Philadelphia zoning-code update on hold for now

Watershed decisions on modernizing the city's zoning code will wait until the fall, as City Council on Wednesday tabled further action on a plan proposed by the city's Zoning Code Commission.

The commission, formed after approval in a 2007 referendum, has worked since then on a consensus to update the city's antiquated and confusing regulations.

Last month, the 29-member commission finally approved its draft proposal for Council - a streamlined 384-page code, compared with the 650-page existing code.

A new zoning code is a central piece of Mayor Nutter's platform, meant to simplify the building and permitting process and create sensible, predictable zoning.

"The system is so broken that there is virtually no expectation on the part of residents or developers that the zoning code can support a predictable development process," said Alan Greenberger, deputy mayor for economic development and chairman of the commission.

The City Charter required Council to hold a hearing within 45 days of the commission's action, and it did just that on Wednesday, taking testimony from developers, architects, neighborhood groups, and city planning officials.

But Council is weighed down with pressing questions about its budget and funding for the Philadelphia School District. In a predetermined move, after three hours of testimony, the Committee of the Whole recessed until a to-be-determined date in the fall.

Some members of the Zoning Code Commission have cautioned that delay could derail changes. But this week, community groups and Nutter administration officials said the end of the year was a more realistic deadline.

Councilmen Brian J. O'Neill and Bill Green have questioned aspects of the plan, particularly how it would be rolled out in neighborhoods. Council members currently have great say on development because the code almost always requires variances or zoning changes for major projects. The new zoning code would reduce their role.

On Wednesday, some neighborhood groups expressed concern that the code did not adequately protect the character and history of neighborhoods. Others called the code a significant step forward that would attract developers currently unwilling to navigate the city's process.