Amending Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Zoning and Planning," by amending sections of the /CTR, Center City Overlay District to apply special controls to an area bounded by the west side of I-95, Race Street, 4th Street, and New Street, all under certain terms and conditions.

WHEREAS, The City has an adopted Master Plan for the Central Delaware Waterfront that emphasizes strengthening connections from neighborhoods to the waterfront; and

WHEREAS, Race Street is one of the few at-grade street crossings under the I-95 expressway connecting the neighborhood fabric of Center City to the waterfront, this area being identified as the Race Street Connector in the Master Plan; and

WHEREAS, The City has invested in improvements to the Race Street Connector such as bicycle lanes, signage, lighting, landscaping and street furniture; and

WHEREAS, The Council desires to draw activity to the area surrounding the Race Street Connector to encourage its use so that residents and visitors may re-connect to the waterfront; and

WHEREAS, The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, although architecturally pleasing, provides development challenges in its very near vicinity due to its large size and the constraints it places on visibility in the immediate area; and

WHEREAS, Open space in the near vicinity of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge has less benefit directly adjacent to the bridge given its large size; and

WHEREAS, The bridge structure lends balance to taller development directly adjacent to it given its size; now, therefore

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:

SECTION 1. Title 14 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby further amended to read as follows:

TITLE 14. ZONING AND PLANNING

* * *

CHAPTER 14-500. OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICTS

* * *

§ 14-502. /CTR, Center City Overlay.

* * *

(2) Applicability.

(b) Area Boundaries.

The standards and regulations of this section apply to the areas within the /CTR Overlay district set forth as follows:

* * *

(.17) Old City Residential Area.

The Old City Residential area is bounded by Spring Garden Street, 7th Street, Wood Street, 6th Street, Vine Street, 5th street, Walnut Street, Front Street, a line extending from the north street line of Market Street to the Delaware Expressway, the Delaware Expressway, Wood Street and Christopher Columbus Boulevard. The Old City Residential area is further subdelineated as follows:

* * *

(.b) Bridge Approach: the area bounded by 3rd Street, New Street, the west side of I-95, and Race Street.

(d) /CTR Summary Table.

Table 14-502-1, below, summarizes the standards and regulations of this § 14-502 (/CTR, Center City Overlay). In the event of conflict between the provisions of Table 14-502-1 and the text of this Zoning Code, the text shall govern.

Table 14-502-1: /CTR Summary Table

Area

Height Controls

Setback / Build-To Controls

Supplemental Use

Controls

Parking & Loading Controls

Sign

Controls

Special Review Controls

Bulk and Massing Controls

* * *

Old City Residential

§ 14-502(5)

§ 14-502(6)(f)

Central

§ 14-502(3)(h)

Bridge Approach

§ 14-502(9)

* * *

(3) Height Regulations.

* * *

(h) Old City Residential Area, Central.

Except for the Bridge Approach area, as defined in subsection (2)(b)(.17)(.b), above, the

[The] maximum height within the Central Old City Residential Area shall be 65 ft. (See Height Control Area Map 3 for illustrative purposes only).

* * *

(9) Bulk and Massing Controls.

The following bulk and massing regulations apply to the areas described in each subsection below, as shown on the following map for illustrative purposes only.

Old City Residential Area, Bridge Approach.

Lots zoned CMX-3 in the Old City Residential Bridge Approach:

(.1) Shall be eligible for the floor area bonuses provided in §14-702. These bonuses may be used in combination to earn additional floor area ratio up to 250% of the lot area.

(.2) May be occupied by buildings up to 100% of the lot area.

(.3) Shall not require side yards.

* * *

§ 14-702. Floor Area Bonuses.

* * *

(2) Eligibility.

* * *

(c) If the property is located in the CMX-3 district, it must be located in

the Old City Residential Area, Bridge Approach, described in § 14-502(2)(b)(.17); or

in

an area where the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) regulations of §14-513 apply.

* * *

SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately.

___________________________________

Explanation:

[Brackets] indicate matter deleted.

Italics

indicate new matter added.

End