©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Mt Pleasant Avenue town home construction halted
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

Angelo Minetti fills wholes in front of his townhouse development on W. Mt. Pleasant Avenue Construction was halted two weeks ago due to a permit error, said West Mt. Airy Neighbors. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

The Department of Licenses and Inspections halted construction on a development of six townhouses on W. Mt. Pleasant Avenue about two weeks ago. The work stoppage was requested by West Mt. Airy Neighbors’ zoning committee in a letter sent to L&I on May 31 that suggested the homes did not fall within the property’s zoning restrictions.

The six homes are being built on a property zoned Commercial-2, which does not allow the construction of “attached buildings used solely for dwelling purposes,” according to the Philadelphia Zoning Code,

L&I did not return phone calls by press time, but the owner of the partially developed townhouses, Angelo Minetti, was furious over the decision, which was apparently an L&I mistake. “I just want to finish developing the property,” said Minetti, who said this experience has made him hesitant to develop in the city ever again.

Minetti, who was allowed to fill in potentially unsafe holes in the front of the townhouses and board up the open construction, said the designs and size of the homes, now nine-months into construction, are consistent with the plans he turned into the city for permits and were “stamped with the city’s approval.”

Minetti said he was unaware of the zoning rule, being new to developing in the city, and said the letter he received from L&I admitted to the error. But L&I still ordered work to cease on the property, 329-339 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave.

WMAN’s executive director Laura Siena was not sympathetic. She said Minetti was responsible for looking into the code’s restrictions even if the city issued a permit. “As a land owner, it is [his] responsibility to make sure it’s issued correctly,” she said.

“Who is [WMAN] protecting?” asked Minetti, saying that his near neighbors are in favor of the development.

Maria Battle, who lives next door to one of the town homes, wrote a letter to WMAN saying she was appalled that the association never contacted her as a near neighbor and paying member of WMAN.

“How can they come in and speak for us when they never said anything to us?” Battle asked. She supports the residential development and does not want “a run-around and a long drawn out fight over the construction.” A copy of her letter was sent to Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and L&I Commissioner Robert Solvibile.

Shyrelle Gardner, who owns a medical practice at 333 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. adjacent to the town houses also said she wanted to see the construction continue. “It’s best for the neighborhood and attractive. There’s not enough parking on the street to have more commercial,” Gardner said. Two other neighbors who live across the street agree that Minetti’s plans are best for the neighborhood.

Siena defended WMAN’s letter and said the organization is representing the voice of the community. At regular meetings with area residents to discuss the nearby commercial and residential use, she said there was a consensus made similar to Battle and Gardner’s stance. She said neighbors want residential over commercial, but would rather not have their on-street parking taken away with the garages and curb cuts that are part of Minetti’s development. And she said WMAN’s action against the property’s development was based on the zoning issue and these neighbors’ desires.

“We don’t want people building things in Mt. Airy that are in violation of the zoning code,” Siena said.

WMAN recently developed a Zoning and Land Use Committee, which held its third regular meeting on Wednesday, July 5. Meetings will be held the first Wednesday of every month, 7:30 p.m. at Summit Presbyterian Church, 6757 Greene St.

Contact staff writer Kristin Pazulski at 215-248-8819 or Kristin@ChestnuthillLocal.com.