(K4's fake plan for the Delaware waterfront)

1st District Councilman Mark Squilla is trying to push through bad legislation for the Delaware River waterfront - tell him to stop, so we can have a fair and open process that includes the public.

In May, Squilla introduced broad legislation, without public input, to amend the entire Central Delaware Zoning Overlay in order to ram through a single development proposal: A giant, car-centric, 10-tower proposal by K4 on the sheet metal workers union site in South Philadelphia.

The Overlay, enacted in 2013, was the result of 7 years of planning work, through an unprecedented public engagement process. This bill would undermine all that work and take us back to the bad old days of transactional, politicized zoning. It is underhanded spot-zoning for the speculative K4 project, which likely will never even get built.

The bill would enable K4 to build bigger and higher through bad language that would allow the developer to “double dip” on height bonuses (getting multiple bonuses for the same square footage). These include a glorified driveway across from an I-95 ramp that they would claim as both a “river connection” and “public space.”

The Overlay can be amended and improved. The Planning Commission, the Central Delaware Advocacy Group, and the Delaware River Waterfront Corp all are on board with improving it, and they have good ideas. But more time is needed for public input and to carefully craft the necessary language.

The bill is slated to be voted on by City Council’s Rules Committee this Tuesday morning, June 13 - and if the committee votes on it, it’s effectively law.

Sign and share this petition, and then call Councilman Squilla at 215-686-3458 or 215-686-3459 to stop this train. Demand that he withdraw this bill so we can start over, together, with a public conversation and a proper process.