7/22/2009 6:00:00 PM EDITORIAL/Case for a strong zoning board
Public support for historic preservation has waned in Philadelphia, so it came as no surprise when the Mayor and Board of Aldermen last month granted a variance allowing an antiques shop to operate in the historic district.
The homeowner who lives across the street wisely urged aldermen at a subsequent meeting to come up with a better procedure than word-of-mouth when granting such zoning variances, saying his opinion had been misrepresented when it was relayed to officials during a public meeting at which he wasn't present.
The approval was rather slipshod because there was no formal notice to anyone.
Granting such a variance circumvents the purpose of having a zoning ordinance in the first place and sets a dangerous precedent, raising all sorts of questions.
Hopefully, the new administration will take zoning and historic preservation more seriously, and there is evidence Mayor James Young will.
Granting a commercial variance to operate in a residential area anywhere in the city should raise an eyebrow, but in the historic district particularly.
Young voiced support for more detailed written procedures and guidelines when considering variances.
Some cities are more strict than others, but there should be a more formal process to protect homeowners here.
"The key to this is I like to keep things simple," Young said at the meeting in response to the homeowner's complaint. "I want to read them in black and white as they apply to everyone involved. Written guidelines clear up a lot of matters. That will be one of the items we will be working on."
Written guidelines are a good thing. And applying the same rules to everyone is key once the rules are established.
What Philadelphia really needs is a zoning board that at least attempts to remove politics from zoning decisions.
The Historic Preservation Commission should function in the same way.
Rather than abandoning those charged with protecting the city's heritage and character, elected officials should stand behind them and resist the strong-arming.
Heritage tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. and our historic resources can play an important role in attracting new industry, residents and visitors.
Good zoning regulations protect property values and that's why people flock to areas like Madison where real estate values have soared the last 30 years.
The public library, DeWeese Park, the historic homes that remain here, our churches are all evidence of a more refined era when things were done the proper way in Philadelphia, not like a redneck riviera where anything goes.
