GREATER BUSTLETON CIVIC LEAGUE NEWS
May 2006 You
can have all the opinions you want, but it’s your VOTE that COUNTS!!
May MEETING:
Wednesday, May 24
at 7:30 pm at the American Heritage Credit Union
Bring yourself, bring a neighbor, bring your thoughts…We’ll bring pastries and coffee!!
Zoning:
730 Alburger -- seeking a variance for a carport
the ever-popular updates on previous issues
Guest speaker:
Richard Krawczyk from Friends of the Bustleton Library
It happened in Apr…
831 Welsh Rd – The property owner and attorney, seeking a variance for an expanded kitchen and storage on an already oversized garage, were subject to great hostility and disbelief from immediate neighbors. Apparently, he has a history of building before permits arrive and there is some question about whether there is actually someone living in the above-garage space he already has. The vote was to oppose this variance
Thriftway building in Krewstown Shopping Center -- Property owner Ross Goldberg of Posel Management is seeking to put 4 to 6 medical offices in the former supermarket. This will take about 9 months to renovate and they need a variance to see patients. Members approved the concept although they are sad to realize there will be no market there. There was insufficient support to have any stipulations regarding future uses of the offices. The body voted to support the initial description of the plan.
We also learned that the Krewstown Center isn’t exactly one center: Posel owns the ends but manages the middle! The body expressed concerns to the manager about the number and placement of entrances and the traffic hazard they create.
Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Wogan made a great presentation on his job as a judge and – especially! – how important it is to serve on juries. We can’t expect justice to work if WE subvert it!
After a very moving presentation about the Compassionate Friends group which provides support by and for those who have lost children, the body voted to donate $150 to the local chapter (which meets in the same room as the GBCL) to aid them in their efforts.
T-Mobile
A motivated group of 24 neighbors to the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing on May 2 to speak against the cell tower disguised as a flag pole proposed for the front of the synagogue on Verree Rd.
The tower had been the subject of a GBCL meeting and the community voted to oppose it.
Neighbor Ed Grugan did stellar work in energizing the community and did a great presentation along with handing each of the ZBA members a binder with information on the matter. He was backed by numerous neighbors including Harry Blatstein and Gil (we didn’t get your last name, sorry) as well as GBCL members (always up for a bus trip!) and Bob Borelli of Councilman O’Neill’s office.
Their passion had to turn to surprise, however, when a letter form the synagogue administrator was given to T-Mobile attorney Saidel, the ZBA, and GBCL President Bernice Hill. The letter said they weren’t going through with the proposal!
It was continued but the neighbors were assured that their objections are noted.
Remapping
Councilman O'Neill took time to come to the April meeting to correct a notice in the April newsletter about Bill 060182 which rezoned part of the neighborhood bounded by Verree, Charette, Alicia, and Marchman from R2 to R1.
He pointed out that the rezoning was the result of Dec 9, 2004, vote of the GBCL to allow construction on a parcel opposite Baldi School. He was offended by the tone of the piece and indicated that a phone call would have eliminated the problem.
We HEARTILY agree. The Councilman told those at the meeting that the wording of the bill, provided by the City Planning Commission, was misleading and he was concerned about it. Since he introduced it on March 9, he could have explained it at the March meeting or he could have had one of his staffers call, fax, or email us with the information.
We hope that his solution of phone calls alerting the community to bills that specifically impact Bustleton (especially when they are confusing and deal with old matters) will be the way of the future and we will have no more unannounced bills.
We are sorry for the confusion and look forward to much more communication in the future. Even better, it would be great if Council bills had an English translation for those who follow the Council website but we are cock-eyed optimists…
Now THAt's an anniversary!
Pennepack Baptist Church commemorates their founding 318 years ago with a celebratory service at 3 pm, Sunday, June 4 at 8800 Krewstown Rd. ALL ARE INVITED!
If you have
never been to the church, you are missing an important link to our past!
We gotta say “thanks!”…
-- To Hutchinson’s Bakery in Grant Plaza who has been sending donuts to our meetings. They are great to give them to us and – judging by the paltry leftovers – our members think they taste pretty good too!
-- To the American Heritage Credit Union for not only supplying the place for our meetings but the important ingredient of coffee!
-- To the record number of renewing GBCL members, especially those with e-mail addresses who not only save us postage but save the poor overworked corresponding secretary from folding, addressing, tabbing, and stamping a growing number of letters each month!
We gotta say “we are concerned!”…
-- About the growing amount of serious crime that is not only working its way up the Boulevard but is smack around us.
Please be the eyes and ears of the Police and do not hesitate to call 911 in an emergency. We always have an officer at our meetings and Captain Al Martin frequently comes as well. If you have concerns that are not up to 911 levels, you can easily chat with the police right at our meeting.
We applaud Captain Martin for using CLIP to help clean up the Somerton area after the multiple murders at a drug house in Somerton.
June meeting
Wednesday, June 21
Summer fun will be an agenda topic!
GBCL HOTLINE:
(215) 676-6890
or email us at
Or visit us on the Web at
About the GBCL…
We are NON-POLITICAL. We do not endorse candidates. This does not mean that some active members do not have political ties and it certainly doesn't mean we don't vote or support candidates in our private lives!
Unless the body votes to suspend this rule, you MUST be a member to vote. If you haven't paid your dues by January, you are not eligible to vote until they are paid.
We expect decorum at the meetings and we expect people to be honest agents in their dealings at meetings.
As a general principle, we believe in solving problems rather than shifting a problem from one group to another or helping to create NEW problems in fixing the old one!
going first class…
Please get your 2006 dues paid before we purge the mailing list. This is the last mailing for those more than 2 years in arrears!
Sign up for
email newsletter delivery by emailing GBCL@PRODIGY.NET
using you real name as the subject line. If you think you’ve
signed up for email but got a printed letter, email us again.
EXECUTIVE BOARD For 2006-07:
The Nominating Committee, composed of Barry Stucker, Harry Citrino, and Isabel Ortiz, presented an unopposed slate; therefore, the new board was elected by acclamation.
President – Bernice Hill
Vice-President – John McKeever
Treasurer – Betty Clogston
Corresponding Secretary – Maureen Greene
Recording Secretary
– Kathy MacMurray
Official numbers:
Mayor John Street 215.686.2181
Brian O’Neill 215.686.3422
The office of Former
Councilman Mariano
still takes calls 215.686.3448
Council at Large
Frank Rizzo 215.686.3440
Blondell Reynolds Brown 215.686.3438
James Kenney 215.686.3450
Jack Kelly 215.686.3452
Wilson Goode 215.686.3414
Juan Ramos
215.686.3420
Concerts in Pennypack Park
7 pm, just off Cresco Ave, near Rowland Ave
bring a blanket or lawn chair
May 17 Elvis tribute, Anthony Liquori
May 31 Bon Jovi tribute, Runaway
June 14 Classic Rock by Mike LeCompt
June 28 Rolling Stones tribute, Hot Rocks
July 12 Blackthorn: An Irish Thing
July 26 Springsteen tribute, B Street Band
Aug 9 Billy Joel tribute, 52nd Street
Aug 23 Santana tribute, Supernatural
Sept 6 Classic Philly Soul, The Soul Cruisers
Sept 20 Led Zeppelin tribute, Black Dog
More info: 215
281 7664 or www.pennypackpark.com
Greater Bustleton Civic League -- PO Box 51523 -- Philadelphia, PA 19115
membership
It is time to pay dues for 2006! Up-to-date membership affords you 1st class postage on your newsletter. (If you sent your check in the last couple of weeks, your update may not have made it yet – give us one more month.)
If you haven’t paid in 3 years, your label will say, “We miss you.” We will stop these regular mailings after this month if you do not rejoin.
If it says “Our neighbor at…” you are receiving the mailing because there is an active issue near you. We encourage you to join. Those mailings typically end after a month or two.
If you want
your news via e-mail (and are a paid-up member), please send an e-mail
to GBCL@PRODIGY.NET with your real name
in the subject line. We will occasionally send other information
along as well.
____ 2006 Membership renewal -- $7 per family or Seniors $5
$_____Donation for
________________
Names of all adults
in the household
Address
E-mail address ______________________________
Phone: Senior Citizen? Yes/No
Send a check and this form to: GBCL, P.O. Box 51523, Philadelphia, PA 19115
I'm interested in –
__Remapping Committee __Festival committee __Zoning committee __Community Safety committee
__ Membership committee __Distributing newsletters __Park committee __Health, Ed., and Rec committee
MAY ‘06