The Council’s bill would ban some small businesses in far-flung North Philadelphia

Anthony Philips is the latest member of the City Council to try to change the city’s zoning code to make it harder to locate certain types of businesses in his corner of Philadelphia.

Phillips represents parts of Northwest and Northeast Philadelphia that are largely composed of middle- and working-class terraced housesMany of them are predominantly black and have some of the highest voter turnouts in the city.

His bill would ban convenience stores, event halls and most auto-related businesses except gas stations. Those who do want to open such establishments must get permission from the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment and first meet with community groups.

“We have heard clear concerns about how these businesses – if overly concentrated – disrupt quality of life, create safety and cleanliness challenges, and detract from the character and curb appeal of our neighborhoods,” Phillips said.

Phillips is not the first Council member to attempt such a bill. Its predecessor, Cherelle L. Parkerreceived similar legislation through the city council in June 2022. Shortly afterwards, this legislation was passed she has resigned from the Council to become mayor in 2023.

In a surprising move, then-mayor Jim Kenney vetoed the legislation, invoke fears that it could hurt legitimate businesses. At the time, so many Council members had resigned to run for mayor that the Council’s votes could not override his veto. Controversially, Council President Darrell L. Clarke delayed mail-in ballots so that new Council members could be quickly elected to counter Kenney’s power.

Phillips said at the time that he would revive the legislation, and two years later he finally did so. He rejected the idea that his bill would be controversial or have a punitive effect on legitimate businesses.

Instead, he said, it would boost commercial life in his district.

“We are in trouble because even though we are trying to attract the businesses our neighbors want, the developers are not interested because they see bad businesses that are making the neighborhood function poorly,” Phillips said.

Similar legislation has passed through the citywith so-called smoke shops selling nicotine and marijuana-related paraphernalia being a particular target. Critics of such bills, like Kenneysay they have hurt bodegas, convenience stores and small supermarkets and have cluttered zoning in several parts of the city with a patchwork of regulations.