Statement from Councilmember Jamie Gauthier on Resolution to Create Zoning Code Review Commission

Our office has received a high number of calls this week about a resolution that authorizes the creation of a Zoning Code Review Commission, and I’d like to share my perspective.

I supported this resolution because I see it as an opportunity to document so much of what I’ve seen in my first year in office — in particular, that the Zoning Code as currently written doesn’t do enough to help strengthen Black and brown communities in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

The resolution highlights work done by the City’s Planning Commission, which notes the disconnect between community planning and zoning policy. I feel a responsibility to use whatever platform I can to represent the struggles of my constituents, who are working tirelessly to defend the rights that they have in informing the future of their neighborhoods.

My office submitted testimony on zoning variance applications in my District a whopping 85 times in 2020, and that’s with the Zoning Board only being open for seven months of the year. This relentless pace limits resident volunteers’ ability to think and advocate proactively for their communities. I hope that this Commission can bring stakeholders who care about the intersection between equity and land use together to brainstorm tangible solutions to the problems at hand.