unite East Falls neighborhood in redistricting map
As almost 40 year resident of East Falls neighborhood, I urge the redistricting commission to adjust your preliminary redistricting plan, to adjust the borders and correct the split-up of the vitally coherent East Falls community.... which simultaneously includes wholesome diversity. Keep together the entirety of the experienced East Falls community (part of the 38th ward) in Philadelphia. East Falls has natural and manmade boundaries that produce defining, clearly experienced coherency of interest, community/civic spirit and vision, essential self-help cooperation, specific practical issues/assets such as public safety, traffic and parking issues, historic traditional architectural character, neighborhood collaborations via organizations etc, commercial district within walking distance, intensive community cleanups/vigilance and TreeTender services/particpation over decades, etc etc. Natural and logical boundaries are imposed by certain major streets (Wissahickon Ave, Lincoln Drive, Route 1/route 76 hiway structures), Schuylkill river and Wissahickon stream, walkable service access to local commuter lines of Norristown/Manayunk East Falls and Chestnut Hill West’s Queen Lane station. Most of these natural/manmade boundaries create extreme chasms from other distinct neighborhoods, and should be respected as such. Coherency of thriving neighborhoods and self-help community spirit is vital to continuing urban wellbeing. Government can only due and afford so much! And coherent self-help within a spirited community is precious asset not to be squandered. I agree with other commentators suggestions: The Lower Northwest area of Philadelphia is a community of interest, appropriate for a new map to keep the entire entity of the Lower Northwest in one legislative district. Also, the small number of homes on the west side of School House Lane (Timber Ln. Apalogen Rd., are part of East Falls, even though they currently are in the same district as Roxborough) could provide an opportunity to include them in the same legislative district as the rest of their neighbors in East Falls. On the contrary it does not make sense to combine East Falls with our West Philadelphia neighbors. Physically, we are at a significant distance, separated from West Philadelphia and our community's needs, goals, and visions are different from the West Philadelphia community. The proposed plan as of today January 7 2022, for the 194th PA House district, makes little sense in terms of contiguity of neighborhoods. It includes a sizable portion of Chestnut Hill, effectively cutting that community in half and separating out half of Chestnut Hill from the Upper Northwest. The needs of the Chestnut Hill community differ significantly from those of the Lower Northwest. It makes more sense to expand the 194th district to include all of the Lower Northwest, that is, Roxborough, Manayunk, Wissahickon and East Falls, leaving all of Chestnut Hill as part of the Upper Northwest House District. Re-unite East Falls into one district.