EDITORIAL for July 1, 2004


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Make no mistake, Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own character, aesthetic value, idiosyncrasies and landmarks. Neighborhoods literally define Philadelphia. Therefore, we proudly take our proverbial hats off to Dominic Ragucci and his ilk.

Ragucci, zoning chairman for the Somerton Civic Association, and his counterparts in civic groups throughout the City of Brotherly Love spend countless hours of their rare spare time making the rounds in their neighborhoods as they stay on the lookout for those easy-to-miss orange zoning signs posted at the site of planned developments.

An illegal business sign here . . . an illegal deck there . . . a doctor’s office on a residential block . . . an unsanctioned subdivision. Left unchecked, these little illegalities can spell trouble for neighborhoods. Sure, taxes, trash collection and municipal corruption are forces to be reckoned with in this beleaguered but beloved Philadelphia, but so are the quality-of-life issues that are intertwined with zoning.

Ignore those zoning notices at your own peril. For instance, had folks in Parkwood been more attuned to the significance of zoning notices back in the late 1980s, they might have been able to block construction of the 49th Street Galleria in the Franklin Mills mall. The entertainment center, of course, turned out to be a fiasco and a magnet for crime, and closed after two years. Diligence on the part of zoning officials in civic associations in Parkwood and neighboring Millbrook could have prevented it all.

Zoning laws, variances and certificates of use exist for a reason, and neighborhoods owe a debt of gratitude to Dominic Ragucci and his fellow watchdogs for spotting the signs.

Memo to the movers and shakers in City Hall: Yo, guys, how about holding zoning hearings at the Northeast mini-City Hall once in a while? ••

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