
The
Philadelphia Society of Small Streets (PSSS)
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The Philadelphia Society of Small Streets (PSSS) is
a collaborative effort to improve our small historic streets. Philadelphia
has had a historic street district restoration program (Philadelphia
Historic Street Paving Thematic District)
since 1999, but thus far only 12 small streets have been restored. That is an
extremely small number considering that there are over 200 streets on the
restoration list. As a result, some of Philadelphia's small historically
designated streets are now very unsafe streets for pedestrians and vehicles
alike.
In particular, PSSS
has asked city officials to restore the
following streets due to their historic importance and popularity, yet clearly
“unsafe” condition:
-
200 block of Quince Street
-
2400 block of Panama Street
-
200 block of Hutchinson Street, plus intersecting Manning
Street and Bonaparte Court
The
harsh reality is, the Streets Department is choosing not to restore
historic streets because they are more costly to resurface than asphalt
streets. That fact will never change, so what does it mean for the future of
the program? We should point out that restoring historic streets does
not have to be as expensive as it is. Much of the increased cost is because
the Streets Department requires an 8-12" concrete foundation under these
historic cartways, something that PSSS has opposed for a variety of reasons (see
below). State funds have been made available for the restoration of large
historic streets, but not Philadelphia's small
streets.
Under the present
circumstances, our
advice to residents is to organize your own campaign
to restore your street: call, email, write lots of letters, do petitions, and
ask for meetings with the list of government officials below. We will
assist you as much as possible. However, it is up to you to be persistent in
the pursuit of the restoration of your own small historic streets.
James.Kenney@phila.gov (Mayor
of Philadelphia)
Mark.Squilla@phila.gov
(Chair of Streets Committee on City Council)
Carlton.Williams@phila.gov
(Streets Commissioner)
Stephen.Lorenz@phila.gov
(Chief Engineer, Historic Streets)
Jon.Farnham@phila.gov
(Executive Director of Philadelphia Historical Commission)
We have several
"historic street" issues that we work on with Councilman Mark Squilla
(Chair of the Street Committee),
the Streets Department, and the Historical Commission. See
SUMMARY below. In order to be on the list for the
Philadelphia Historic Street
Paving Thematic District, the street must not be paved over.
Here is also a
map of the historic streets. PSSS does not limit our activities to designated streets only. We will
support efforts to reclaim paved historic streets, as well. In fact, the
Streets Department has indicated that it will consider approving plans
to restore asphalted streets if the costs are covered privately. Below
are lots of links and information. Please take the time to review. We
greatly appreciate your participation, comments, and questions.
Lynn and Cliff Landes, Founders
The Philadelphia Society of Small Streets (PSSS)
http://www.smallstreetsphilly.org
http://www.meetup.com/The-Philadelphia-Society-of-Small-Streets-PSSS
LynnLandes@gmail.com /
215-629-3553
"RESTORED" HISTORIC STREET LIST:
since 1999
-
Camac Street (200 block, has been restored at least twice, now
asphalted pending another restoration)
-
N. Water Street, off of Callowhill (date uncertain)
-
Panama Street, 2500 block (2010 or 2011)
-
Jessup Street, 200 block (2012)
-
Warnock Street, 200 block (2012)
-
Panama Street, 1200 block (2012)
-
Cypress Street, 1200 block (2012)
-
American Street, 300 block (2017)
-
Philip Street, 300 block (2018)
-
need confirmation on:
-
Fulton Street, 200 block
-
Chancellor Street, 1200 block
-
St. James Streets, 1200 block
IMPORTANT PSSS NEWS
& LETTERS!
- 3/17/20:
WATCH PBS 39 Counter Culture's Grover Silcox talks with Paul Downs,
NYTimes Blog and Cabinetmaker; Ed Eisen, Journalist, and Lynn Landes,
Founder of Philadelphia Society of Small Streets. Skip to 19:30 for
Lynn's interview.
- Jan 21, 2019:
Report on Dec 4, 2018 Meeting with Streets Department and
Representatives of Historic Streets
- Jan 21: 2019:
Philip Street has been restored! Congratulations all around!
- Apr 7, 2018:
The “Historic Streets Restoration Program” 2018 Meeting Report
- Mar 19, 2018 "HISTORIC STREETS RESTORATION
MEETING"
REPORT & SAMPLE LETTER
(Full
Agenda agenda)
- Aug 31, 2017:
Another American Street Mishap
- Jun 20, 2017:
American Street Mishap
- Jun 28, 2017:
Please End Plumbers' Patches!
-
The PSSS 2017 Historical Streets Restoration Program’s "Annual Update &
Review Meeting & Report"
-
Information on Philly's LED Street Light Health & Safety Issues
- Jan 21, 2016:
PSSS Letter To Mayor Kenney re: snow removal on small streets
- Jan 18, 2016:
PSSS Letter to Mayor Kenney re: Philadelphia's Historic Restoration
Program
- Jun 5, 2015:
PSSS Letter to Mayor Nutter re: Philip Street and the Historic Streets
Restoration Program
-
Philip Street Residents' letters to Mayor Nutter & other city officials
How much has Philip Street sunk? Allowing for a 4 inch curb, the street
and curb on the east side has sunk from 8-12 inches (along with 50% of
sidewalk), depending on the location. About 75% of the street appears to
be affected, starting at the manhole cover at north end.
- Jun 4, 2015:
Urgent: Need to push restoration of Philip Street! (send letters to
city and press contacts below)
- May 16, 2015:
Letter to residents of historic streets on PSSS Priority List
- May 13, 2015
PSSS Response - PSSS Suggested Restoration Priority List
- Apr 29, 2015:
Street Department's
Top Ten Streets featuring Google "Street Views"
- Jan 5, 2015:
The Historic Streets Assessment Report (very disappointing)
- Oct 2010:
JessupStreetReport.pdf - An October 2010 study by Milner + Carr
Conservation, LLC, that Cliff and Lynn Landes commissioned prior to
Jessup Street's restoration by the Streets Department. It contains a
brief, but interesting history of street paving in Philadelphia.
SUMMARY... OF
THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE!
Briefly,
we would like the Philadelphia Streets Department to do the following:
- RESTORATION PRIORITY LIST: Give priority
on first restoring historic streets that are lined with historic homes in the
historic districts, starting in Old City and Center City, then radiate
outward, rather than select back alleys, new construction, and remote
locations, which has occurred in the past.
(PSSS Suggested Restoration Priority
Street List Report)
- Quince Street, 200 block
- Panama Street, 2400 block
- Hutchinson Street cluster, 200 block,
plus intersecting Bonaparte Court & Manning Street
- PLUMBERS'
PATCHES: Put an
end to "Plumbers' Patches" on historic streets-
SEE PHOTOS. Currently, contractors can fill their
trenches on historic streets with asphalt and concrete, which defeats the
purpose of the restoration program and leaves behind an unsightly mess
that lasts for years, if not decades. We want contractors to be
required to properly & promptly reset the street pavers that they excavate.
-
DEVELOPERS: Require
developers to restore onsite or adjacent historic streets as part of their approval
process by the city.
-
FOUNDATIONS: Use "modified
aggregate and screening" for street foundations and filler, not “concrete foundations and mortar”,
which presents a myriad of problems for homeowners and their contractors.
Historic pavers were originally designed to be picked up and placed
back down again. It made sense then and it makes sense now.
(more detail below)
-
SIDEWALK GRADIENT
(i.e, slope): The restoration of
historic streets should include in the bid contract a requirement that
all sidewalk gradients be in compliance with
Street Department standard of 1/4 inch per foot, and if such is
not the case, curbs should be reset to be in compliance with that
standard.
- SPACING, SMOOTHNESS, & ADA COMPLIANCE: The bricks and stones should
be tightly set, and in some cases, stone pavers should be ground smooth
in order to make walking and biking safe and easy, and to be
compliant with The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). See
NYC
Historic Districts Council
shares
these concerns in a report:
- CAMAC "THE
WOOD" STREET: Remove the
concrete foundation under Camac "The Wood" Street, so that the street can
drain properly, plus experiment with more water resistant tree species for the
wood blocks, such as Black Locust or Osage Orange,
and a local Cedar or Cypress. See
http://www.smallstreetsphilly.org/WoodStreets.htm
-
GREEN STREETS
PROGRAM: Revise the
current construction design of the "Green Streets" program, which uses toxic
materials and is of questionable design, including virtual cisterns and thin
plastic liners that are destined to leak and impact adjacent buildings
-
SNOW REMOVAL: For heavy snow storms
and small streets, we have suggested for years that the City Code be
modified to instruct residents to shovel the street and a path to the
front door, not the sidewalk. So far, no luck with City Hall on this
matter. People still shovel the snow into the small streets blocking the
way for cars, trucks, and emergency vehicles.
-
WEEDING: Use 5%
undiluted household vinegar, not toxic herbicides.
(SCROLL DOWN TO READ MORE DETAILED INFO BELOW)
CITY OFFICIALS
https://phila.legistar.com:
What can you do now to make sure our historic streets are properly maintained?
Support the proposals below. E-mail your city officials and suggest the
following changes to city policy:
James.Kenney@phila.gov
(Mayor of Philadelphia)
Mark.Squilla@phila.gov (Chair of
Streets Committee on City Council)
Carlton.Williams@phila.gov
(Streets Commissioner)
Richard.Montanez@phila.gov (Deputy
Streets Commissioner, Lighting & Maintenance)
Stephen.Lorenz@phila.gov
(Chief Engineer, Historic Streets)
Jon.Farnham@phila.gov (Executive
Director of Philadelphia Historical Commission) Find your council member:
http://philacitycouncil.maps.arcgis.com/apps/InformationLookup/index.html?appid=5aa8ce86ed1a45c99c2c751bd9ebcc06
PHILLY GOV'T LINKS:
(Unfortunately, there is not one repository for information about Philadelphia's
historically certified streets, as the Historical Commission and the Streets
Department post some, but not all the resources available.)
TOP 4 PSSS
PROPOSALS:
1. RESTORATION PRIORITY
LIST:
Also see May
13, 2015 - PSSS Suggested Restoration Priority
Street List
PSSS’s Priority Criteria for historic street restoration:
LCCL
-
Location: Begin restorations with in
the center of the city and its historic districts and then radiate
outwards.
-
Context: Select streets that are lined
with historic homes, not back alleys, side streets, and new
construction.
-
Condition: Target streets that are in
urgent need of repair and restoration.
-
Logistics: Restore streets in geographic clusters when at all
possible.
NOTE:
Developers should be required to restore onsite historic streets as part of
the permit approval process by the city.
2. PREFERRED CONSTRUCTION DESIGN:
The Streets
Department should adopt something similar to the Netherland's model
(see
http://tiger-stone.com/) of the
following:
·
NETHERLAND'S ROAD
FOUNDATION: 15 inches of pulverized concrete (although we prefer
"modified aggregate"), on top, 2-6 inches of sand of good quality, not
like the sand on a beach, (we prefer "screening"), rather than the
Streets Dept current standard of an 8-12 inch concrete base and mortar.
(the emphasis in the email using highlighting, underlining, and bold
print is ours)
From:
Alex Molenbroek
To:
'Lynn's mail'
Sent:
Monday, June 04, 2012 16:12
Subject:
RE: english please - question about base
Dear
Lynn,
In the Netherlands we use 15 inches of concrete debris ( pulverised
concrete) and on top 2 to 6 inches of sand ( of good quality, not like
the sand on a beach…)
In a lot of countries the use stabilized sand, this is a mixture with
cement. The most important is
that the base construction is solid so in the long term the road
quality can be guarantied. We use sand on the last few inches
because the ‘’old’’ stones are not likely to al have the same
dimensions. The sand does have the compacted with a compacting plate
before paving the stones. If you wish more information please sent a
picture of the stone and perhaps of the intended road.
We have just finished 9 miles
of historic roads in the east of the Netherlands, some pictures
are on our website. I can also give you pictures of the surface below
the bricks and how we prepare this surface.
Met
vriendelijke groet,
Alex Molenbroek, M&H Trading, Basielhof 81, 4907 AH OOSTERHOUT,
M: 06 - 14276909 E :
a.molenbroek@tiger-stone.nl W:
www.tiger-stone.nl

|
·
SPACING, SMOOTHNESS, & ADA COMPLIANCE: The bricks and stones
should be tightly set, and in some cases, stone pavers should be
ground smooth in order to make walking and biking safe and easy, and
to be compliant with The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). See
NYC
Historic Districts Council
shares
these concerns in a report
and
NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/nyregion/time-is-past-for-many-of-citys-old-cobblestones.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1
or (doc)
·
SIDEWALK GRADIENT
(i.e, slope): The restoration of historic
streets should include in the bid contract a requirement that all
sidewalk gradients be in compliance with Street Department standard of
1/4 inch per foot, and if such is not the case, curbs should be reset
to be in compliance with that standard.
The case
AGAINST "concrete foundation & mortar" and FOR “modified aggregate and screening”:
CONCRETE FOUNDATION
CONS |
MODIFIED AGGREGATE FOUNDATION
PROS |
|
|
FOR REPAIRS:
|
|
Structural risks from vibration:
makes it extremely difficult to
access underground utilities for repair or installation, plus
jackhammers and other heavy equipment can cause damage by vibration
to nearby underground utilities, adjacent buildings, and historic
structures. |
pavers, aggregate, and screening can
be easily removed and reset by hand or using light equipment
|
Creating future problems:
after spot excavation work is complete,
concrete chunks usually get thrown back into plumbers ditches by the
contractor, thereby creating future subsidence problems
|
aggregate is easy to remove and put
back in place |
Concealing problems: concrete conceals any "subsidence"
issues beneath the pavers until they become catastrophic |
pavers serve as a vital
"early warning system" for
dangerous subsidence issues below, as they slowly begin to collapse
into any hole developing under the street or sidewalk due to leaks
in plumbing or other causes |
Pedestrian unfriendly: mortar, of the required ¼ to ½
inch-span between pavers, can make walking or biking over pavers
very difficult - as in reality it is often 1inch or more. |
tightly-fitted pavers with minimal
screening between them makes walking or biking a safer experience
|
Esthetics: concrete and mortar cannot be
repaired without looking like a patch-work quilt, as the visual
difference between old and new mortar will be obvious and unsightly |
simply lifting up and resetting
pavers, properly, will leave no evidence of a repair
|
|
|
FOR PERMEABILITY:
|
|
None: prevents any road surface
permeability for rainwater, thus increases storm water run-off and
icy conditions in the winter |
allows for slow permeability which
keeps streets drier and safer in icy conditions, although storm
drains are still necessary for stormwater runoff |
Creates drainage problems:
creates a subsurface barrier that would trap rain water between the
road and adjacent buildings, resulting in wet
basements |
allows for slow permeability |
Damages pavers:
creates a wet environment which is
particularly harmful for wood and brick pavers, as well as stone. Camac Street, The Wood Street,
between Walnut and Locust completely rotted away due to concrete
foundation under a sand layer, as well as the type of wood. Black
locust, Osage Orange, or another water-tolerant species of tree
should be used or at least experimented with.
|
creates a dry environment which
better protects pavers |
Increases Health & Safety
concerns: creates conditions that breed
MOSQUITOES |
allows slow permeability worsens
conditions for mosquitoes |
|
|
VARIOUS RESTORATION
REPORTS AND EXAMPLES:
-
Netherlands:
TigerStone
http://tiger-stone.com/
(paver installation company). From a Tiger-Stone representative, "In the
Netherlands we use 15 inches of concrete debris ( pulverized concrete) and on
top 2 to 6 inches of sand ( of good quality, not like the sand on a beach…) In
a lot of countries the use stabilized sand, this is a mixture with cement. The
most important is that the base construction is solid so in the long term the
road quality can be guarantied. We use sand on the last few inches because the
‘’old’’ stones are not likely to al have the same dimensions. The sand does
have the compacted with a compacting plate before paving the stones."
-
DUBLIN, IRELAND: PAVING THE CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC GROUND SURFACES
-
From Davenport,
Iowa: "We generally use six inches of 95% proctor compacted ¾” down (with
fines) crushed stone material for the base, with about 1” of sand on top of
that. We vibrate the bricks into the sand, then sweep more sand over the top
and vibrate again to get the sand to fill the gaps between the bricks. On
hills we mix in 1 part mortar to 3 parts sand to prevent the sand mixture from
washing away."
-
From Willmette,
Illinois: "This work shall consist of removing existing bricks in streets at
various locations determined by the ENGINEER; removal of the existing
deteriorated stone base to a depth of 6 inches, placement of a new 6 inch CA 6
base (CA is crushed aggregate), a 1 inch sand layer and replacement of the
bricks."
-
Brick
Pavement Repairs, 6 inch Stone Base: used for brick repairs , with
settlement
-
Brick
Pavement Repairs, 13 inch Stone Base: used for brick repairs , with a lot of
settlement
-
Portland,
Oregon:
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/article/7...
Streets are excavated to full depth, about 13 to 18 inches below top of curb.
Drainage geotextile fabric is placed on the ground surface, and a layer of
2”-minus rock drainage blanket 6-10 inches deep is laid on top of the fabric
and compacted. ... The permeable pavers are then installed on the leveling
bed. The space between paving blocks is filled with the fine rock, and rock
and pavers are compacted. (Lynn Landes: We don't agree with using geotextile fabric as it
interferes with excavation for repairs, and also interferes with subsidence,
which acts as an early warning system for the formation of catastrophic
sinkholes.)
MORE ON HISTORIC
RESTORATIONS:
- 200 block of Jessup Street, Philadelphia:
Historic Assessment and Recommendation Report:
October 2010, 200 block of South Jessup Street by Milner + Carr
Conservation. Jessup Street was restored in 2012. The results of
the work done was somewhat predictable, as the Streets Department
insisted on laying a concrete base against the report's recommendation
of modified aggregate for the foundation. In general, the restored
streets by contractor Spaventa & Sons (http://dspaventa.com),
look great (200 blocks of Jessup and Warnock, 1300 blocks of Cypress and
Panama). However, the mortar between the bricks is crumbling in some
places, the streets are not porous and are therefore holding water, and
the Belgium blocks are placed too far apart for safe and comfortable
walking and riding (in cars or on bikes). On Jessup Street there is a
new crack straight across the road just next to our house (217),
breaking one of our old granite gutter stone in half. We believe that
the crack is the result of the concrete being laid in one continuous
stretch and encompassing all the street elements, not allowing for any
breaks and therefore no 'give'. That said, the restored historic streets
look really good.
-
Nantucket's Cobble Streets Timeline
- Washington Place, Troy, NY:
- O & P Streets, Georgetown, DC:
"The Green Street "program:
LINKS:
CONCERNS:
-
asphalt is a toxic material and not "green" in any meaningful sense
-
http://www.nature.nps.gov/hazardssafety/toxic/asphalt.pdf
-
asphalt also presents many of the same problems presented by concrete - see
above
-
The
Percy Street model creates a cistern under the streets, using
clean stones and lined on either side of the road with plastic, that they
claim will protect nearby basements from water damage. However, we are
concern that it is a fatally flawed design concept. Typically plastic liners,
even landfill liners, are only 1/10 of an inch thick and are vulnerable to
cracking and breaking due to heat and cold, wear and tear.
Our preliminary research shows that buried
"impermeable" plastic liners only last from 15-20 years. Not good news for
homeowners.
http://www.gfredlee.com/Landfills/SubtitleDFlawedTechnPap.pdf
-
according to the video above, the Percy Street model seems to discourage use
of trees on small streets
-
Pete
Riley, Design Unit, Philadelphia Water Department may be a good person to
contact for addition information
3. PLUMBERS PATCHES
SEE PHOTOS:
These are an unnecessary waste of the city's time, money, and effort. Historic
pavers are designed to be picked up and placed back down again. Currently,
contractors can fill their ditches on historic streets with asphalt, leaving
behind an unsafe and unsightly mess for the city to clean up. Contractors who
dig into city streets should be required to put the street back as they found it
(historic or not). This is more easily done on historic streets if contractors
don't have to drill through a concrete foundation.
UPDATE 1/15/16 (Unfortunately, the
following program still allows for plumbers patches).
MAY 2014:
Good news. One of our main goals is to stop unsightly
"plumbers patches". A pilot program to allow homeowners to contract historic
street restorations through their plumbing contractors will run from July to
December 2014. Residents will save $450 on their permits. Previously, plumbers
felt that they had to pour an asphalt or concrete patch. Homeowners had to wait
years for the city to get around to restoring the patch, which rarely occurred.
Now, homeowners have the option to contract for the restoration work to be done
immediately. So, congratulations to everyone. We think that this is a good
first step toward putting an end to unsightly "plumbers patches", and it
wouldn't have happened without your support. Thank you! Now we need to put an
end to plumbers patches permanently. They are blighting our community and
wasting taxpayers dollars. What's the point of restoring a historic street if
the very next week a contractor can pour a plumbers patch, as happened with the
newly restored 200 block of Warnock Street in 2012!
4. SNOW REMOVAL AND CITY CODE:
2016 PSSS emails to Mayor Kenney -
http://www.smallstreetsphilly.org/MayorKenney&SnowRemoval.htm
Hi all - Although the Streets Department directs property owners to
shovel snow from their sidewalks, 6.5 wide streets are allowed to do
things differently. Please read below our advice for snow removal.
This is a HEALTH & SAFETY issue, as emergency vehicles must be able to
access our small streets!
For heavy snow storms and small
approximately 6-7 foot wide streets - SHOVEL THE STREET, NOT THE SIDEWALK!
We first shovel the street and a path to our door, then do the sidewalk
- if there's room to put the snow. Although it's in violation of city
code, the Streets Department says that it is okay for streets that are
6-7 feet wide. Logistically, it’s about the same amount of area to be shoveled. Even
for streets that are 12 feet wide, residents also have to shovel out
their cars, so it still comes to about the same area.
Also, don't forget to clear debris from your sidewalks, curbs, and
particularly storm
drain grates before any major snow or rain event. Otherwise you
risk flooding your street.
Right way
(left) and wrong way (right), See all 16 PHOTOS (2014 winter) on our meetup page -
http://www.meetup.com/The-Philadelphia-Society-of-Small-Streets-PSSS/photos/25930321/434622333/#434622889.


(We have expressed our concerns about this situation to the Streets Department for several years
now. See: 2010 Philadelphia Inquirer article:
http://articles.philly.com/2010-02-12/news/25219452_1_shovel-sidewalk-jessup-neighbors/)
This is a matter
of health and safety. We must have a timely way to allow for
emergency vehicles, residents' vehicles, and pedestrian traffic on our small streets after a snow event,
therefore:
For property
owners on small streets measuring approximately
6.5 feet wide, we ask that the
CITY CODE be amended to direct those property owners to shovel snow from their
half of the street (to the center line, approximately 3 1/4 feet) in front of
their house, plus a 3 foot wide path to their doors. Currently, all property
owners are required to shovel a 3 foot path on their sidewalk.
The advantages of the PSSS suggested method:
• requires minimal additional effort on the part of property owners • frees up the sidewalk to hold the cleared snow, particularly critical to small
streets in heavy snow events • gives property owners the responsibility to clear the snow in a time manner,
thereby allowing for foot & car traffic, and the disabled • saves tax dollars by relieving the Streets Department of the responsibility of
clearing snow from hundreds of small streets (6.5' wide)
Disadvantages of current City Code for small streets:
• City Code is contradictory and unworkable for heavy snow conditions. Residents
are required not only to clear a 36-inch path of snow from their sidewalks, but
also not put any snow into the street. For small streets and big snow events,
this is an impossible requirement to comply with, offering no place to hold the
snow. • Most residents put priority of removing the snow from their sidewalks, and
throw the snow into the streets, thereby blocking their streets with several
feet of snow and creating a safety and fire hazard.
February 2015:
Recently, we were told by the Streets Department that it is too difficult to
change the City Code, but that residents of small streets will not be ticketed
if our sidewalks are not cleared. Unfortunately, this policy leaves 'both our
sidewalks and streets clogged with snow' until City snow removal equipment
arrives, which it often doesn't. At least for the sake of the disabled and
pedestrian traffic, small street residents should be subject to the same snow
removal requirements as other city property owners. We are just asking for a
different location - instead of shoveling the sidewalk, shovel the street. The
area to be cleared is almost exactly the same.
Please contact Councilman Mark Squilla and Streets Commissioner Keith
Warren and ask that the City Code be amended
as we suggest above.
Mark.Squilla@phila.gov
(Chair of Streets Committee on City Council)
Keith.Warren@phila.gov
(Streets Commissioner)
Jan 2015: Snow,
salt, streets, and electrocuting dogs:
This is slightly off-topic. There was a problem last year with dogs getting
electrocuted, mainly at some cross walks. It appears that the snow/water/ice
and salt combined with underground electric current, causes dogs to get
electrocuted. People with rubber shoes don't feel it, usually. We and several
others called PECO and Streets. Supposedly, the problem was fixed. However, we
can still detect current with our EMF monitor, so we'll see. (Jan 2015)
LASTLY, just wanted to add
that we use a floor-grade squeegee, like the one below, to remove snow
from our street and sidewalk. It works great!

OTHER ISSUES:
-
Historic curbs
conservation:
Currently, the Historical Commission only has control over the flat surface of
these historic streets. Historic curbs should be protected as they are
integral to the structural design of historic streets.
-
Accidental
paving:
The Streets Department should check first with the Historical Commission that
a street is not designated part of the historic cartway before crews pave it.
-
Private
financing:
There should be an official protocol in place for residents to contract out to
reclaim their streets with either their own funds or through grants. At the
current rate of repair, it will be 70 years before all the streets are fixed.
April 2014:Good news! The Streets Department has
indicated that it will consider allowing private financing, although an
official policy is not yet in place. Residents should contact the Streets
Commissioner directly if their want to pursue this course of action.
-
Public
information:
April 2014: Good news! The PHC has put more
information online (see Gov't Doc Links at top), although we (PSSS) still have
links to more information that the PHC, such as a map of the historic streets.
-
Public meetings
and input:
This should be standard practice. Public meetings should take place in a
timely manner on which streets get restored, how, and in what order.
April 2014: Good news! Last year (2013) the Streets
Department did contract out a survey of all the historic streets. And in
April the Streets Department met with our organization. It was a very
satisfying experience. More work to do, of course...
-
Resident crews:
The Streets Department should consider certifying residents to do their own
minor street repairs.
-
Weight limit:
There should be a posted signs with a weight limit for heavy vehicles.
-
WEEDING STREETS SAFELY!
In
terms of weeding, the best thing to do is to use a watering can to
saturate the plant matter with 5% undiluted household vinegar that you
can purchase at many grocery stores. Apply in the evening when there is
no prediction of rain for a few days. It takes about 3-5 days to see
the final results. Re-apply as necessary. Most commercial herbicides
are toxic to people and the planet.
SIDEWALK RESTORATION:
We
strongly advise residents with substandard or concrete sidewalks to
consider restoring them with historic brick. We and four of our
neighbors did that in 2012 when our street was restored and it has made
the street look beautiful and very historically authentic. We got
our bricks from
http://www.phillyprovenance.com/.
In our experience
(the 2012 Jessup / Cypress / Panama / Warnock Streets restoration), where the
contractor needed to remove bricks and sidewalks in order to restore the street,
the contractor also put them back, at no expense to the homeowner. That is
clearly the situation on Philip Street. The collapse of the street has caused
the collapse of the sidewalk. However, if the sidewalks and curbs (including
driveway "curb-cuts") were already in bad shape, and not caused by the street,
then the homeowner 'could' (not necessarily 'would') get charged for any repairs
made by the contractor. In 2012, at first the Streets Department said that
residents needed to hire their own contractors. But then they relented, in that
the logistics and logic of the situation called for the on-site contractor to
make any additional repairs individual property owners would require. We can't
give any guarantees that this will be the policy going forward, but that was our
experience.
REPORT MAJOR SUBSIDENCE AND/OR POTHOLES TO 311:
If you have a
safety hazard, you should immediately notify the Streets Department -
http://www.phila.gov/311/form/Pages/default.aspx or
call 3-1-1 (215-686-8686) Save the reference number if you need to follow-up.
Always state on the form if your street is historically designated, part of the
Philadelphia Historic Street Paving Thematic District, and therefore asphalt
should not be used. An inspector will be sent out. Often the Water Department
needs to get involved. Follow up with them at
http://www.phila.gov/water/aboutus/Pages/ContactUs.aspx -
using the General Inquiries number (215-685-6300) and speak with a
representative, who should also give you a tracking number. Other utilities
might also get involved. Just keep following up with the various entities until
the complaint is fixed. Tenacity is often required. You can also contact PSSS
and we will assist you. Our contact information is at bottom of this page.
A Brief History
of: Commercial Old City ... Small Streets
by Carol Moore
http://www.oldcitydistrict.org/discover/a-brief-history-of5
NEWS:
OTHER RESOURCES--
Small Streets
Phil
LaCombe, Director and Co-Founder email: phil@smallstreets.org web:
http://smallstreets.org mobile: 413.648.7445
Paul Daniel
Marriott & Associates
3140
Wisconsin Avenue, NW Suite 804 Washington, DC 20016 info@historicroads.org
http://www.historicroads.org
Links and information for maintenance and construction:
Contractors for
restoring sidewalks and streets as recommended by PSSS members:
-
Olivieri and Associates Inc.
http://www.olivieriandassoc.com/ (Philip Street restoration
contractors, 2018)
-
Spaventa & Sons (http://dspaventa.com)
(Jessup, Warnock, Panama, and Cypress Streets, 2012)
-
Artistic
Masonry 610-931-1375 cyock74@hotmail.com
-
Daniel Monroy
215 888 8471
PRESS LINKS:(for
information and comments you may want to send)
http://planphilly.com/contact-us
eyesonthestreet@planphilly.com
editor@pressreview.net
swischnowski@phillynews.com
isaffron@phillynews.com
hoffman@cbs3.com
fox29.newsdesk@foxtv.com
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/send-feedback / (Channel 10)
Channel 6 – text 1-866-639-7749 and
http://6abc.com/news/contact-action-news/44756/
Lynn and Cliff
Landes, founders The Philadelphia Society of Small Streets (PSSS)
http://www.smallstreetsphilly.org/
http://www.meetup.com/The-Philadelphia-Society-of-Small-Streets-PSSS/
217 S. Jessup Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
LynnLandes@gmail.com
215-629-3553
www.LynnLandes.com
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