City Council approves formation
of BID for Chestnut Hill
By KATIE WORRALL
In the same fast-paced tone of voice
that she used in other matters before Philadelphia
City Council on June 3, City Clerk Marie Hauser read
a brief description of Bill 04008. She then called
the names of council members, and with a vote of 17-0,
the Chestnut Hill Business Improvement District took
the last step before it goes to the mayor's desk.
John Street was expected to sign it into law within
the next 10 days, Chestnut Hill BID administrator
Suzanne Biemiller told the Local on June 4.
City Council did not conduct any discussion
of the bill, which will assess owners of commercial
property in a prescribed area of Chestnut Hill, 10
percent of the assessed property taxes to make improvements
and offer services with in the district that will
include marketing, streetscape, and security and parking.
The bill was the first of many bills on which council
members voted after hearing several resolutions, seeing
a presentation by Philadelphia schoolchildren, and
voting on the introduction of other bills.
While children were singing "Tomorrow,"
the hit song from Annie, Suzanne Biemiller
‹ who is also the executive director of the Chestnut
Hill Business Association ‹ was drafting the new entity's
first order of business: a proposal to hire a company
to clean the streets of litter and empty the trash
cans at intersections on days when the city does not.
The next priority for the BID, according
to John Levitties, who was elected president of the
Chestnut Hill BID board last week, will be to improve
the parking lots operated by the Chestnut Hill Parking
Foundation and adding lots to the lower end of Chestnut
Hill, where the foundation currently has no parking
facilities. Other priorities for the BID include creating
mechanisms to attract potential retail businesses
to Chestnut Hill, getting new street lights, creating
a new streetscape that unites the upper and lower
parts of Chestnut Hill and new signs directing visitors
to the parking lots, Levitties and Biemiller said.
Levitties, who owns and operates John
Alexander Decorative and Antique Furnishings, 10 to
12 West Gravers Lane, was elected president by the
BID board on June 2.
Biemiller said that the election of
Levitties as president was a unanimous decision of
the board. "John provides leadership. He listens well
to divergent opinions and will respond in an appropriate
way. When negotiations and compromises are required
he can do it. With a new organization, you have to
stay true to your mission. He won' waffle but will
listen to other voices."
Also elected to voting seats were Sanjiv
Jain, vice president; John Adams, secretary; Anne
McNally, treasurer; Richard Maloumian; Richard Snowden;
John Ingersoll; and Paul Roller. Adams and Ingersoll
represent the Chestnut Hill Business Association and
Roller represents the Chestnut Hill Parking Foundation.
The BID board includes several non-voting seats, including
the Chestnut Hill Community Association president,
currently Maxine Maddox Dornemann; Chestnut Hill Garden
District Fund founder Dottie Sheffield; Biemiller;
and a representative of a nonprofit organization yet
to be determined.
Levitties said in the interview that
the BID has all the mechanisms for the various community
organizations to work together. "All the stakeholders
have a voice so that we can move forward quickly,"
Levitties said. "We have a sense of what the issues
are, for better or for worse. A large number of people
are interested in the community and we can spend a
lot time on the details. Often compromise is beneficial.
On the other hand, it is time consuming."
Biemiller said that regarding streetscape,
the BID wants participation from the Chestnut Hill
Community Association development review and aesthetics
committees.
Prior to reaching the City Council,
the BID legislation, which is authorized by the Pennsylvania
Community and Development Act, was approved with significant
support, but also with some reservations, Levitties
said. Twenty-nine percent of the commercial property
owners contacted the city to signify they were against
the BID proposal, according to Biemiller.
Several withdrew their "no" votes following
negotiations with a group call the BID Alternative
Committee that brought about some changes in the legislation,
such as decreasing the percentage of assessment from
12 to 10 percent and requiring all board members to
be current in his or her tax payments to the city
of Philadelphia as well as his or her BID assessment.
Biemiller expects that first assessment letter will
be sent to property owners in July. Levitties said
that the initial assessment will be prorated at 7.5
percent because the fiscal year begins in April.
"We need to prove ourselves responsible;
that was felt very keenly by the board and the staff.
The interests of the BID, the Community Association,
the Business Association and the Chestnut Hill Historical
Society all dovetail for the betterment and future
of Chestnut Hill. Everyone has purview, but none are
closer that the Business Association," he said.
Levitties said that, speaking for himself,
the Business Association will handle marketing while
the BID will handle infrastructure. The Business Association
will represent the businesses and the BID will represent
the landlords, he explained.
Levitties stressed that he is interested
in working with the Community Association. "So goes
the business district, so goes Chestnut Hill," he
said.
Levitties started his business specializing
in late 19th and early 20th century English antiques
about 10 years ago. He bought the former post office
building five years ago and moved his business there
because Chestnut Hill has many houses of the architectural
style as the furniture he sells, he said.
Levitties, who lives in Chestnut
Hill with his wife two children, is a former president
of the Chestnut Hill Historical Society.
