Halt New Construction on Undeveloped Public Land in Germantown until Flood Solution!
The Issue
I live at 336 Mechanic St, just .5 miles from the worst floodzone in Philly, as documented by Grid Magazine in March 2024. My home is on top of a hill, and the 10,000+ SF of undeveloped PUBLIC LAND next to my home is already underway to become a community garden thanks to the efforts of my neighbor Kayla and her partner at 314 Mechanic St.
During the first week of June 2024 the City of Philadelphia posted signs that 70 parcels of land in Germantown would be conveyed to a developer (Civetta Property Group) for affordable housing construction. 60 of these parcels are proposing development on plots for individual homes or two homes side-by-side. However, the 10 NEW HOMES proposed for 316-334 E Mechanic St are on land that currently acts as one of the biggest natural sinks for rainwater in this neighborhood, garden space, playground, gathering space, and more for this neighborhood.
Not only does this deal feel socially unjust: Civetta Property Group is required to build 1,050 Sq Ft homes with a max sales price of $250,000 -- hardly "affordable" for this neighborhood! It also feels like a threat to public health and safety, as it is already widely documented that flooding in this neighborhood is devastating for some of my lower-lying neighbors. Building ten new homes on undeveloped land is only going to exacerbate the flooding and add more wastewater to the already overburdened sewer!!!
I seek to personally commit the next 5-10 years of my life to stewarding a thriving community garden in this land next to my home, to support native species, pollinators, rainfall capture, fresh food production, and education!
While improvements on previously developed parcels makes some sense: cultivating greater safety and beauty in the neighborhood... paving over 10,000sf of pristine green lands with concrete and additional water infrastructure that will add strain to Philadelphia's most overburdened sewers and have SERIOUS ADVERSE impacts on lower-lying residents?
THIS IS NOT OK.
Sign this petition to tell Philly's land bank to halt all new construction on undeveloped public land in Germantown until after the proposed Wingohocking Sewer Relief Tunnel (or an equivalent solution to local flooding) is built!
PLEASE SIGN, SHARE and SHOW SUPPORT for a COMMUNITY GARDEN on Mechanic Street instead of TEN NEW HOMES!
The Issue
I live at 336 Mechanic St, just .5 miles from the worst floodzone in Philly, as documented by Grid Magazine in March 2024. My home is on top of a hill, and the 10,000+ SF of undeveloped PUBLIC LAND next to my home is already underway to become a community garden thanks to the efforts of my neighbor Kayla and her partner at 314 Mechanic St.
During the first week of June 2024 the City of Philadelphia posted signs that 70 parcels of land in Germantown would be conveyed to a developer (Civetta Property Group) for affordable housing construction. 60 of these parcels are proposing development on plots for individual homes or two homes side-by-side. However, the 10 NEW HOMES proposed for 316-334 E Mechanic St are on land that currently acts as one of the biggest natural sinks for rainwater in this neighborhood, garden space, playground, gathering space, and more for this neighborhood.
Not only does this deal feel socially unjust: Civetta Property Group is required to build 1,050 Sq Ft homes with a max sales price of $250,000 -- hardly "affordable" for this neighborhood! It also feels like a threat to public health and safety, as it is already widely documented that flooding in this neighborhood is devastating for some of my lower-lying neighbors. Building ten new homes on undeveloped land is only going to exacerbate the flooding and add more wastewater to the already overburdened sewer!!!
I seek to personally commit the next 5-10 years of my life to stewarding a thriving community garden in this land next to my home, to support native species, pollinators, rainfall capture, fresh food production, and education!
While improvements on previously developed parcels makes some sense: cultivating greater safety and beauty in the neighborhood... paving over 10,000sf of pristine green lands with concrete and additional water infrastructure that will add strain to Philadelphia's most overburdened sewers and have SERIOUS ADVERSE impacts on lower-lying residents?
THIS IS NOT OK.
Sign this petition to tell Philly's land bank to halt all new construction on undeveloped public land in Germantown until after the proposed Wingohocking Sewer Relief Tunnel (or an equivalent solution to local flooding) is built!
PLEASE SIGN, SHARE and SHOW SUPPORT for a COMMUNITY GARDEN on Mechanic Street instead of TEN NEW HOMES!
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Petition created on June 7, 2024