Zoning: Fountain Street Auto Project Approved

Two Roxborough zoning applications, without objections from neighbors, were approved by the Philadelphia Zoning Adjustment Board over the past few weeks.

Fountain Street Auto Service received permission to renovate its 506 Fountain St. facility Oct. 17, and property owners at 4134 Manyaunk Ave. will convert a storefront to a residence.

In June, the auto repair garage at the corner of Fountain Street and Ridge Avenue earned community support from the Ridge Park Civic Association to divide lots and pave over part of its property in an effort to create more off-street parking spaces.

"We know in that area all the cars can jam it up on Fountain Street. This will get our employees' cars out of the hair of neighbors," Brian Bishara said June 7.

The ZBA granted permission for Fountain Street auto to build a retaining wall and add seven parking spaces for storage. Bishara previously said the move was to functionally use the property better and did not intend to keep cars at the garage long-term.

In September, the Manayunk Neighbor Council cast a vote of nonopposition for a project at 4134 Manyaunk Ave.

Owners Edward and Chris Topolewski said the first-floor was not suited as a commercial space and sought a zoning variance to make it a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit.

"To confirm with the neighborhood, we want to have it as a residential property. It's a tough location to make into a successful commercial business," Chris Topolewski said Sept. 5.

Traditionally, the civic association doesn't support projects that add rental units to the area, so it more-or-less said it wouldn't stand in the developer's way.

Located at Manayunk and Jamestown streets, the building now becomes a two-family dwelling. Already on the property, an upstairs and rear-building residence existed.

The ZBA granted approval for that project Oct. 10.