To the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment:

We, the undersigned, vehemently oppose the proposed rezoning request for the property at 106 Jamestown Avenue. The requested variances are not minor adjustments, but a complete deviation from the current requirements, and represent a developer seeking to maximize their profits without taking the surrounding neighborhood into consideration. Allowing these variances would set an unfortunate precedent of removing valuable commercial space and converting it to market-rate housing that gives nothing back to the community at large. Manayunk's Main Street corridor depends on its walkable, active ground-floor commercial uses to sustain its economic vitality. Allowing residential-only development in this district removes irreplaceable shared space from the heart of a functioning commercial zone.

The proposed development would eliminate a beloved neighborhood green space, an irreplaceable asset that defines the character of this community. The existing designation already allows for productive use of the space, and therefore no justification exists for altering the zoning designation. Unlike flood-plain parcels where development constraints may be sympathetic, this site faces no such hardship. The variances are being sought to increase profit, not to address any genuine site limitation. This space is currently being utilized as it is zoned, clearly demonstrating that there is not a hardship requiring rezoning.

We are not opposed to building more housing in Manayunk, and we welcome new neighbors. But this development would take away a space that we and many others in our neighborhood cherish, and will give back nothing to the community. Furthermore, the parking spaces added by this proposed development will lead to additional cars and traffic in our neighborhood, causing increased air pollution and road congestion. Development and community benefit are not mutually exclusive — profitable projects can and should preserve green space, protect historic structures, include commercial uses, and respect neighborhood scale. 

For these reasons, we respectfully urge the Board to deny the proposed rezoning request for 106 Jamestown Avenue and require preservation of meaningful green space as the condition of any approval.

Sincerely,