Below are the minutes from our meetings including highlights and guest speakers, hover over the month and click. Contact the Secretary if you find discrepancies.
2024
March - Click here to view a recording of the March meeting. Passcode: 47?&^V2C
February - Click here to view a recording of the February meeting.
January -
2023
December 5 -
November 7 - Philadelphia Water Dept update on water main replacement project; Germantown United CDC presentation; election of Asia Simmons as PKNA treasurer; Howell Park Celebration plans; SEPTA Bus Revolution update; Neighborhood BikeWay Project; updates on 5317 Wayne Ave and 156 W School House Lane
October 3 - Consultation with 39th District PPD; open board positions; Howell Park clean-up; updates on 5317 Wayne and 156 W School House Lane
September 5 - Open board positions; zoning variance application for proposed 38 units at 5317 Wayne; update on 5337 Wayne and 147 W. School House; reminders about Weavers Way opening and street sweeping; discussion regarding quality of life issues: loud air handler on PSD grounds, issues with litter and unhoused residents near Sunoco station.
August - No meeting
July - No meeting
June - Presentation by Phila Water Dept on water main replacement project; presentation on Weavers Way’s new Germantwon store; zoning application to convert 5331 Wayne into five units; update on 156 W. School House; recap of Howell Park celebration; announcement of upcoming board openings
May 2 - Presentations and Q&A with city council candidates Seth Oberman and Cindy Bass
April - Reminder about PKNA survey; start of street cleaning; Philly Spring Clean Up; Love Your Park Day meet-up; Friends Free Library author events
March 7 - Urban Technology Project presenation; police/crime update by 14th and 39th district captains; presenatin on Queit Clean Philly (effort to stop use of gas leaf blowers; Love Your Park Day on May 13; start of mechainical street sweeping
February 7 - Legislative update from State Rep Parker; presentation by Philadelphia Dept of Revenue regarding assitance and resources for homeowners; update on 156 W. School Houes; update on possible development of Germantown Town Hall; update on GFS construction plans
January 3 - Presentation from State Rep Kinsey; update on 156 W. School House Lane; neighborhood survey; proposed construction on GFS property; presentation by Historic Germantown community engagement liaisons.
2022
December 6 - PKNA member survey coming in January; GFS expansion proposal at 23 W. Coulter; 156 W. School House update; presentation on tangled titles by Register of Wills Tracy Gordon
November -
October -
September 6 - Presentation on recent property reassessments, assessment valuations, assessment appeal process (deadline September 30, 2022), and relief programs by Salima Cunningham, Communications Coordinator, Office of Property Assessment and Carla Pagan, Executive Director, Board of Revision of Taxes. Click here for recording of meeting; use passcode y8t+c.%F
August - No meeting
July - No meeting
June 7 - Reminder to use quality of life block survey to report and track issues; report on board meeting with Councilmember Kendra Brooks; announcement of open vice-chair position; 103 W. Queen Lane for sale by owner; how to report idling trucks and cars
May 3 - Quality of life block survey; Stuff Swap plans; updates from offices of State Rep. Parker, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Oh
April -
March 1 - Committee overviews; discussion with George Stevenson, 8th District Councilperson Cindy Bass’ Constituent Services Representative and Trash Task Force Advisor about available resources; presentation by Anthony Murphy and Reginald Hall from Town Watch Integrated Services,
February 1 - Vision and goals for PKNA; ZBA hearing on 147 W. School House; discussion with Streets Deputy Commissioner Richard Montanez re: traffic calming, street repairs, street sweeping, and street lights
January 4 - Officer and committee chair elections; discussion of trash issues; variance requests for 147 W. School House and 20 W. Queen Lane
2021
December 7: 147 W. School House Lane zoning variance vote; officer and committee chair nominations; miscellaneous development updates
November 2: Upcoming board elections; presentation by Bonnie Soriano of Foundation for Health Equity; presentation by Jake Miller on the “Walking Collage Germantown”; streets improvements letter campaign; development updates
October 5: Q&A with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw - full transcript of recorded meeting
September 7: Safety/quality of life discussion with Chief Inspector of the NW Police Division Michael McCormick, Deputy Police Commissioner Joel Dales and Inspector Wesley Thomas; effort to get speed cushions on Queen Lane
August: no meeting
July 6: 14th and 39th District monthly meeting schedules; effort to get traffic lane markers on 5300 block of Greene, 5139 Wayne Ave. (Joseph Pearson House) demolition
June 1:
May 4 - Neighborhood clean-up schedule; 156 W. School House Lane and 5139 Wayne updates; discussion with DA office representatives about gun violence, drug trafficking, police misconduct, and support for victims of crime; upcoming mural paint day
April 6 - Neighborhood crime, Litter-Free Blocks initiative, 156 W. School House Lane update, discussion of possible neighborhood event in September
March 2 - Queen and Greene mural; Neighborhood Development and Conservation updates on 156 W. School House Lane, !5 W. Rittenhouse, 6134 Wayne, 5329 Wayne, 5521 Wayne, 5120 Marion
February 2 - New mission, vision, and values; new committee structure (Quality of Life, Neighbor-to-Neighbor, Development and Conservation); Girls on the Run; Mural Arts update on local mural projects
January 5- Chair and co-vice chair special election, 156 W. School House Lane’s upcoming historic designation review, report on bylaws vote, Mural Arts update, intro of community liaison from DA’s office
2020
December 1 - GFS mask distribution, vice chair nominations, Planning Commission presentation on rezoning recommendations affecting Penn Knox, update on 156 W. Schoolhouse Lane, vote to adopt bylaws, newsletter distribution, new PKNA Instagram account
November 3 - Officer nomination update, bylaws draft discussion, Boys and Girls Club update, 156 W. Schoolhouse/PSD update, new Instagram account, concerns about Sunoco at Greene and Queen
October 13 - Officer transitions and upcoming election, neighborhood clean-up report, Boys and Girls Club update, Zoning Committee update and call for members, 156 W. Schoolhouse Lane proposed changes by PSD
March, April, May, June, July, August, September - no meetings due to COVID-19
February 4 - Presentation by Ian Hegarty of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission on zoning, Treasurer’s report, Spring Fair update, Bylaws Committee update, Zoning Committee update
January 7 - Ken Weinstein update on “Adapt, Remove, Re-Use” projects, 34 -36 Coulter Street proposed changes by GFS, Zoning Committee update, Historic Designation Committee report
2019
December - Zoning Committee report, PKNA spring event, Boys & Girls Club update, Bylaws Committee report, GSSD vs. BID, Waring House
November - Philadelphia Public Bank, Zoning Committee report, By-laws Committee report, Elections, Penn Knox Historical Designation Committee
October - Councilman David Oh, Juvenile Justice Center, Zoning Committee report, Elections/Bylaws update, Love Your Park plans
September - Neighborhood Home Preservation Loan program, Zoning Committee update, 156 W. Schoolhouse Lane update, Boys and Girls Club update, Mifflin Cope/Waring House zoning variance issues
August - No meeting
July - No meeting
June - Water department projects in PK, Zoning committee report, Property issue, David Oh’s representative reports
May - No meeting, Howell Park clean-up
April - Agenda
March - RCO vote for 156 W. School House Lane development, unanimous “no” for this plan.
February - RCO presentations for 5321 Wayne Ave. and 156 W. School House. Save the date, Spring Fair 4/27
January - Oscar Beisert on Historic Preservation in Germantown, Christian Matozzo on Bass’s bill to end tax abatement
2018
December - Friends of Howell Park, Secretary position open, problem properties
November - No meeting, voting day
October - Problem properties
September - Discussed RCO boundaries, should PKNA expand borders, role of neighborhood organization
August - No meeting
July - Presentation re zoning change for 142 w. Penn, changing PKNA boundaries
June - see Agenda
May - No meeting. Ken Weinstein presented his proposal for apartments at Cunningham Piano for that building
April - No meeting, neighborhood clean up
March - News on GBGC, illegal signs round up - chance to make money for PKNA
February - Jerry Payes from Vector Security, Jacques Sapriel and Lawrence James about using gardens to create community
January - Police officers discussed importance of cameras, Victor's Tavern is STILL OPEN, IGA being blocked by one neighbor from selling beer and wine.
2017
December - Agenda
November -
October - sign petition to close Victor's Tavern, help research on Boys and Girls Club
September - updates on happenings in PK
August - discussion about the Boys and Girls Club
July - meeting cancelled due to summer
June - David Rose from the Germantown Special Services District
May - Hailey Stern from the Water Department: plans for Germantown, Peter Winslow from 350 Phila: Septa's plans for electric generation and pollution
April - Sorry, no minutes taken
March - meeting cancelled due to "snow"
February - Discussion around the Germantown Boys and Girls Club
January - Guest Vicky Riley from the Dept. of Revenue on saving money on real estate taxes. Updates on historic designations.
2016
January - Summary of 2015, on deck for 2016
February - Headmaster Ed Marshall from Greene Street Friends School presented plans for new gym/auditorium on Armat
March - Zoning variance for 100 W. Chelten, storefront church approved narrowly. Oscar Beisert on historic certification of Germantown Avenue properties
April - no meeting, Philly Clean Up Day observed
May - Ingrid Shepard from One Less Foundation, helping children and adults pursue education and careers.
- Zachary Powers from 350 Philadelphia describing Septa's plan for a new energy source that they oppose as it adds to pollution
June - Rolled out the revised By-Laws
(no meetings in July and August)
September - We learned of the passing of our Chair Julie Baranauskas. Sue Patterson is acting Chair.
October - Zoning exemption applied for 5521 Wayne Ave. The Dibors presented their proposal for new construction.
November - The Dibors returned and promised to present their elevations before beginning construction.
December - Ed Marshall presented plans for new building on Armat.
2015
January - 2014 summary, plans for 2015
February - Flyer for Pot Luck, our February special meeting, but it snowed that night
March - Dr. Ed Marshall, headmaster of Greene Street Friends School, presents plans for expansion
April
May - Andrew Jones from Food and Water Watch: Philadelphia as an Energy Hub
June - Presentation by Lisabeth and Joseph Marziello of the Germantown Boys and Girls Club
July - Tieshka Smith discussed new project "Racism is a Sickness"
August - RCO zoning 18 W. Penn
September - RCO zoning 107 W. School House
October - Patrick Grossi from the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia
November - no meeting
December - thank yous to some of our very helpful members!