Philadelphia zoning group seeks more time

The group assigned to reform the city's zoning code wants a two-year extension on recommendations to improve the outdated law.

The Zoning Code Commission was created last year, and tasked with simplifying the zoning code and planning process while promoting sensible development and preserving neighborhoods.

It met for the first time in August, and was given a June 30 deadline to report to City Council. Council must approve zoning code changes and any extension of the deadline. Council's approval of the extension is expected.

The original deadline, by all accounts, was ambitious, intended primarily to create a sense of urgency, said Brian Abernathy, legislative aide to City Councilman Frank DiCicco, whose legislation set up the timetable.

City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke was not surprised. "I thought it was unrealistic to expect, given the complex nature of it, to have a plan in place in a year," Clarke said.

Mayor Nutter is also comfortable with the work done to date, said spokesman Doug Oliver. The Planning Commission's acting executive director, Gary Jastrzab, agreed.

"It's probably not a good idea to rush," said Jastrzab, who chairs the commission. "This is a very complicated subject that will really affect the growth and development of the city for many years to come."

But after the commission voted Wednesday to request a two-year extension and to hire an executive director, one of its new members questioned the pace of its activity.

"Since August, they haven't done one thing that begins the process of getting things done other than educating members," said City Councilman Bill Green, a commission member appointed in January.

While the process is expected to take years, Green said nothing will happen until the commission hires an executive director, which it was authorized to do from Day One but has not yet done.

The commission is waiting for the Nutter administration to submit a list of candidates. Kelsen said he hoped to have candidates to consider by next month.

Other commission members said the extension was inevitable.

The commission was hamstrung from the beginning. The commission had no funding before December, said Jastrzab.

Mayor John F. Street, who had five appointees to the 31-member body, did not make any appointments until the last weeks of his administration, and Mayor Nutter quickly replaced them when he took office. In addition, the board's chairwoman, Janice Woodcock, former executive director of the Planning Commission, was not reappointed by Nutter.

Commission member Peter Kelsen said the commission had brought members up to speed on the issues during its first 11 meetings. "I don't think we wasted any time," he said. "In fact, this was a great initial process to allow us to get data and info that's going to be helpful going forward."

Green said the commission was budgeted for only $250,000 a year but will need at least $1.5 million annually to do its job properly. Without the money, he said, the commission should be disbanded.