A Powerless Planning Director?

"It is not every day that a Philadelphia official declares loudly and publicly that she is utterly powerless. But that's essentially what city planning director Maxine Griffith did last week on The Inquirer's letters page, when she wrote to defend her endorsement of a proposed apartment tower across from City Hall - a tower almost 200 feet taller than zoning allows....

Griffith seems to take the view that building projects represent economic development, and therefore all new buildings must be equally good for Philadelphia. This philosophy, which appears to be shared by Mayor Street and the zoning board, has resulted in a near absence of critical discretion. It's the beggars-can't-be-choosers approach to planning: Whatever developers propose, Philadelphia will gratefully accept."