Council overrides Nutter's veto of Finnigan's Wake expansion

This post has been updated:

Despite community opposition City Council voted unanimously to override Mayor Nutter's veto of a bill that would have allowed Finnigan's Wake, in Northern Liberties to install balconies along Spring Garden Street, converting much of it to private use.

But the bill's sponsor, Councilman Mark Squilla said the decision to override was more about making a statement to Nutter that he shouldn't be involved.

"This is more or less procedural. It has nothing to do with the subject matter." The day Council received notice of Nutter's veto Squilla said, "As a district Council person you usually feel that your dealings within the community and your business within the district are sort of in a way are up to the Council person and not the Mayor as a whole."

Squilla said he explained that to the Northern Liberties Neighbors Assocation and added that the project won't happen until there is a resolution.

"It's a matter of principle. I understand that," said Matt Ruben, president of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association, pointing to the issue of Councilmanic prerogative. "I don't think it should be more important than the issue here."

Ruben said residents are upset, but for now they can only hold the Councilman to his word. "Those promises are all we have now that the law has actually been passed," he said.

Nutter had said in a veto notice to Council that the city should not convert a "public-right-of-way to a primarily private use in the face of opposition of the community resident association that represents the neighborhood most affected by the proposal."