Agreed, as in moderation should be exhibited-especially by limiting discussions to the topic at hand, rather than turning it into an unwarranted symposium on the effects caused by PVC during the manufacturing of vinyl siding.

Um, no. It's also for alterations ... not rehabs, not renovations, but mere "alterations." And who is going to decide what's an "alteration?"

It seems to me that the minute I decide to replace, for example, the lintel over my door because it is rotting, then I need to get someone's permission because I'm "altering" the architectural features of my house's facade. And if I'm "altering" my tiny basement windows by replacing them, does that mean I can't put my currently-existing security bars back on them? Because, quite frankly, while I don't feel the need to have security bars on my primary windows, I'm very insecure about having those basement windows unprotected.

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---Shosh

Great example. A similar example was brought up at a qvna meeting. Someone said "so youre saying that I'd have to go to you(qvna) and the planning com. If I wanted to replace the wood around my windows?", to which they responded yes.

I thought it was equally funny when they showed slides of homes they didnt like, and two hard working qvna members got pissed and left because one Picture was there house.

Make repairs on the weekends when L&I isn't around and don't bother with permits. Unless someone wacky near you has chronological photos of your lintel (in this example), make the repairs you need and ignore the lunacy.

BTW, no matter what anyone might try to tell you, a repair is not an alteration (with an exception for repairs that exceed some percentage of total square footage, which I can't recall the exact percentage -- replacing a lintel or repairing a couple of windows isn't an alteration.

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OMG, that's hysterical!

According to both the Historic Commission and L&I, a repair IS an alteration because it MIGHT alter the facade. I know because I've been through this with windows and I'm now having to get HC approval for an L&I permit to repair/replace a rotted lintel and replace a door.

I've lived in Queen Village since long before it was called Queen Village--when I was a kid, it was just South Philly and sometimes Southwark. There have been so many changes, from the houses and businesses that were destroyed to put in I-95 to the brick-box 'townhouses' and now the garage fronts, that I'm curious about what this bill is really aimed at preserving--building that are historic from the turn of the century maybe--the 20th century that is?

These rules are RIDICULOUS! Who are QVNA and their band of merry men to tell me I can't protect myself and my home by having security bars?!

If I understand it right, if I replace a window that has bars on it now, I can't put the bars back up afterward. Is that true? And if so, are the neighborhood association and our councilman liable if someone breaks into my house?

This is just one small, but ridiculous problem in these overall flawed rules.

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting security bars are ideal, but we do live in a city!

Apparently if DiCicco hears from enough residents who are against them, they won't go through. I know I'll write to him, but unfortunately, I don't know if enough people even know about it.

This whole episode reminds me of the time that the qvna tried to change the direction of Christian Street and the whole neighborhood almost had them tarred and feathered.

I recently got an email from QVNA about the conservation district. In it, they talked about how a mailer was sent out to all of the residents of QV explaining the process, and that it will be going before council shortly....and that UNLESS 51% of RESIDENTS OPPOSE the creation, the district will be APPROVED. NOT 51% of those who respond....51% of those who receive the letter...which is all of QV. So this will happen if people, as people tend to do, ignore it and go about their lives....or never hear about it in the first place.

Now, first of all, how do you write legislation like this....that unless a majority of residents object in writing...that it will pass? Second of all, I never got the mailing, nor did several other residents I spoke too. Third of all, I asked QVNA to send me the mailing again so that I might be able to object....and no surprise they didn't send it! Its hard for anyone to object to something they never read or heard about!

I want NO PARTS of anything that tells me or anyone else what they can or can't do to their house (aside from altering the size or going outside of zoning restrictions. IOW - telling me what my exterior light, windows, paint colors, etc have to look like). If they want to insist that Historic houses be maintained, fine.

If I wanted to live in a place where my neighbors dictated what my house looked like I would buy into one of those suburban cookie cutter developments. One of the great things about Philly...and most major cities, is how different the architecture is even on one single block you could have 8 different styles of houses.

Suffice it to say that that was not QVNA as a whole...

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"I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves." - Ludwig Wittgenstein