The recently completed, gated access ramp from ARdleigh Street at Jenks. (Photo by Brendan Sample)

by Brendan Sample

A number of Chestnut Hill residents are voicing their displeasure over a recently constructed ramp at Jenks Academy for the Arts and Sciences.

The ramp, intended for deliveries and emergency vehicles to enter the premises, was made using materials that were different from the traditional Wissahickon schist stone typically used in the surrounding area. This has resulted in the ramp having a different shading than the rest of the area, which has upset some neighbors, a few of whom are members of the Chestnut Hill Community Association.

“All the houses in the area are made of that material,” said Larry McEwen, co-chair of the CHCA’s Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee. “Now the ramp just doesn’t have the authenticity of the real historic materials.”

After being announced more than a year ago, the project began early in the fall of last year and was finished by February. Leading up to the construction, several meetings were held at the school by the Philadelphia School District to provide residents with updates and allow them to ask questions and provide their own input. The Chestnut Hill Local attempted to reach the district for further clarification on its involvement, but was unable to reach a spokesperson.

While the floor of the ramp was always going to be made of concrete, concerned neighbors were hoping that the sides of the ramp and the piers on both sides of the ramp gate would at least partially be made out of the schist. Though it would have been a tall order to get enough new stone for that purpose, the district initially said that it would use the leftover schist from the 16-foot section of the wall that would be torn out to make room for the ramp.

The schist was initially supposed to be used for the piers, but the finished project has piers that are made of a different kind of stone. Attempts to make the walls look consistent with the schist also were not made, which has led to the current conflict.

“The walls lining the ramp really come off as being a cheap imitation,” McEwen said. “The school district essentially refused to work with the community to solve these problems, and now the community is paying for this visually.”

In addition to the ramp, there have also been questions raised about Jenks’ handling of trash. The school has an alcove next to the ramp where trash is stored, though there have been times when dumpsters are left out on the sidewalk instead of in the alcove.

Dumpsters ar Jenks on the sidewalk instead of in the alcove where community members have asked them to be kept. (Photo by Brendan Sample)

“They made a promise to develop an acceptable alcove, but we’ve heard no response on an actual bid,” said Ryan Rosenbaum, executive director of the CHCA. “The school’s inability to put trash away is frustrating. I feel that there’s a breakdown in communication and a contentious atmosphere that’s just unnecessary.”

While the CHCA does not have the official jurisdiction necessary to fix these issues directly, it does plan to reach out to the appropriate people who do.

“We’ll be notifying sanitation and the police about the trash, and we’ll be contacting Councilwoman Cindy Bass as well as other local representatives for the ramp,” Rosenbaum said. “We just want everybody to be satisfied at this point.”

Brendan Sample can be reached at brendan@chestnuthilllocal.com