Greater Bustleton Civic League hosted its first meeting since the COVID-19 shutdown via a conference call.
Conducting the meeting via phone rather than a video conference such as Zoom was so it was simpler and more accessible to league members, said president Jack O’Hara. About 40 people dialed in.
First on the agenda was that the UPS distribution center coming to 1 Red Lion Road will now be required to go through civic design review. That means a committee of design and development professionals and representatives of the community will be able to evaluate the project plans and provide nonbinding input on the project.
“The good part is we will probably have more transparency on this warehouse than ever before,” O’Hara said.
CDC, the owner of the property, is assembling applications materials to be submitted to the City Planning Commission. A traffic study conducted by CDC will be part of the plans, though a study conducted by PennDOT and the city has yet to be finalized.
In other news, O’Hara highlighted that 19115 has consistently had among the highest positive test rates of COVID-19 since the outbreak first began. He reminded people that wearing a mask in public places is required by the state.
The meeting also endeavored the organization’s first virtual zoning matter. Aspen Dental needs a variance to move into a commercially zoned center at 9898 Roosevelt Blvd., because an overlay at Red Lion Plaza prevents the use of dental care at the site.
Members of the league were allowed to submit questions and their votes after the presentation. The vote will be tallied on Wednesday, seven days after the meeting was held.
In-person meetings continue to be canceled for the near future, and residents are encouraged to check their email for notifications of virtual meetings.
