CHCA Gets More Time to Consider Bowman Proposal

The development of has gone before the Philadelphia Planning Commission and been tabled, giving the Chestnut Hill Community Association more time to consider the

At a Nov. 15 Planning Commission meeting, Joyce Lenhardt spoke on behalf of the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee (LUPZ) about the concerns the CHCA has with the proposal.

Lenhardt updated the Development Review Committee Tuesday night on her testimony.

“The proposed R10B zoning allows for a much taller, 50-foot building versus R5, which would allow 35 feet, and a five-story building versus R5, which would only permit three stories, and there is no precedent for five stories,” Lenhardt said.

“When we started this process it was a five-story building. The committee recommended reducing to four; it has since increased to six.”

The proposal has been tabled for 30 days- Lenhardt said the committee had hoped for more- giving the CHCA committee process additional time to work with Bowman.

Lenhardt is on a subcommittee that is dealing with the proposed development, which will make a recommendation to LUPZ by its Dec. 1 meeting. From there it will go back to the Development Review Committee, which will make a recommendation for a special meeting of the board of the CHCA.

The CHCA does not have a regularly scheduled meeting in December, so a special meeting, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 14, is required to address the issue under time constraints. Lenhardt added that there is a consideration to move the meeting up, so that the Community Association can vote on the proposal before the next City Planning Commission meeting on Dec. 13.