Category: Civics

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Northwood Civic Association Updates Meeting Rules

From Joe Krause, President of the Northwood Civic Association on August 15, 2018:  

Tonight the board members and l held a meeting in which we discussed, among other things, unneeded distractions at our meetings. Because of the interference caused by people who are not there to discuss Northwood business, we decided that our meetings, going forward, will be closed meetings. Our meetings will be open to those living in the bounds of Northwood that are defined in our by-laws, representatives of all political offices, representatives of city agencies, and invited speakers and guests who have information relevant to Northwood. For years we’ve maintained orderly meetings and we plan on continuing that tradition.


The August meeting is Tuesday the 21st at 7:00 PM, Simpson Recreation Center located at 1010 Arrott Street.


We will have information on dues and upcoming nominations for all seats.

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Did Squatters Take Over the Mayor’s House?

Well, No, they didn’t.

You never hear about Philadelphia’s Mayor, Jim Kenney, having his house stolen by squatters.  That is probably because it has never happened.  Squatters know that it would not be allowed to happen.  If the mayor came home from being away one day and found squatters occupying the premises, the police would have the bums in cuffs and charged with Criminal Trespass in the blink of an eye.  That is how it should be for any situation of that kind in the City.  If you steal a house, you get arrested.

Yet, when the property at 1301 Wakeling Street (right across from Frankford High School) was taken over by squatters in the 3rd week of March, why did the Conservator (Scioli Turco), working on behalf of the Northwood Civic Association, have to go to court to have the crooks legally evicted?  Why should the victim of this crime suffer further loss?

1301 Wakeling Street

Why didn’t the police just throw the bums out when they were called on the first day when they were called to the property?  It is the theft of a house.  But that is not the way it happened.  Instead it took 3 weeks for the legal process to get them out.

Joe Krause, President of the Northwood Civic Association, has been working to bring this property back from near extinction, since 2015.  Last year, after battling the absentee owner for two years in court, the Conservator was appointed, and work began to rehab it and get it back onto the market as a single-family home.  Great progress was made.  Until somebody stole it and held up the project for three weeks.

Its back in the hands of the Conservator now and work must be done to repair the damage.  Three weeks of time lost in the battle to keep the neighborhood a decent place to live.

What will happen the next time squatters take over a house?  It could be yours.

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Northwood Civic Green Lights Triplex

At the Northwood Civic Association meeting on January 16th, members voted not to oppose an application to legalize an existing triplex at 4725 Northwood Street.  The zoning had lapsed for the property due to a technicality and it had been in legal use as a multi family previously.  It is not in the Deed Restricted area.

4725 Northwood Street from Google Street View

Also at the meeting Joe Krause, President of the Association, updated the membership on the conservatorship progress of the Wakeling Street property.  The Civic plans to address other problem properties when the current project is completed.

Terry Heiser talked about additional traffic calming measures coming to Castor Avenue in the Spring and new signage coming to the 4600 block of Oakland Street in an attempt to slow down traffic on the block which has many children.

The next meeting of the Northwood Civic Association will be on February 20th at 7 PM at the Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott Street.