Trash outside Jenks Academy on Ardleigh Street.

by Kevin Dicciani

The Chestnut Hill Community Association's Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee cited at its September meeting a lack of response from the School District of Philadelphia regarding the status of the proposed ramp project at Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences.

The project, already awarded to a contractor, involves the installation of a ramp for emergency and delivery purposes on the Ardleigh Street side of Jenks. Another aspect addresses how the district will handle the trash situation at Jenks, which has been a major point of contention for the committee and neighbors, as the school’s dumpsters previously were placed on the sidewalk, overflowing with trash.

In its proposal, the district planned to create an alcove off the sidewalk and further up the street to store the dumpsters. But the committee and neighbors voiced their concern over the dumpsters being moved and stored so close to residences. The committee then requested that the district alter its plans and instead build the alcove in the existing driveway on the property, directly across the street from the Water Tower.

At the April LUPZ meeting, Danielle Floyd, deputy chief of staff for the school district, said it had not changed its original proposal because it did not have enough money in its budget to pay for a redesign. To find a solution to the dumpster issue that both the district and the committee could agree upon, then, Floyd agreed to hold further meetings with the community. She said she did not want to rule out altogether the possibility of altering the designs.

Shortly thereafter the district increased trash pickup at Jenks to five days a week and moved the dumpsters from the sidewalk to the existing driveway. On Sept. 8, however, the LUPZ reported that the dumpsters were again being stored on the sidewalk. Before there were three dumpsters but now there is only one, the committee said, which is causing garbage to pile on and around the dumpsters. Along with the garbage, the recycling was also being left out in the open without being stored in a container.

The committee said that, despite the district agreeing to attend another meeting with the community, they have not been able to secure a meeting with the district to further discuss their request to alter the project nor have they been given any recent updates.

“There has been no progress made on where the ramp project stands,” said LUPZ member John Landis. “We’re clearly being stalled.”

Ardleigh Street resident Judy Muenzberg said the district agreed to not start construction until they have presented its plans to the neighbors. Muenzberg said she is concerned that construction will begin without the district addressing the neighbors ongoing concerns about the dumpsters.

“We’d like to see their final plans,” Muenzberg said.

As for a timeline, Floyd told the Local after the meeting that no dates were set.

“We have not determined a date for start of construction,” she said.

LUPZ co-chair Cynthia Brey said the committee will continue to push for a meeting with the district. She said the district needs to resolve the current dumpster situation because it is “doing some things that it should not be doing in terms of respecting the neighborhood.”

The LUPZ has other questions for the district as well. LUPZ member Larry McEwen said he will draft a note to send to the district to reach a resolution on the dumpster issue and three other facets of the project. These include the types of plants and trees that will replace the ones that need to be removed; obtaining verification that the district will turn the stone-end of the ramp walls 6-8 feet; and refurbishing the stone on the granite stairs.

“We’ll leave it at that,” McEwen said. “We’ll send them the note and say, ‘Here are the items that we discussed that we need answered.’”

Floyd said she received the LUPZ’s request, but as of publication time did not have a formal response.