U.S. Rep Brendan Boyle, state Rep. Kevin Boyle and City Councilmen Bobby Henon and David Oh attended last week’s Holmesburg Civic Association meeting.
The Holmesburg Civic Association last week welcomed several city officials as well as representatives of U.S. Rep Brendan Boyle, state Rep. Kevin Boyle and City Councilmen Bobby Henon and David Oh.
The city officials were David Perri, commissioner of the Department of Licenses and Inspections; Tom Conway, director of the Community Life Improvement Program; and Tim Thornton, director of the 311 non-emergency hotline.
Perri, a licensed engineer and former commissioner of the Department of Streets, told the crowd the Kenney administration is hiring more inspectors to enforce code violations.
The commissioner added that there are 30 high-rise buildings under construction, mostly in Center City.
“We’re issuing a record number of building permits,” he said.
Perri explained that there are 17,000 vacant parcels in Philadelphia, and the city demolishes 500 to 600 buildings each year.
The meeting included a bunch of residents of the 3200 block of Stanwood St. They complained to Perri that the owner of a property is ignoring a “stop work” order and trying to convert a single family home into a duplex, all while the home is occupied. They said the owner has no permit, and the house has structural issues.
Conway said CLIP has a “rapid recovery unit” to remove graffiti. CLIP also cites property owners whose grass is 10 inches or higher. Conway said CLIP’s goal is compliance as opposed to fining property owners who have excessive trash on their grounds.
In other news from the Sept. 12 meeting:
• Tara Gontek was nominated for president of the civic association. Bryan Gontek, her husband, was nominated for secretary. Nominations will remain open at the October meeting, and elections will take place at the November meeting.
• Northeast Regional Library, 2228 Cottman Ave. (near Bustleton Avenue), invites senior citizens to get a free SEPTA pass on Friday, Sept. 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The day will include appearances by state Rep. Kevin Boyle and exhibitors such as AARP, Community Legal Services, KleinLife and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging.
• State Rep. John Taylor will sponsor a shredder event on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Lowe’s at 3800 Aramingo Ave.
• Holmesburg Recreation Center, at Rhawn and Ditman streets, offers a preschool program for kids ages 3–5. Three- and five-day programs are available.
The center also has an after-school program weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade.
For more information, call 215–685–8714.
• Holmesburg Civic Association will meet again on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at 7:15 p.m. at Holmesburg Recreation Center. ••
