Text Size
  • A
  • A
  • A
Share

Port Richmond Rallies for Senior Housing


Over a hundred Port Richmond neighbors and multiple elected officials came out to Campbell Square on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon to show their support for a senior housing project currently tied up in state court. Neighbors held handmade signs, swapped stories, and shared concerns over the future of the former Nativity B.V.M. school building, which for almost five years has sat vacant.

Shortly after the school closed in 2008 the Archdiocese of Philadelphia presented neighbors with its vision to have the building converted to senior housing, a plan which received resounding support from this graying community. Plans were drafted, funding was secured from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and variances were granted by the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

With the Court of Common Pleas upholding the zoning variances and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission lending its support, many seemed to believe that the future of Nativity B.V.M. was a thriving center for Port Richmond’s seniors. But one local mother-and-son duo apparently disagrees. In an appeal as swift as it was stunning, Gloria Marshall and her son Jon Marshall convinced the Commonwealth Court to overturn the zoning approvals. The project ground to a halt, its possible salvation being a hearing before the state Supreme Court and a ruling in the Archdiocese’s favor. It’s a long shot, but the community is praying for it.

“Port Richmond needs this senior housing,” explains Ken Paul, President of the Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic Association (PROPAC), who hosted Saturday’s rally in the park by the school. “Our community has a large number of seniors, and safe, secure apartments for them are a perfect use for the Nativity building.”

Port Richmond neighbors have started circulating a petition to send to the state Supreme Court, pleading that they consider overruling the decision of the Commonwealth Court.

“Right now the fate of this building is in the court system,” Ken Paul told the crowd. “Our parents and grandparents love this neighborhood. Other neighborhoods have senior housing facilities. Why doesn’t Port Richmond have one?”

The answer to that question lies in the dissection of the refusals granted to the Archdiocese by the

Department of Licenses and Inspections in regards to Nativity’s zoning. For one, the R-10 Residential Zoning District which the building fell under at the time of the court proceedings did not allow for multi-family housing, or any other use outside of what was permitted under R-10. Proposed parking was also insufficient under the code, and a four-story rear addition to the building necessary to make the project cost-effective was also not allowed. Despite all this, the ZBA took into consideration the community’s overwhelming support for the senior center and granted the Archdiocese the variances.

In an appeal before the Commonwealth Court this past October, Jon Marshall argued that the ZBA had erred in its decision. The son, an attorney who has offices in Fox Chase, represented his mother, who was noticeably absent from not only the court hearings but also previous zoning hearings and community meetings. Marshall testified that “parking is a problem in the proposed area”, introducing photographs to support his claim. He also asserted that “there are no multi-family housing units in the neighborhood,” raising concerns about trash removal from the senior center and “pieces of cement falling from the building onto the street.”

According to the transcript, Archdiocese attorney Maria Wing explained to the court that many of the residents of the senior center would be over the age of 62 and therefore “would have a limited need for parking.” Wing testified that “there was substantial congestion during the drop off and pickup hours while the school was operational,” submitting a traffic study that demonstrates a senior center would result in less congestion.

Judge Dan Pellegrini wrote off Ms. Wing’s assertion that most of the senior center residents would not own cars, claiming she “merely offered speculation.”

Perhaps the greatest point of contention was the apparent lack of hardship proven by the Archdiocese in its ability to convert the school to any other use permitted under R-10 zoning. In a statement which many neighbors say speaks to the root of his opposition, Marshall told the court that “the Archdiocese could have simply raised tuition instead of closing the elementary school and, therefore, any economic hardship was created by the Archdiocese itself.” The court appeared to agree, with one Board member telling the Archdiocese “you could have professional offices. You could have art galleries. You could turn this into a place of worship, a library, telephone exchange building. You could have a surgical hospital here. You could have a medical hospital.”

And so the Commonwealth Court reversed the order of the Court of Common Pleas. The zoning was overruled, and plans for Nativity B.V.M. were sent back to the drawing board.

So, what does the community think about all of this?

“It’s a waste of a beautiful building,” said Nancy Maahs, who lives nearby on Janney Street and attended Saturday’s rally. “We need to let the public know how much the community supports this project.”

“I went to school in that building, graduated in 1961,” said Gerry Murphy, who lives nearby on Allegheny Avenue. “This building is very dear to my heart. I don’t understand how one person could have so much power.”

“Senior housing would be a positive,” said Jane Lockhart, Port Richmond resident and Principal of Mother of Divine Grace School. “We need to take care of our seniors, and we need to do it as a community.”

“We’ve been hoping to get this building occupied so more people could enjoy the park,” explains John Rajka, who helps run Friends of Campbell Square. “We’re a democracy, it’s majority rule – not the rule of one person,” said Rajka, expressing his frustration over the court appeal. “We have over 1,000 signatures on our petition so far – shouldn’t that be more powerful?”

“I went to grade school here. So did my kids. So did my father,” said Jim McDermott, who lives on Gaul Street near Clearfield. “I hate seeing this building sit empty. I fear it will burn or get torn down.”

“I’m always putting in calls about kids breaking into this building,” explains Maryann Trombetta, President of the Port Richmond Town Watch. “When we were kids we had fun in the park, but always showed respect. This building has been disrespected.”

One neighbor came out to the rally on behalf of his 91-year-old aunt, Margaret Burns, who spent 8 years going to school at B.V.M. He feels her sentiment sums the whole situation up perfectly. “You know, this is stupid,” Burns tells her family. “You have all these seniors in the neighborhood, and a great place to put them. Why isn’t this happening?”

Elected officials representing Port Richmond appear to agree with these sentiments, as many addressed the rally-goers shivering in the cold. “We have our work cut out for us in this project,” State Representative John Taylor told the crowd. “Maybe our exuberance overshadowed us taking care of the small details. It’s probably going back to the drawing board. But I think a team effort can still get this done.”

“I would continue the move on signing petitions and showing your support,” said Councilman Bob Henon, whose district’s southern boundary at Allegheny Avenue includes the school. “There will be a meeting this week with the Planning Commission, the Law Department, Councilman Squilla, myself, and others to find ways we can move beyond the Supreme Court.”

“Even though this is just outside my district boundary, I’m here to show support,” said Councilman Mark Squilla. “There’s always the possibility that the court will hear this. And if not, we’ll work together to move this project forward.”

To show your support for senior housing at Nativity B.V.M., address letters to the state Supreme Court urging them to hear the Archdiocese’s case:

Pennsylvania Judicial Center
601 Commonwealth Ave., Suite 4500
P.O. Box 62575
Harrisburg, PA 17106-2575

Or, call 717-787-6181.

To sign the online petition, go to www.facebook.com and search for “Port Richmond (Past and Present) for the Transformation of Nativity!” A link to the petition is posted prominently on that site, along with other updates from the community.

To learn more about ways you can get involved in Port Richmond, please attend the monthly Port Richmond on Patrol and Civic Association (PROPAC) meetings on the last Tuesday of every month, 7PM at Samuel Recreation Center (Gaul & Tioga). You can also reach Ken Paul and PROPAC via email at PROPAC19134@gmail.com.

The Spirit | Hyperlocal done differently
Advertise Now

Related News