Sewers
By Holly Otterbein
PlanPhilly, February 9, 2011
On Tuesday, City Council's Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities heard from the public about the Philadelphia Water Department's new stormwater runoff fees paid by independent business owners and other non-residential customers.
Before July 2010, a non-resident's stormwater fees were based on the size of their water meter, though water usage and stormwater runoff are unrelated. Under the new system, these non-residential customers, which include schools, non-profits, small businesses, corporations and other entities, pay based on their œfootprint, which is determined by the square footage and percentage of hard surfaces of their property.
These new stormwater fees are being phased in over a period of four years, so the bills that non-residents receive currently are partially based on water meter size, and partially on the property footprint ” though once the phasing is complete, it will be based completely on their footprint. In other words, a skyscraper and a parking lot with the same acreage would pay the same amount of stormwater fees.
Upon confirming this at yesterday's hearing, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. said, œAnd that makes sense ¦ to who? Business owners then erupted in applause. Some business owners argue that they didn't get enough notice of the changing fees, nor did PWD explain the purpose of the fees well enough. œWe're not disputing that we can do a better job, said PWD spokeswoman Joanne Dahme at the hearing. œAnd it's always a challenge getting customers to pay attention to something ¦ particularly when it's not in place yet.
Dahme said the PWD held 10 public meetings prior to the fees going into place, which more than 1,000 commercial customers attended. Jeff Allen, co-chairman of the Unified Business Owners Association of Philadelphia, which formed in response to the fees, said he understood the need for tax increases, but that his business' stormwater fees increased from $100 to $1,300 a month. œI said to my wife in a panic ¦ I can't afford to stay in the city of Philadelphia anymore, said Allen. œIt's killing me.
Allen said that 79,000 businesses were affected by the stormwater fees, and 1,000 companies received œunfair increases. Dahme admitted that some businesses were seeing significant increases, but said that others were enjoying significant decreases. Also, she said, œWhen we look at out customers overall ¦ about 60 percent of our customers are seeing either no change, a real small change or a change within $500 of increase over the year.
Dahme told PlanPhilly later that businesses and other non-residential customers that have seen increased fees under the new system were underpaying previously: œThey weren't paying what their contribution was to the system.
Read more about PWD's stormwater runoff fees on their website.
Before July 2010, a non-resident's stormwater fees were based on the size of their water meter, though water usage and stormwater runoff are unrelated. Under the new system, these non-residential customers, which include schools, non-profits, small businesses, corporations and other entities, pay based on their œfootprint, which is determined by the square footage and percentage of hard surfaces of their property.
These new stormwater fees are being phased in over a period of four years, so the bills that non-residents receive currently are partially based on water meter size, and partially on the property footprint ” though once the phasing is complete, it will be based completely on their footprint. In other words, a skyscraper and a parking lot with the same acreage would pay the same amount of stormwater fees.
Upon confirming this at yesterday's hearing, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. said, œAnd that makes sense ¦ to who? Business owners then erupted in applause. Some business owners argue that they didn't get enough notice of the changing fees, nor did PWD explain the purpose of the fees well enough. œWe're not disputing that we can do a better job, said PWD spokeswoman Joanne Dahme at the hearing. œAnd it's always a challenge getting customers to pay attention to something ¦ particularly when it's not in place yet.
Dahme said the PWD held 10 public meetings prior to the fees going into place, which more than 1,000 commercial customers attended. Jeff Allen, co-chairman of the Unified Business Owners Association of Philadelphia, which formed in response to the fees, said he understood the need for tax increases, but that his business' stormwater fees increased from $100 to $1,300 a month. œI said to my wife in a panic ¦ I can't afford to stay in the city of Philadelphia anymore, said Allen. œIt's killing me.
Allen said that 79,000 businesses were affected by the stormwater fees, and 1,000 companies received œunfair increases. Dahme admitted that some businesses were seeing significant increases, but said that others were enjoying significant decreases. Also, she said, œWhen we look at out customers overall ¦ about 60 percent of our customers are seeing either no change, a real small change or a change within $500 of increase over the year.
Dahme told PlanPhilly later that businesses and other non-residential customers that have seen increased fees under the new system were underpaying previously: œThey weren't paying what their contribution was to the system.
Read more about PWD's stormwater runoff fees on their website.
February 16, 2011 - 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Organized by Philadelphia Water Department's (PWD) The Philadelphia Water Department will be hosting a community-based meeting to discuss its plans to install a stormwater management demonstration project at Womrath Park in the Frankford neighborhood (Frankford and Kensington Avenues). The Water Department would like public input before finalizing the design.
Meeting Details:
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Community Academy of Philadelphia
1100 E. Erie Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19124
6:00 to 8:00 PM
City’s new large-scale stormwater control plan will reduce combined-sewer overflow and create an urban ecosystem
By Pam Hunter
Engineering News Record, December 15, 2010
Philadelphia has launched an ambitious 20-year, $1.6-billion stormwater control plan that its creators hope will transform the city's combined-sewer system and its urban landscape with new shades of green, including bio-mimetic systems.
America's sixth-largest city aims to convert a third of its impervious asphalt surface”about 4,000 acres”into absorptive green spaces through the use of constructed wetlands, floodplain restoration and the use of rain barrels, porous concrete and green roofs. The goal is to use soil and vegetation to collect, filter and transpire runoff, essentially mimicking natural ecosystems and processes. The city also plans close to $320 million in upgrades to expand capacity at its wastewater treatment plants, but this œgray component is a relatively small part of the program, officials say.
While such cities as Seattle, Portland and Chicago have developed low-impact green runoff control programs, none has attempted an undertaking on this scale, observers say. The plan has caught the attention of environmental groups and green development advocates across the country. œIt's a very innovative program, says Jim Smullen, senior vice president of Cambridge, Mass.-based consultant CDM, which is providing engineering support.
Howard Neukrug, director of the Office of Watersheds in the Philadelphia Water Dept. who is the program's driving force, suggests that using a green approach rather than building large underground storage tanks and tunnels to hold stormwater is a more cost-effective and sustainable way to address overflow events and water quality. The department estimates that every dollar spent on green stormwater infrastructure will yield an additional dollar in benefits to the city.
Neukrug says the program takes a holistic watershed approach, developing approaches to œgreen streets, city parks, schoolyards and vacant lots as well as buildings. The program also includes plans to restore multiple streams flowing through the city to restore their natural ecology and treatment processes.
The program was initiated largely to comply with federal and state requirements to reduce combined-sewer overflow events. Although environmental advocates, ranging from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Natural Resources Defense Council, have praised the program, there are still a few challenges, Neukrug says. œWe're a relatively poor city in a tough economic time, he notes. œThis is not the best time in the world to be proposing a multibillion-dollar program. The plan has yet to gain approval from the state Dept. of Environmental Protection, although CDM's Smullen says he expects œcomplete or conditional approval within the next few months.
The city instituted a water-use rate hike in July that, while not specifically for the green stormwater control program, will help support the effort. Officials estimate that 55% of the 4,000 acres to be included in the greening effort are privately owned. Instead of relying on a water-meter-based charge, the water department is transitioning to a property-based approach that calculates fees based on a property's size and imperviousness. The rate change will not only provide a more equitable system to fund stormwater management but also motivate property owners to implement green practices at individual sites, Neukrug says.
Philadelphia Water is seeking constructive input from environmental groups. œOnce we were comfortable that the plan would work, it was a no-brainer that green water infrastructure is a better way to go than gray water infrastructure, says Brian Glass, a senior attorney with PennFuture, a Harrisburg, Pa.-based environmental advocacy group. He says green infrastructure offers a host of other secondary benefits, such as reducing carbon and air pollution.
œThis is a really amazing program that supports a shift in infrastructure investment and how we start to reinvest in our cities, says Mami Hara, principal at Wallace Roberts & Todd, a Philadelphia urban design firm and landscape architect that helped develop the approach.
America's sixth-largest city aims to convert a third of its impervious asphalt surface”about 4,000 acres”into absorptive green spaces through the use of constructed wetlands, floodplain restoration and the use of rain barrels, porous concrete and green roofs. The goal is to use soil and vegetation to collect, filter and transpire runoff, essentially mimicking natural ecosystems and processes. The city also plans close to $320 million in upgrades to expand capacity at its wastewater treatment plants, but this œgray component is a relatively small part of the program, officials say.
While such cities as Seattle, Portland and Chicago have developed low-impact green runoff control programs, none has attempted an undertaking on this scale, observers say. The plan has caught the attention of environmental groups and green development advocates across the country. œIt's a very innovative program, says Jim Smullen, senior vice president of Cambridge, Mass.-based consultant CDM, which is providing engineering support.
Howard Neukrug, director of the Office of Watersheds in the Philadelphia Water Dept. who is the program's driving force, suggests that using a green approach rather than building large underground storage tanks and tunnels to hold stormwater is a more cost-effective and sustainable way to address overflow events and water quality. The department estimates that every dollar spent on green stormwater infrastructure will yield an additional dollar in benefits to the city.
Neukrug says the program takes a holistic watershed approach, developing approaches to œgreen streets, city parks, schoolyards and vacant lots as well as buildings. The program also includes plans to restore multiple streams flowing through the city to restore their natural ecology and treatment processes.
The program was initiated largely to comply with federal and state requirements to reduce combined-sewer overflow events. Although environmental advocates, ranging from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Natural Resources Defense Council, have praised the program, there are still a few challenges, Neukrug says. œWe're a relatively poor city in a tough economic time, he notes. œThis is not the best time in the world to be proposing a multibillion-dollar program. The plan has yet to gain approval from the state Dept. of Environmental Protection, although CDM's Smullen says he expects œcomplete or conditional approval within the next few months.
The city instituted a water-use rate hike in July that, while not specifically for the green stormwater control program, will help support the effort. Officials estimate that 55% of the 4,000 acres to be included in the greening effort are privately owned. Instead of relying on a water-meter-based charge, the water department is transitioning to a property-based approach that calculates fees based on a property's size and imperviousness. The rate change will not only provide a more equitable system to fund stormwater management but also motivate property owners to implement green practices at individual sites, Neukrug says.
Philadelphia Water is seeking constructive input from environmental groups. œOnce we were comfortable that the plan would work, it was a no-brainer that green water infrastructure is a better way to go than gray water infrastructure, says Brian Glass, a senior attorney with PennFuture, a Harrisburg, Pa.-based environmental advocacy group. He says green infrastructure offers a host of other secondary benefits, such as reducing carbon and air pollution.
œThis is a really amazing program that supports a shift in infrastructure investment and how we start to reinvest in our cities, says Mami Hara, principal at Wallace Roberts & Todd, a Philadelphia urban design firm and landscape architect that helped develop the approach.
December 13, 2010 - 2:00pm - 4:30pm
Cost: FreeOrganized by Green Condominium and Co-op Initiative
http://stormwaterfees.eventbrite.com/
Glen Abrams, Philadelphia Water Department Watersheds Planning Manager will explain how condominiums and coops can reduce their stormwater user fee by reducing rainwater runoff from their buildings.
Butterfly Gallery - Academy of Natural Sciences
Please enter the Academy by the 19th Street Entrance (19th and Cherry Sts.)
Cosponsored by the Green Condominium and Co-op Initiative.
To register, please visit: http://stormwaterfees.eventbrite.com/
By Sandy Bauers
The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 28, 2010
Rudy stares earnestly at the camera.
Zoe looks more jaunty.
And Barkley is trying the comic approach.
All three are contenders in an effort to help the Philadelphia Water Department address a stubborn, one might even say dogged, water-quality problem.
Rudy, Zoe, and Barkley - yes, they are dogs - are among more than 30 contestants for a title that confers not only a certain doggy prestige and a $200 gift certificate to a pet-supply shop, but also the responsibility of community activism.
A winning "spokesdog" will be expected to educate less-enlightened humans about the evils of - dog waste.
It's more than a mere nuisance for those who step in it. Or smell it. Or find it in their gardens.
Dog leavings on streets and sidewalks can contribute to water-quality problems in streams.
"You wouldn't let your dog poop in your pool," said Joanne Dahme, spokeswoman for the Water Department, which is holding the contest. "But if you don't pick up after your dog, after the next rain it could wind up in the river."
Especially in Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls, the neighborhoods in the "spokesdog" pilot project.
These are steeply graded communities, offering plenty of opportunity for poop to plummet to the Schuylkill.
Plus, unlike most of the rest of the city, sewer pipes there are separated. Household waste goes to the sewage-treatment plant. Storm water - and all it carries - flows directly into the river.
Not far from drinking-water intakes, it must be noted.
Officials estimate that 5,000 dogs live in the three neighborhoods.
The project grew out of community greening efforts that involved landscaping yards and curbs.
All too often, however, someone would finish a nice project only to find that it also made a nice rest stop for a dog, said Gina Snyder, executive director of the nonprofit East Falls Development Corp.
So, instead of planting, some people started cementing.
"We were horrified to realize it was all about dog waste," Dahme said. "It was becoming an obstacle to us making these communities greener communities."
Dahme has a dog, a rescued greyhound named Terminator - he came with the name - and can vouch for how often a dog goes.
According to statistics cited by the Water Department, dogs in the U.S. produce 3.6 billion pounds of waste a year. And it can take upward of a year to degrade.
Some - probably those who don't pick up after their dogs - regard it as a sort of harmless fertilizer. It's not.
Although the Water Department has chemicals and procedures to deal with fecal coliform bacteria and other contaminants, people who boat on or fish in or walk along the river do not.
The department posts daily updates of the Schuylkill's water quality in the city at www.phillyrivercast.org
It's intended as a guide for recreational users, designating water quality as green, yellow, or red.
The city has no handle on how much of the contamination is due to dog doody, but others do.
About a decade ago, scientists in Virginia were able to use genetic mapping techniques to see whether samples of E. coli came from humans, cattle, poultry, horses, cats, geese, ducks, raccoons, or deer. Or dogs.
In Fairfax County's Accotink Creek, an urban stream, the single biggest source of the bacteria - nearly 25 percent - was, not surprisingly, geese. Humans were also at fault, their failing septic systems and leaking sewer pipes contributing slightly more than 20 percent.
Almost 15 percent of the fecal coliform came from dogs.
Many cities prohibit dumping dog waste on streets. In Philadelphia, the fine is $500.
But more creative methods of dealing with it have emerged.
In one Ithaca, N.Y., park, dog owners who cringed at the idea of all those plastic bags of poop winding up in the local landfill began a composting project.
In Cambridge, Mass., a Harvard art student got a $4,000 grant to create a temporary installation that used methane from decomposing dog waste to power a gaslight in a park.
In Philadelphia, Water Department officials settled on the spokesdog contest.
Residents of Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls have until Sunday to enter. Rules, photos of the contenders, and online entry forms are available at www.phillywatersheds.org/spokesdog/
A public vote will determine finalists. Judges will select the two winners - Roxborough and Manayunk will share a spokesdog, East Falls will get its own - based on "friendly nature, best canine smile, charm, and natural spokesdog abilities."
And then, the city says, the spokesdogs will be required to attend at least three community events in 2011, at which information will be distributed on "living the eco-friendly dog life."
Sharon Jaffe said her East Falls cocker spaniels are certain they have a crack at the acclaim.
"Contessa is just a lover of the garden, so she believes in being out in nature, and she also thinks she is the daintiest and perhaps the most attractive dog," her two-legged companion related.
Then again, "Zoe believes she is better suited because Contessa hates the rain, and she doesn't believe anyone who doesn't want to get their feet wet should be a spokesdog for the Water Department," Jaffe said.
"There is a fierce rivalry going on."
In Manayunk, Garrett Elwood has hopes for his rescued dog, Vegas, a mixed breed with a "sweet personality."
She has been on the job already, encouraging waste cleanup in the dog play area at Manayunk's Pretzel Park.
There, dogs and humans rely on peer pressure to get the message across, Elwood said.
"We've established that it's OK to say, 'Excuse me, sir, you probably didn't notice, but your dog just pooped up there. We have bags.' "
Zoe looks more jaunty.
And Barkley is trying the comic approach.
All three are contenders in an effort to help the Philadelphia Water Department address a stubborn, one might even say dogged, water-quality problem.
Rudy, Zoe, and Barkley - yes, they are dogs - are among more than 30 contestants for a title that confers not only a certain doggy prestige and a $200 gift certificate to a pet-supply shop, but also the responsibility of community activism.
A winning "spokesdog" will be expected to educate less-enlightened humans about the evils of - dog waste.
It's more than a mere nuisance for those who step in it. Or smell it. Or find it in their gardens.
Dog leavings on streets and sidewalks can contribute to water-quality problems in streams.
"You wouldn't let your dog poop in your pool," said Joanne Dahme, spokeswoman for the Water Department, which is holding the contest. "But if you don't pick up after your dog, after the next rain it could wind up in the river."
Especially in Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls, the neighborhoods in the "spokesdog" pilot project.
These are steeply graded communities, offering plenty of opportunity for poop to plummet to the Schuylkill.
Plus, unlike most of the rest of the city, sewer pipes there are separated. Household waste goes to the sewage-treatment plant. Storm water - and all it carries - flows directly into the river.
Not far from drinking-water intakes, it must be noted.
Officials estimate that 5,000 dogs live in the three neighborhoods.
The project grew out of community greening efforts that involved landscaping yards and curbs.
All too often, however, someone would finish a nice project only to find that it also made a nice rest stop for a dog, said Gina Snyder, executive director of the nonprofit East Falls Development Corp.
So, instead of planting, some people started cementing.
"We were horrified to realize it was all about dog waste," Dahme said. "It was becoming an obstacle to us making these communities greener communities."
Dahme has a dog, a rescued greyhound named Terminator - he came with the name - and can vouch for how often a dog goes.
According to statistics cited by the Water Department, dogs in the U.S. produce 3.6 billion pounds of waste a year. And it can take upward of a year to degrade.
Some - probably those who don't pick up after their dogs - regard it as a sort of harmless fertilizer. It's not.
Although the Water Department has chemicals and procedures to deal with fecal coliform bacteria and other contaminants, people who boat on or fish in or walk along the river do not.
The department posts daily updates of the Schuylkill's water quality in the city at www.phillyrivercast.org
It's intended as a guide for recreational users, designating water quality as green, yellow, or red.
The city has no handle on how much of the contamination is due to dog doody, but others do.
About a decade ago, scientists in Virginia were able to use genetic mapping techniques to see whether samples of E. coli came from humans, cattle, poultry, horses, cats, geese, ducks, raccoons, or deer. Or dogs.
In Fairfax County's Accotink Creek, an urban stream, the single biggest source of the bacteria - nearly 25 percent - was, not surprisingly, geese. Humans were also at fault, their failing septic systems and leaking sewer pipes contributing slightly more than 20 percent.
Almost 15 percent of the fecal coliform came from dogs.
Many cities prohibit dumping dog waste on streets. In Philadelphia, the fine is $500.
But more creative methods of dealing with it have emerged.
In one Ithaca, N.Y., park, dog owners who cringed at the idea of all those plastic bags of poop winding up in the local landfill began a composting project.
In Cambridge, Mass., a Harvard art student got a $4,000 grant to create a temporary installation that used methane from decomposing dog waste to power a gaslight in a park.
In Philadelphia, Water Department officials settled on the spokesdog contest.
Residents of Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls have until Sunday to enter. Rules, photos of the contenders, and online entry forms are available at www.phillywatersheds.org/spokesdog/
A public vote will determine finalists. Judges will select the two winners - Roxborough and Manayunk will share a spokesdog, East Falls will get its own - based on "friendly nature, best canine smile, charm, and natural spokesdog abilities."
And then, the city says, the spokesdogs will be required to attend at least three community events in 2011, at which information will be distributed on "living the eco-friendly dog life."
Sharon Jaffe said her East Falls cocker spaniels are certain they have a crack at the acclaim.
"Contessa is just a lover of the garden, so she believes in being out in nature, and she also thinks she is the daintiest and perhaps the most attractive dog," her two-legged companion related.
Then again, "Zoe believes she is better suited because Contessa hates the rain, and she doesn't believe anyone who doesn't want to get their feet wet should be a spokesdog for the Water Department," Jaffe said.
"There is a fierce rivalry going on."
In Manayunk, Garrett Elwood has hopes for his rescued dog, Vegas, a mixed breed with a "sweet personality."
She has been on the job already, encouraging waste cleanup in the dog play area at Manayunk's Pretzel Park.
There, dogs and humans rely on peer pressure to get the message across, Elwood said.
"We've established that it's OK to say, 'Excuse me, sir, you probably didn't notice, but your dog just pooped up there. We have bags.' "
November 18, 2010 - 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Organized by Judy Wicks, Evolve Strategies, and Community Outreach Partnershiphttp://www.communityoutreachpartnership.org
Contact: John Randolph
215 360-6603
In collaboration with Judy Wicks and Evolve Strategies, Community Outreach Partnership is launching Sustainable 19103 BYO, a new series of action-oriented gatherings featuring a panel offering practical advice for bringing sustainable practices to your household and community. The focus of the first event:
Rain Water Management: what we can do to reduce our water bills and pollution in our rivers
Panelists include:
- Howard Neukrug, Director, Phila. Water Dept.
- Mario Zentil, Shift Space Design
- Juliet Geidi, Architect, North Street Design, LLC
- Rob Stuart, Evolve Strategies
Bring your ideas...and neighbors too!
Where:
Trinity Memorial Church
2212 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
When:
Thursday November 18, 2010 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
- Howard Neukrug, Director, Phila. Water Dept.
- Mario Zentil, Shift Space Design
- Juliet Geidi, Architect, North Street Design, LLC
- Rob Stuart, Evolve Strategies
Bring your ideas...and neighbors too!
RSVP to John Randolph at johnrandolph@verizon.net
November 6, 2010 - 4:30am - 12:00pm
Organized by the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), Rebuilding Together Philadelphia (RTP) and the Darby Cobbs Watershed Partnershiphttp://rebuildingtogether.civicore.com/VolunteerApp/index.cfm?Affiliate_ID=34
jenw@rebuildingphilly.org
302.234.2045
Join us in Greening the City's First Green Homes
On Saturday, November 6, from 8:30 a.m. ˜til 4:00 p.m., the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), Rebuilding Together Philadelphia (RTP) and the Darby Cobbs Watershed Partnership are hosting a volunteer work day on the City's first œGreen Homes blocks - 6000, 6100 and 6200 blocks of Spruce Street in West Philadelphia. As a component of PWD's Green City, Clean Waters program, the residents on these blocks have volunteered their homes as pilot green homes. Volunteers and residents will install rain barrels, flow through planters and rain gardens on these properties. PWD will work with residents over the next few years to monitor the effectiveness and enthusiasm for these stormwater friendly practices.
Location: Meet us on the 6200 block of Spruce Street
Schedule
8:30-9:00 a.m. Registration
9:00-9:15 a.m. Kick off
1:00 p.m. Lunch
9:15-4:00 p.m. Volunteers in Action!
Mayor Nutter and other dignitaries will also be in attendance!
****If you would like volunteer, please pre-register - http://rebuildingtogether.civicore.com/VolunteerApp/index.cfm?Affiliate_ID=34 ; jenw@rebuildingphilly.org or call 302.234.2045.
By Jeff Gammage
The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 1, 2010
Flood waters poured into the Venice Lofts apartments in Manayunk today, forcing a mass evacuation and leading two people to be rescued by raft.
Some residents at the complex, which sits on 300-acre Venice Island between the Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River, awoke to sudden danger.
"When I looked out the window, it looked like Katrina," said Christopher Smalls, 28. "Cars were floating."
Smalls, who has lived two years in one of the townhomes, was rescued by Fire Department workers who reached him on a raft, then floated him to safety.
His first floor had flooded, wrecking furniture and electronics, he said. Possessions on the second and third floors seemed safe. After being rescued, Smalls, soaked through, headed to Wal-mart to buy dry socks and pants.
"Everything's wet," he said.
Outside the complex entrance on Flat Rock Road, six cars were submerged.
A red BMW convertible sat trapped in waist-deep waters. The car's emergency flashers blinked in the rain, and the windshield wipers flapped side to side. But the driver was gone, having abandoned the car.
The Venice Lofts blended three newer buildings with four historic textile mill structures, consisting of 38 townhomes and 90 loft apartments. On its website, it touts hardwood floors, gourmet kitchens and marble master baths - luxury living with canal or river views.
Back in 2001, a city Common Pleas Court judge barred development of the project, saying that building apartments on Venice Island "poses too great a risk to human life and property."
Later court rulings cleared the way for construction, and developers said then that the project was designed with adequate safety measures.
"If I felt that I was placing anyone in jeopardy, I would not do this project," developer Carl Dranoff said at the time.
Dranoff said today that the structures were built to withstand the flooding that occurs on the Schuylkill every five or 10 years. The development includes a bridge that allows people to leave, and machinery was placed on higher levels.
"The buildings are performing exactly as planned," he said on Friday. "Every precaution was taken in the design of the buildings. There's no harm to people."
His company, Dranoff Properties, has been in contact with fire and police officials since flooding became possible, and managers on site were assisting with evacuations, he said.
He said he expected people to return home later today. "Hopefully, when the water starts to recede, we'll be getting people back in," Dranoff said. "The main thing is to prevent injuries or bodily harm. Buildings can be fixed. ... We evacuate buildings as a precautionary measure, because we want people to be out of harm's way."
On Friday morning, the canal rose and the Schuylkill flooded.
Fire Department officials estimated that 250 people live in the complex, and that 75 were at home and had to be evacuated on Friday morning. A special-operation squad rescued two residents from a separate set of buildings, the townhomes, on rafts.
Jennifer Moretti, 35, a resident of the complex since May, said she was evacuated by firefighters at 8:25 a.m.
"We were told there was a possibility of flash floods, so be prepared. But I didn't think anything of this magnitude would happen," she said, as she stood outside the building.
An evacuation shelter was set up at Roxborough High School, though no one was there today. Some people chose to stay and watch, staring at the water after wading to safety. Others moved on.
"I don't know how they got the permit to build these buildings," said a local resident, John Mooney, 54, who has lived in Manayunk almost all his life. "This is unbelievable."
This morning flooding spread onto Main Street, the water a foot deep near the CVS pharmacy store. Motorists were being told to avoid coming onto Main Street from the direction of the movie theater. The flooding was expected to increase, but not to be as severe as previously estimated.
Evan Kurz, a 24-year-old medical student, made his way into the Venice complex to get his dog, Sadie, as fire alarms blared. The Pomerianian-Poodle mix was scared, but physically fine, he said.
Kurz shares a fifth-floor unit with his girlfriend, and both had moved their cars to higher ground as rain fell through Thursday night.
At 10:30 a.m. today, Kurz said, he was in class when he realized he had missed a call on his cellphone from the building management. He knew what the call was about - the management had earlier passed out a memo that warned of possible flooding.
After navigating blocked and flooded streets in his car, he parked and made his way on foot to the building, where officials told him no one was allowed inside.
They let him pass to get his dog, Kurz said.
At his apartment, he grabbed his dog. He also snatched a suit, shirt, shoes and a tie, to wear to a wedding he's to attend this weekend in New York.
"I couldn't see any water in the building I could see water," said Kurz, who attends Philadelphia College of Osteophathic Medicine.
Kurz has lived there just two months.
"The property manager was checking this morning," he said. "There wasn't mayhem, but people were definitely aware of the possibility of flooding, and getting anxious."
Some residents at the complex, which sits on 300-acre Venice Island between the Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River, awoke to sudden danger.
"When I looked out the window, it looked like Katrina," said Christopher Smalls, 28. "Cars were floating."
Smalls, who has lived two years in one of the townhomes, was rescued by Fire Department workers who reached him on a raft, then floated him to safety.
His first floor had flooded, wrecking furniture and electronics, he said. Possessions on the second and third floors seemed safe. After being rescued, Smalls, soaked through, headed to Wal-mart to buy dry socks and pants.
"Everything's wet," he said.
Outside the complex entrance on Flat Rock Road, six cars were submerged.
A red BMW convertible sat trapped in waist-deep waters. The car's emergency flashers blinked in the rain, and the windshield wipers flapped side to side. But the driver was gone, having abandoned the car.
The Venice Lofts blended three newer buildings with four historic textile mill structures, consisting of 38 townhomes and 90 loft apartments. On its website, it touts hardwood floors, gourmet kitchens and marble master baths - luxury living with canal or river views.
Back in 2001, a city Common Pleas Court judge barred development of the project, saying that building apartments on Venice Island "poses too great a risk to human life and property."
Later court rulings cleared the way for construction, and developers said then that the project was designed with adequate safety measures.
"If I felt that I was placing anyone in jeopardy, I would not do this project," developer Carl Dranoff said at the time.
Dranoff said today that the structures were built to withstand the flooding that occurs on the Schuylkill every five or 10 years. The development includes a bridge that allows people to leave, and machinery was placed on higher levels.
"The buildings are performing exactly as planned," he said on Friday. "Every precaution was taken in the design of the buildings. There's no harm to people."
His company, Dranoff Properties, has been in contact with fire and police officials since flooding became possible, and managers on site were assisting with evacuations, he said.
He said he expected people to return home later today. "Hopefully, when the water starts to recede, we'll be getting people back in," Dranoff said. "The main thing is to prevent injuries or bodily harm. Buildings can be fixed. ... We evacuate buildings as a precautionary measure, because we want people to be out of harm's way."
On Friday morning, the canal rose and the Schuylkill flooded.
Fire Department officials estimated that 250 people live in the complex, and that 75 were at home and had to be evacuated on Friday morning. A special-operation squad rescued two residents from a separate set of buildings, the townhomes, on rafts.
Jennifer Moretti, 35, a resident of the complex since May, said she was evacuated by firefighters at 8:25 a.m.
"We were told there was a possibility of flash floods, so be prepared. But I didn't think anything of this magnitude would happen," she said, as she stood outside the building.
An evacuation shelter was set up at Roxborough High School, though no one was there today. Some people chose to stay and watch, staring at the water after wading to safety. Others moved on.
"I don't know how they got the permit to build these buildings," said a local resident, John Mooney, 54, who has lived in Manayunk almost all his life. "This is unbelievable."
This morning flooding spread onto Main Street, the water a foot deep near the CVS pharmacy store. Motorists were being told to avoid coming onto Main Street from the direction of the movie theater. The flooding was expected to increase, but not to be as severe as previously estimated.
Evan Kurz, a 24-year-old medical student, made his way into the Venice complex to get his dog, Sadie, as fire alarms blared. The Pomerianian-Poodle mix was scared, but physically fine, he said.
Kurz shares a fifth-floor unit with his girlfriend, and both had moved their cars to higher ground as rain fell through Thursday night.
At 10:30 a.m. today, Kurz said, he was in class when he realized he had missed a call on his cellphone from the building management. He knew what the call was about - the management had earlier passed out a memo that warned of possible flooding.
After navigating blocked and flooded streets in his car, he parked and made his way on foot to the building, where officials told him no one was allowed inside.
They let him pass to get his dog, Kurz said.
At his apartment, he grabbed his dog. He also snatched a suit, shirt, shoes and a tie, to wear to a wedding he's to attend this weekend in New York.
"I couldn't see any water in the building I could see water," said Kurz, who attends Philadelphia College of Osteophathic Medicine.
Kurz has lived there just two months.
"The property manager was checking this morning," he said. "There wasn't mayhem, but people were definitely aware of the possibility of flooding, and getting anxious."
October 20, 2010 - 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Join us on Wednesday, October 20, when PWD's Erik Haniman and Lance Bulter presetn œrebulding out Cobbs and Tacony Creeks - an Ecological and Community Vision for the Future.
They will explain PWD'S plans for the Cobbs and Tacony Creeks, which are based on extensive research and studies. You'll also learn how the plan is progressing, the goals for the creaks, and how this work supports Philadelphia's œGreen City, Clean Waters long term control plan for controlling combined sewer overflow.
PLACE: Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, 640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia
COST: FREE
CONTACT: Please RSVP to Emilie.Hickerson@phila.gov. For more information, please call 215-685-0723.
October 6, 2010 - 1:30pm - 4:00pm
You're Invited to a Premier! GreenTreks Network and the Philadelphia Water Department Present œGreen City, Clean Waters
The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and its partners are national leaders in understanding water resource challenges and pioneering solutions that improve our natural ecosystems and communities. Be a part of this exciting movement ““ see you at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center!
Join us for a toast on the green carpet on Wednesday, October 6, at 5:30pm, to preview these engaging and informative videos that tell the stories of our work to protect, preserve and restore our natural waterways!
The following videos will be screened (total running time: 50 minutes)
Green City Clean Waters
Creating Community: Columbus Square Park
Greener, Healthier Play: Herron Playground
The Watershed Connection: East Falls
Keeping Water on Site: Waterview Recreation Center
Green Schools: Albert Greenfield Elementary School
Solving Runoff Block by Block
Location: Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center
640 Water Works Drive Philadelphia, PA 19130
Please send your rsvps to
Emilie.Hickerson@phila.gov
For more information, please call 215-685-0723.