Philadelphia Zoning Concerns Highlight Need For Revision

"As the city welcomes back badly needed development - at a scale and intensity that has not been seen in decades - discontent, dispiritedness and accusations of political impropriety are everywhere. Yet the development community - those who must regularly deal with zoning - are equally dissatisfied. A recent report by the Building Industry Associuation of Philadelphia says that the city's zoning is 'cumbersome and difficult to use.' It claims the 47-year-old code has driven up the cost of development and that it is nearly impossible to build modern housing in the city without a variance."

"Last week, City Council took concrete steps to address this situation. It unanimously approved a measure sponsored by Councilman Frank DiCicco that will place a referendum on the May ballot on whether to create a Philadelphia Zoning Commission. If approved, the commission would be charged with rewriting the 600-plus-page code and redrawing all the maps that go with it."