On Nov. 20, the Philadelphia City Council introduced legislation that, if adopted, would significantly alter the City’s historic preservation ordinance. Bill No. 251030 would seriously reshape communities’ and preservation advocates’ ability to protect historically significant properties through designation to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

As an organization dedicated to protecting the distinctive build and natural environment of Northwest Philadelphia, the Chestnut Hill Conservancy welcomes community input on the proposal and urges City Council to table the bill to allow time for constructive dialogue among all interested parties.

Concepts in the bill include:

Creating a 30-plus-day delay of Historical Commission protection of properties nominated for historic designation (during which time properties would not be under Historical Commission protection).

Allowing pending zoning permit applications and undefined “policy factors” to outweigh historic designation, even when nominations meet the criteria for historic status.

Removing landscape architecture as a valid basis for historic designation.

Eliminating the requirement to consider neighboring structures, surroundings, and streetscape when reviewing building permit applications if a property is not located within an existing historic district.

The proposed changes could make it significantly more challenging to nominate and successfully protect eligible historic buildings and districts, introduce more hurdles in the designation review process, and potentially prioritize short-term development plans over preservation of irreplaceable historic resources. We suggest that the City Council table the bill and convene interested parties from the preservation and development communities, as well as from neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia, to engage in constructive dialogue and collaborative planning on reasonable updates to the City’s current preservation ordinance.

What we are doing:

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy is committed to working collaboratively with City Council, the Department of Planning and Development, the Historical Commission, and other interested groups on architectural, environmental, and cultural assets.

We are coordinating with other Northwest Philadelphia organizations and preservation advocates citywide to ensure our communities are heard. We advocate for transparent, effective preservation policies that enable broad public engagement and protect the architectural and cultural assets that shape our region.

What you can do today -- we encourage you to:

Contact your local councilperson to express your concerns about the legislation.

Join our advocacy efforts by contacting us at Info@CHConservancy.Org and sharing your thoughts on the legislation.

Together, we can protect the stories, buildings, and landscapes that make Philadelphia’s neighborhoods unique.

For more information or to connect with our advocacy team, please contact Executive Director David Gest, Esq. at David@CHConservancy.Org.