Just to be clear, the FNA and its zoning committee do not determine whether or not the community will support proposed development projects. They advertise and facilitate developer presentations. All eligible residents (i.e., for small projects those within 500 ft, for large commercial projects, anyone within the boudaries of Fishtown) can attend and vote. Membership in the FNA is not required.

It is true that the zoning committee prefers to schedule community meetings after it makes sure the developer is prepared to present (e.g., plans in order, practical concerns such as deliveries/trash/traffic addressed)...why waste peoples' time? However, the FNA's input to the ZBA ultimately reflects the vote of those who attend the meeting.

As a former member of the FNA's zoning committee, I just wanted to clarify the process in our neighborhood. Thanks!

I went to the FNA meeting tonight and it was packed. Was anyone else there?

I didn't stay for the final vote, but wow the owners were thrown into the fire. The meeting was a waste of everyone's time IMO.

I was there for the zoning meeting last night. That was so ridiculous. The guy shot himself in the foot when he got frustrated and said "Well why don't we just sell the land to the casinos then!"

OMG that place went nuts when he said that.....it was more of an entertainment session than a zoning meeting.

There doesn't need to be a hotel there, and especially not a hotel with a 4 story parking garage on the bottom....who the hell that lives on berks street wants to come out of their very nice rowhouses and look at a 4 story parking garage..geez!

It would just end up being a hooker hotel anyway. Where do you think all of the hookers from the casinos would end up going for a room? Sugarhouse will be right around the corner.

Another persons comment at the meeting struck home too...the question was "Why would we let you build a hotel when you can't even maintain the state of your current property!" (referencing the beer city/dunkin donuts there right now)

That will never be a hotel....thank god. I went into the meeting with an open mind..but after that display....they don't deserve to build anything there.

Yeah!

Let's keep Fishtown the same rowhome dump everyone snickers about except the yuppies who move there and think it's going to be Rittenhouse and the long time residents who also think it's the best place on earth because they think Jersey's far and a great vacation!

Screw growth!

__________________
It's too tall..! it ruins the feel of the city..! It casts massive shadows..! It's an architectural nightmare..! We should stand together and fight this monstrosity that threatens our homes..! ...but amazingly no one tore down the Eiffel Tower.

or.. why we shouldn't always listen to "neighborhood groups" and critics.

Brooke...wait until there's more development and you gain new membership becuase people want to oppose construction of something.


I do go to these things.

Most of them turn into a very typical thing.

Only those opposed to growth start to run it.


They move to a city for a city then want their immediate city to act like a suburb.

Or as Society Hill's NIMBY association said.. "We have a village in a city here we are trying to protect"

Then move to a village.

__________________
It's too tall..! it ruins the feel of the city..! It casts massive shadows..! It's an architectural nightmare..! We should stand together and fight this monstrosity that threatens our homes..! ...but amazingly no one tore down the Eiffel Tower.

or.. why we shouldn't always listen to "neighborhood groups" and critics.

just because one is opposed to this absurd plan does not mean they prefer a stagnant, close-minded neighborhood. i would vote YES for a tasteful, boutique-y hotel slightly over 45 feet. but a 17 story DAYS INN? how tacky that is.

for those of you who did not attend the meeting, Raj and family would run the hotel franchise. sometimes this guy cannot even find my drycleaned items in that dingy store; suddenly he can run a hotel? the hotel representative even admitted that the most they can do to prevent lowlifes from renting rooms by the hour is "frowning upon" it. great buddy. while you are sitting in your plush Wyndum office sending blackberry messages we'll be be staring at hookers shopping for beer & donuts. not like this will ever happen... just wanted to vent.

__________________
ciao!

I'm all about growth. I want new development. But don't comment on this project unless you were at that FNA meeting and saw how incredibly absurd it was. You just have no idea... The room was filled with over 200 people...all of them were a mix of lifetime residents and newcomers. We all thought it was a terrible idea.

This isn't center city where you have tall hotel towers next to single family homes. This is a family neighborhood, and outsiders can snicker all they want. We live here. We enjoy living here. We're the homeowners, and we DESERVE a say in what we have to live with.

OMG! You're sooo right! Fishtown does stymie all development.

Except for Rag Flats.

And Berks Hewson.

And Jackhammer.

And Thompson Triplets.

And Dickens Square.

And St. Mary's Hospital.

And the Memphis Flats warehouse conversion overlooking Palmer Cemetery.

And the warehouse conversion along 1039-1055 Frankford Ave.

And multiple new houses on Crease St.

And mulitple new houses on Wildey St.

and multiple new townhouses 'in a gated cul-de-sac community' on Tilton St.

And the candy company conversion on Columbia (that's a lot of C's!)

And multiple new houses along Thompson and Moyer Sts.

And the multiple new houses along Thompson and Webb Sts.

And the new Wawa, and the new bank, and the new bike shop, and the new auto parts store, and the new drug store, and Johnny Brenda's multiple expansions, and the new restaurant, and the other new restaurant, and the other new restaurants...


But other than that, WE DON'T LET NOBODY BUILD NUTHIN' ROUND HERE!

__________________
OMG Becky, look at her blog...

Thank you so much Lutton. That was awesome how you pointed all of those things out. Fishtown's streets are clean and look great, and we all take lots of pride in the way our neighborhood is being shaped.

And you know what......

All of you people living in the northeast or wherever the hell you are and look down on Fishtown and bash us for not wanting some monstrosity of a hotel that would be a terrible eyesore and make the surrounding residents' lives hell, bug off! You have NO INFORMATION OR SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT THE PROJECT! Stick to your own community and don't worry about ours!

Oh, and by the way, we don't want Rittenhouse here...I would move if that happened. And how dare you call this place a dump. My family has been here for 3 generations and we love this place. It has a hell of a lot more character and sense of community than the (not so) "great" northeast. Have a nice day.