Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) Hearing – August 20 at 2:00 PM
This is the BIG ONE — the final city hearing that will decide whether the 1601 Washington Avenue project gets the zoning approvals it needs to move forward.
The hearing will address the project’s variance requests:
- Multi-family residential use in an I-2 Medium Industrial zoning district (which normally does not allow it).
- Zero loading spaces proposed, despite nine being required by code.
Regardless of the SOSNA vote on August 13th, this is your chance to speak directly to the ZBA. Your comments will go on the official public record and be considered in the Board’s decision.
Why This Hearing Matters
- The ZBA has the power to approve, deny, or attach conditions to the variances the developer is seeking.
- Public comment can influence the Board’s decision, especially if there’s evidence that the project’s current plan harms the neighborhood or fails to meet community needs.
- This is the last step in the formal zoning process before construction permits can be issued.
How to Participate
Date & Time:
- Wednesday, August 20, 2025
- 2:00 PM
Location / Attendance Options:
- In Person: Zoning Board of Adjustment, 1515 Arch Street, 18th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19102
- Online via Zoom: You do not need to attend in person to participate.
- Zoom link will be available on the City’s ZBA Public Meetings page closer to the date.
What to Expect:
- The Board will hear from the developer, the City, and any Registered Community Organizations (RCOs).
- Public comment is typically limited to 2–3 minutes per person.
- You can state your position for or against the variances, or request specific conditions.
Mark your calendar. Keep this date free.
Whether you attend in person or join on Zoom, your voice matters in shaping the future of 1601 Washington Avenue.
Learn more about participating in a ZBA hearing →
Tips for Speaking at the Hearing
- Attending in person is recommended over Zoom.
- Be clear and concise — focus on 1 or 2 main points.
- Connect your comments to zoning issues like use, density, traffic, parking, loading, height, shadows, or public access.
- Personal stories matter — explain how the project impacts you or your neighbors directly.
Poor Communication - A Timeline
The 1601 Washington Avenue project has been aggressively pushed forward in a mere three months, marked by a shocking and consistently botched dissemination of information to the public.
April 25th
A letter was sent by the applicant to required near neighbors about the first public meeting for this project. The mailed letter had an incorrect date (May 6th instead of the actual meeting date, May 7th)
Even though a corrected letter was subsequently sent, the existence of conflicting information creates significant confusion for near-neighbors and other community members, undermining the purpose of notification, which is to provide clear and accurate information necessary for participation.
May 2nd
A newsletter was sent out by hello@sosnaphilly.com that incorrectly stated that a voting meeting for this project would be occurring on May 21st, "at our next Zoning Meeting".
This is the first of many miscommunications about a voting date and time.
May 7th - 1st Informational Meeting Held
Due to the miscommunication of the date of this informational meeting, the applicant agreed to hold a second informational meeting with the public.
Plans that were presented to the public differed from the plans distributed by SOSNA Zoning prior to the meeting. The latest project plans and comprehensive shadow studies were requested to be shared with the public prior to the next meeting.
May 9th
An outdated shadow study from April 2024 is shared with the community.
May 30th
An updated shadow study is uploaded to the SOSNA drive. However this document has incorrect timestamps.
June 4th
A mailer was sent to nearby residents by the developer for a 2nd informational meeting. While this letter had the correct date/time for the Zoom meeting, the link to register was not correct. The link was to the regular monthly Zoning Meeting and not the registration page for this special project. Again this confused residents.
Letter and Wrong Registration Page
June 13th
An email is sent out from hello@sosnaphilly.com which states that the vote for the RCOs would take place at the regular July Zoning Meeting (July 16th) instead of the previously announced date of July 23rd.
The link for the registration of the 2nd informational meeting (June 23rd) is also incorrect. It was a link to the registration for the previous May 7th Zoom Informational Meeting.
June 18th
Corrected shadow studies provided to the community via SOSNA drive.
June 19th
Another email is sent out from hello@sosnaphilly.com. The link for the registration of the 2nd informational meeting (June 23rd) is finally corrected.
However the email still incorrectly states that the RCOs vote would take place at the regular July Zoning Meeting (July 16th) instead of the previously announced date of July 23rd.
June 23rd - Informational Meeting #2
Once again, last minute updated plans were shared at the informational meeting, instead of being provided and circulated ahead of time to the community. Neighbors expressed, again, frustration at the developer’s continued poor communication.
- Concerns were raised about the restrictive Zoom chat feature (only hosts/co-hosts could comment), which prevented direct engagement and quick responses during the meeting. There was a request to open the chat in future meetings.
- Requests were made for the most up-to-date plans and information to be readily available to all neighbors in a timely manner, ideally through mail for near-neighbors and the SOSNA website for others, given that not everyone has access to technology.
- Community members requested to be included in the CBA discussions and to receive a copy of any existing draft plans.
- It was noted that NOWAC and Point Breeze are not involved in the CBA discussions.
July 1st - Civic Design Review #1
Again, last minute updated plans were shared at the CDR meeting, instead of being provided and circulated ahead of time to the community. Shadow studies were not provided during the presentation, but was suggested by the CDR committee. This did not allow time for community members to look at the updated design and provide written comments ahead of the CDR meeting. The vote for continuance was unanimous among the committee members and participating RCO representatives (SOSNA, NOWAC) and the Council Office representative.
July 16th and July 20th
SOSNA updated the Google Drive folder. It now included:
- Signed CBA between OCF Realty and SOSNA (signed July 15th)
- Revised shadow studies reflecting the height reduction of the eastern building (height reduced 5 feet).
- Updated plans/renderings for the town-home parcel (used in the new shadow studies)
July 23rd - 3rd Informational Meeting (Voting was Postponed)
The shadow studies circulated at the meeting did not provide views from the southern end of Chadwick st, while the shadow studies provided in June - did.
Several neighbors raised significant concerns about the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Many neighbors felt excluded from the process of drafting and negotiating the CBA. NOWAC (North of Washington Avenue Coalition) stated they were a coordinating RCO for the project but had been ignored, despite representing generational residents who have lived in the area for over 40 years. The independent CBA committee that was formed did not include women or racially diverse representation. It also did not include any near neighbors, or neighbor input.
August 3rd
A newsletter from SOSNA incorrectly states that the voting meeting (to be held on August 13th) would require a person to be a SOSNA member to be eligible to cast a vote. This is incorrect, especially for a joint RCO voting meeting. The SOSNA website also states this incorrectly.
August 5th - Civic Design Review #2
Updated plans and renderings were posted on August 4th, whereas public comments by email were due by noon on August 4th. These updated plans included details about the garage car lifts, updated renderings of the buildings and courtyards. They lacked the shadow study that the first CDR meeting recommended.
August 6th
A newsletter from SOSNA now correctly removes the requirement language of being a SOSNA member to be eligible to cast a vote. The SOSNA website is also updated.