The Mayfair Civic Association last week supported zoning requests from a bar, a tire store and proposed gym while rejecting a bid by a property owner looking to legalize a two-bedroom apartment.
The group joined some heavy hitters — Father Judge High School, St. Matthew CYO and Jack Costello Boxing Club — in backing Casper’s Place, 3510–12 Cottman Ave., which is seeking to renew a permit to continue using a jukebox. The city Department of Licenses and Inspections had cited the bar for unknowingly letting the permit expire.
The association approved a request by STS Tire & Auto Center to erect signs at its location at 6301 Frankford Ave. (at Robbins Avenue). STS, which replaced the bankrupt R&S Strauss in May, presently has just a cloth banner.
Steve Mangin, owner of Healthy Concepts in Hatboro, won approval to open a gym at 7416 Frankford Ave. (at Vista Street). The space is a little more than 3,000 square feet. The gym will be open seven days a week for anyone age 12 and older. The cost would be $25 per month.
Zoning consultant Tom Citro failed to win approval for the owner of a property at 7635 E. Roosevelt Blvd. (at Revere Street).
There is housing on the top floor, and the owner is looking to add a residence on the ground floor. The newly renovated space is 621 square feet and would rent for about $850 a month. It was a dentist office from 1963 to 2006 before becoming a real estate office.
A handful of people supported Citro, but an overwhelming majority opposed new living space.
In other news from the Sept. 17 meeting:
• Members observed a moment of silence for Ed Kelly, who died in August.
Kelly was a former president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and founder of the Pennypack Park Music Festival. Last year, he was grand marshal of the Mayfair-Holmesburg Thanksgiving Parade and lighted the Mayfair Business Association Christmas tree. He’ll be inducted into the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame on Oct. 21.
• Joe Lynch and Rich Vito, of the County Board of Elections, brought a voting machine for members to test. They also had applications for alternative and absentee ballots and written explanations about the state’s new voter identification law.
Lynch, the assistant administrator of the election board, told members that Oct. 9 is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 6 election.
For the first time, voters must present a photo ID card at polling places. Lynch, noting that the state will mail instructions to every household, expects the day to go smoothly, as long as people bring cards with expiration dates on them.
“It’s not going to be that bad,” he said, adding that voter ID should have been implemented “years ago.”
Anyone who doesn’t have a card can vote with a provisional ballot. The ballot will be counted as long as the individual produces a photo card within six days after Election Day.
Lynch said each of the 1,687 voting divisions in the city will have 125 provisional ballots. He described that as “overkill,” but added that the election board didn’t want to come up short.
• City Councilman Bobby Henon (D-6th dist.) will hold a grand-opening celebration for his district office at 6730 Torresdale Ave. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The telephone number is 215–683–9220.
The office will be open on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., for people to join the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program. Recycling bins will be distributed.
• State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-172nd dist.) will hold a senior fair on Thursday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Mayfair Community Center, at 2990 St. Vincent St. The day will include health screenings, raffles, a light lunch and information from local businesses and government agencies.
• The civic group’s cleanup committee will beautify the area near Republic Bank, at Frankford and Cottman avenues, on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m. The Community Life Improvement Program will provide cleaning supplies.
Previously, the committee cleaned up Frankford Avenue and the grounds at Mayfair Elementary School and Mayfair Memorial Playground.
Anyone interested in participating can e-mail [email protected] or check out the Mayfair Clean-UP page on Facebook.
• Mayfair Memorial Playground, at Rowland Avenue and Vista Street, will celebrate its one-year anniversary with a Spooktacular Birthday Bash on Saturday, Oct. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. The rain date is Oct. 28.
The cost is $2 per child. Kids under 10 will be able to decorate a miniature pumpkin and play games. They can also dress in their Halloween costumes and go trick-or-treating at tables set up by businesses, organizations and politicians. Proceeds will go to signs, fencing and equipment at the playground.
• The Mayfair-Holmesburg Thanksgiving Parade will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18. The rain date is Nov. 25.
The parade route will be south on Frankford Avenue from Rhawn Street to Knorr Street.
The theme will be Neighborhood Unity. The grand marshals will be the presidents of three local civic associations: Joe DeFelice (Mayfair), Mary Benussi (Tacony) and Rich Frizell (Holmesburg).
More information is available by calling 215–624–6660 or going to the parade’s Facebook page.
On a related note, the Mayfair Business Association and Mayfair Civic Association will hold their Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 2 at a location to be determined.
• The civic association received a $4,000 Philadelphia Activities Fund grant. The group will direct $3,000 to its Fallen Heroes Run, which raises money for Hero Thrill Show Inc., which gives college scholarships to the children of police officers and firemen killed in the line of duty.
The other $1,000 will be put toward the Mayfair May Fair, an annual event that brings live music and sidewalk sales to Frankford Avenue.
• Mayfair Civic Association’s next meeting will be on Monday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., at Mayfair Community Center. ••
