Zoning board approves
latest Byberry proposal

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

In a terse memo issued on March 15, the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment paved the way for 398 new homes on the site of the former Philadelphia State Hospital, at Roosevelt Boulevard and Southampton Road.
While the builder, Fort Washington-based Westrum Development, is hoping to formally acquire the former hospital site, commonly known as Byberry, and lay out plans for demolition of the facility’s crumbling buildings next month, opponents of the project may still have a say in delaying or modifying it.
The Byberry site is a 130.8-acre tract sold by the state to the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, a quasi-city agency, for $850,000 on condition that redevelopment progress meets a series of deadlines.
PIDC is under agreement to sell the ground to a partnership consisting of Westrum and commercial developer Brandywine Realty Trust, of Plymouth Meeting, for $5 million.
Current plans call for about 55 acres of housing, 50 acres of office building development and 25 acres of open "green" space. The housing would be dedicated for older adults, those 55 and over.
Westrum is to oversee the demolition and home building, while Brandywine is to build the adjacent offices.
"We’ve been involved in community meetings and planning for over a year now," said Paul Lonie, Westrum’s Philadelphia projects director. "With the (Somerton) Civic Association, Councilman (Brian) O’Neill, the unions — almost everybody is happy."
"Almost" is a key word.
Some residents of the community surrounding the Byberry site aren’t sold on the project, which will be a mix of single homes, so-called "quads" — that is, four connecting homes — townhouses and condominiums. The land is zoned R-1a, so a variance is required to build anything other than single homes.
Opponents fear that hundreds of additional vehicles will further clog local roads, particularly Southampton Road, where a new traffic light would be installed. The development would have over 1,500 parking spaces in the residential portion alone.
Upon objections from some neighbors and state Rep. George Kenney during a late January zoning hearing, the ZBA instructed Westrum to reduce the density of a previous plan for 442 housing units.
Westrum officials then came up with the 398 figure and showed neighbors the new plans in a March 6 meeting hosted by Kenney at the Somerton Youth Organization. To many neighbors, the reduction didn’t go far enough.
Two days later, the zoning board again heard the case and from residents on both sides of the issue. The Somerton Civic Association supported the earlier plan for 442 homes and the revised plan.
The zoning board later granted the required variances on condition of several provisos, including that all streets must be built to city specifications and that access to the development should be provided from Roosevelt Boulevard, in addition to Southampton Road.
Speaking to the Northeast Times last week, Kenney said that he intends to schedule another community meeting to discuss the zoning board ruling and "what the Somerton community wants to do next."
No date has been set.
According to Kenney, area residents may choose to accept the ZBA ruling or appeal it. An appeal could delay closing on the land sale and the start of demolition.
Kenney remains concerned about how traffic will flow to and from the Lighthouse Soccer Club fields and future baseball fields planned for the south side of Southampton Road, across from the development.
He wants PIDC, which still owns the Byberry site, to provide access to the soccer and baseball fields via Hornig Road in PIDC’s Byberry West Industrial Park.
Lonie said he also wants to speak to neighbors about possibly forming a community development corporation to protect and maintain the 25 acres of open space along Carter Road.
As for the demolition, Lonie said that it could start shortly after the sale is finalized and could last for nine to 11 months. Geppert Brothers Inc. of Philadelphia is the general contractor.
The process will begin with the remediation of airborne asbestos in the remaining hospital buildings.
After the hazardous materials are stabilized and removed from the site by truck, public health officials will inspect the place. The buildings can be razed only with their approval.
Westrum or its contractor will meet with neighbors in advance of the environmental and demolition work to lay out the plans for them and answer any questions, Lonie said. ••