An effort to create a neighborhood conservation district mandating design and materials in development around East Mermaid Lane in Chestnut Hill is on track to be passed by city council in June, despite pushback from the Philadelphia Planning Commission. The bill would create a zoning overlay governing new construction and remodeling in that corner of Chestnut Hill. Vinyl and aluminum siding and concrete masonry would not be allowed, for example, while Wissahickon schist, brick and limestone would be. Among a long list of provisions, the bill would also ban roof decks, force HVAC equipment and gas meters to be hidden from the street, and require that at least 15% of a front yard be landscaped. “What we were trying to do is just make [developers] build something that looks similar,” said Camille Peluso, an architect of the overlay. “We’re not asking to be draconian like a historic society or an HOA that requires paint colors.” Conservation districts are a little-used development tool in Philadelphia that are meant to ensure that new and renovated buildings accord architecturally with the existing neighborhood.
Source: Inquirer; 5/21/2024