By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer
A cold January night might not seem like the time to talk about water ice, but the warm-weather favorite was a hot topic at last week’s Northwood Civic Association meeting.
The group opposes a businesswoman’s effort to open a shop at 4657 Castor Ave. to sell water ice, soft pretzels and ice cream, but the city Zoning Board of Adjustment gave its approval in November.
Since then, the civic group has hired a Huntingdon Valley law firm, Howland Hess Guinan Torpey & Cassidy, to appeal the case to the Common Pleas Court.
The civic association, which historically has eschewed grants from area political representatives in an effort to be non-partisan, does not have deep pockets.
Jim Howarth, the group president, asked members to donate money for the fight against the proposed business and other upcoming cases.
“Throw it into the legal fund if you can,” he said.
Natalie Leftwich and her fiancé, Joe McIntyre, plan to open the shop this spring. Some neighbors oppose their plan because of concerns about parking, traffic, noise, litter, loitering and decreased property values.
The ground is zoned residential, though it has been used as a gas station, a car sales lot and a district office for City Councilman Rick Mariano over the years. The site has been vacant for more than five years.
Leftwich and McIntyre argued to the Zoning Board of Adjustment that the triangle-shaped property is too small for a house.
The City Planning Commission recommended that a variance be granted, and the zoning board concurred.
During the zoning case, Leftwich and McIntyre argued that they would keep the business clean because they lived across the street. Since then, they’ve sold that house.
Joe Schweibinz, Leftwich’s father, drew raves from neighbors when he fixed up the rundown property at 4666 Castor Ave. Disgusted by the opposition to his daughter’s proposed business, he recently sold the property for $235,000.
“I wouldn’t live in Northwood if they paid me,” said Schweibinz, who was not at last week’s meeting. “I’m going back to Linden Avenue, off the river, where I’ve been for thirty years.”
Schweibinz was at the November civic meeting and caused quite a stir when he told neighbors that he knew a black man who wanted to buy the site and open a chicken and rib shop.
Neighbors contended the comment was racist, though Schweibinz said he was simply stating a fact — that the man approached him with a generous offer to buy the property to sell chicken and ribs.
Schweibinz believes the neighbors are being unreasonable. He said his daughter agreed to a number of concessions, at the request of residents, including not placing tables and chairs outside the business.
According to Schweibinz, he, his daughter and her fiancé collected 450 signatures from neighbors in support of their proposal. He can’t understand the opposition, arguing that his daughter is opening a small, family-friendly business — not a bar or an adult bookstore.
At last week’s meeting, neighbors blasted Schweibinz for allegedly writing a letter on the message board at www.mynorthwood.net
The letter, posted by “Joe Leftwich,” includes text that reads, “You see I am an expert at ruining ‘good’ neighborhoods. I do this every day. That is what I do for my livelihood. Northwood is wide-open territory and there is nothing any of you can do about it anymore! See ya in court.”
Schweibinz said he did not write the letter, adding that it was written by an unidentified disgruntled neighbor who didn’t even know his last name.
Meanwhile, the civic association is looking for an ally in the fight against the proposed business and in other matters.
The group has a strained relationship with Mariano for numerous reasons, including the councilman’s position on the business. Mariano was neutral in the battle, though a former staffer of his told the group members earlier that the councilman would support their wishes.
Howarth said he would try to build a relationship with new Councilman Jack Kelly (R-at large).
In other news from the Jan. 20 meeting:
• The civic association is taking a wait-and-see approach on three properties.
Carol Hancock has zoning approval to build a funeral parlor, crematory and parking lot at Greenwood Cemetery, though some neighbors have appealed the decision to the Court of Common Pleas. Hancock’s plans are on hold until the appeal is decided.
The former Northwood Nursing and Convalescent Center, which closed in June 2002, remains vacant. Neighbors want the site to remain a nursing home or an assisted-living facility. Their opposition derailed a proposal by a Collegeville agency to build a group home/shelter for 64 youths ages 13 to 18.
Parkview Hospital, which closed in September 2003, remains vacant. The adjacent medical office building, though, is open.
• The civic association plans to survey every fence in the neighborhood to make sure they meet city code.
If the group finds any fence that is higher than the maximum 42 inches, it will check with the Department of Licenses and Inspections to see if a variance was granted.
Residents complain that too many fences make the neighborhood look like a fortress. They will look at fences that are newly constructed and ones that have been up for some time.
“I don’t care if the fence has been there for six months or sixty years,” Howarth said.
• State legislative candidate Rafael P. Collazo attended the meeting. He’s running in the April 27 Democratic primary in the 179th House District. His opponent is veteran Rep. Bill Rieger.
Collazo, an Olney resident and ally of City Councilman Juan Ramos, is regional director of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute. He also serves on the Delaware Valley Voter Registration Education Project.
If elected, Collazo would focus on clean and safe streets, neighborhood development and after-school programs. He’d like his district office to be a link between constituents and state government and a liaison to city government.
“I’d like to not only bring Harrisburg to the district, but bring City Hall to the district any way I can,” he said.
Rieger, elected in 1966, did not represent the Northeast until the most recent reapportionment. His district now includes 16 divisions in the 23rd Ward, three divisions in the 35th Ward and 14 divisions in the 62nd Ward.
• The Community Life Improvement Program cleaned the mess behind the former Acme market at Castor and Wyoming avenues. Appliances, furniture and other debris were dumped behind the store, which closed in March 2002.
Anyone concerned about a quality-of-life issue can call 215-683-CLIP.
• The Northwood Civic Association will meet on Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church, at Castor Avenue and Pratt Street.
For more information on the group, visit www.northwoodcivic.com ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com