Near Northeast

Neighborhood Open Space Planning Profile for Near Northeast

1) Open space concerns, issues or challenges

• Improved security
• Maintenance of existing open space
• Develop a wider variety of open space opportunities
• New River City Plan: challenge of moving this forward

2) Community open space interests & desires

• Acquire more open space, green space, & trees
• Improved accessibility to Delaware River, Pennypack Creek, & Frankford Creek watersheds
• Development of pedestrian trails
• Desire for stronger connectivity between 'greenways'
• Clean up noxious land uses (e.g. junk yards)
• Convert former railroad right-of-ways to open space
• Make cemeteries more usable spaces for daytime strollers
• Install more benches in existing open spaces
• More community operated athletic facilities, similar to the one next to the Mayfair Elementary School

3) Compliance or regulatory issues

• Clean Water Act regulations regarding pollutant discharge into waterways
• 100-year floodplain requirements for regulating land & property damage, as well as safety
• PA stormwater management and sediment & erosion control
• Philadelphia Zoning Code, landscape buffer requirements: need for improved enforcement
• Brownfield development

4) Demographic trends or changes

• Increased number of vacant dwelling units in Frankford
• Increasingly diverse population

5) Market demands or pressures

• Connecting streets between proposed N. Delaware River development & commercial areas
• Increase in the number of vacant storefronts, particularly in Frankford, Wissanoming, & Tacony
• Increase in the number of dollar stores, take-out restaurants, & hair/nail/tanning salons in
  Frankford, Wissinoming, & Tacony
• Increase in the number of non-taxable storefront churches, which are closed most days
• Rise in real estate values
• Increased interest by developers to convert single-family units into multi-family dwellings
• Increased use of single-family homes as rental properties (property value issues)
• Interest to locate group homes for rehabilitation & prisoner-release facilities to the area
• Increased number of cars per household without additional parking spots to accomodate them
• Increased use of bicycle transporation has created need for improved bicycle access & facilities

6) Specific environmental issues

• The Cottman Avenue & Tacony Redevelopment Plan to develop a riverfront greenway as well as
  several new residential units at the former Northern Shipping & Tacony warehouse sites
• The Frankford Creek Redevelopment Area Plan included recommendations for recreational open space,
  a possible colonial powder mill, as well as residential housing
• Improving the Pennsylvania bicycle route "E"
• Traffic calming 'bump-outs' at busy intersections
• Remove & replace dead trees
• Reconfiguration of Cottman Ave. I-95 interchange, to create two-way flow & keep truck traffic on east side

7) Major developments and/or open space opportunities

• Opportunities along the North Delaware waterfront
• Commercial redevelopment along Aramingo Avenue, below Wheatsheaf Lane
• Transportation & Community Development Initiative (TCDI) Frankford Avenue Corridor Plan will
  recommend improved tree-lined streetscapes along the retail-oriented transit corridor
• Watershed revitalization planning for Pennypack Creek & the Frankford Creek Master Plan
• Support of the East Coast Greenway (off-road)
• Frankford Ave. commercial corridor (Harbison to Cottman) on Frankford & Torresdale Avenues

8) Other important information that should be noted?

• Community identifies a strong, positive correlation between improved quality of open space & improved quality of life.