Photo by C. Smyth for VISIT PHILADELPHIA®
A Philadelphia City Council member is bidding to get most businesses banned from his corner of town.
Councilman Anthony Phillips, who represents parts of Northeast and Northwest Philly, has proposed a zoning code change that would effectively ban convenience stores, event halls and most auto-based businesses, save gas stations. Anyone who wants to open such an establishment would be required to get zoning approval and meet with community groups.
“We’ve heard clear concerns about how these businesses — when overly concentrated — disrupt quality of life, create safety and cleanliness challenges, and detract from the character and appeal of our neighborhoods,” Phillips said, according to The Inquirer.
Phillips’ pitch is not a new one. Mayor Cherelle Parker got similar legislation passed when she held Phillips’ spot on the council, but then-Mayor Jim Kenney vetoed it. Phillips pledged he would revive Parker’s bill, and now he has. Similar bills have been enacted in other areas of the city, with smoke shops that sell marijuana and nicotine products often targeted. But critics argue the laws negatively impact businesses like bodegas and corner stores, as well as decry conflicting zoning laws.
