Photo from www.phila.gov

The second phase of Mechanical Street Cleaning, the Streets Department’s pilot program that launched in 2019, is currently underway. The 2022 program is scheduled to begin on April 4th and will include mechanical sweeping on select routes in West and Southwest Philadelphia:

• Parkside to Spring Garden from 52nd to 40th (see map)

• Woodland to Kingsessing from 49th to Cemetery (see map)

Mechanical street cleaning utilizes trucks with mechanical brooms sweeping street debris (see photo). In addition, Streets Department staff will clean some routes with backpack blowers and hand brooms. Sanitation officers may issue sanitation code violations related to litter and dumping as part of this program. Continue Reading

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Spak Group, the West Philly real estate company behind WADE Flats, a new housing development at the intersection of 53rd St. and Whitby Ave., is sponsoring a new mural in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia. The mural will be located on the entirety of the 5300 Whitby Avenue Bridge and Spak Group is inviting all interested neighbors to participate in its creation process, which includes planning, design, production and celebration.

The first step in this process will take place Thursday, March 17, at a community meeting which will be held at the New Testament Church of God at 935 S. 53rd St., beginning at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and does not require an RSVP or reservation. Continue Reading

Starting today, students and staff at Philadelphia public and Archdiocesan schools are not required to wear masks. The mask mandate has also been lifted for early childhood education settings, except for Head Start programs. Masking also continues in pre-K classrooms that also have Head Start students.

Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases.

The City’s Department of Public Health announced last Wednesday the immediate transition to the All Clear COVID-19 response level due to the continuous drop in the number of new cases and some other criteria. The All Clear level (Level 1) means that proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are no longer required in most indoor public places. Masking is still required on public transit and in healthcare settings.

During the All Clear period, businesses may choose to require staff and patrons to wear a mask and/or show proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated residents are advised by the Department of Public Health to wear a mask in indoor settings.

Philadelphians have been given “All Clear” as the current COVID-19 response level, which means wearing masks at indoor public places is no longer required, with some exceptions (see below). The announcement was made this morning by Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the City’s Public Health Commissioner.

During the Level 1 – All Clear period, no public COVID-19 mandates will be enforced, but masks will still be required in some settings, including schools, healthcare settings and public transit. The City is planning to drop the school mask requirement on March 9 if COVID-19 cases and other metrics will continue to drop. Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases. Continue Reading

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading

5050 Baltimore Ave. (Hyacinth Montessori Instagram)

A new Montessori school serving grades 1-6 will open on the 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue next fall.

Hyacinth Montessori, a “micro school,” is accepting applications now for the 2022-2023 school year. The school is starting with a small class of about 10 students, but founders Madeleine Nutting and Carmen Montopoli hope to grow the tuition-based school to a full enrollment of 25 students.

The Montessori approach includes guided hands-on, self-directed activities and collaborative play.

“Each child progresses through standards-aligned learning at their own pace,” Montopoli, a trained Montessori teacher with several years experience leading classrooms, wrote in an email. “Elementary students thrive when supported to create a learning community in which each child is valued for their own interests and contributions.” Continue Reading