FNA Zoning Committee Meeting: 1339 Berks Street

Are we defining Fishtown as all of 19125? As in New Kensington area applies too?

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that for zoning meetings like this "Fishtown" is defined as those living within FNA borders.

Dan is correct. From the zoning site:
*Fishtown boundaries, as defined by the FNA, are Delaware River to Laurel, Laurel 
to Front, Front to Norris, Norris to Trenton, Trenton to Frankford, Frankford to York,
and York to the Delaware River, including both sides of boundary streets.

Thanks!

Just did some serious Google mapping to help with my lack of any sense of direction lol...So, if I did this right, and I'm on Letterly St, between Trenton and Sepviva, that does not count as within the boundaries, correct?

No part of Letterly St is in FNA. You're south of Trenton Ave on Letterly so you are in ORCA.

BUMP -- tonight!

does anyone have a video of some of the "performances" that were given at this meeting? wasn't there myself, but from what I heard, it was......memorable.

I've heard this as well. Even a well-written description would be welcome!

Oh?

I was there. I really felt bad for the 2 guys who were trying to have this 2 family home built. They met with an angry mob.

Even BEFORE that proposal got started, one of the Berks block residents caused a scene. She arrived late, with another woman, and was signing in while the owners of Little Baby's IC was giving his presentation. She was speaking VERY loudly to the girl at sign-in. It went on for maybe a minute, you could not hear what the poor guy was saying. Someone from the audience said, "could you please keep it down?" oh my, she WENT OFF. "OK, I'll keep it down for YOU! How's that? I'll keep it down JUST FOR YOU!! How's that?!" The guy said ,"Not for me, but for everybody in the room." She yelled the same stuff at him AGAIN, then called him a D**K! It was unbelievable.

Basically, for the next hour it was a bunch of older Fishtown women making arses of themselves. Picture the panelists on a Jerry Springer show, eveybody screaming, stuff that wasn't relevant to the proposal we were voting on, eveybody was uninformed, trying to catch them in some legal loophole.
Everybody was saying, "This ain't Center City!"

I was actually having a good time, until one woman said (to her elderly mother, but we all heard it) "Why can't it just be a nice Fishtown boy?)

That's when I realized I didn't care WHAT they were building at that point, a giant house made of FECES, and I would vote for it. So sick of that.

I left soon after, didn't bother to wait around for the vote to be counted. I'm sure it didn't pass. Probably for the best. I surely wouldn't want to be neighbors with those shrew-like "ladies".

why should neighbors be happy about a 2 family house mid-block on a single family lot. They're right. It's not center city. They may not be as articulate or educated but the 2-family on single lot is just a way for builders of spec rental properties to eek more $$ out of the lot. They don't care about the long term health of a block or neighborhood. The developers bought a lot that is zoned 1 family, if they cant afford to build that and make money they paid too much, Multi family rental apts are an important part of the mix but they should be built thoughtfully and go where they make sense not just where it benefits a builder.

Awww man I'm sorry I missed this week now. Last week was so quiet!

Anyone know the final vote count?

Somehow I bet I'd recognize some of those older women who oppose everything.

The old adage is "It's not just what you say, but how you say it." It never occurred to me until right now, but that means different things to different people.

To some people it means, "Unless you speak respectfully to your audience, you will not be heard." To others it means, "Unless you are loud and confrontational, you will not be heard."

I don't mind opposing a project because it's not good for the neighborhood (ie rentals, multi-unit buildings on properties that are too small, absentee landlords, etc etc). But if the real reason for opposing was because the owner was not a lifelong Fishtowner, that's not cool.

LOL!

I don't think multifamily is bad, but if it's done super cheaply and not set to age well, it becomes a drag on the neighborhood later. Single family works fine around here and it's profitable. If you can't make it work then you're doing something wrong.