Darrell Clarke’s development fight, Center City bus parkers beware, and kelly green jerseys could be coming to a newsstand near you | Council roundup

For almost 15 years, Philly neighborhood groups have asked city government for protection from legal risks they face when challenging developers on local zoning matters.

Now City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, at the end of his legislative career, is trying to give it to them.

Clarke on Thursday had legislation introduced that would amend the city’s Home Rule Charter to “provide for indemnification and defense by the City [of registered community organizations] arising directly out of the lawful participation … in zoning matters.”

In other words, the city would be able to cover a group’s legal costs if a developer sues over the group’s participation in the zoning process.

It’s the latest in a long series of moves by Clarke to help homeowners and community groups fight proposed development. Clarke, who did not run for reelection this year, leaves office in January, and the Charter amendment could be one of his last major accomplishments on that front.

Clarke told reporters after Thursday’s meeting that the proposal was needed to ensure community groups and developers are on a level playing field.

» READ MORE: A Bustleton group that opposes a massive UPS warehouse is being sued by the site’s developer

“It’s like an unfunded, unsupported mandate by government to require that they do this without giving them any support,” Clarke said.

Developers immediately pushed back against the measure, saying it would further stifle growth in a city that already makes it difficult to build new construction.

“The City should not use taxpayer dollars to encourage anti-development behavior,” said Mo Rushdy, vice president of the Building Industry Association. “This bill gives RCOs a blank check to fight developers. If this bill passes, every single project will be appealed indefinitely, which increases development costs and the chances that nothing will get built.”

» READ MORE: Darrell Clarke’s nearly 25 years on City Council shaped how Philly was built

If the legislation is approved by Council this fall, the proposal would go before voters, likely on next spring’s primary election ballot. Voters almost always approve ballot measures.

Neighborhood groups that are officially recognized by the city to weigh in on zoning matters are known as “registered community organizations,” or RCOs. That designation was created in 2012 during the city’s zoning code rewrite, and the organizations have been pushing the city for some form of legal protection ever since, saying their role invites lawsuits from potentially deep-pocketed business interests if they oppose a project.

Beware, bus lane parkers. Council on Thursday approved a bill that will allow SEPTA buses in certain high-traffic areas to be outfitted with cameras to catch people who illegally park in bus lanes. The cameras will be used by the Philadelphia Parking Authority to ticket the bus lane squatters.

The measure, authored by Councilmember Mark Squilla, applies to all of Center City, all streets with trolley routes, as well as four major east-west thoroughfares in West Philadelphia: JFK Boulevard, Market Street, Chestnut Street, and Walnut Street.

Kelly greens and the paper: Philly newsstands will soon be able to sell sports team apparel — but only of Philly teams.

So you can look forward to nabbing a “Attaboy Harper” T-shirt along with Harper’s magazine.

Council approved another bill by Squilla (busy day for him!) that expanded the list of items that can be sold at newsstands to include ‘‘flowers, health products, beauty aids, wearing apparel of any kind pertaining to Philadelphia area sports teams such as shirts, caps or team jerseys, and ticket sales to sporting events, concerts, museums, the Philadelphia zoo and other local attractions.”

What else do you need?

VIP in the house: Council had a special guest this week. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’ daughter Alorianna joined lawmakers on the Council floor for her first birthday.

She stayed quiet the entire session and, not unlike some lawmakers, spent most of the public comment period playing with a phone.

Council members on Thursday wore purple and passed a resolution acknowledging that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The resolution was introduced by members Quetcy Lozada, Curtis Jones Jr., and Kendra Brooks, who lost a cousin to domestic violence and whose late sister was also a domestic violence survivor.

Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.