Letters to the Editor

What You Say

So not invited to the block party

This is not NIMBY-ism for the disabled, low-income population; this is a safety issue for our neighborhood [Naked City, "Good Neighbors," Tom Dreisbach, Feb. 11]. Odunde is building low-income apartments in the neighborhood and that has been supported.

There are several other PHA properties in the neighborhood that are known drug houses. Just a block away from my house there was gun violence that erupted out into the street from a PHA house. The PHA has not been a good neighbor in the past, so until this changes we don't want any new PHA-owned properties built.

The article fails to mention that the primary objection is that it's to be built at a very busy No. 17 bus stop with inadequate parking. The newly proposed off-street spaces are not adequate for handicapped access and configured "shotgun" style (one vehicle must exit before the one further back can get out). Further, 20th Street is not only a thoroughfare for a busy SEPTA bus route, but also the main corridor for emergency vehicles entering the neighborhood. Just imagine the congestion that will occur when handicapped folks are being picked up in the middle of this busy street, causing obstructions, not to mention a hazard to the handicapped residents.

Remember when 19th and Carpenter was plain old South Philly? What a wonder that "Center City" expands its boundaries after the young professionals move in. Still, better for them to call it SWCC or South of South than Grad Hospital. Way better.

I'm skeptical of the statistic: "According to the USDA, organic farms outperform conventional farms, with average annual sales of $217,675 versus $134,807. [Loose Canon, "Food First. At Last." Bruce Schimmel, Feb. 11]" Who is included in the definition of "organic farm"? Plenty of big guys use the "organic" label but use practices that are not sustainable. Yet there's a lot of cause to be optimistic. I'm glad to see the topic go mainstream.