January 18, 2015
UPDATE (1/24/2015): A week later…
(1/19/2015): As of 8:25 p.m. on Monday, the sinkhole is still there. The cars that had been caught in it have been pulled out. We didn’t see any Streets Department crews working there when we stopped by on Monday night. Although the hole, which is on the eastbound lane, hasn’t been fixed, the block reopened to traffic (you have to get in the westbound lane to go around it). What makes it even more dangerous is that the hole is very close to the 46th and Spruce intersection. Please be careful when driving or biking on that block.
A large sinkhole opened up on the 4600 block of Spruce Street on Sunday under two cars parked on the block. A reader, Phil Gentry, tweeted this photo at around 4 p.m.
Photo by Phil Gentry.
The street surface there had problems over the weekend, and the Streets Department crews continued working on the block. A water main break closed the block to traffic on Saturday, and there was no water supply to nearby homes for several hours.
A police tow truck began pulling two cars off the edge of the hole at about 8:30 p.m.. The block is closed to all traffic and the Route 42 bus is on detour until 12 p.m. on Monday.
Photos by Mike Lyons / West Philly Local.
January 13, 2015
Here’s a roundup of some development projects going on in West Philly neighborhoods.
West Philadelphia Earthship
A vacant lot at 675 N. 41st Street will soon become the location for the first ever urban Earthship, a completely sustainable building built from recycled materials, Generocity.org reports. The idea of an urban Earthship was proposed by Rashida Ali-Campbell, founder of Yeadon-based nonprofit Love, Loving, Love, Inc., and the lot owner, Thomas L. Miller, liked it so much that he donated the lot to the cause.
The West Philadelphia Earthship will house a Philadelphia branch of Love, Loving, Love, Inc., which specializes in holistic health education. The organization is planning to offer healthy-living workshops and other free community activities in their new Earthship office, according to Generocity.org.
The foundation of the Earthship has already been laid, and the main construction is planned to start in February. It will take about six weeks to complete, but it depends on how successful the fundraising campaign for the project is. To support the West Philadelphia Earthship, go to this IndieGoGo page. For more information about this project, read Generosity.org’s article here. Continue Reading
January 12, 2015
Paul Steinke (photo from Linked In)
West Philly resident Paul Steinke, the former general manager of the Reading Terminal Market, will officially announce tomorrow that he will run for City Council.
Steinke’s announcement that he will run for an at-large Democratic seat in the May 19 primary was expected after he stepped down as general manager at the Terminal Market in early December. The announcement is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Field House, a sports bar adjacent to the Market.
The former finance director of the Center City District and the first executive director of the University City District, Steinke, 49, has overseen a 30 percent increase in visitors and $4 million in renovation and expansion of the Market in the 13 years he has overseen operations there, according to a statement from his campaign. Steinke is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University.
Steinke hopes to be the first openly gay person elected to citywide office. He lives in the Spruce Hill neighborhood with David Ade, his partner of nearly 20 years.
All 17 City Council seats are up for election in November – 10 district seats and seven at-large seats.
– Mike Lyons
January 9, 2015
A fire and gas leak were recently reported in two separate incidents within one-block radius.
The residents of Garden Court Apartments at 47th and Pine were temporarily evacuated Thursday night due to a fire in one of the apartments, according to reader reports. The fire was reported at around 7:20 p.m. Fire crews put out the fire, and most of the building’s residents were allowed back in the building an hour later. It’s not known what caused the fire.
A gas leak was reported early Friday morning, around 1 a.m., on the 4600 block of Spruce Street. A pregnant woman was taken to the hospital and several others were evacuated from a house with apartment units where the gas leak occurred. The pregnant woman was taken to the hospital for evaluation. PGW was on the scene to repair the leak, 6ABC reports.
January 8, 2015
Water mains on these Cedar Park blocks will soon be replaced (click to enlarge).
Cedar Park residents will see a major water and sewer main replacement work this year, according to an announcement posted today by the community association Cedar Park Neighbors. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has contracted Nello Construction Company to replace water mains on eight blocks in the Cedar Park area:
• Beaumont St from 48th St. to 49th St.
• Florence Ave from 48th St. to 49th St.
• Florence Ave from 49th St. to 50th St.
• Florence Ave from 50th St. to 51st St.
• Saint Bernard St from Warrington Ave. to Florence Ave.
• Saint Bernard St from Warrington Ave. to Florence Ave.
• 48th St from Beaumont St. to Florence Ave.
• 50th St from Pentridge St. to Florence Ave.
The construction work is expected to go on for all of 2015, and there is no set schedule for when work on each block will be done. The replacement of old water and sewer mains is necessary to prevent breakages and system failures. The Water Department works to replace water mains approximately every 100-120 years, according to the project information.
Residents on the affected blocks should expect minor disruptions of water service during the construction work, for 1-2 hours while house connections are made and for 4-8 hours while water main connections are completed. Residents will be notified in advance when water service outages are scheduled, according to PWD. Construction hours will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Street parking during these hours may be restricted.
For more information about this project, visit the CPN website.
January 6, 2015
UPDATE (1/7/2015): If you’re on Twitter, you can report an unshoveled sidewalk to @Philly311:
(1/6/2015): 
Winter has finally arrived and reminded us all why we don’t like it that much. We wanted to pass along reminders about what to watch out for when temperatures drop below freezing and what to do when it snows. Stay warm and be careful as it’s slippery out there today.
City announces Code Blue
During bitter cold conditions, with temperatures near or below 20 degrees, the city issues a Code Blue weather advisory, which was announced at 6 p.m. on Monday. The Code Blue advisory triggers 24-hour outreach to homeless individuals and provides access to emergency housing network (see more here). If you see a homeless person outside and without a shelter during extremely cold conditions, you can call the Homeless Outreach Hotline at 215-232-1984.
Also a reminder to keep an eye on your pets and keep them inside when it gets too cold (or face penalties!). A new ordinance has been introduced in Philadelphia that makes it illegal to leave your dog outside during freezing (or extremely hot) temperatures. To report a dog left outdoors in severe weather call ACCT Philly at 267-385-3800 and dial 0 to speak with the dispatcher or email: fieldservices@acctphilly.org.
Winter Weather Advisory and Snow Removal
A winter weather advisory is in effect for today, and property and business owners are required to clear a path on the sidewalk within six hours of the end of the snowfall.
The Philadelphia Streets Department has reminded that property owners are subject to a fine starting at $50 for not complying with this policy. To report a sidewalk that has not been cleared, call the Streets Department Customer Affairs Unit at 215-686-5560.
In case of a heavy snowfall with a large accumulation of snow, the City may declare a snow emergency. Snow emergency means that vehicles parked along the snow emergency routes must be moved to alternate parking spaces, so City crews can clear the snow along these routes.
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