Members of the Normandy Civic Association last week discussed expanding the organization’s borders to include industrial property south of Comly Road.
Normandy is a small neighborhood of under 500 households between the Roosevelt Boulevard and Joseph Kelly Terrace on the west and east, and Woodhaven and Comly roads on the north and south. John Wisniewski, the group’s president, asked members to consider the change since they have chipped in on zoning issues involving properties below Comly Road over the years.
People with plans for nearby industrial properties most often are told to present those plans to the association by City Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) or his staff, Wisniewski said. Since the properties below Comly are zoned industrial, anyone who wants to do anything on those properties that isn’t an industrial activity has to get a zoning variance.
Just a few years back, for example, Fraternal Order of Police President John McNesby asked association members to support the police union’s plan to move its headquarters to an unused IRS property on Caroline Road, which is below Comly. Another example is the association’s recent support for a pet daycare center in an empty Comly Road warehouse.
Expanding the civic’s borders would give the association legal standing with the Zoning Board of Adjustment, O’Neill aide Margaret Recupido told members during their Jan. 14 session at the Norcom Community Center.
There were some misgivings.
Member Stephanie Burke said she felt widening the association’s area would invite people from outside the neighborhood to have a say in what goes on in Normandy. “We don’t want strangers in our community,” she said. “We are inviting problems.”
Wisniewski countered that the area under consideration would not have any residences.
Member John Burke said voting on the matter last week would be contrary to the association’s bylaws and that the proposal should be written down for all to view.
Wisniewski agreed, but added that he was only bringing up the subject last week and didn’t expect a vote to be taken. Members agreed to take up the matter at their Feb.10 meeting at the Norcom Community Center, Norcom and Comly roads.
If the association’s members vote to expand their borders, they’ll have to amend their paperwork with the Planning Commission staff, O’Neill said in a Jan. 16 phone interview.
A live zoning matter came up at the Jan. 14 meeting.
Kimberly Teed and her son, Shawn, asked for the association’s support for their plan to operate the Philly Fight Academy, a martial arts center, at 11600 Caroline Road. Kimberly Teed said a zoning variance is needed because the property is zoned industrial.
The Teeds said they would be using only part of the building and would not do any alterations to the structure.
Wisniewski told the Teeds that the association wouldn’t vote for supporting or opposing their plan last week because members had just learned of it and had not taken a look at the property. He suggested that they ask for a continuance at their Feb. 4 ZBA hearing and return to the association on Feb. 10.
On Jan. 16, O’Neill said a commercial enterprise legally can not go into the property because there is a restriction on the deed that requires all uses to be industrial. ••
