Zoning
ZONING AGENDAS
Our most recent Zoning Meeting Agenda can be viewed on Facebook, or via our ePost – sign up to receive them via email here.
The Zoning and Governmental Affairs Committee meets the 4th Tuesday of every month at 7 pm. Visit our calendar for locations. All applicants are required to contact the Committee prior to attending meetings and to notify the neighbors of their presentation date.
To read more about our Committee, please click here.
Committee Chair:
ZONING FORMS
Forms are available for download through both Word (recommended) and Adobe Acrobat. In order to appear before the Committee, please complete the Intake form and Flyer (see links below) and email them to zoning@washwestcivic.org.
For a Microsoft Word version of the intake form, please click here.
For an Adobe Acrobat version of the intake form, please click here.
For an Microsoft Word version of the flyer, please click here.
Fun Fact:
The name “Washington Square West” came into official use in the late 1950s and early 1960s as part of Edmund Bacon‘s comprehensive plan for Center City.
PROCEDURE
When applying for a zoning variance in Washington Square West, you will be notified by the Philadelphia Planning Commission about making a presentation, and you will also be provided with the contact information for our zoning chairperson. Please contact the zoning chairperson to schedule a presentation to the zoning committee. The committee meets every month on the 4th Tuesday. A week before your presentation, you will need to distribute flyers to your immediate neighborhood to notify them of the meeting. The notification process is a provision of Bill #130657, and is shown here: http://www.phila.gov/cityplanning/projectreviews/pdf/rco_clinic_handout.pdf
Once your presentation is made, the zoning committee will privately convene to determine opposition or approval of the project as well as report to the executive board. Following the committee meeting, on the second Tuesday of the month, the board will hear the committee’s advisement and will take a final vote on whether or not the project will be opposed. The zoning chairperson will then write the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Councilperson’s office and the planning commission in relation to the board’s decision.
If necessary, the committee can schedule special meetings, and the board can also grant final voting rights to the committee in order to accommodate schedules, under certain circumstances.
The Zoning Code
An official online version of the zoning code is available here. Be sure and look at Title 14 for the zoning language:
http://www.amlegal.com/codes/client/philadelphia_pa/
A quick reference to the code with image project types and easy to understand diagrams can be found here: City Of Philadelphia Zoning Code Quick Reference Guide
This only serves as a general reference and does not contain all the official information found in the official zoning code.
Zoning Map
Go online to find the zoning map: https://openmaps.phila.gov/
In the left hand column, scroll down to “Zoning” for the zoning districts and overlays map, or to “RCO” for the Register Community Organizations map. Tour the website to learn how to use the maps.
Zoning Administrative Manual
The Zoning Administrative Manual (ZAM) is posted on the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s (PCPC) website. It (ZAM ) is a handy guide to the new zoning code. Whether you are a developer, an investor, or a concerned citizen, this step-by-step guide allows you navigate through Philadelphia’s zoning process with the most up-to-date information on procedures, forms, and best practices. Click here to view.
