Take Back Your Neighborhood discussed several area properties at its meeting on Monday night.
Members did not seem to have a problem with a proposed tortilla shop on the 7100 block of Castor Ave.
An illegal deck was built in the rear of a property on the 7000 block of Large St. Immediate neighbors didn’t seem to care. They are hoping to enlarge their own decks.
A property on the 7200 block of Algon Ave. is zoned for single-family living, but is allegedly being used as a duplex. TBYN is trying to get an inside look, but the owner is based in Queens.
The civic association worries that there are too many rental units in the neighborhood, and continues to push a plan that would require stickers outside residences – one sticker for a single-family house, two for a duplex and three for a triplex. If the stickers are not in place, tenants would not have to pay rent.
Someone suggested people make a consumer complaint on the state attorney general’s office website at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/.
TBYN is also concerned about ice cream trucks that drive down residential blocks playing loud music late at night. One solution the civic might push for is for the driver to stop the music when waiting on customers. Another option is “No Truck” signs on residential blocks during certain hours.
In other news, Rosa Torres Thomas spoke of her selection to the new nine-member Citizens Police Oversight Commission. In all, there were 320 applicants. Thomas applied to bring accountability for police brutality.
The commission started to gain steam after the 2020 looting and rioting. City Council passed the bill in 2021, with only Councilman Brian O’Neill in opposition.
Thomas wrote an autobiography, Abuse Hidden Behind the Badge, which she said is about her survival of abuse by a high-ranking member of the Philadelphia Police Department and a coverup by the department.
One woman in the crowd defended police, saying they are frustrated at a revolving door criminal judicial system.
Meanwhile, the office of Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez will help people fill out forms related to electricity, heat, water and property tax assistance on Wednesday, March 30, from 4-7 p.m. at Max Myers Playground, 1601 Hellerman St. Make an appointment at 215-MU6-3448 or [email protected].
Also, state Rep. Jared Solomon will hold a shredding event on May 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Philadelphia Protestant Home, 6401 Martins Mill Road. ••
