Design Review Board

[palvar]

Heavy handed government intervention in Philadelphia development is what brought us Cherry Hill suburbs at 7th and Fairmount.

[Bump]

Originally Posted by bvan

This, from an Inga article...."...The city could establish a design-review committee for each big project, with seats reserved for neighborhood residents and the district Council representative. ...""

If this model is accepted who would not think that such an agency is just another slice of heaven for NIMBYs or bureaucracy? Sorry, can't buy into it yet.

[sMichael]

Originally Posted by zur

and these incentives come from what magic source of money?

(hint...rhymes with axes)

And those mandates come from what source of money?
(Hint: also rhymes with axes).

What about the funding source that rhymes with ponds?

[bvan]

ZUR!!
Q: Do yo know you are supporting my argument?

Altman has said he is FOR design review.

I agree, he is good. He know reality. That is what I stated in this post. Basically, we are going to see what real urban planning is all about once this guy gets rolling. If he says design review. I am sold. Just like that.

Because, he is a knowledgable professional. Not a bureaucrat. Well, okay, maybe he is technically a bureaucrat now. But he is a trained design professional.

Originally Posted by zur

" Some of the more popular ideas to reform development in Philadelphia, he said, may end up driving developers away.
That’s because reforms like mandatory green building requirements and inclusionary zoning (mandatory affordable housing) add to the cost of projects. While high-rent markets like New York City can bear the cost of these reforms, adding the same costs in Philly’s low-margin market could make it an impossible place to build.
“With green building, there’s a cost. With inclusionary zoning, there’s a cost,” Altman said. “Someone’s paying for these things. You can say it’s the developers, but we all know they’ll pass that on.
“New York can afford their appetite for these reforms,” he continued. “In Philadelphia, we have to look at how we can balance our social and environmental objectives with the economic situation … You don’t want to look back in two years and say ‘Gee, I wonder why we’re not seeing any development in the neighborhoods?’”
ZCC member John Westrum, one of the only developers to tackle large-scale residential projects in the city, voiced his agreement in almost anguished tones.
“Philadelphia is the most difficult, the most expensive, and the least profitable city in the top 5 or 10 cities in the country,” Westrum told the commission. “So many people are passionate about investing in the city of Philadelphia. Problem is, every time they do they get burned.”"



Altman - Knows Reality

[zur]

I'm never just flatly against anything.

Or personally against poster here.


I am against Neighborhood groups with no professional experience making death decisions for projects.

I am against local pols killing city beneficial projects to be re-elected by loud small minorities (not racial groups) of angry yuppies or old people (CasiNO and DiCicco....and Fox Chase Cancer Center and Sen. Oneil)

Or local pols demanding bribes in the name of "community packages" which the tout around as "they won" to move projects along.


Altman.. like him so far.