Friday, October 9, 2009

Phoenixville Library - Architect Tom Carnevale to library neighbors....

....the following is a paraphrase of what he did say at the October 8, 2009 public Planning Commission meeting.

The new library will make the area a neighborhood, again.

Bad choice of words.

Until recently, Tom and his family lived in a half-double on Gay Street and Second Avenue, a neighborhood which is the same type of neighborhood as all those surrounding the library at Second and Main Streets.

The arrogance in Carnevale's remark, the slur hurled for blocks in all directions, was and is an insult to me and all the neighbors surrounding the library. In my opinion, this remark is a very public example, an indication of the manner in which this entire process of an expansion has been handed to the public.

My anger and disgust was barely bridled.

When it was my turn at the microphone I told Tom Carnevale he owed an apology to the neighbors as they take much pride in their homes. He looked at me and smiled. However, afterwards I did not see him approach and apologize to any of the neigbhors in attendance, myself included.

The normal dog and pony show at tonight's Planning Commission meeting began with a list of "approvals" for the project, at least one of which had to be corrected by Phoenixville Borough Mayor Leo Scoda. A presentation by an engineer from Rettew, Inc., was followed by another presentation of a parking analysis performed over a few days in the summer.

Quite a few Planning members had tough questions and comments for the library representatives as well as their own counsel, and I believe there may have been an equal number of speakers both pro and con on the expansion including library board member Adam Deveney and his wife.

The language of the proposed zoning change will be developed and presented to the Planning Commision.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Karen

Does this mean that the PC sent it along to council for advertisement with the PFZ change?

PC I hope put some conditions on this plan like a real study whether fire apparatus can actually fit on Park Alley.Maybe the Fire Chief should start with the smallest truck and work his way up to the largest to see if it would fit now.

Anonymous said...

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Karen said...

The proposed zoning amendment language will be written and presented to the Planning Commission at future meeting.

There was no discussion regarding conditions at this meeting.

Anonymous said...

Did they say why they want the zoning to be changed from NCR2 to PFZ?

Karen said...

I received the following via email for posting to this blog.

I'm not certain if it is to be posted anonymously or with the name, and unfortunately at the moment, I am unable to contact the person who sent it to me.

If the person wishes to be identified I will add the name later.

******

Mr. Carnevale, We Don't Need Your Building to Bring Our Neighborhood Back


At Thursday evening's Planning Commission meeting, several members of the Planning Commission noted that the middle of 2nd Avenue is no place to plant a library expansion project. These members shared their concerns about the way in which the building would change the character of the neighborhood, and at one point Mr. Carnevale was directly confronted: "This will change the neighborhood."

Mr. Carnevale's response demonstrated once again the complete disregard and disdain with which the Library Foundation Board and its supporters have been addressing the community, and the arrogance with with they have been foisting their "concept" proposal upon the Borough of Phoenixville and the neighborhood of the current Carnegie Library:

"This will bring the neighborhood back to being a neighborhood again."

Mr. Carnevale, perhaps you and your friends on the Library Foundation Board should visit our neighborhood a bit more often. Knock on a few doors, learn some names, ask all the residents what they think of your permanent roadblock on 2nd Avenue. Stand at the intersection of 2nd and Main and ask a few motorists at the stop sign how they feel about having the flow of traffic interrupted in the service of your monstrosity. Ask a few walkers their views on passing, once every few minutes, an ugly two-story wall on their circuit around the park.

Get over yourselves, Mssrs. Carnevale, Deveney, Kelley, Wagner, et al - our neighborhood never left, it's still here, quiet and thriving, and we don't need your grand vanity project to save it.

Karen said...

The author of the comments sent via email and posted at 4:11 p.m. is Michael Kammerdiener.

Thank you, Michael.

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

In what paper is the Borough now advertising its legal notices?

Karen said...

Anonymous October 09, 2009, 1:53 p.m., an applicant is not required to state why a zoning change is requested.

However, many zoning change requests would benefit the developer's plans.

Karen said...

Anonymous 10:53 a.m., I would suggest that you call the Pottstown Mercury and the Daily Local newspapers and ask if they publish the legal notices.

I have not looked for any notices since the Phoenix went to a weekly.

Genevieve said...

In part 28 of the Phoenixville Zoning Code "Uses" it states in section 7 A. Area and Dimensional Standards that a Library or Museum is required to have a minimum lot area of two acres. I understand that old buildings would not fall under this restriction. The amount of land that they have, even if they acquire the street, falls far short of two acres. How can they possibly even consider this proposal given that they do not have enough land according to the Borough's Zoning Code?

Anonymous said...

>>>How can they possibly even consider this proposal given that they do not have enough land according to the Borough's Zoning Code?<<<

Isn't this the part where they make an amendment to their rules to suit themselves? Of course- try to put up a shed or something similare on your property and see how fast we stick to the rules, LOL

Karen said...

Genevieve, could it be that Part 28 is part of the reason why there is a request for a zoning change to PFZ?

They also have side yard and rear yard setback issues to contend with in zoning.

The further this is examined more problematic any expansion at this site becomes.

Parking requirements, safety concerns, and other standards must be met, too.

None of the requirements have changed and none of the public's concerns should be a surprise to library board. Almost every issue has been identified and addressed to the board from the very first meeting.

I can only imagine that the monies spent by the library in pursuit of this plan could have made a serious dent in the acquisition of property which would have given this particular plan or the previous one a beautiful home somewhere else surrounded by several acres with no risk to our children and adequate parking.

Anonymous said...

In both PFZ and NCR-2 the minimum lot area is one acre, so changing the zoning doesn't seem to be an advantage for that reason. It is an advantage to change it if you want to build something higher. NCR-2 maximum height is 35 feet, while PFZ is 40 feet. Maybe that's where they are planning to make up some of their "loss" from pulling back to the curb. Make the thing even higher than they originally planned.
However, they still need to address the other part of Chapter 27 that deals specifically with library/museum in either of those zones. It requires two acres for a library. Since they are planning what is essentially another whole building for that spot, they would be held to that ordinance. It's not grandfathered in, like the older buildings in town.
So the only way around this would be for the Borough Council to circumvent the very rules that were put in place to prevent something like this happening and change the ordinance for library/museum.

Anonymous said...

Spot zoning - illegal!

Anonymous said...

Often, attitude comes out in subtle ways.

I think that the comment the architect made, basically an off-the-cuff remark, reflects the attitude of the people involved in the project. It is a smug arrogance that they and only they know what is best for the community. But in reality, they really do not care about the inconvenience of anyone, including the library patrons, expecting them to walk from their cars great distances in all kinds of weather just to get to their precious building. They do not care about the people most affected by this project, the immediate neighbors, or even the people visiting the neighborhood, including emergency responders.

They expect people to accommodate the building, instead of the other way around. It is all about the building, and it is a warped view of what the built environment is about.

Karen said...

Anonymous 10:02 p.m., could you please correct the spelling on the name and resend your post so I may add it to the thread?

I would be very interested in receiving the information you mentioned.

Please send it to my email at:
karenj97@comcast.net

Thank you!

Karen said...

This post was received last night and with permission has been edited for content.

****

Karen,

The info that I just received is alarming.This whole nonsense about adding the library to the PFZ is downright diabolical.

The two pages of zoning changes that they want are all designed to make this work according to the dimension of the addition.This would take all zoning away and it would be up to council to approve or disapprove.

I thought that when this was first brought to the table that Tom Carnevale said he would work with PC and follow all the guidelines of the NCR-2 district.

Now they want to change the whole picture to fit what he designed.If council allows this they should be thrown in jail for stupidity.

Planning and Zoning are put in place to protect this type of encroachment on neighborhoods and these people being as arrogant as they are do not want to play by the rules.

I will get you a copy of what I have and you can post it for all to see.

I hope that the Mayor steps up to the plate and Vetoes this sort of impropriety that is being forced on the resident of Second Ave and Phoenixville.

Veto----a power vested in the Chief Executive to prevent the carrying out of measures adopted by a legislature....
to refuse assent to (a legislative bill ) so as to prevent enactment or cause reconsideration....

Publish this comment.

Reject this comment.

Moderate comments for this blog.

Posted by Anonymous to Karen Johns - Life in Phoenixville at October 13, 2009 10:02:00 PM EDT

Anonymous said...

Of course Carnevale could state they would work within NCR-2 guidelines; he did not state he would work within PFZ guidelines and that is what they want the whole parcel changed to.

I'm sure they were coached to the hilt on what to say and when. Very sneaky tactics.

Anonymous said...

Lets see what kind of guidance Andy Rau gives council or is Allan Novak A BETTER LAWYER.

This thing stunk from the beginning and only smells worse now.I hear that the LIEBRARY is now going to hire a professional fundraiser.Can't these people tap all their rich friends.

Maybe if the smell gets any worse they can put it down on the other end of Second Ave right across from the SEWER Plant. LOL