4 weeklypress.com • ucreview.com • January 23, 2013 continued from page 1


(ZBA), Laren would convert one and half apartments in his building on 43rd


Bakery and


Spruce Streets to make way for Chen’s bakery. When open, Chen’s bakery would provide both Chinese and traditional pastries as well as breakfast items to resi- dents in a café-like setting. Chen’s bakery would also fill orders for larger events and functions. In addition, the bakery would also add


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to the street’s success as a micro business corridor on 44th


between Locust and


Spruce Streets. That ex- plains why nearby owners at Lil Pop Shop, Tom’s Taco House, Tampopo and Lo- cal 44 attended last week’s meeting. “They think it will help compliment their busi- nesses,” Laren relayed dur- ing a follow-up interview from a table at Local 44 last Friday afternoon. According to Laren, most of the people who attended last week’s meeting ex- pressed support for the bak- ery. But that doesn’t mean the proposal didn’t spark any concerns. They included concerns over the bakery’s signage, its trash collection and over its food deliveries. In response to those con- cerns, Chen and Laren have stated that the signage will blend into the building’s façade as opposed to stick-


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ing out on its side. Trash will be stored and collected from a back alley behind the bakery instead of off Spruce Street. And deliveries will be made on 44th


Street in a


van as opposed to a larger box truck.


In a separate follow-up interview, Al Krigman, a neighbor, stressed his con- cern over the location’s fu- ture use if the bakery were to fail. Because the building would already have zoning for a commercial use, Krig- man worried that another business with a loud or gar- ish design could open an establishment that wouldn’t compliment the surround- ing neighborhood’s esthet- ics. Moreover, Krigman wondered if Chen’s bakery would succeed given the fact that Spruce Hill already has several cafes selling pas- tries.


As Laren explained, Chen has already succeeded as a bakery-owner in Chinatown, which has thirteen other bakeries in the neighbor- hood’s three square block radius, for the last twelve years. Since a lot of Chen’s products will offer Chinese desserts and beverages, like bubble tea, the bakery and café would provide different choices to the neighborhood than traditional cafes. With regard to the property’s future if the bakery closes, Laren said that he reached a proposal that Krigman and other businesses owners agreed with. If the future business at that site was similar to Chen’s bakery or café, it wouldn’t have to go through the ZBA for a new variance. But if the future proposed business was part of a larger organization or franchise, then it would have to go to the ZBA for a


Cedar Park Development Proposal


variance. According to Laren, Chen will go before both the Spruce Hill Zoning Commit-


tee and the ZBA towards the end of February. Stay-tuned to the UC Review for up- dates.


Appeal over the demolition of


400 S. 40th Street continues By Nicole Contosta Staff Reporter


O


n Tuesday, January 15th, 2013, the L&I Review Board heard the second half of Penn’s testimony regarding the fate of 400 S. 40th


St. continued from page 1


the aesthetics of the building, wanting it to fit in with the other architecture along Baltimore Avenue and there were other concerns about the commercial space,” said Steven Danastorg, a partner of Diversified Realty Ventures who said that some residents wanted a larger retail business such as a restaurant on the development in order to attract customers to the area and others, he said opposed this, ex- pressing their concern that another restaurant would bring trash and parking problems.


“It was diverse which I expect, not everyone has the same view of what they think is best for the neighborhood. We just want something that is going to bring a better qual- ity of life to the neighborhood and something that suits them aesthetically. We’re going to try to bring something that they can be proud of as a community,” Danastorg said. He added that being flexible on plans is necessary when- ever a project of this nature is proposed. “That’s the purpose of these meetings. We believe the


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on financial hardship. As officials from the university argued before the Historical Commission last spring, OAP purchased the abandoned and damaged building in 2003. During last spring’s hearing, officials from Penn argued, OAP had con- sidered several plans that would allow it to rehabilitate the mansion while also receiving a return on investment costs by constructing a new building on the same site. One of those plans included a 10-story hotel beside the mansion. The other included building a 7-story housing facility geared towards graduate students. Both proposals were abandoned after meet- ing intense community opposition. Consequently, Penn of- ficials argued that the university could not attract a developer to construct a financially feasible project with the mansion in tact that would also garner the community’s support. If the Historical Commission’s permission to raze the man- sion stands, it could help pave the way for Equinox Proper- ties to develop Azalea Gardens, a six-story building with 122 residential units. Under the agreement Penn reached with the Historical Commission, Equinox will first need to receive the several zoning variances required to construct Azalea Gardens before it can demolish the original building. Opponents of the Historical Commission’s decision would like to see the mansion preserved. They argue the proposed Azalea Gardens project is too dense for the surrounding, low- rise residential neighborhood. Subsequently, opponents hired attorney Paul Boni to file an appeal with the L & I review board challenging Penn’s claim of financial hardship. At last week’s hearing, Penn’s attorney, Matt McClure,


offered the testimony of Jim Hoolehan, Vice President of continued on page 5


Text of letter: continued from page 1


January 22, 2013 Dr. William R. Hite, Jr. Superintendent of Schools 440 N. Broad Street, Suite 301 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130 Dear Superintendent Hite:


The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) was heavily involved in the founding of the Penn Alexander School (PAS), which has since become not only an exemplary public school, but also a powerful stimulus for growth in our community. As reflected in a unanimous resolution adopted by the SHCA Board of Directors on June 14, 2011, our long-standing and continuing position is that all children living in its catchment should be able to attend the Penn Alexander School. We do however recognize that there may be constraints that need to be overcome to resolve the enrollment crunch, and both long- and short- term solutions are needed. We have, for several years, been attempting to be a collaborative partner to effect meaningful change. We and other community members have sought to be part of the discussion on how the enrollment problem can be resolved without jeopardizing the progress we have made as a revitalized community. As you know, on January 18th at approximately 6pm and with no business hours remaining before kindergarten registration was to take place beginning January 22 at 9am, more than 70 community families presenting for registration were suddenly informed that the registration process at Penn Alexander would no longer be on a first-come, first-served basis, and instead would be conducted via lottery. We are extremely disappointed by the manner in which this sudden and last minute change in enrollment policy was undertaken. It is truly shocking that so drastic a policy change was implemented abruptly with apparently no parental or community involvement.


While community involvement is important for every school, it is essential for a neighborhood school that was developed and intends to function as a community partnership. The community must be involved in discussions about solutions to the PAS enrollment problem. We as a board will be reaching out to all the stakeholders including PAS administration, the School Reform Commission, the PSD and the University of Pennsylvania, to continue to pursue mechanisms for an ongoing dialogue. This is an urgent and critical matter for our entire community, and we urge you to collaborate with the community in seeking a resolution.


Sincerely,


Andy Lochrie, President, Spruce Hill Community Association CC: Dr. Amy Gutmann, President, University of Pennsylvania Ms. Sheila Sydnor, Principal, Penn Alexander School Pedro Ramos, Chair, School Reform Commission


See Superintendent ‘s letter onthe on Page 10.


At issue? In May of 2012, the Philadelphia Historical Com- mission gave OAP, a subsidiary of Penn, permission to demol- ish the historically designated mansion at 400 S. 40th


St. based


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