Rules committee advances Lankenau rezoning amid residents' environmental concerns

The Philadelphia City Council Rules Committee on April moved to report bill 260,298, which would change zoning around Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School to SPSIV (special purpose civic/educational/medical), after committee members adopted an amendment and voted to send the bill from committee with a favorable recommendation.

Councilmember Nina Mahe, who the chair recognized to speak, said she was joining the rules committee as a cosponsor and urged protections for the school's campus. "This bill ' which calls on the rules committee to change the zoning designations of the land located around Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School ' is vital to the future of the school," Mahe said, arguing that merging Lankenau with W.B. Saul would undermine the environmental curriculum and remove the campus's practical classroom and land-lab connections.

Paula Brumbelow Burns, director of legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, told the committee that the commission considered bill 260,298 and voted to extend its review period to obtain clarity from the school district. She recommended holding the bill in committee for 45 days to allow the planning commission to complete that review.

Community speakers told the committee they want stronger environmental safeguards before any development is allowed. Chris Safa, a 1st Ward committee person who said he represents a coalition to save Lankenau, said the coalition submitted about 50 letters and a petition of "almost 6,000 signatures," and urged the committee to amend the bill to exclude dense development, trigger environmental review, cap impervious surfaces and protect tree canopy and vegetated buffers.

David O'Neil of Roxborough said historical dumping and ash from a long-closed incinerator were deposited on or near the Lankenau property and that remediation on the Philadelphia side has been "unknown." He described a long history of burning, dumping and a 1986 consent decree that closed the Northwest Incinerator and said preliminary testing indicates first-order streams and watershed concerns; he urged soil testing and further investigation.

Councilmember Jones told the committee the process should proceed cautiously. "We should slow this down, maybe move it out of committee without a rule suspension so that we can achieve the appropriate amendments, look at safeguards on what this use should be, and not disturb or at least get some soil testing done to see where we are on toxins," Jones said.

Rebecca Swanson, counsel for the Renfrew Center, asked the record to reflect that although the Renfrew parcel appears within the SPCIV boundary on the bill's map, the center does not intend to be rezoned at this time and has been in contact with the council and the planning commission.

The committee adopted an amendment to bill 260,298 and then, during the public meeting portion, voted to report the bill out of committee with a favorable recommendation but without suspending the rules for immediate first reading. Next steps: the bill will be scheduled for first reading at the next council session according to the committee motion as recorded.