Mayfair Civic Association's Letter of Opposition to Proposed Methadone Clinic at 7520 State Rd.

***TEXT OF LETTER***

                                                                                                                                           

       Monday, January 14, 2013

Ms. Lynette Brown-Sow, Chairwoman

Zoning Board of Adjustment

Municipal Services Building, 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Philadelphia, PA  19102

Re:  Use Variance for 7520 State Road (7520/7550 State Road), Philadelphia, PA 19136

Cal. No.:  18842    Appl. No.:  421410    Date & Time:  Wed., January 23rd, 2013; 12:00 Noon

Applicant & Attorney:  Stephen G. Pollock, Esq.   Zon. Class.:  I-2 Medium Industrial (formerly G-2 Industrial)   

Dear Ms. Brown-Sow: 

                Please accept this letter on behalf of the Mayfair Civic Association (“MCA”) which represents the neighbors of the Mayfair Community.  In reviewing the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s Notice, the Applicant proposes:

“Permit For The Relocation Of Lot Lines To Create One (1) Lot From Two (2) Lots And Creation Of An Easement, For The Complete Demolition Of An Existing Two (2) Story Structure, For An Outpatient Behavioral Health Treatment Facility To Include Drug And Alcohol Rehabilitation Treatments, Medication Assisted Treatment ( Methadone Clinic), Mental Health Services, Child Welfare Services, And A Community Based Health And Medical Center Within An Existing One (1) Story Structure, For The Erection Of Two (2) Flat Wall Accessory Signs And For The Creation Of One Hundred & Fifty-Three (153) Accessory Parking Spaces And Erection Of Fences. Size And Location As Shown In The Application.”

We submit this LETTER of OPPOSITION to the Proposed Use Variance.

We stand alongside our neighboring Registered Community Organizations (RCOs); Holmesburg Civic Association, Tacony Civic Association, Upper Holmesburg Civic Association, and East Torresdale Civic Association.  The elected officials of the Municipality and the State, stand behind the Holmesburg Civic Association.

Holmesburg/Upper Holmesburg were left to bear the burden of the now shuttered Holmesburg Prison, and five (5) operating Institutional Facilities along State Road, including Curran-Fromhold Correctional [CFCF] (7901), Alternative & Special Detention [ASD] (8101), Riverside Correctional (8151), Detention Center (8201), and Philadelphia Industrial Correctional [PICC] (8301).

Great strides have been made along this Riverfront Corridor, and after four (4) years of work by the Zoning Code Commission (ZCC), a New Zoning Code was born, and this Use is prohibited.  Upper Holmesburg has already begun a Comprehensive Community Plan with the City Planning Commission.  Holmesburg, Tacony, and Mayfair will enter the same process.  Please allow us to have a Community to plan for, and deny this crippling Use Variance.

The Voices of the Communities should trump the Pockets of the Few.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the numbers below.

                                                                Very Truly Yours,

                                                                       

                                                                Joseph J. DeFelice, Esq.                       Peter J. McDermott

                                                                President                                                 Executive Secretary/Zoning Chairman

                                                                (215) 292-3926                                       (267) 767-0049

                                                                JosephJDeFelice@yahoo.com                Mayfair.PJMcDermott@yahoo.com

cc:  Suzanne St. Marie, Mayfair Community Development Corporation; Lisa M. Deeley, Councilman Bobby Henon, Richard E. Frizell, Holmesburg Civic Association; Mary Benussi, Tacony Civic Association; Stanley S. Cywinski, Upper Holmesburg Civic Association; Lew Halas, East Torresdale Civic Association