Title
Honorable Anna C. Verna
Council President
Room 494 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Re: Bill No. 050831-A
Dear Council President Verna:
Transmitting a message adivisng Council that I am returning unsigned Bill No. 050831-A that changes the conditions under which amendments to an Institutional Development District (IDD) are approved by City Council. Currently, most City universities and many hospitals have IDD designation, including for example, the University of Pennsylvania, Templue University, LaSalle University, Drexel University, Roxborough Hospital and Community College. Under Bill 050831-A changes to an IDD plan are no longer deemed approved if City Council fails to act wi6thin 45 days to approve, disapprove, amend or defer action on any proposed change. Instead, any change must be affirmatively approved by Council ordinance. The Bill, however, does not apply to IDD’s in the 3rd Council District.
I have two concerns. First, the City needs an efficient and predictable development process if we are to encourage and sustain growth. Becausse City Council is not in session one third of the year, the proposed change creates a legislative bottleneck and unpredictability in the process. Second, the Bill extends the practice of carving out various sections of the City for different treatment. An IDD in the 3rd Council District is now different from and IDD in the rest of the City. Our Zoning Code is rapidly becoming an incomprehensible patchwork quilt of exceptions and ovelays. This Bill merely takes that trend one step further.
If we are to flourish as a City, we must reverse this trend. In the coming months I look forward to working with City Council, industry organizations, the Chamber of Commerce and others in a comprehensive review of our Zoning Code. We must creat a code that protects the quality of life in our City by imposing reasonable and predictable controls, while at the saem time encouraging growth and investment.
Sincerely,
John F. Street
End