New councilwoman:
Let’s get to know each other

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Maria Quiñones-Sanchez admits she knows relatively little about certain parts of the Philadelphia City Council district she now represents.
Quiñones-Sanchez, a Democrat and North Philly resident, is particularly lacking in experience with the Northeast neighborhoods that are in her 7th Councilmanic District, including Bustleton. Last week, the freshman councilwoman told members of the Greater Bustleton Civic League that she views her deficiency not as a negative, but rather as an opportunity to learn a lot more about her native city.
Speaking at the monthly GBCL general meeting on Jan. 23, Quiñones-Sanchez said, "The Northeast is part of the district I know the least, so I look forward to the civic associations helping me. … My job is to connect the district. It is gerrymandered and we have to make that a positive."
The councilwoman’s public appearance occurred on the eve of her first official Council session.
The 7th has long been considered perhaps the most diverse in the city. The largest portion of the district spans contiguous portions of North Philly, Kensington, Juniata and Frankford. But the 7th also includes a series of smaller residential pockets winding into the Far Northeast west of Roosevelt Boulevard, including portions of Bustleton south of Grant Avenue.
Quiñones-Sanchez earned the right to represent the district through 2011 after defeating incumbent Daniel Savage in last year’s Democratic primary, along with Republican Gary Grisafi and independent Luis Pineda in the general election. Savage had served just a year in office after winning a 2006 special election to replace Rick Mariano, who was convicted of federal corruption charges and sentenced to six years in federal prison.
To help relations with her Northeast constituents, Quiñones-Sanchez has hired a Rhawnhurst resident, Tracey Bode, to serve on her office staff. The councilwoman said she plans to work to reform several key areas of local government and to help the city make better use of its limited tax dollars.
Quiñones-Sanchez thinks that the Department of Licenses and Inspections needs a major overhaul as it has become less a facilitator for suitable redevelopment than a "cash cow" for city coffers.
"That started under the Rendell administration, though he’ll never admit it," she said of Gov. Ed Rendell.
Quiñones-Sanchez hopes to change that as chairwoman of Council’s Committee on Licenses and Inspections. She believes that the mission of the department should be to ensure public safety and to administer a transparent, expedient process for building within the city.
Instead, she contends, folks who want to build encounter delays and a litany of red tape. This creates a "perception problem" for L&I as many individuals would rather risk building without a permit than apply for one through the department and face possible delays or rejection.
Quiñones-Sanchez is also vice chairwoman of the Committee on Streets and Services, which she believes will help her create a "CLIP-like program" in her district.
The Community Life Improvement Program operates in the 6th and 10th councilmanic districts in the Northeast as a clearinghouse for a variety of quality-of-life complaints including unkempt properties, graffiti and abandoned cars. Quiñones-Sanchez wants to create a similar program that can address specific needs for the varying neighborhoods in her district.
"What we’re trying to do is set up these zones (within the district) where we can set up these priorities," she said.
In the southern portion of her district, Quiñones-Sanchez believes that cleaning up litter and trash should be a priority. One Bustleton resident suggested that she try to expand recycling in the Northeast. In other parts of the city, the woman noted, residents receive gift certificates from local businesses as an incentive for recycling.
The councilwoman replied that residents of Chestnut Hill mounted a grassroots campaign that "almost forced the city to continue the (incentive) program" there.
Overall, Quiñones-Sanchez wants to see the city invest in technology to operate more efficiently in an era when more services are needed despite a decreasing population and tax base.
In other Greater Bustleton Civic League business:
• Capt. Joseph Zaffino, commander of the 7th Police District, thanked residents for their contributions to a recent police appreciation dinner at the district.
He reported that patrol officers are now writing about 1,500 traffic tickets a month on Roosevelt Boulevard as part of the state-funded enforcement initiative created to save lives on the dangerous 12-lane state highway.
Overall, Zaffino added, the district has encountered a "significant" decrease in crime over the last seven months. Property crime including theft and theft from autos continues to be the biggest challenge for local police.
• A representative of the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging described a list of services provided by the non-profit organization to local seniors, including long-term and short-term in-home care, home repairs, legal advice, companionship, employment help, insurance counseling and many more. Seniors needing help of any kind may call PCA 24 hours a day at 215-765-9040.
• In a local zoning matter, the GBCL voted to endorse a plan by a local restaurant owner to expand his business.
John Primavera, who owns Macaroni’s on Old Bustleton Avenue, just north of Grant Avenue, informed residents that he wants to expand the floor space of his family-style Italian restaurant from 1,900 square feet to 3,500 with a rear addition. The project would double dining room seating to about 100, he said.
Immediate neighbors of the restaurant have signed a letter of support for the project, the owner said.
The restaurant has entered into an agreement with a neighboring shopping center for additional parking, Primavera said. Trash will be stored in the rear, while deliveries will be made through a side entrance. The business is open for dinner but does not serve breakfast or lunch.
Primavera hopes to build in two phases so the restaurant can continue to operate during construction. A zoning hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
• The next Greater Bustleton Civic League meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 p.m., at American Heritage Federal Credit Union, 2060 Red Lion Road. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com