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Thu
Oct 18
2012

Triplex Proposed for Single Family Home Block and Neighbors None Too Pleased

At last night’s SOSNA zoning meeting, representatives from Harman Deutsch presented plans for 2401 Carpenter St. to the community. Their proposal was to build an addition to the existing two-story building, and offer three condo units for sale in the renovated building. Looking at the structure today, it has some lovely bones. And looking at some old listings for the property, it looks like it has some nice original details inside as well.

The building

Looking west

At the meeting, several near neighbors spoke out in opposition to the project, mostly with concerns about the added density on a block with almost exclusively single family homes. It’s possible that the condo approach was something of a comfort, though small, one-floor condos often end up becoming rentals in the long run. One thing we will say about the design of the renovation is that it looks really nice on the outside.

Carpenter Street elevation

24th Street elevation. We dig the mansard.

From what we could tell, the community and the Zoning Committee were not in support of the application in its current form. We’re guessing the developer will come back to the neighborhood with an altered proposal, with either a duplex or a single-family use that will likely garner much less opposition. Or they could just go to zoning, but that would seem like a risky move.

We’ll keep an eye on this project and provide an update if anything new and interesting takes place.

7
COMMENTS
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Posted in Graduate Hospital | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments
  • http://twitter.com/thisoldcity this old city

    Living one block from this proposed development, I’m getting a little tired of the anti-density bias here. As a homeowner myself, I welcome more people… more eyes on the street, more opportunity for better retail/restaurants in our neighborhood. We live in the City of Philadelphia. Go to the suburbs if you don’t like people.

  • guest

    Seriously. Can someone hire an architect other than Harmon Deutsch. How many nasty clad bayed crap boxes can this city absorb.

  • Erica

    Is there ever a proposed development of any sort that neighbors actually support?

  • bbb

    just curious, how long do you have to live here before you can have a divergent opinion that will be respected?

  • Anonymous

    It’s not just a density issue. Philly rowhome to triplex conversions are usually very poorly integrated into the streetscape. Think about all the brownstones apartments in Brooklyn, how the stoops enable people to interact with the streets and with their neighbors. People who live in triplexes or duplexes (and I’ve lived in one on a block full of them) don’t interact with their neighbors in the same way that traditional single family rowhomes do. Although density usually helps a neighborhood, I’m unconvinced that triplex “condos” (c’mon, now: this will go rental one way or another) will. At best, triplexes are a mixed blessing. One thing they are for sure, though, are cash cows for developers.

  • Frank Rizzo

    Looks great to me. F the zoning committee, what was the vote? It’s well within the current zoning, except for the triplex part, as far as I know. I’m sure there are plenty of triplexes on the block already. So make it a big duplex and avoid zoning.

  • http://twitter.com/thisoldcity this old city

    Regardless, Graduate Hospital would benefit from a variety of housing. The majority of the neighborhood and this street is single family. A corner duplex brings much needed density to the edge of the neighborhood near Washington Avenue.

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