An effort is currently underway to create a neighborhood conservation district around East Mermaid Lane in Chestnut Hill that is likely to be passed by City Council in June, writes Jake Blumgart for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The bill would result in a zoning overlay that would govern all new construction and remodeling in that part of the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood. For example, vinyl and aluminum siding as well as concrete masonry would not be allowed, while developers could use Wissahickon schist, brick, and limestone.

The bill would also ban roof decks, require that HVAC equipment and gas meters be hidden from the street, and that at least 15 percent of the front yard be landscaped.

“What we were trying to do is just make [developers] build something that looks similar,” said Camille Peluso, an architect of the overlay. “We’re not asking to be draconian like a historic society or an HOA that requires paint colors.”

There is some pushback from the Philadelphia Planning Commission, arguing that the proposal encompasses three distinct architectural styles.

The backers of the conservation district, however, have been working on the bill since 2021, when Goldenberg Group revealed its plans to construct a 250-unit apartment building in the neighborhood.

Read more about the proposed Chestnut Hill conservation district in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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