A Philadelphia councilmember has proposed a seemingly esoteric bill that would amend the city code to give individual councilmembers new power in the planning process.
Jon Geeting reports: "A new bill from 10th District Councilman Brian O’Neill could write councilmanic prerogative into the city’s routine planning procedures…by shifting power over property subdivisions that the city charter specifically reserves for the Planning Commission to the discretion of District Councilmembers."
As Geeting explains, "councilmanic prerogative" affords Philadelphia councilmembers "total authority over land use and development matters within their own districts." The Pew Research Center and PlanPhilly have even studied the effect of councilmanic prerogative, finding significant powers to decide issues of city-owned property, zoning, zoning variances, and even street design.
The O'Neill bill would create even more political space for councilmanic prerogative to operate in Philadelphia, especially as a response to the city's 2012 zoning reform process (which would, in theory, allow more development by-right and fewer opportunities for council involvement. The proposed bill would amend the section of the city code governing subdivisions and plats, "[marking] the first time councilmanic prerogative would be written into the city’s standard planning procedures."
Read the full story: O'Neill bill would codify councilmanic prerogative in subdivision process
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