A proposal to build a new credit union branch on the James D. Morrissey Inc. property dominated the agendas of two civic association meetings in the Northeast last week. Residents in East Torresdale unanimously rejected the plan on Jan. 12, while their neighbors in Upper Holmesburg postponed their Jan. 15 vote indefinitely.
“It’s on a property that’s shared between the boundaries of the East Torresdale Civic Association and the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association,” ETCA President Lew Halas said during his group’s meeting. “Each civic association is allowed to send a letter of support or opposition to the zoning board. And any citizen can go to the zoning board and express their support or opposition.”
Attorney Stephen G. Pollock represents developers who want to buy an unused portion of the Morrissey site on the Northeast corner of Frankford Avenue and Academy Road to build a branch office for the Philadelphia Federal Credit Union. Morrissey and PFCU are on board with the project, which is contingent upon zoning approval.
Morrissey, a construction contractor specializing in highways and other public works projects, has occupied the location for about 80 years, Pollock said. The property consists of three large contiguous parcels and contains offices, storage yards for construction vehicles and in-house repair and paint shops. Those uses are “grandfathered” for the site, according to the attorney, although City Council changed the underlying zoning from industrial to residential in 2001. A 2009 zoning permit granted to the company for the installation of wireless service equipment detailed the legal industrial uses.
To make room for the credit union, Morrissey will have to redraw property lines on two of its parcels. But the company would need zoning variances for the new property lines and for those pre-existing industrial uses.
Neighbors are concerned that the proposed entrance for the credit union would be too close to the busy Frankford and Academy intersection, which serves as an interchange for Interstate 95. All vehicles would have to enter and exit the credit union via Frankford Avenue, which might also cause problems with cars turning left across lanes of traffic.
Neighbors also are worried that the zoning variances, if granted, would allow expansion of the industrial uses of the site or hinder future redevelopment as a residential community. Pollock assured neighbors that Morrissey has no plans to change its activities on the site.
Both civic associations are involved in the issue because their territories overlap. ETCA covers as far south as the Academy Road intersection, while UHCA covers north to Linden Avenue. After East Torresdale folks rejected the plan, Pollock modified his presentation for the Upper Holmesburg meeting three days later, adding a PowerPointpresentation. Many neighbors attended both meetings.
During the Upper Holmesburg session, the developers offered to commission a traffic study to address neighbors’ concerns about congestion and safety.
“We heard that loud and clear about the concerns about traffic,” Pollock said.
A zoning board hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4 but would likely be postponed if the developers are to commission a traffic study and report back to neighbors with the results. ••
