosion and cracks in the steel structure and spend an estimated $100,000 doing so. 

About 60 neighbors and parishioners protested against a new development on a parking lot that faces the Romanesque Revival Mother Bethel AME Church (1889) in Society Hill, reported PlanPhilly‘s Joann Greco. The neighbors and parishioners oppose the proposed four-story, six-unit apartment complex on the grounds that it is incompatible with the neighborhood and historic church. 

Two reminders from the Bicycle Coalition: The Ben Franklin  Bridge walkway resumes winter hours on Oct. 1, meaning that until May 1, the bridge will close at 8 p.m. rather than 9 p.m., and the city is still looking for property owners, businesses and institutions interested in hosting or sponsoring a bike share station. The deadline for expressing nonbonding interest is Oct. 7. 

Generocity explores how community groups are getting the news out about the “countless small developments that affect our lives and neighborhoods,” things like road closings and zoning hearings. According to the report, Newbold Neighbors Association has found success with Facebook. The New Kensington CDC uses a printed newsletter, flyers, newspaper ads and a website to reach its diverse constituents, and West Rockland Street Project has gained attention for its blog and Instagram accounts. 

The Buzz is Eyes on the Street’s morning news digest. Have a tip? Send it along.
Follow us on Twitter @EOTSPhilly | Like us on Facebook | Share your Philly photos in our Flickr Group