Planning Commission votes in support of huge Point Breeze development, neighborhood fights against it

Just last week we told you about the resurgence of this massive development project with 46 single-family homes proposed for 2012 Wharton St.

Already the development is causing outrage for Point Breeze residents. The huge, industrial-zoned lot currently houses a warehouse that’s being demolished. The Planning Commission said this week that they approve of allowing for residential building on this lot, but residents seem to be thinking otherwise.

The South District Plan recommends that this industrial and commercially zoned lot be rezoned to allow for residential development like this one. This project from developer Howard Silverman would be bringing 46 single-family homes with parking on this lot that was purchased for $975,000 in 2014. 

More from PlanPhilly:

During the meeting on Tuesday, the Planning Commission initially seemed ready to table the issue after hearing that Councilman Kenyatta Johnson’s office was hoping to organize more meetings between the developers and community residents. But Tiffany Green and Theresa McCormick, of Concerned Citizens of Point Breeze, said that the fundamental issues weren’t negotiable. They want the site to be built out with some sort of job-creating commercial use rather than with houses.

The same issues were discussed at a neighborhood zoning meeting in Point Breeze last Thursday. Some community members asked why the site couldn’t be developed with a supermarket. Howard Silverman said there weren’t any supermarkets that would locate there. The only way to get more commercial uses in the neighborhood, he said, is to increase the residential density and encourage the redevelopment of Point Breeze Avenue.