Mayor Nutter Elevates Planning Commission, Requires Transportation Studies, Encourages Formation of Design Review Board

Mayor Nutter held a special meeting of the City Planning Commission on June 17^th where he stated that the Planning Commission is  “the city authority on planning and shaping the development of Philadelphia.” The mayor wants PCPC to carry weight in daily decisions on new development and made PCPC the first stop for all developer proposals, moving it away from its purely advisory role. Mayor Nutter called on the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) to give PCPC recommendations careful consideration when making its decisions.  The Mayor announced his intention to work with City Council on new legislation that will give PCPC real authority, including the ability to propose zoning law and rezone properties. Mayor Nutter asked the commission to require a transportation and transit impact study as part of the approval process and to form a design advisory board to review the design and form of proposed projects in relation to community context.  Moving forward, Nutter encouraged City Council to use the ZCC as a “central clearinghouse for new zoning and land use ideas” and to vet ideas with the planning commission where appropriate, so that the new code is comprehensive and equitable in its approach.

Mayor Nutter sees PCPC as “the arbiter of planning and design” in Philadelphia. He specifically charged the commission to:

• Consider the needs of the whole city and maintain equity and balance;
• Work with universities and other large institutions to develop area master plans;
• Engage the School District of Philadelphia in discussions about the distribution and right-sizing of facilities;
• Link planning to mass transit investment; and
• Guide plans for important projects, including improvements to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, development north and south along the Avenue of the Arts, expansions at the Museum of Art, the relocation of the Barnes, and continued growth at the Philadelphia International Airport.

Full coverage of the Mayor’s PCPC address is available at http://www.planphilly.com/node/3334.