Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Retail Hours topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances limits on overnight hours for some retail uses in parts of 5th District
Summary
Rules Committee adopted an amendment and reported bill 250,988 out of committee; the ordinance would add special-exception requirements and an 11 p.m.–6 a.m. restriction for certain consumer-goods retail uses on specified corridors in the 5th Council District, with exemptions for restaurants with liquor licenses, fueling stations and pharmacies.
Councilmember Jeffrey Young introduced bill 250,988 as a response to the spread of 24-hour retail outlets selling CBD, kratom and other products he and constituents link to nuisance or criminal activity. Young said the draft ordinance would prevent some of those stores from operating 24/7 on parts of the commercial corridors in the 5th Council District and require greater accountability to neighboring communities.
Paula Brumbelow Burns of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission told the committee the bill would amend Chapter 9-600 (service and other businesses) and Section 14-5-29 (VDO 5th District Overlay) to require special exceptions for sundries, pharmaceutical and convenience-type retail uses at two corridors: Gerard Avenue (College Ave to 24th St) and Fairmount Avenue (Broad St to 24th St), and that the Planning Commission recommended approval with provisos. Young described an amendment that broadens the regulated category to "retail sale of consumer goods," and adds additional blocks (Broad Street from Spring Garden to Poplar, Ridge Avenue between Broad and West Gerard) to the overlay.
The committee adopted an amendment to the bill and later voted to report bill 250,988, as amended, from committee with a favorable recommendation and requested first reading at the next council session. Committee discussion included comparisons to prior overlays used to curb proliferation of specific storefront types and concerns about enforcement and targeted definitions of regulated uses.
What happens next: the amended bill has been reported favorably to full council for first reading; the transcript records voice votes with the chair announcing the motions carried but does not include roll-call tallies in the hearing record.
