Zoning Changes Likely for Roxborough

Two members of the Philadelphia Planning Commission met with the Central Roxborough Civic Association on Thursday to discuss a possible rezoning of an area bordered by Ridge Avenue, Monastery Street, Manayunk Avenue and Leverington Avenue.

“There’s a lot of flexibility under the current zoning map,” said Paula Brumbelow who works for the planning commission.  “We want to look for areas where we can protect the density.”

Reidents of central Roxborough approached the planning commission after several historic homes were demolished to make way for tighter development on the lots.

“These demolitions were done by right,” said Northwest Community Planner Matt Wysong.  “There are a lot of mismatches in the zoning.”

Wysong added, “What you usually get is an old home on a large lot.  A developer will buy a property, and then demolish the home and subdivide the lot.  We’re hoping to fix the zoning so that can’t happen.”

Brumbelow said that the new zoning map would preserve what currently exists in the neighborhood.

“We want to reflect what’s already there in the neighborhood,” Brumbelow said.

She went on to say that a lot of buildings in Roxborough were built before the zoning code was put in place. 

For example, there may be a string of row homes on a block that were constructed before the zoning code that many years later were zoned for twin-family homes.

A developer would be allowed to buy the row home or homes, knock them down and put a twin-family home on the block completely out of character with the rest of the block.

Brumbelow and Wysong both said that they want to move fast on this new zoning map, and that they want to have city council vote on a bill by November.

“We’re looking at six months from today,” Brumbelow said.  “There hasn’t been a rezoning in Roxborough since the '70s.”

Brumbelow said, “But we need the community’s support.  I could never get 100 percent of the community’s support, but I’m hoping for 85 percent.”