Seriously

In a letter to the Board dated mid January, Barry Grossbach, who heads a committee that considers zoning issues for the Spruce Hill Community Association, wrote that the Subway would provide a stable tenant for the storefront property and that the Association was “at a loss” about the previous decision to deny Subway a take-out certificate that would enable it to open.

Local Philly politics remains as sketchy as ever. A classic bait and switch; a hearing was held, the public came out and was vocal in opposition, and the zoning board denied a permit for the restaurant. A few weeks later, the board silently reversed the decision following a letter from a local community group. Without transparency, its hard to know what to believe. But the commenter’s who will accuse the community association of malfeasance or bad intentions or corruption have plenty of fuel for the fire.

It’s also notable that the opposition included a diverse set of people, including a state senator who lives a few blocks from the location.

I am ambivalent about the zoning question here; this strip has definitely had it’s ups and downs. There is a small minority that often dominates these hearings, and is usually in opposition to any zoning variances for businesses, and this behavior can be damaging.

(Also; it’s absurd for the community association to advocate that a national take-out food chain with a non-local franchisee owner is a “stable choice.” With the exception of some stalwarts like McDonald’s and Starbucks, there is tremendous turnover among fast food restaurants in Philly, with some examples not far from this location. The anchors and drivers of economic revitalization in this particular corridor are all local, independently-owned businesses.)