City Councilwoman Cindy Bass addresses a crowd gathered to protest the demolition row homes at 7000 and 7002 Cresheim Rd. Protesters were informed that the developer had decided not to raze the buildings. (Photo by Carol Bates)

by Brendan Sample

After fighting for months to preserve their neighborhood from building demolition, it appears that the residents of 7000 block of Cresheim Road and nearby blocks in Mt. Airy have scored a victory.

At a protest held on Saturday, Oct. 13, against the proposed demolition of row homes at 7000 and 7002 Cresheim Rd., local residents announced that the developer, Tester Construction Group, had told them it no longer had plans to demolish the buildings and is rethinking its plans to construct apartment buildings in the spot altogether.

The neighbors have been meeting with representatives from Tester over the past several months in an effort to find a solution to what they perceived to be a major threat to the fabric of their neighborhood. 8th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass, who helped to arrange the meetings and has attended several of them herself, attended the protest to speak on the issue directly.

She also announced that the City Council had already passed a bill ensuring that residents would be properly notified of any potential zoning changes that could take effect in their region. This had been a point of contention for many people in the area, as they had been surprised to learn earlier this year that the 7000 block of Cresheim had been previously re-zoned for multifamily housing without their knowledge.

“I feel the spirit of victory here today,” Bass said at the rally. “This whole thing could’ve gone sideways without all the help we’ve received from the community … chalk this particular one up to a win.”

Though the neighbors appear to be on track toward a favorable outcome for them, no official agreement has been reached with Tester at the time of writing this article. In addition, they are also seeking to have the multifamily homes re-zoned for single-family status.

Cresheim Road resident Tim McDonald, along with his son, addresses the crowd at Saturday's protest. McDonald delivered the news that the developers had decided not to demolish the rowhomes and were reconsidering their overall plans. (Photo by Carol Bates)

Tim McDonald, a resident of the 6900 block of Cresheim Road who announced the developer’s change of plans, acknowledged that while their fight is not over, the current path would be preferable for both sides compared to what had previously been in place.

“We really connected with the developer when we all talked in person,” McDonald said. “It’s ultimately just a lot of aggravation to build something that nobody wants.”

In their hopes to preserve the homes beyond simply preventing them from being demolished, the neighbors are also seeking to have restoration work done on them as well. While the current efforts are focused around this block of Cresheim, local residents see this as a wider battle to preserve and restore historic houses throughout the city.

“What we see here is what we’re seeing all across urban America,” said Nathan Holt, committee-person for the 7th Division of the 22nd Ward. “This isn’t about anything other than big money … Let’s keep working within the structures of power to affect reforms that we need.”

The protest itself was held directly outside 7000 and 7002 Cresheim, with approximately 65 local residents in attendance. It was organized by a committee of neighbors led by Joshua Kleiman, a resident of the area since March 2016 who called the multifamily zoning an “extreme and unjust misstep.” Chris Rabb, 200th District State Representative and 9th Democratic Ward leader, was also in attendance, but was only able to stay for a few minutes due to other commitments.

Brendan Sample can be reached at brendan@chestnuthilllocal.com