Homeowners in Washington Square West have crowdfunded almost $20,000 to fight the city. They’re challenging the decision last summer to turn their neighborhood into a historic district.
And it’s not just them. The last three historic districts that Philadelphia created are facing legal challenges.
My colleague Jake Blumgart says it’s the most significant pushback against Philadelphia’s preservation ordinance in 15 years.
Keep reading for that story and more in this week’s edition:
Home & garden: Scroll to learn from designers and gardening pros how to upgrade your indoor and outdoor living spaces.
Redlining case: Learn why a Philly judge denied the Trump administration’s request to end a local redlining settlement agreement, part of the Justice Department’s push to end similar antidiscrimination agreements across the country.
Century-old bungalow: Peek inside this Sea Isle City home where owners have embraced its imperfections.
— Michaelle Bond
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Last summer, Philly’s Historical Commission created its largest historic district in decades in Washington Square West. It happened after years of prodding by preservationists and over the objections of some property owners.
Now, some of those owners are fighting back in court.
Property owners in historic districts face some restrictions on what they can do to the outside of their properties. Decisions about solar panels, doors, and windows, and many aesthetic changes are subject to the scrutiny of preservation officials.
Property owners fighting against historic designation argue that regulations and requirements to use expensive materials can be a burden.
And in Washington Square West, owners also are angry that younger buildings they own fall under the same rules as unquestionably historic properties.
Preservationists trying to prevent demolitions as development booms have long fought for the city’s recent uptick in the creation of historic districts.
But now they find themselves clashing more and more not only with developers but also with pro-housing groups and homeowners. And homeowners are pushing back.
Home and garden design tips and tricks
Last week, I mentioned The Inquirer’s special section focusing on home design, both inside and out. But don’t worry if you missed it in the paper on Sunday. Here’s an overview of the section with links to the stories on our site.
🏊🏾 Take a look at three very different outdoor spaces:
a yard with a resort-like pool and professionally designed Wiffle ball field in Moorestown
a hangout space on a rooftop in Northern Liberties
a stone patio with a wood-burning fireplace in Wayne
This story takes you through how the owners made their visions come to life and shares tips you can use for your own outdoor space.
🎨 Interior designers talk about what’s trending and walk you through five ways to refresh your home, including adding bold paint in a place you might not expect.
🥦 Learn how to create a fall garden in the middle of the summer in this story, which also tells you the 17 crops to plant now.
🌿 This story teaches you how to dry herbs and flowers and what you can do with what you preserve.
🪴 Here are seven tips on how to best showcase your potted plants.
🕯️ And three local interior design pros share their advice for creating both a personal sanctuary and a home your guests will love.
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📮 Do you have a helpful home design tip that you’ve learned? Share with the class.
The latest news to pay attention to
A judge denied the Justice Department’s request to end its settlement agreement with a bank accused of redlining in Philly.
A bipartisan Senate housing bill includes a national version of a Pa. home repair program.
Local Airbnb hosts share tips for successfully renting out properties.
Tower Theater, Upper Darby’s “crown jewel of entertainment,” has been dormant for years. Its future is unclear.
Center City’s second Taco Bell location won’t be a higher-end Cantina after all.
House of the week: For $725,000 in Pennsport, a five-year-old house with a roof deck and tax abatement.
Cori and Jeff Brennan’s bungalow in Sea Isle City turns 100 next year. It’s a significant birthday, especially as older Shore homes are bulldozed to make way for new, larger ones.
The location of the couple’s 850-square-foot vacation home between the ocean and the bay was part of the draw for the Brennans.
They also liked that the home wasn’t the typical Sea Isle duplex. They own a Philly rowhouse and were looking for a break from shared walls.
The Brennans bought the bungalow in 2017 and got to work renovating the outdoor spaces. They removed a back deck and dug up the grass, replacing it with stones in the front and a patio in the back.
They cook on the backyard grill, and they’re installing a griddle outside. Good thing, because they haven’t been able to use their oven.
Peek inside the family’s vacation home and see how they use their indoor and outdoor spaces.
📷 Photo quiz
Do you know the building this photo shows? (Hint: It was on Roosevelt Boulevard.)
📮Take your best guess, and email me back. You and your memories of this spot might be featured in the newsletter.
Last week’s newsletter featured a shot of the lobby of the Academy of Music.
Shout-out to Meg B. and Heidi O., the first readers to send me correct answers.
Heidi told me: “Starting when I was 5, my dad, a school music teacher, took our family there to the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Saturday morning concert series. It was the most beautiful place and I didn’t appreciate until I was older how special it was to watch a world class orchestra perform in a world class venue.”
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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