Tag: frankford civic association

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Safecam Task Force Goes to Work

civic task force

Barbara, Veronica, Gary, Sandra and Jon at the initial meeting at St. Marks

As noted by John Loftus in the Northeast Times, the Frankford Civic Association task force on security Cameras has been meeting bi weekly to develop a program to encourage businesses to install and register security cameras on their premises.  They have been proven to be a significant crime deterrent and have also helped apprehend criminals.  The program, for businesses, may also be subsidized by the City Commerce Department.  Home owners are also encouraged to register their security camera system if they have one.

To learn more information about the Safecam program from the Police Department follow this link.

 

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Frankford Civic Association November Meeting

Twenty -Five people on a November night in Frankford was a good turnout at the Frankford Civic Association meeting held on November 6th at Aria Hospital.  There was no zoning cases to discuss but there was a lot of business nonetheless.

  • Residents of Church Street noted that parking has become a problem when meetings are held at Turning Points for Children on Griscom Street.  There is a large parking lot there but people coming to the meetings end up parking on the street and taking up residents spots in front of their homes.
  • The Arsenal boat ramp is closed temporarily while the construction for the new Dietz and Watson plant is underway.  Read more at this NE Times  link.
  • Although the Northwood/Frankford Community Y is now free of debt, it has not been able to find funding to reopen the public part of the building to the public.  Local attorney, Frank Bennett, leases the mansion section of the property for his business.  The remaining area is a gymnasium and pool which could be an asset to the community.  However the pool could cost as much as 80 to 100,000 dollars a year to keep in operation.
  • Pete Specos, president of the Civic, reports that there has been some talk of reopening the Salvation Army facility on Frankford Avenue.
  • A resident of Griscom street reports hearing that the old wine and spirits store on Oxford Avenue has been sold and it will be used as a day care center.  There is no record of the sale on the city OPA site so far.
  • From the recent PSA meeting – The Frankford Deli was raided.  Over $300,000 in marijuana was seized.  Read more about it at the NE Times here.
  • A fire on the 1300 block of Foulkrod Street was caused by high school students who hang there during and after school.
  • Vice is continuing to keep the pressure on prostitutes and their customers in Frankford.

A special task force was formed by several members to work on the issue of security cameras.  That group will meet biweekly and report back to the Civic.  The purpose is to make business owners aware of the Commerce Department’s program that subsidizes installation of security cameras for businesses.  Read more about that at this link.  Anyone who has security cameras installed is encouraged to register them with the police.  You can find more about that program at this link.  Recent events have shown  how these cameras can save lives.  Many experts also believe their very presence acts a deterrent to crime.

The next meeting of the Frankford Civic Association will be held on Thursday, December 4th at 7PM at Aria Hospital.

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Frankford Civic Meeting for October

There were no zoning issues to discuss at the Frankford Civic Association meeting on October 2nd but the meeting went on with a discussion of the serious issues confronting Frankford.

  • The issue of the proposed fried chicken store at Oxford and Griscom is still an issue with local residents fearing that it will become a hangout for drug dealers when it is open all night.
  • Why are businesses located so close to residences permitted to be open for 24 hours a day.  The issue is that they are located in a commercial zone and it is legal in that zoning classification.
  • Captain McCloskey has said that he will veto any plans to turn the old Wind and Spirits store on Oxford near Griscom in to a club.
  • The 30 new police officers that were assigned to the 15th district were not rookies right out of the academy but experienced officers from other districts in the city.  The rookies were sent to other districts.   This is better for Frankford given the problems we face.  New police cars were not supplies however.  The vehicles that came into the district were used at best and some have already broken down.
  • The crowds outside of the Suboxone clinic on the 4600 block of Frankford Avenue continue to be a problem.
  • Attendance at the PSA and civic meetings has been up lately but not as great as it is when a problem becomes a public issue.  More residents are needed at those meetings.
  • Why is it that a bar can close and become a package store and yet sell drinks as if it was a bar.  Does the liquor control board know about that place near Leandros Pizza on Frankford Avenue?  Besides the alcohol you get any drug you want on the sidewalk outside.

The next Frankford Civic meeting will be on November 6th and December 4th.  The next PSA meetings will be on November 20th and December 18th.

 

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Frankford Civic Association July Meeting

With no zoning issues on the agenda, it was a quick Frankford Civic meeting on July 10th.  A review of the June, well attended, PSA meeting highlighted what transpired for those who missed it.  Pete Specos noted that the upcoming PSA meeting on July 24th will have the police in attendance as well as representatives from L&I and the Streets Department to address issues raised at the last meeting.

It was noted that there is a lot of activity at the intersection of Oxford and Griscom in the past few weeks.  A sign on the former Lee’s shoe repair store said that a fried chicken store is coming soon.  There is activity on the other side of Oxford Ave in the old State Store building.

The next Frankford Civic meeting will be on August 7th at 7PM at Aria Hospital.

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Frankford Civic March Meeting

There were no zoning cases to discuss this month but there was an interesting presentation by Tom Branigan and Alexia Sotirchos from the Delaware River City Corporation (DRCC).

The DRCC from their web site:

The Delaware River City Corp. (DRCC) exists in order to build, maintain and promote the North Delaware Greenway. The North Delaware Greenway is a portion of the urban, multi-state corridor, the East Coast Greenway, which connects similar projects from Maine to Florida. In partnership with many others, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Philadelphia Commerce Department and Department of Parks and Recreation, and local civic organizations, the DRCC is realizing the vision of a renewed Delaware riverfront.

The most recent development was the opening of the Port Richmond Trail which runs next to Delaware Avenue from Allegheny up the the Betsy Ross Bridge at Lewis Street.  Right at Allegheny is the new Pulaski Park.  We took a tour Sunday and even though the newly planted trees haven’t bloomed yet, you can see the potential there.  See the slideshow below.

In context, this stretch of the trail will be a segment of the 3,000 mile East Coast Greenway running from Canada to Key West, Florida.  The Philadelphia segment is planned out and some of it is now being implemented.  Grpund was broken last week for the extension of Delaware Avenue from Lewis Street to Orthodox Street.  The trail will be built along with the roadway.  Eventually Delaware Avenue will run all the way up the the Arsenal boat ramp and the trail will run along with it.

Planning is also ongoing for the Frankford Creek Greenway to connect to the trail system thereby giving us in Frankford access to the Delaware river by bike.

The next meeting of the Frankford Civic Association will be held at Aria Hospital on April 3rd at 7PM.

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