by Joe Forkin, President of DRWC
As DRWC works with our partners in revising the Central Delaware Overlay, we will keep Philadelphians updated about the zoning process with regular posts to our website. In my role as President of DRWC, I’m honored to work with residents and DRWC’s board and staff to advance our Master Plan, which guides our strategic investments in parks and trails and sets expectations for private development regulated by the overlay. The Master Plan has helped us create 3 pier parks, 5 neighborhood connector streets, and the beginnings of a multi-use, connective trail from Penn Treaty to Pier 70. The Master Plan has also set the stage for the recently announced plans to reconnect and to redevelop Penn’s Landing, and to transform Pier 9 into the Cherry Street Pier, an exciting mixed-use artistic incubator for Philadelphia’s creative community.
We believe that any update to the Central Delaware Overlay should reflect the goals of the Master plan by increasing waterfront access, connectivity, and vitality. It is equally important to have a thorough process that helps Philadelphians, whether life-long or newly minted, to hear about and to weigh in on the goals for a well-designed, connected, and accessible waterfront. Our plans and projects have been vastly improved by the input from neighbors and landowners and we want to ensure the revised overlay benefits from your experience and expertise.
With that in mind, we’ll use our website to keep you updated and to solicit feedback about the zoning process. To launch this public outreach process, CDAG hosted a meeting on July 13th with Councilman Squilla, Director of Planning and Development Anne Fadullon, DRWC, and dozens of citizens. From the feedback gathered at this public meeting, DRWC will work with Councilman’s office, CDAG and Philadelphia Planning Commission staff to shape revisions for comment in the upcoming months. With issues like building height and density, increased access via streets and thru block connections, and stormwater management up for discussion, DRWC’s planners, Karen Thompson and Lizzie Woods, will work with me to share the impacts of any proposal to the Master Plan. We’ll use this space to post information on zoning basics, the opportunities and challenges related to waterfront zoning, decision-making in planning and development, and best practices we should keep in mind and set our sights to achieve.
To keep updated on this process, please sign up to receive planning and development updates from DRWC, follow us on social media (linked above) and look for us to request feedback as proposals are developed. Thanks for your interest in and support of the Central Delaware!
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