726 Market Street

• May 3, 2004:  The wall wrap was finally removed.
   
• September 8, 2003: The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, like the trial court, found that a financial hardship is not sufficient to establish a hardship.  Further, should any hardship exist, it is from the owner’s failure to rehabilitate the property.  Additionally, granting a variance was against public interest because allowing such signs could provide a disincentive for property owners to rehabilitate their properties.
   
• October 8, 2002: Court of Common Pleas reversed the decision on Appeal, finding that the Board abused its discretion in granting the variance.
   
• July 11, 2000: ZBA grants a variance for the wall wrap display.
   
• February 22, 2000: L&I denies permit request.

Links

Background Information

Commonwealth Court Opinion
Sept. 8, 2003

Press Coverage

Background Information
 

Outdoor Works applied for a permit to L & I for an wall wrap which L & I denied because the sign would violate multiple sections of the Philadelphia Code. The ZBA granted a variance, finding that a hardship would occur if a variance was not granted because the property was mostly vacant despite diligent efforts of the owner to find tenants. SCRUB and Councilman David Cohen appealed to the Court of Common Pleas, which revoked the variance finding that the applicant did not prove undue hardship and to the extent that there was hardship that hardship was the result of the owner’s failure to rehabilitate the building to make it attractive for tenants. The Court of Common Pleas also noted that a variance would be against the public interest because allowing such signs would be a disincentive for property owners to rehabilitate their properties.