©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Daycare expansion plans raise neighborhood suspicions
by KRISTIN PAZULSKI

A crane is poised behind Founders Hall, where New Covenant is proposing to add a five-story elevator shaft. The church is also looking to expand its day care program. (Photo by Kristin Pazulski)

New Covenant Church of Philadelphia is looking to more than double the enrollment of its current day care program, Covenant Academy Preschool. According to New Covenant’s architect Van Strother, Covenant Academy plans to increase its numbers from 42 children to 104 children. Strother presented the church’s plans to a group of skeptic at the West Mt. Airy Neighbor’s zoning committee meeting on July 5.

The day care expansion plan comes about five-months after plans for a proposed homeless shelter on the church’s campus were made public. The shelter plans called for the housing of up to 50 families in one of the church’s many buildings. New Covenant’s chief operation officer, Ed McBride, said he was unable to comment on the status of the proposed shelter.

At a March meeting with the community, New Covenant learned that the community’s concern over the proposed shelter had more to do with the church’s tattered relationship with the community than the homeless program.

New Covenant officials are trying to repair the tarnished relationship with the Mt. Airy community with meetings and a committee consisting of near neighbors, church officials and community leaders.

A meeting was held on June 19, which according to McBride and WMAN president Jarma J. Frisby, was to hear the community complaints and communications procedures between the church and neighbors. Community reps made suggestions on how New Covenant could be more responsive. Not all nearby blocks were initially invited to the meeting, but New Covenant welcomed all interested block representatives, said Frisby.

But at WMAN’s zoning meeting last week, the few neighbors present were again skeptical of the church’s intentions. They wanted to know if the day care expansion had anything to do with the homeless shelter. Part of the shelter’s preliminary plans included the possibility that New Covenant would provide childcare facilities for the program’s families.

Strother and McBride both emphasized that the expansion is not related to the homeless shelter program. Strother said the expansion is meant to accommodate the 50 children on the day care’s waiting list. He promised that if the homeless shelter is established, and New Covenant decides to offer childcare, then the church would again go through the proper city channels to expand its program.

New Covenant Church, at 7500 Germantown Ave., is zoned R-2, residential, which does not allow the use of a day care. The church sought WMAN’s support after the Department of Licenses and Inspections refused its request for the day care expansion, as well as a five-story elevator shaft the church hopes to build. The elevator needs a variance for the height, which is two floors and 19 feet above what is allowed.

Neighbors at the meeting indicated that they felt the elevator was a diversion from the day care program’s expansion, but Strother promised that it was not the case.

Neighbors also voiced concerns about the traffic the expanded day care could cause. Strother said he is confident the additional 62 children will not cause a significant amount of traffic and that he believes the church campus and Germantown Avenue can easily handle even more traffic than it currently does.

The WMAN zoning committee requested New Covenant attend the August 2 meeting with more details about the current day care operation, a re-statement that the expansion has nothing to do with the homeless shelter, an explanation as to why the church has been so busy establishing so many programs.

Strother told the Local, in an interview after the meeting that the programs the church hosts on its campus — from the proposed homeless shelter to the numerous schools and camps to the senior housing — fit into its mission of “providing service to the community.” He also said many of the programs fit into the campus’s use as an educational facility — having previously served as a school for the hearing impaired and Spring Garden College.

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