Jan. 18, 2007
Kudos on planning process
Dear Penn Praxis,
I believe you are doing a good job on this project.
I have had the pleasure of traveling on Delaware Ave for 58 years. We lived in Northeast Philadelphia when I was born in 1949 but my Dad's family lived at Front and Tasker in South Philly. I have early childhood memories of my father driving our car and swerving all over Delaware Ave to find the smooth spots over the railroad tracks and avoid the potholes.
I remember Admiral Dewey's flagship docked at the base of the Ben Franklin bridge before Penn Landing existed.
I and a couple of my friends moved to Fishtown in 1976 because we could not afford the shells on South Street that were going for $10,000.00
I became Chairmen of the Penn Treaty Park Tercentenary Committee and was part of the effort to expand the Park. The City Planning Commission did not envision the waterfront development past Spring Garden and Washington Ave. We pleaded to include Penn Treaty Park for the future vision of the waterfront but it was difficult. Industry was losing its foothold along the waterfront but it still was a source of jobs.
We fought to keep the name Delaware Ave and it remains from Spring Garden north. We fought to prevent High Tension power lines from being erected from the PECO plant to Center City and they are buried underground along I-95.
I am biased with regards to Penn Treaty Park because it exists as an oasis on the Delaware. A site that our ancestors believed should be preserved because of a legendary event held under a great elm tree 325 years ago. This place is unique in all of America because it has been preserved because of the ideals of fairness, friendship and peace.
Your efforts are very inclusive, open and visionary; keep up the good work.
John Connors
Jan. 17, 2007
Feedback on waterfront planning
Harris Steinberg and Janice Woodcock,
I wanted to write to you to urge you to take this moment to publicly stand for what's right and help protect the integrity of planning in this city. For too long we have seen what a terrible ill casinos will be. The process by which they came and are coming is a disgrace. And the plans they have submitted have been unacceptable -- with very poor environmental studies, no serious social analysis, and pathetic traffic plans and neighborhood relations.
Janice, you and I have not talked; but I know, Harris, you know this to be true.
I'd like to respectfully request that at this juncture you stand up strongly for what you believe is true. If casinos are a great boom to this city, say so and make it known. But, as I have heard you say before, you think they should not be slated for this city, then you need to come out and say so publicly. To not do so is a disservice to your job and, ultimately, will delegitimize the riverfront planning process and the planning commission.
It's not a threat as much as a statement of what people want to see from a good planning process: people inside who are willing to fight very bad projects. This is a very bad project and needs to be fought.
Either say what you know is good planning and develop at a minimum a two-track solution, or don't be part of a bad planning process at all. It's not your role to cover up other people's poor decisions and poor choices.
Respectfully yours,
- Daniel Hunter, coordinator, Casino-Free Philadelphia
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Dear Janice and Harris.
As the Fishtown Neighbors Association representative to the Central Delaware Advisory Group and one of the co-founders of Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront, I have relished the opportunity to work with other civic groups, city officials, design professionals, and Philadelphia residents on developing a comprehensive vision for what we the citizens want the Delaware Riverfront to become. I have spoken and written passionately to my neighbors about the public nature of this process, both imploring them to participate as well as defending the process against the many cynics who claim that nothing has changed, that the powerful will do and build what they want regardless of the public's input. In short, I have been nothing but hopeful about the collective will of Philadelphians to craft a riverfront development plan that speaks to their values and hopes for the future.
However, I fear that this planning process is losing, and will continue to lose, legitimacy in the mind's of Philadelphians with respect to your attempts to neutralize the very real public opposition to the siting of 2 casinos on the riverfront. I witnessed this vocal opposition at the first of the values sessions in mid-December and heard first-hand reports of it from others who attended the other 2 sessions in Center City and South Philadelphia. What I learned from these values sessions was that Philadelphians up and down the riverfront hold a wide range of values for their neighborhoods (sometimes conflicting) -- and these values are diametrically opposed to conditions that 2 Las Vegas-sized slots parlors will inflict on the surrounding residential neighborhoods. I have also heard many of our colleagues on the advisory board come out strongly against these casinos. Councilman DiCicco has vowed to sue the state because he takes exception to the siting of the casinos on our riverfront. Representatives Keller, O'Brien and Taylor have reminded us that the city retains zoning control over casinos and has the power to refuse casino siting on the riverfront.
I understand your pragmatism in wanting to plan for the possibility that the casinos will be built on their proposed sites -- we would not want to be caught "flat-footed," as you say. Yet, if this riverfront planning process truly is built on the premise of reflecting the values and wishes of the citizens of Philadelphia, it is imperative that the Advisory Group also plan for the strong likelihood that casinos will NOT be built at their present riverfront sites. We need to develop 2 plans, one with casinos and one without. I believe that failing to do so will alienate many residents from the process, thus eliminating the "public buy-in" necessary to implement the Mayor's planning initiative, if not inciting authentic grass-roots planning initiatives that are willing to envision a Philadelphia riverfront sans slots parlors.
I hope you will consider this 2-plan option, and I look forward to discussing it further at the next meeting of the Advisory Group.
Respectfully.
Jeremy Beaudry
FNA Representative, Advisory Group
Co-founder, Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront
Director, Department for the Investigation of Meaning (DIM)
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Dear Mr. Steinberg,
I'm a resident of Queen Village and attended Penn Praxis' community involvement meeting that was held in my neighborhood last month. It was clear to me that 90% of the people in that room did NOT want casinos built along the Delaware riverfront. What they said they DID want was small, locally owned businesses, public green space, access to the river, safe places for their family to enjoy, etc. All of this is completely contrary to having casinos located along Columbus Blvd. From my understanding this is the same sentiment being issued at every community involvement meeting that's been held.
Therefore with the planning commission having heard all of my neighbors, I'm completely mystified that you and your colleagues haven't come out more publicly against this. And moreover, I'm appalled that our state and city governments would enact such important legislation without any public consent, flagrantly license two sites that are in the most contentious locations, and continually ignore public outcry!
Thus what is your response to Bruce Schimmel's article that requests the planning commission give two proposed plans -- one with casinos and one without? If the planning commission is to have any real credibility, why can't the people be heard?
Regards,
Louise Cupelli
Resident of Queen Village, concerned citizen, voter and tax payer
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Dear Mr. Steinberg,
I am sure you agree that casinos on the riverfront is NOT a good way to use this valuable, potentially beautiful resource. I am sure you agree that the riverfront belongs to all of us. Please at least develop two plans for the waterfront - one with and one without casinos.
Thank you,
Marjorie Rosenblum
1105 Gerritt Street
Phila., PA 19147
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Dear Ms. Woodcock and Mr. Steinberg,
I attended the Penn Praxis meeting for the waterfront, at the Seaport Museum.
I was encouraged by the community involvement and success of all three meetings. However based on the strong anti-casino sentiment that came out of the meeting I attended, I request Penn Praxis to make a statement and design a plan representing what came out of these meetings. Instead of throwing up your hands that the casinos will be there and we'll have to design around them, I would like to see an alternate plan without the casinos.
I am not convinced the casinos are a "done deal", there is much opposition. Please support the communities you are suppose to represent and give further voice about the poor location of casinos on the waterfront.
Sincerely,
Dianne Mayer
Concerned citizen, registered voter, and resident of Pennsport
