The Philadelphia City Planning Commission made a "rare how of power" in using a variety of "pocket veto" to kill proposed height and roof deck restrictions in the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia.
"Republican Councilmember Brian O’Neill wants to ban all roof decks and limit the height of homes in his Far Northeast Philadelphia district," reports Jake Blumgart.
The councilmember is proposing the new restrictions as a means of maintaining the suburban character of his section of the city, and block the kind of dense, mixed-use development transforming other parts of the city, according Blumgart.
The city's Planning Commission, however, doesn't like the idea of approving retrictions in the Far Northeast that don't apply to the rest of the city.
"The appointed body, which usually only wields advisory power, voted to issue a 45-day delay on O’Neill’s legislation. Because there are not 45-days left in this four-year City Council term, the bill is officially dead," reports Blumgart.
FULL STORY: Brian O’Neill’s bid to ban rooftop decks in Northeast Philly just got killed
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