While many of the rowhome blocks in Lower North Philadelphia are zoned for single family homes, there are a few pockets where modest density is permitted. In neighborhoods with a high number of abandoned and vacant lots, this allows developers to consolidate several adjacent narrow properties to build multi-family housing. A recent appeal to the ZBA to develop such a property at 2255-59 N 22nd St. demonstrates the benefit of this more permissive zoning, but also its limitations in the real world.

In other parts of the city, the base zoning for these 3 parcels would allow for the construction of an 18 unit building by-right, thanks to a couple of zoning bonuses. These properties are unfortunately located in the 5th Council District, where the Fifth District Overlay prohibits the utilization of the green roof and/or mixed-income density bonuses. As a result, only 11 units are allowed here and the owners need permission from the ZBA to build the 18 units they’d be able to build by right in most parts of town.

The developers won support from the assigned RCO, All In The Family CDC, after agreeing to set aside 6 of the units at various affordability levels, substantially more than the 2 units that would’ve been required under the normal mixed-income housing bonus. In addition to the two units affordable at 50% of AMI that would’ve been required under the normal density bonus, the proposal called for one extra unit affordable at 60% of AMI and 3 more units affordable at 80% of AMI.

While the bespoke affordability agreement helped secure the support of the RCO, the ZBA only granted a variance to build 16 units. While the math might have worked for 6 affordable units out of 18, we can’t speak to whether the math still works with 6 affordable units out of 16. If it doesn’t, then you can almost definitely kiss this project goodbye.

This whole process speaks to a massive political disconnect in our city. The Mayor and City Council are constantly talking about the need for more affordable housing. This project would have provided 6 affordable units for the next 50 years, all funded by a private developer. But now, our best guess is that the project will not move forward, thanks to a heavy handed zoning overlay and a Zoning Board doing its best with a busted Zoning Code. City Council needs to decide: is it more important that Philadelphia move forward and grow and that the rising tide raises all ships? Or is it more important to hyper-locally micromanage every project that adds a little density to our city, creating roadblocks to market-rate and affordable development alike?

The economics of building new housing in North Philadelphia neighborhoods are already extremely precarious. Adding time and zoning risk to the approval process stymies these Missing Middle housing projects in areas coming out of decades of disinvestment. If Philadelphia wanted to act as a forward-looking partner, the two City owned vacant lots next to this potential project would be sold to these developers at a discount, in exchange for a larger project with even more affordability. Instead, we would expect to see three triplexes built here by right, with no affordability component whatsoever. The World Cup is less than two years away, but this feels like a spectacular own goal, and it will unfortunately come at the expense of the most vulnerable members of the city’s population.