Normandy mulls options
for closing military facility

By Lauren Fritsky
Times Staff Writer

The Normandy Civic Association initiated its 2007 season on Jan. 9 with an update on the fate of the Philadelphia Memorial Armed Forces Reserve Center on Woodhaven Road.
Some residents, however, pleaded unawareness of the site’s reuse plan, set in motion by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission three months ago.
City planner Michael Thompson briefed the civic group on the two entities seeking to obtain the property, at 2838-98 Woodhaven Road. The decision to close the site came from the federal government, whose Base Realignment and Closure program seeks to consolidate space. When the Woodhaven Road base closes — it will occur by 2011 — personnel will transfer to a new center under construction in Bristol.
The first interested party is the School District of Philadelphia, which wants to put a special-admissions school there. Fifteen such schools already operate in the city. They design their own admissions criteria and often focus their curriculum on a certain subject, such as the arts or science.
The district’s plan calls for a 50,000-square-foot addition to the property to allow for the school’s projected 500 students. Roughly 70 percent would come from the Northeast.
Thompson was unsure where construction would take place on the site. The school district anticipates that the high school would open five years from now.
The second applicant, the city Department of Public Property, plans to use the site as a police training facility and secondary emergency-services area. The police training, Thompson stressed, would focus on classroom courses for current officers, and not on target practice or other activities for police recruits. Other functions include training 911 dispatchers.
Tom Mills, former president of the Normandy group and a member of the board of trustees at the Math, Science, Technology Community Charter School in Somerton, stood up to announce that the school is interested in the space.
He described MaST as "landlocked" and in need of more room. Calls to the school to confirm its interest in the property were not returned as the Times went to press.
The deadline to apply for the military property was Oct. 27. Mills said he had not seen the notices advertising the space or previous articles concerning the project in local papers.
Residents expressed concern over the school district’s proposal because of the needed addition and the increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic it could bring to the community.
Thompson described the school district’s application as "vague" and plans to arrange for a representative to attend a future civic meeting. Residents could then decide "if it’s compatible or not compatible" with their community, he said.
One resident had no problem with the police-training plan for the site, while another said enough high schools already exist in the area.
Normandy Civic president John Wisniewski said the group would weigh the options and invite representatives from both agencies to discuss their proposals in detail.
Thompson, the planner, said he understands the far-reaching scope of the base’s closure.
"I think that one of the attractions to the community is the stability," he said. "The base was a part of it — it was here for a long time. It fit into the fabric of what you guys liked in the community."
In other news from the Jan. 9 meeting:
• The group heard from Tom Citro, a zoning expediter representing Donna and Alfie Williams, who need a variance to legalize a freestanding sign advertising their car wash in a strip mall at Roosevelt Boulevard and Comly Road. Wisniewski claimed that the pictures Citro distributed to the board were old and did not reflect the signage currently there. The president asked that the matter be reheard at the civic’s February meeting so that more residents can vote on it.
• Stephen Carr, community relations officer for the 8th Police District, reported the number of crimes that had occurred in Normandy between Oct. 15 and Jan. 9.
The list included one case of aggravated assault, two burglaries and one stolen vehicle.
Of biggest concern to area residents was the 10 theft-from-auto incidents during the period. Nine of them, Carr said, happened in unlocked cars whose drivers had left behind such valuables as cell phones and purses.
Carr cautioned residents to lock their doors and store items elsewhere.
"It’s definitely not placing blame," he said. "But no matter where we reside, there are things being taken advantage of for opportunity."
• The civic group reported that the city Department of Licenses and Inspections issued a cease-and-desist order to a resident on the 2800 block of Comly Road who erected an 8-foot-by-8-foot billboard on his property that reportedly advertised his business. City Councilman Brian O’Neill’s (R-10th dist.) office handled the issue.
• The civic group said that hundreds of residents turned out for a special Christmas event in December. Santa Claus rode in a truck and visited with local families who delighted in candy canes, music and even playtime with some elves.
Wisniewski, the civic’s president, hopes to offer the event each year.
"It was really a success," he said. "I’m glad it happened." ••
The Normandy Civic Association will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Norcom Community Center, 10980 Norcom Road.
Reporter Lauren Fritsky can be reached at 215-354-3038 or lfritsky@phillynews.com