SPCCA In Action

►The Food Trust on Oregon Ave. (July - November, 2004)
This is a program for Seniors to improve health thru better diet. The Food Trust in conjunction with SPCCA has arranged for local farmers from Pennsylvania to sell fresh produce, one day a week for four hours at Broad St & Oregon Oregon Ave. This small 'market' will be near the Oregon Avenue subway entrance. The farmers will be responsible for both setting up their stands and also for cleaning up any debris after their market closes.

Seniors use vouchers to buy the fresh produce. Vouchers can be obtained from the Fels South Philadelphia Community Center located at 2407 South Broad St. For information or to obtain vouchers, call Christina Donnian at 215-218-0800.

►Proposed Eckerd's drugstore at Broad & Wolf
Since fall of 2003, the Eckerd drugstore chain has shown interest in purchasing the Leonetti Funeral Home property with the intention of opening an Eckerd's drugstore. The SPCCA along with Methodist Hospital, Senator Vince Fumo and Councilman Frank DiCiccio have opposed the granting of the zoning variance that would allow this to occur.
All opponents were represented by legal council at the hearing before the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The zoning board granted the variance to the Eckerd Drug chain. During the winter of 2004, the SPCCA and the other opponents then filed an appeal in court of common pleas and the decision was reversed in favor of the community. (i.e. no Eckerd's)

On June 7, 2004, a three judge panel of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld the decision of the Honorable Matthew Carrafiello of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, reversing the decision of the Zoning Board permitting an Eckert Drug Store at Broad and Wolf Streets.
The Zoning Board's decision had been appealed by SPCCA, the Avenue of the States Association, the Methodist Hospital, Senator Fumo and Councilman Di Cicco. John S. Di Giorgio, Esquire argued the case before the Commonwealth Court on behalf of the SPCCA . He stated that Real Marq, the developer proposing the Eckert Drug Store, had not satisfied its burden of proving that the neighborhood at Broad and Wolf Street would not be adversely affected by the proposal. Mr. Di Giorgio argued that the proposed store would greatly increase traffic in the critical area of the Methodist Hospital Emergency Ward. The Court, in an opinion by Judge Renee Cohn agreed, and upheld Judge Carrafiello's Order. The other members of the panel were President Judge James Colins and Judge Charles Mirarchi.