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this_shit t1_jeg9t3c wrote

Reply to comment by meilingr in 47-story apartment building is planned above CVS store at 19th and Chestnut by ColdJay64

By all means a great development. Even the RCO (CCRA) is on board:

>The agreement with CCRA included tweaks to the design, planting of mature street trees, and promises of planters around the new CVS entryway.

>CCRA also asked Goodman Properties to attempt to improve traffic flow. Currently, 19th Street is often congested by trucks delivering bulk goods to CVS. The developer has agreed to limit the size of trucks allowed to make deliveries on 19th and to provide a space in the underground parking garage for those deliveries.

It's crazy how all the RCO is asking for is to do things the city government should be doing but won't. Trees? Can't have those, cost too much to maintain and you'd have to lose some parking if you want to fit them into CC... Loading zones? Can't have those, need to preserve the parking...

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erdtirdmans t1_jegjtc2 wrote

> It's crazy how all the RCO is asking for is to do things the city government should be doing but won't. Trees? Can't have those, cost too much to maintain and you'd have to lose some parking if you want to fit them into CC... Loading zones? Can't have those, need to preserve the parking...

SO MUCH THIS. I'd be down with doing city planning and beautification this way. In fact, it's my preferred method. But I prefer it because it accomplishes wider development goals with the minimal impact on property rights and minimizes costs to the taxpayer... Which obviously isn't the case here since we already have god damn wage taxes, sugar taxes, sales taxes. Like damn you'd hope with all that money coming in you could plant s fucking tree!

I felt very seen in your second paragraph. Jesus Christ this city. Anyway, this building looks dope and I'm excited

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this_shit t1_jegy50g wrote

The barriers to trees are NOT money. Trees are a question of land use policy: you need permeable, non-compacted surfaces for them to live.

You can either do that by cutting bigger tree pits (which would have to take away road or sidewalk space) or by spending money on more complicated engineering solutions like excavated grow pits, permeable pavement, and/or custom drainage (these things are common in cities like NYC that have their shit together).

I don't expect Philly to start investing in fancy engineered street infrastructure any time soon, BUT it costs ~nothing to turn a parking spot into a tree pit big enough to sustain a big shade tree like an Oak or a London Plane.

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