COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON RULES Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Friday, May 15, 2026 9:30 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS, CHAIR COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA, VICE-CHAIR COUNCILWOMAN JAMIE GAUTHIER COUNCILWOMAN KATHERINE GILMORE RICHARDSON
Good morning. This is a public hearing on the Committee on Rules. Members and guests, please take their seats. And this hearing is now called to order. The Clerk will please take the roll.
A quorum of the committee is present and the Clerk will now please read the title of the bill.
Bill No. 16 260207, an ordinance to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by I-76, the Schuylkill Expressway Ramp, Hartranft Street, and the Conrail Right-of-Way. Introduced by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, on behalf of Council President Johnson. There are no other bills under consideration today.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. Do any members have any opening remarks on the bill stated by the Clerk today? (No response.)
No. 12 And seeing none, the Clerk will now please call the first panel to testify on Bill No. 260207.
Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Good morning, Chairperson Bass and members of the Rules Committee. I am Paula Brumbelow Burns, Director of Legislation for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. I am here to testify on Bill No. 260207, introduced into City Council on March 12, 2026 by Councilmember Gilmore Richardson for Council President Johnson. Bill No. 260207 amends the Philadelphia Zoning Maps by changing the zoning designations of certain areas of land located within an area bounded by I-76, the Schuylkill Expressway Ramp, Hartranft Street and the Conrail Right-of-Way in the Packer Park neighborhood, which is located within the Lower South Planning District. This bill proposes to change the zoning designation of properties from ICM-X, Industrial Commercial Mixed-Use, to CMX-3, Commercial Mixed-Use, to support the redevelopment of the site at 3100 Penrose Ferry Road. The proposed redevelopment consists of a 50-unit multifamily building and 151 single-family residence with an accessory community center and swim club on the current PHA headquarters site. If approved, the new zoning designation would allow a range of future uses not limited to the current proposal. The Philadelphia City Planning Commission considered Bill No. 16 260207 at its public meeting on March 19, 2026, and recommended the bill for approval. I'll be happy to answer any questions at this time.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? And Chair recognizes Councilmember Kathy Gilmore Richardson. And I do also want to acknowledge the presence of Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier.
Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. This seems like a wonderful, wonderful project, a 50-unit multifamily building, 151 single family residences with an accessory community center and swim club. So can you just talk a little bit more relative to the accessibility of the community center and the swim club? Will it be open to the neighborhood in the community?
I am going to pause on answering that question and let you know that the developer, architect and the attorney are here. So I cannot answer that. But if you have that question, they may be able to.
So can we have a representative for the project. Mr. Patterson, please join us. State your name for the record and proceed. (Witnesses approached witness table.)
Ron Patterson, attorney at Klehr Harrison law firm. I represent the equitable owner who purchased the property and the developer. So is your question -- thank you. Yes. So it's meant to be a community amenity. The swim club will be open to whoever wants to join. It's an array of different uses. There'll also be an activity center on the 3200 parcel replacing a current baseball batting facility. So it's meant to be a nice, inclusive community development there on a pocket that's not really well seen. But if you're approaching the Walt Whitman Bridge on I-76 as you make that turn, BJ's is on the left side, it's on the right side. You probably wouldn't even notice it before you get off on the Broad Street exit.
Okay. Great. And so, it'll be a membership-based swim club?
Well, yes, not a public facility. But if you want to join and swim, then yes. But it's not limited to the residents.
Okay. It's not limited to just the residents who would reside at this location.
Okay. All right. Thank you very much for answering that question. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Councilmember, Majority Leader. Any additional questions for the panel? (No response.)
No. 17 And seeing none, is there anyone else here who would like to make a public comment on this project? (No response.)
Okay. Seeing that there's no one else here to testify, we want to thank everyone for their testimony today. And this concludes the public hearing. We'll now go into a public meeting to consider the action to be taken on the bill 6 before the committee today. Madam Clerk, please call the roll again.
I note for the record a quorum of the committee is present. The Chair now recognizes Councilmember Squilla for a motion on the amendment to Bill No. 17 260207.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I offer an amendment to Bill No. 260207. A copy of the amendment has been circulated to all members of the committee. I move that the amendment to Bill No. 1 260207 be adopted. 2
Thank you. It's been moved and properly seconded that the amendment to Bill No. 260207 be adopted. I'll note for the record that the second was from Council Majority Leader Kathy Gilmore Richardson. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
Is there anyone 16 opposed? 17 (No response.) 18
Seeing none, the ayes 20 have it. The motion carries and 21 the amendment to Bill No. 260207 22 has been adopted. 23 The Chair now recognizes 24 Councilmember Squilla for a motion on Bill No. 260207 as amended.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I move for the motion of Bill No. 260207 as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended as to permit this bill at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It's been moved and properly seconded by Majority Leader Kathy Gilmore Richardson that Bill No. 260207 be amended with a report -- as amended be reported from this committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended to permit first reading of this bill at the next session of Council. All those in favor of this motion will signify by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. And if there's no 10 additional remarks from the Committee or our guests, this concludes the business of the Committee on Rules for today. Thank you very much for your attendance.
Thank you. Great job. (Committee on Rules concluded at 9:40 a.m.) C E R T I F I C A T I O N I, hereby certify that the proceedings and evidence noted are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me in the foregoing matter, and that this is a correct transcript of the same. ______________________________ TANEHA CARROLL