Anthony Williams, a code enforcement supervisor for the city Department of Licenses and Inspections, spoke at the recent Take Back Your Neighborhood meeting.
Williams said L&I is increasing its staff, with inspectors being hired and trained.
L&I, he said, teams with the Department of Streets, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the police department to monitor illegal street vendors. He added that L&I’s business compliance unit is planning a sweep of Castor Avenue to see if food trucks are operating legally.
Residents had various complaints, including suspected rooming houses, illegal home businesses and conversions of single-family homes into duplexes and triplexes. One woman said there’s a sale sign on a home advertising it as a triplex.
“They’re not hiding it,” she said.
Neighbors also complained about an unkempt property on the 2200 block of Faunce St. and a single-family home on the 1100 block of Englewood St. that is allegedly renting the two-car garage and the house as apartments.
Emanuel Wilkerson, chief of staff to City Councilman Anthony Phillips, was able to find out by the morning after the meeting that the Englewood Street property is now vacant, as of a May 30 inspection. L&I will re-investigate the property.
L&I generally works weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but residents would like the agency to schedule inspectors for evening and Saturday duty.
Neighbors also want enforcement, not merely fines, when single-family homes are found to be converted to duplexes and triplexes.
In regard to loud ice cream trucks, state Rep. Jared Solomon is looking into possible copyright infringements by trucks playing the Mister Softee song.
“They’re not Mister Softee,” said Robert Rudnitsky, head of TBYN.
Williams said he does not allow his daughters to patronize ice cream trucks.
To see if a property has violations, go to Atlas.Phila.gov and type in the address. If there are violations, contact information for the inspector will be listed.
Williams said residents can report property violations by emailing CodeEnforcement.East@phila.gov.
In other news from the Sept. 16 meeting:
• Mark Mroz, the community relations officer in the 2nd Police District, said L&I has been helpful in helping the police department remove illegal car washes, home car repair shops, a pickup truck selling coconuts and illegal vendors at the shopping center at 4640 Roosevelt Blvd. During a recent visit to the Boulevard site, grills, coolers and food were taken from 30 illegal vendors.
Mroz said a store on the 7900 block of Verree Road has been issued a cease-and-desist order for selling drugs. The store reopened, and an arrest was made.
Mroz said the 2nd Police District posts news on X @ PPD02Dist
• Aaron Bashir, the Republican candidate in the 2nd Congressional District, briefly addressed the crowd at the end of the meeting. Bashir’s top issues are inflation, high gas prices, crime, drugs, the open southern border and failing public schools.
• A representative from the city Office of Property Assessment was scheduled to speak, but never showed up.
• Rep. Jared Solomon will be hosting a bulk waste cleanup on Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to noon, in the parking lot behind his office at 6434 Castor Ave. Items such as tires and televisions will be accepted. Call 215-342-6340.
• PennDOT will hold a meeting about proposed changes to Castor Avenue on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 6-8 p.m. at Solis-Cohen Elementary School, 7001 Horrocks St. The planned changes go from Oxford Circle to Cottman Avenue. The big change will be turning Castor Avenue from four lanes to three, with a painted median, left-turn lanes at major intersections and installation of bike lanes.
• Rep. Jared Solomon will host a health and wellness fair on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Northeast Services Hub, 6434 Castor Ave. Parking is behind the building. Call 215-342-6340. ••
