The meeting had over 20 in attendance. Opening announcement from Pete Specos was that Alice Henry has had to withdraw from the board for personal reasons and he will be acting president.
The first issue was the application for a zoning variance for a day care at the church on the corner of Harrison Street and Frankford Avenue. The variance is needed because part of the property is zoned residential.
The main topic of discussion was the presentation made by Joe Bella, attorney representing Harry Patel, the owner of the Quickie Mart Express at the corner of Unity Street and Frankford Avenue. Mr. Patel says that business is down and he sees an opportunity to recoup those losses by offering take out beer at the Quickie Mart. His proposal would include remodeling the entire shopping center, which he also owns, as well as the interior of the Quickie Mart to accommodate sit down dining . That is a requirement of the license to sell take out beer.
Mr. Patel is trying to determine whether the community would support this change in his business before he proceeds. Discussion from the group was centered on the problems now seen on the Avenue with people and alcohol. Will this change make a difference or make things worse then they are now. I have a video here of the presentation along with some of the comments and questions raised. It’s 10 minutes long but might be worth a watch.
There is no doubt that Mr. Patel is an astute business man and the Quickie Mart is a nice store. If you have concerns about this issue, you should attend the next Frankford Civic meeting to voice your opinion. It will be held on December 1st at 7PM at Aria Health 2nd floor conference room.
An eat in deli would be great in the neighborhood. But the deli meats have to be top notch and the bread and rolls must be fresh. Something on the order of the 4th Street Deli in South Philly. I see nothing wrong with carry-out beer being sold. We can’t turn Frankford into a ghost town just because a few people don’t know how to behave.
I wish Mr. Patel luck in his business venture.