This is a really bad idea. Don’t be assholes.

oh boy… sounds like an amazing party tho

Why is this a bad idea?

Love the flyer.

I think it is an appropriate response to the absurdity that has unfolded over the last few years. It is nice the media has picked up this story recently but we have been dealing with this issue for over 6 years now! If we weren’t laughing at this we would have to start crying.

I would rather donate $10,000 to charity with each home built than waste $10,000 in legal fees defending 3 story homes. NO other neighborhood has to deal with this nonsense.

Just to clarify…the reason no other neighborhood has to deal with this issue is not that no other neighborhood is dealing with gentrification. Rather, it is a awkward interpretation of Philadelphia Building code and the IREC which requires a 5 foot easement on each side of a detached home. There is simply so much vacant land in Point Breeze that virtually every new construction home is technically “detached” and requires a 5 foot easement on EACH side of the home. In other words, if you have a 15 foot wide lot you are required to use 10 of those feet for side yards. A 5 foot wide home is a tad bit too cozy for my taste (and probably yours too).

These homes are perfectly conforming to the height requirements in Philadelphia. They are not conforming to License and Inspection’s ridiculous interpretation of building codes and thus require a zoning variance. Regardless of the reasons for needing a zoning variance and regardless of the consistent decisions of the ZBA, a few friendly neighbors have appealed (and again, and again, and again) the ZBA’s decision and wallah…. $10,000 dollars in legal fees have been flushed down the drain (over, and over, and over) and forward progress forced to move at a snails pace.

Similarly….OCF Coffee House (not OCF Take Out Chinese with buy one get one free Fourties) has the same ridiculous mess on 20th and Federal because in order to open a fucking coffee shop we need a “take out license” even though we are in C-2 commercial district.

And yes…I hope you enjoy our rooftop party!

Just out of curiousity, does anybody know what’s written on that placard that the person is holding on the street? (I’ll withold any comments about the shell next door…)

yes i do… see the larger version here – http://pbpioneers.com/news.html#rooftop

This DOES happen in every neighborhood in Philadelphia. Unfortunately for some reason it appears that change is not part of the Philadelphia personality. The amount of time and money wasted is ridiculous.

i believe this is called a f*** you party

It says “SAVE OUR ROOF DECKS”.

Yea gentrification has, is, and will continue to happen in basically every neighborhood in Philadelphia, or any major city for that matter. (Google it.) It’s not that it is, in my lack of opinion, a good or bad thing, it just inevitably happens over time. Sometimes they call that renovation, sometimes gentrification, sometimes evolution. Really though, this is just a fight between those who think they are loyalist natives who have been around for a long time and . . . essentially the same type of people who are relatively new to the area. But hell, say whatever you want on here because none of the old-schoolers will be present to comment (though it’d be kind of nice to see).

Anyway yea roof parties are awesome. I’d attend if I had one in Point Breeze. Especially since this is really going to accomplish a lot for this side of the fight. . .