Center City Quarterly
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CENTER CITY QUARTERLY Newsletter of the Center City Residents' Association Vol. 2 No. 2 June 2011 Table of Contents No New Sleaze: CCRA Wins Reversal of No New Sleaze: CCRA Wins Reversal of Forum Theater Expansion ....................................1 Forum Theater Expansion President’s Report ...................................................3 By Adam Schneider, President, CCRA Annual Meeting .......................................................4 Down by the Sea ......................................................5 Why Olympia Matters ............................................7 A Job Well Done, Alex Klein .................................8 Every Inch a Classroom .........................................8 Circulars? No, Thanks ...........................................11 Run, Philly, Run .......................................................11 The Reinvention of Dilworth Plaza .................12 Public Art to Light Up the Plaza .......................13 Lenora Berson, An Army of One ......................15 Another Success for Freire Charter School ........................................................17 Census and the City ..............................................18 When a Bar Becomes a Nuisance ....................18 A Brighter Future for an Old Annex ................19 Klein's Korner ..........................................................20 Christensen Jt Be a House Detective: Look at Maps .............21 CCRA successfully prevented the owner of Les Gals (the double building on the right above) and the Forum Theater from CCRA Neighborhood Summer Events ..........23 expanding the sale of pornography and “adult entertainment” in the neighborhood. Les Gals is on the 2100 block of Market Street and the Forum is less than a half a block away on the 2200 block of Market Street. Independence Charter Students Build a Better Mousetrap ...............................................25 CCRA proudly reports that we have CCRA fought to save the community from successfully challenged the zoning approval a misguided and counterproductive strategy. CCRA Elects New Officers and Board Members ......................................................25 for the expansion of the Forum adult movie Nothing makes less sense to CCRA than theater at 2208 Market Street. Overturning helping this business secure permits to allow Ask a Simple Question, Get a Better Ballfield .............................................28 this approval means that the Forum cannot an expanded array of pornographic uses in embark on an extensive remodeling an upgraded, modernized and improved New Talent at the Walnut ...................................29 campaign. The Zoning Board of Adjustment building. Stanley R. Krakower, Esq., counsel Placemaking Begins at the Triangles .............30 had capitulated to the owner by approving for CCRA who argued the case before the Zoning Committee Report ................................31 the variance request without requiring the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, was permanent closure of a similar venue owned “very pleased with the outcome; it was the CENTER CITY by the same people only a block away. The right decision.” RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION unintended consequence (or desired result, depending on your point of view) of this The owner of the Forum Theater, S.T.B 1616 Walnut Street, Suite 705 Philadelphia, PA 19103 approval would have created a dramatically Investment Corporation (S.T.B.) also owns 215-546-6719 improved, upgraded and enhanced adult the adult “emporium” at 2132 Market Street, [email protected] business, which would be poised to flourish known as “Les Gals.” The permitted use of www.centercityresidents.org in our front yard for years to come. But the Forum Theater is limited Continue on page 2 No New Sleaze: CCRA Wins Reversal of Forum Theater Expansion cont. to showing adult movies in a theater setting, amenities, securing future profitability the lots on the 2100 block of Market Street. whereas Les Gals is zoned for a variety of for years to come. Without the new uses, When the market improves, the assembled regulated uses, including an adult book store, the building simply doesn’t warrant block is ripe for a major redevelopment an adult cabaret, sales of novelty items, nude reinvestment, as history plainly demonstrates. project. Les Gals would need to go away dancing by live models, and private patron If S.T.B. wishes to perpetuate adult uses in because of positive market forces, rather viewing booths. The uses at Forum and Les our community, then CCRA wants no part than through a self-serving deal with a Gals were approved in the mid-1970s, long in boosting the business and upgrading the porn dealer. before the transformation of west Market rundown (so I hear) property. Street into the modern gateway area that it has We extend great thanks to our counsel become. The adult uses are “grandfathered” The Zoning Board evidently disagreed Stanley R. Krakower, Esq. for his excellent or permitted to remain indefinitely despite with our reasoning. But their final decision briefs and oral arguments in support of positive changes in the neighborhood. was even more perplexing. Not only did CCRA’s appeal. David Masters, Esq. and the Zoning Board approve the expansion Edward Panek, Esq. both contributed When S.T.B. first appeared before the CCRA without a finding of hardship, it inexplicably Amicus Curae, or “friend of the court” Zoning Committee in June 2008, it offered failed to incorporate the voluntary proviso briefs on behalf of Council President an unusual proposition. S.T.B. would agree to close Les Gals in its approval. If the Verna and Logan Square Neighborhood to voluntarily close Les Gals if it were board accepted the simplistic argument that Association respectively. The Center permitted to relocate all of the adult uses to one business is better than two, they utterly City District and the Greenfield Home the Forum. To accommodate the new uses, failed to flex its governmental muscle to and School Association also filed Amicus the building roof would need to be raised by bring about the desired result. This decision briefs. Finally our sincere thanks and three feet to accommodate a full second floor, of the Zoning Board was overturned by the appreciation go to the owners and significantly increasing the usable square Commonwealth Court. management of The Murano Condominium footage of the building. The relocation of Les and 23: A Condominium at 23 South 23rd Gals and the building expansion project both Now add a layer of irony to the saga. The Street for their generous financial support require zoning variances. By the applicant’s principal of both businesses owns most of of our appeal. reasoning, an innocuous dimensional expansion that would hardly change the building’s exterior profile would permit the closure of Les Gals and forever darken its tacky neon-festooned façade. By CCRA’s reasoning, this was an egregiously bad idea, beneficial only to S.T.B. and plainly against the best interest of the community. We categorically opposed the zoning variance request on the grounds that the applicant failed to demonstrate economic hardship using the site as it is currently permitted to be used – a requirement for all zoning variance approvals. But more importantly, it defies common sense and civic responsibility to assist this business in re-energizing itself under the color of community support. S.T.B. would have us believe that the public would benefit by closing one business. This argument is flatly untrue. The applicant would merely reshuffle the blight from one block to the next, without eliminating any regulated uses. One location may be more efficient for S.T.B., but it offered no testimony that business would drop off as a result. In fact, the more likely rationale for reinvestment can only be an increase in overall business. Raising the roof by three feet only scratches the surface of possible physical enhancements. No variance is required – and hence no zoning review – to Adam Schneider Adam upgrade the building with new mechanical systems and bathrooms, modern finishes, The owner of The Forum Theater on the 2200 block of Market Street proposed locating all of the regulated adult uses currently provided improved lobby decor and more upscale at their Les Gals operation on the 2100 block of Market Street into the theater building which would be expanded and would continue to show pornographic films. Page 2 June 2011 CCRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President’s Report Adam Schneider ...................................President As my term as president winds down, it seems as fitting a time as Charles Robin .............................. Executive V.P. ever to reflect on the past two years in the life of CCRA. Many Kate Federico .............................. Vice President Neil Gutman ................................ Vice President of the goals I set out to accomplish have been reached. I hope to Fran Levi .............................................. Secretary leave a legacy of creating a framework to further strengthen the Virginia Nalencz ....................Assistant Secretary CCRA brand and identity. I sense that CCRA as an organization is Robert Reisley ..................................... Treasurer trending in the right direction. The involvement and energy level Wendy Weiss ..........................Assistant Treasurer on the board is at its strongest in nearly 10 years. The caliber and variety of events and programming, and new audiences reached, are notable. We successfully