Residents in the area of the Globe Dye Works at 4520-40 Worth Street turned out at the Frankford NAC meeting on October 13th to hear about the proposed zoning variance to allow automobile sales in an existing business at the Globe Dye Works.
LBI Limited deals in the sale, brokerage, and collection management of investment quality collector cars. They have previously conducted the sales at another location but want to be able to do that at their Globe location in the future.
Photo from the LBI Facebook page
They use the Torresdale side of the Globe building and that would be the entrance where cars are picked up and delivered and provide customer access. The business is not a high volume car lot of the type that presently line Torresdale Avenue and is completely contained within the building.
Residents raised the issue of parking in the neighborhood and called it a nightmare. They noted that Globe tenants park on Worth and Kinsey Streets and residents have to scramble to park in front of their own house. The Worth Street block captain also raised the issue that the Globe does not give back to the community.
The applicants say their are a small number of customers and their business is entirely on the Torresdale side of the building with occasional access to Worth Street. When the vote was taken, 3 residents attending all opposed the variance.
The owners of 1930 and 1958 Bridge Street returned to the NAC this month to make their case to convert these single family homes into triplexes. They attended the September meeting but their zoning notices had not been up the required number of days. In the interim they made their presentation to the ZBA. Only 1 residents attending was eligible to vote and he voted in favor of the change.
In the case of 5206 Pennway Street, the owner needs a variance to legalize an existing fence on his property. He explained his situation and that he did not know that he needed a variance. There were no residents eligible to vote on the case.
A letter will be sent to the ZBA (Zoning Board of Adjustment) informing them of the result of the voting. The ZBA is not obliged to rule in favor of the residents but takes it into account in making a decision. When no residents are eligible to vote, notice of non opposition is sent.
The next meeting of the Frankford NAC zoning board will be held on November 10th at the Second Baptist Church at 1801 Meadow Street at 7 PM.
