Jeff Hornstein has been involved in neighborhood groups since 2005, when he lived in Queen Village. He moved to Northern Liberties in 2019, where he is now president of the neighborhood association<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the kind of person who gets involved,\u201d he said. \u201cSome people do, and some people don\u2019t. So I got involved just because that\u2019s who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hornstein said as a \u201ccity of neighborhoods,\u201d Philly citizens should get involved with their local neighborhood associations. He said he has seen the impact that groups like the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association can have.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not only a community organization that does the typical stuff that an RCO does, like zoning and keeping neighbors informed and serving as a sort of interface between city government, tenant and the neighborhood,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we also own property and maintain it and manage it on behalf of the neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
An RCO is a registered community organization, and there are over 200 of them in Philadelphia. The NLNA is one. The RCO designation<\/a> includes neighborhood associations, business improvement districts and ward committees.\u00a0<\/p>\n Registered community organizations have been around for a long time and have had a complicated history in Philly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Terminology can also get confusing. Neighborhood and civic associations can be RCOs, but aren\u2019t always. And some RCOs are political or advocacy groups. So, how can you differentiate? And how can you participate if you, like Hornstein, are a person who likes to get involved?\u00a0<\/p>\n Well, what\u2019s the difference?\u00a0<\/p>\n In short, civic or neighborhood associations<\/a> are community groups that come together to help improve their neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hornstein said, for his neighborhood association, this can include anything from helping with public safety issues to hosting community events.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe do things like zoning and organizing festivals and community engagement and using the facilities that we own,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we also deal with problems like the bus station or the unhoused and substance abuse disorders folks may be struggling with.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the NLNA\u2019s priorities over the past two years has been finding a solution to the city\u2019s intercity bus station problem. Philly\u2019s original Greyhound station was closed in 2023, leading many bus companies to pick up and drop off passengers outside of the Spring Garden El station in Northern Liberties.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe city imposed the intercity buses on the neighborhood without really any warning,\u201d Hornstein said. \u201cAnd for about two years, we worked with the city to improve the situation, and then ultimately persuaded them that Northern Liberties wasn\u2019t the right place for the bus depot for a lot of reasons.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Hornstein points to this as one example of the positive work neighborhood organizations can do.\u00a0<\/p>\n Civic associations CAN be RCOs, but they don\u2019t have to be. Hornstein explained the RCO designation gives organizations a seat at the table for zoning and land-use decisions in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a process by which community organizations apply for and become certified to be the RCO for a particular geography,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd what that means is that, for purposes of zoning and land-use decision-making, we are the first stop for developers. So one thing every RCO does is provide an opportunity for community input in the zoning and land-use process.\u201d<\/p>\n From there, RCO input is used in the final decisions for developers, Hornstein explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo if a developer wants to build something in Northern Liberties and they need a zoning variance or some other sort of city approval, they are required to notify the registered community organization,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThen, that organization has a process by which it vets that proposal and makes a recommendation to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and to the relevant district council person, who then decides to support or oppose that variance request or other requests for city assistance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n RCOs can get complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n The neighborhood groups, which can give feedback on real estate and land use decisions, were the subject of a 2024 ballot question asking voters to decide if the city should provide legal backing<\/a> for RCOs for their work on zoning matters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Developers will sometimes sue the offices of RCOs<\/a> that oppose projects or ask for concessions, and the legal and insurance fees can sometimes lead the groups to dissolv<\/a>e. The ballot measure passed, allowing the city to back RCOs monetarily so they can continue to operate and fight lawsuits as they come up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opponents of RCOs<\/a> say they can sometimes try to block projects for illegitimate or \u201cbad\u201d reasons \u2013 like fears of low-income housing in the area, or of parking.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite the controversy, many RCOs continue to thrive in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n Influencing city planning\u00a0<\/p>\n The RCO designation can also help political groups, such as Republican and Democratic wards throughout the city, influence land-use decisions or provide feedback.<\/p>\n One recent example is the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation\u2019s opposition to a proposed 76ers arena at Market Street East<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The RCO played an important role in the dissolution of this development plan, said John Chin, the executive director of the PCDC.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs an RCO, we got ourselves involved with the 76ers arena development process,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in addition to that, because we are an advocate for Chinatown and a neighborhood planner, our other hat that we wore was as a preservationist and protector of Chinatown.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n PCDC\u2019s opposition, along with citywide protest and advocacy across neighborhoods, ended up delaying arena plans for over two years, until developers decided to build a new facility in South Philly instead<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chin explained that RCOs give an important platform for everyone\u2019s voices to be heard.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what I always say is: Planning for the people, by the people,\u201d he said. \u201cThe most important voices for any neighborhood, and in Chinatown, are the voices of the people who live and work in Chinatown. And the RCOs are supposed to be that organization that allows the voices to rise up and speak to zoning and development issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout the arena process, the PCDC completed several tasks that helped engage members of the community and influence land decisions, Chin said.\u00a0<\/p>\n This included forming a committee of PCDC members that met with developers and contextualized what development would mean for the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said the other part was garnering community feedback.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was our job to create a forum where first-generation immigrants who didn\u2019t speak English fluently had the opportunity to speak up about the arena,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n This included multiple bilingual sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Beyond resisting \u201cbig\u201d neighborhood projects like the arena development, Chin said RCOs go into everything that could compromise a neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRCO members are made up of just regular working people,\u201d he said \u201cAn<\/a> important thing for our series, I think, is the neighborhood nuisances that are a very common topic of RCO meetings. This includes trash, cars, parking spaces, and all those things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Why get involved?\u00a0<\/p>\n Civic associations, also known as neighborhood associations, can be a great way<\/a> to have a voice in the neighborhood or community where people live.\u00a0<\/p>\n These groups can provide information about community events and strengthen the collective voices of those living in a certain neighborhood.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery neighborhood in the city used to be its own sort of autonomous economic engine,\u201d Hornstein said. \u201cMy message to anybody in the city is: Don\u2019t complain. Rather, organize.\u201d<\/p>\n Hornstein said there are many problems that can be fixed when groups of neighbors come together.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNeighborhoods, the ones that are growing, the ones that are safe, they have a small group of committed citizens who get together, put their shoulders on the wheel and get stuff done,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said NLNA has carried the spirit of the Northern Liberties neighborhood and has allowed its residents to get things done.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc8c Love Philly? Sign up for the free Billy Penn daily newsletter and stay in the know<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a neighborhood that is completely DIY,\u201d he said. \u201cLiberty Lands Playground exists not because we paid someone to figure it out for us, but because a bunch of neighbors came together in the \u201890s and said, \u2018Hey, there\u2019s a vacant brownfield in the middle of our neighborhood. We\u2019re going to make it into a park, and if you don\u2019t like it, too bad.\u2019 So this is a neighborhood with a culture of doing things themselves.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Some developers say RCOs can provide important information for their projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cRCOs typically do make our projects better,\u201d Muhammed \u201cMo\u201d Rushdy, managing partner of The Riverwards Group, said. \u201cA lot of times, developers and architects would design in a vacuum or put a project in a way where they know it\u2019s going to sell or they know what\u2019s in demand out there, and they might sometimes overlook the surroundings, the neighborhood, the character and the concerns of the people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He says receiving community feedback through RCOs helps create \u201charmony\u201d among developers, the city and the people.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rushdy says one issue he sees with RCOs is the inconsistencies in how they operate.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think there is just an ambiguity in the process right now, where [the RCOs] are not standardized, and where it\u2019s just a hit or miss,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said RCOs could be even more beneficial for developers and communities if they had a standard process \u2013 where all RCOs advertise their meetings, conduct votes, and go through training similarly.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he recognizes not all RCOs have the resources to take on the same tasks or have the same structure, but the process could be more efficient.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[One time], I was dealing with a project and there were 5 RCOs within that same area,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018how are there 5 RCOs?\u2019 That\u2019s draining a lot of resources and time and money, and if the five can come together as one RCO, they\u2019ll have better resources and they\u2019re going to represent more people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite this, some developers and officials see<\/a> RCOs negatively \u2013 arguing they frequently block development, sometimes for frivolous reasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n How can you get involved?\u00a0<\/p>\n There are many RCOs in the Philly area, and their processes for joining vary. Involvement may include attending community meetings, joining committees or volunteering to help with events.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city has several resources to determine which RCO covers your neighborhood \u2013 including an OpenMaps tool<\/a> and a comprehensive list<\/a>. These resources include points of contact information, websites and email addresses to get more involved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hornstein said he encourages all Philadelphians to take the first step \u2013 because it can lead to further involvement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an easy city to get involved in,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have district council people who are generally pretty responsive to organized neighbors. There are very few problems that I haven\u2019t seen that are solvable if neighbors get together and take responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd70 Nice to see you. \ud83e\udd70 Local news should be free and accessible, which is why we ask readers like you to support our work rather than charging a fee to see it. If BP helped inform you, join as a member today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jeff Hornstein has been involved in neighborhood groups since 2005, when he lived in Queen Village. 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(Instead of a paywall)<\/p>\n