This entire yard was ripped up and transformed! Big thanks to Matt Wysong for helping with the project!

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to grow flowers and food gardens right in the city. 

This year, residents and volunteers will plant annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, veggies and even fruit. All residents will have the opportunity to make a sidewalk planter, add new plants to their gardens, build entirely new gardens, in yards or in containers, hanging planters and pots. Everyone is encouraged to get involved in this block-wide planting day, even first-time gardeners.

Residents pay an affordable registration fee to participate (details below). We are able to subsidize the cost of plants and supplies with the help of a Philadelphia Activities Fund grant, issued by 8th District City Councilwoman Cindy Bass. Many plants are also created by dividing existing perennials from gardens on W Rockland Street. Growing from seed and striking new plants from cuttings and layering also contribute to lowering costs.

Grow This Block! works to build community and connect neighbors, beautify the block, reduce litter, educate children and adults about urban farming and horticulture, and more. Two-thirds of the block’s 46 households have participated in past years. For a look at the event, check out our photos and recap from GTB! 2 and for more insight, read architecture critic Inga Saffron’s take in The Philadelphia Inquirer here: Germantown sisters use tactical urbanism to bolster their block.

Sweat equity. See more photos here.

Volunteers make things grow. Consider joining us this weekend! Planting location is the Unit Block of W Rockland Street in Germantown, 19144, between the 4800 blocks of Germantown Avenue and Greene Street (here’s a map). Contact Aine or Emaleigh at (215) 805-8091 // rocklandstreet@gmail.com for more information. Check out the flyers below to learn how Grow This Block! works.

Click to download a PDF of the Volunteer Flyer

Click to download a PDF of the Resident Flyer

If you missed the program, check out Luke Smith’s recap of the event below, which includes a summary of Zach’s talk and our contribution. For more, see Germantown-based photographer Tieshka Smith’s collection of photos or check out stories in The Philadelphia Tribune, NewsWorksWHYY, Flying Kite, and the Philadelphia Real Estate Blog. – Aine & Emaleigh

Guest blog post by A. Luke Smith | Board Member of Germantown United CDC

About a hundred people turned out at the Flying Horse Center last Wednesday evening, May 8, 2013, to attend Germantown United CDC’s Second Annual “Forum on Sustainability,” which featured a “trade show” followed by a panel discussion where attendants learned how “it IS easy being green!”

Aine representing Tree Germantown. You want a tree, right?

The projector displayed a tuxedo-wearing Kermit the Frog to welcomed guests to the beautiful space at the Flying Horse Center, where various organizations and city offices engaged face to face with interested Germantowners.  Derrick Searles of the Streets Department’s Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee informed visitors that anyone can host a block cleanup and,  with just an advanced phone call,  the city will gladly come and pick up all of the trash and debris the same day.   The Sustainable Business Network recruited Germantown business owners and entrepreneurs to join the citywide network of businesses committed to the business ethos embodied in what they call “the triple bottom line,” or “Profits, People, Planet,” a concept that was repeated later during the forum discussion.  Attendees bounced between tables hosted by local urban farms like Grumblethorpe, organizations like The Food Trust dedicated to bringing that healthy fresh food to Philadelphians living without access to it, and a prison-to-work program called “Roots to Re-entry” that gives prison inmates the opportunity to learn urban farming in the prison’s rehabilitated green house.  There were too many fantastic organizations and agencies to list here (see the pre-event flyer for that).  So many, in fact, it was a challenge to get interested Germantowners to leave the tabling area and take their seats at the forum!

Once seated, the audience listened intently as each of the seven panelists shared presentations and spoke passionately for 20 minutes about their work, and the work of their respective agencies and organizations.

Keynote Speaker and discussion moderator Robert Fleming, founder of Philadelphia University’s MS in Sustainable Design Program, posed the first question to the panelists:  “Most peoples’ objective in life is to make enough money to live as comfortable as possible.  But you guys are special.  What makes you tick?”

After a moment of humble silence, acclaimed graffiti-fighting Muralist Zack Bird was the first panelist to chime in.  “I actually have a good answer to that,” he began.  “In my work for Palm Restaurants, I’ve had the chance to travel around the county building restaurants.  I spent up to a month on each job, and so I’ve gotten to know a lot of American cities.  But when I recently returned to northwest Philadelphia, I really rekindled my love affair with this place, especially with the natural beauty of the Wissahickon, and the history. I’ve found that it’s really a unique place, and I wanted it to be beautiful. And so a while ago I made a commitment to pick up litter anytime I see it.”

“At first I thought I was doing a favor to the community by picking up trash.  But I was thinking about this recently, and I’m really doing a bigger favor to myself.  Whether it’s picking up litter, or faux-finishing to restore a tagged up retaining wall in the Wissahickon, it just makes me feel great, like I’m floating on a cloud.  So I guess that’s why I do it. That’s what makes me tick.” 

Every panelist applauded in agreement to Zack’s response.

Zack Bird paints away graffiti and recreates stone.

Zack Bird might be a magician.

Then the audience queued up for questions and comments.  Audience member Lisa Hopkins of the Civic Association Southwest Lower Germantown wondered whether The Food Trust had considered bringing back something like the home economics classes she remembered from her own school days, because teaching young adults how to cook, clean, and sew could be a key to healthy, sustainable living.  While Dwayne Wharton said that his organization’s connection to schools is to help bring in healthy food, he thought the idea was a good one.

A Germantown-based, nationally-renown ceramic tile artist/businesswoman, Karen Singer of Karen Singer Tileworks, pitched the panel and audience her idea to design and install a thematic series of ceramic tile murals around the community, and a walking tour to visit them.

Ernie Freeman of Germantown Community Connection applauded New Haven, Connecticut’s innovative approach to corridor renewal called “Project Storefronts”, and had some practical questions for its Director, panelist Vivan Nabeta (we’d all love to see this program replicated in Philadelphia!).

Susan Gilfillan, a retired realtor, offered panelists Aine and Emaleigh Doley the comfort of knowing that when she moved to Germantown in the 1970s, there was a group of hippies trying to fix up West Rockland Street, assuring the Doleys’ that their effort was one with “deep roots.”  She also blamed what she called “lazy and corrupt government,” for many of Germantown’s, perhaps most notably the enormous amount of unpaid property taxes.

In response, panelist Christine Knapp from the Philadelphia Water Department was quick to defend her department which she joined just 6 months ago, and cautioned against broad generalizations.  She said she would not have taken the job if she expected to be working with anyone lazy or corrupt and that, to the contrary, she’s found that at the PWD she is “surrounded by a bunch of over-achievers.”

The Doley sisters responded to the charges of government laziness and corruption with two practical reminders.  First, it’s smart to maintain relationships with your elected officials, because they can get things done, and the way to hold them accountable to their constituents is by engaging them, not by calling them lazy and corrupt and dis-engaging.  Aine Doley gave the example of Mayor Nutter showing up at their door the day after the Philadelphia Inquirer ran this story in the Sunday paper about their “Grow This Block” initiative, including a focus on the city-owned blight that has blemished their block for at least 20 years.  The Mayor asked the sisters for a tour of the block, and within five days demolition of the blighted properties was underway.

The Doleys’ second reminder relates to the first:  laziness and corruption in government doesn’t prevent neighbors from coming together to work, to organize block-wide cleanups, help each other to undertake DIY home improvement projects, plant flowers, and grow healthy food.  The Doley sisters repeatedly emphasized that theirs is just a group of neighbors that meet and discuss ideas to improve the quality of life on their block.  They’re not affiliated with any organization or politicians.  They don’t have a non-profit organization.  But none of that stopped them from dramatically beautifying their block, making national news,  becoming a well-worn campaign stop, or even earning a morning drop-in from the mayor of Philadelphia.  The sisters said it’s just a matter of getting organized, putting a well-planned proposal in writing, and reaching out to the city for help collaborating with the right programs and groups to get it done.

Robert Fleming closed the panel by rejecting the notion that “revitalization” was necessary in Germantown.  He said everywhere he looks he sees that “Germantown is full of vitality.”  In Germantown there are always new examples of diverse people connecting and working together which, Rob says, is quite unusual.

Fleming parted with two hints for success: “baby steps and dandruff.”

“Baby steps” because all sustainable progress is a series of them — dreaming is great, but making dreams reality is a continuous and incremental process of doing.  And “dandruff” because, as we all know, this work usually involves working with other people, and groups of people.  And sometimes people spend more energy fighting over who is in charge, instead of working on moving forward, together.  He advised everyone to “check their ego at the door,” and if some people get bogged down in name-calling and bickering, “just brush it off your shoulder and keep moving forward.”

The program will be held from 6 – 9 pm at the Flying Horse Center located at 312-316 West Chelten Ave. Email info@germantownunitedcdc.org to RSVP.

Panelists include:

• Robert Fleming, Director of Sustainable Design at Philadelphia University
• Dwayne Wharton, Director of External Affairs, The Food Trust
• Kelly Maillie, PHS Roots to Re-Entry – Green Job Training and Placement Program
• Aine Doley and Emaleigh Doley, sisters and co-organizers of the W Rockland Street Project, a citizen-driven effort to revitalize one street in Southwest Germantown (read about tactical urbanism in the Inquirer)
• Vivian Nabeta, Director of Arts, Culture and Tourism for the City of New Haven, Connecticut, where they’ve launch Project Storefronts
• Zack Bird, a Germantown-based artist and muralist who has developed a method to use faux finishing to cover graffiti (read about Zack in the Inquirer)
• Christine Knapp, Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Philadelphia Water Department

You should come!

If you’ve never been to the Flying Horse Center, read more about the building, which has become a multi-use community center for Germantown, housing offices, small businesses and event space.

It IS Easy Being Green. That’s true.

DIY Projects on W Rockland Street

Two-time Grow This Block! participant, taking it to the next level. Photo by Inga Saffron

The beauty of public seating. This bench was made of 3,800 recycle plastic bags! Thanks Keep Philadelphia Beautiful!

Garden Party in the Lot Formerly Known As Vacant

An early Philly Spring Cleanup project

Work AND Play.

Creative urban intervention! A sidewalk garden grows.

This is our fourth consecutive year W Rockland St has participated in the cleanup – in the past, we’ve cleared mounds of trash from vacant lots, built community gardens, painted vacant houses, planted flowers in the sidewalk, and more (take a look at our 2012 and 2011 projects). We call that change you can see, and we couldn’t have done it without the wonderful volunteers that join us each year. Come along and work with W Rockland St Neighbors!

2013 Spring Cleanup Goals:

1. Help neighbors sweep the sidewalk and street along the entire block;
2. Lend a hand in basic cleanup and maintenance of two large parcels of vacant land on the block;
3. Repair and paint the wood fence protecting the vacant lot in the middle of the block;
4. Help cleanup in front of vacant houses;
5. Assist elderly neighbors in sprucing up their front yards;
6. Plant flowers and plants in large pots and garden beds for sidewalk beautification.

W Rockland serves as an example of what one Philadelphia city block can do to change its future through citizen engagement, do-it-yourself spirit, and tactical urbanism. We are located between the 4800 blocks of Germantown Avenue and Greene Street, flanked by the 100 blocks of Logan and Wyneva Streets. Read more about our neighborhood improvement projects right here on our blog.

Got questions? Contact rocklandstreet@gmail.com // 215-805-8091 

Cleaning the alley during the 2010 Philly Spring Cleanup

Loading up the Streets Department trash truck during the 2012 Philly Spring Cleanup

Watering new pop up sidewalk gardens on W Rockland St

W ROCKLAND STREET IN A NUTSHELL

• Property types include homeowners, full house market rate rentals, row homes converted into full apartments, rooming houses, and full house subsidized rentals, which breaks down to twenty-eight owner-occupied households and fifteen rental properties (all types). Three properties are currently vacant, a new and unfortunate development.
• The rentals are divided into: nine full house rentals (three market rate; five Section 8 – PHA/Housing Choice Voucher subsidies); two rooming house apartments (full house, not converted); and four houses converted into apartments.
• There are six vacant lots – all maintained by block residents. St. Francis of Assisi Parish (now closed) and The DePaul Catholic School are also part of the block, at the corner of W Rockland and Greene Streets. The two properties are owned by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

View from the top of W Rockland St

WHAT AVI LOOKS LIKE ON W ROCKLAND

2013 property tax bills for W Rockland St were listed at $600 for just about every house. In 2014, every property on the block will see an increase under the new AVI.  It’s appears that property assessments are still considerably off, both on the low and high end, as property conditions vary dramatically throughout the block. I am less interested in the “actual value” per se, and most curious about tax percentages and dollar increases.

Thirty-one W Rockland St households will see property taxes increase by 91 – 112%, while fifteen households will see taxes rise by 40 – 55%, according to 2013 to 2014 estimates.

Of the forty-six total units, sixteen households were approved for Homestead Exemption, which is only available for owner-occupied properties. Those approved for exemption will see tax increases of 40 – 120%, up from 2013 with an average increase ranging from $239 – 650.

As of Feb. 21, there are thirteen households on the block that did not receive Homestead Exemption (that are not rental properties), either because the property owners were ineligible or didn’t apply. Rental and owner-occupied households not eligible for Homestead will see tax increases of 91 – 122%, up from 2013 with an average increase of $544 – 724. (You can still apply for Homestead Exemption through July 31, 2013 online or by calling 215-686-9200.)

A PMBC “Clean Block Contest” judge chats with the Elders of the community, some of the block’s longest residents

It is important to note that W Rockland St, located in SW Germantown, is a low-income block with many residents living below poverty level, a high number of retirees and senior homeowners, and nonworking families. Based on our knowledge of the block, it is easy to see the divide in the chart. The W Rockland St households approved for Homestead Exemption as of now are nearly all long-term residents of 20+ years, working or middle-class, and consistently engaged in block-wide civic activities. These residents would by nature and opportunity be more aware of major city initiatives, like AVI and tax relief efforts.

For neighborhood perspective, according to U.S. Census data, the median household income in Germantown is $29,849 and 28.2 % of citizens live below poverty level (zipcode: 19144).

Me and Mike – Mayor Nutter greets W Rockland Street kids in 2011

Since they are ineligible for Homestead, the block’s rental properties will see the highest property tax increases. It is very unclear how the rise in tax will affect rental rates, particularly among privately-owned rentals subsidized by the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher program. Will rents rise on W Rockland St to accommodate changes? Will the price be absorbed by the property owner or the tenant? Will PHA adjust the dollar amount of voucher assistance to accommodate rent increases? We are left with many questions on this front.

Having been woefully under-accessed for years, we agree with the reasoning behind the Actual Value Initiative, and do not think the figures above are outrageous. Still, the estimated adjustments give pause for concern considering the demographics of our community.

BY THE NUMBERS

ACTUAL VALUE INITIATIVE READING LIST. OMG!

Signe Wilkinson | The Philadelphia Inquirer

• *NEW* For thousands, homestead exemption a big secret by Jan Ransom | Philadelphia Daily News
• *NEW* Mapping where homestead exemption applications lag | AxisPhilly
• The Tipping Point by Isaiah Thompson | AxisPhilly
• Philadelphia real estate agents nervously await the effect of new property assessments | Philadelphia Inquirer
• Taxipedia by Holly Otterbein | NewsWorks WHYY
• Inquirer Editorial: Don’t jump the gun with AVI adjustments
• A Shaken Tax Landscape by Troy Graham and Dylan Purcell | Philadelphia Inquirer
• Some neighborhoods struggling with likely huge tax increases by Aubrey Whelan | Philadelphia Inquirer
• In some neighborhoods, relief at the new assessment plan by Aubrey Whelan | Philadelphia Inquirer
• Philadelphia Daily News – AVI coverage

TOOLS

• The City of Philadelphia’s AVI Calculator
• Office of Property Assessments
• AxisPhilly’s property tax map
• Apply for Homestead Exemption: Applications will continue to be accepted until July 31, 2013
• Appeal your assessment

The sun sets on W Rockland Street. Great shot by Ainé from the 3rd floor window of the house. Silhouette of St. Francis of Assisi Parish (now closed) at the corner of the block.

The neighborhood has a longstanding litter and illegal dumping problem, but in 2010, Ainé and I noticed one area in particular had shifted dramatically. Had a trash bomb exploded?

We can start by squashing the blame game. It is after all The People who make the trash. Like the City, businesses and individuals have both the power and a responsibility to change litter culture. We’re trying on W Rockland St. What are Germantown’s business districts doing? What about the schools, churches, and community organizations? Lots of players in the mix…

There once was a curb…

Still, shopping districts need public trashcans and Southwest Germantown has a problem. At Coulter St and Germantown Ave, there are two old-school wire trash baskets (still there). A few weeks ago, you would have to travel south travel south .6 miles to the intersection of Logan St and Germantown Ave before finding another public trashcan (since removed). In between that .6 mile zone is a rundown but busy commercial corridor. We estimate there are 30 storefront businesses along this stretch, including the mostly vacant Freedom Plaza (Wister St and Germantown Ave). This shopping plaza is the site of the first protest against slavery. The zone just underwent streetscape enhancements and received new sidewalks and street lighting thanks to the ReStore Philadelphia Corridors program (yay!). Tree pits have also been cut but no trees have been planted yet. Still, there are no cans and the area is worse than it was a few years ago. Since August, there were several shootings along the Avenue. We heard the gunfire from W Rockland. ”Trash breeds bad behavior,” says Allison Weiss in the Daily News. She’s right.

Welcome to the neighborhood. Sorry you got tagged already.

The Streets Department, who we have worked with on several successful projects, maintains that they did not remove any public trashcans along the Avenue south of School House Lane, which would include the zone described above. That is simply not true. We live here. Maybe they were stolen, suggested a commenter on Philly.com. A former representative for Streets told me in early 2011 that several cans were in fact removed because of short-dumping, and that if we wanted the new and improved (but faulty) BigBelly trash compacters, we’d have to advocate for them like other (better organized) neighborhoods have. That is a problem. Some neighborhoods need the City to set an example. On a small scale, removing the public trashcans set the wrong tone. Cue trash explosion.

In addition to business traffic, this route is heavy on pedestrian travel and transit with SEPTA’s long running 23 Bus route traveling along the Avenue. Should SEPTA play a role in handling commuter trash? Probably. Yet, down the road you’ll find zero trashcans surrounding the entire perimeter of Wayne Junction Station.

In the past two years, BigBelly compactors have been placed sporadically along other parts of Germantown Ave, notably at the intersection of Chelten Ave. But as of today, November 14, 2012, there are still no public trashcans between Penn Street, which has a shiny new and already graffitied BigBelly compacter, and Windrim Ave (the trash baskets at Logan were also recently removed). Thats .9 miles of no cans for shoppers, walkers, and transit riders.

We’ve been thinking a lot about the impact of greening the neighborhood, with the recent murder on W Rockland Street in mind. Read on for a look at the PHS honors and our thoughts on crime and urban gardening in Philadelphia.

Beans!

2nd Place: COMMUNITY GARDEN COMBINATION

The Rockland Street Community Garden was awarded Second Prize in the Community Garden Combination category for first-year community gardens with both vegetables and flowers. This is a big achievement for the block and all the residents and volunteers that helped to transform the long-neglected vacant lot into an urban garden and gathering space. Located at 15 W Rockland at the top of the block, the garden is home to 13 raised garden beds (lucky number!), a melon and climbing vine patch, a compost bin, a floral garden, and jungle gym for kids. We broke ground and built this space on April 16, 2012 during the 4^th annual Philly Spring Cleanup (learn more about the project), and its been growing and evolving ever since. One thing to note! We don’t own this land, but we transformed the eyesore anyway.

Here’s what the judges said:

“The garden has a colorfully inviting entrance and neatly laid out raised beds inside with a space set aside for socializing. It is clearly meeting its mission of creating community through horticulture. Impressive that this community has come together to build a garden on an abandoned lot. A credit to the garden creators!”

A look at W Rockland Street projects and events

sidewalk planters

3rd Place: GREENEST BLOCK IN TOWN

The entire block also was also recognized for their greening efforts, rwinning Third Prize in the Greenest Block in Town category. Thanks to initiatives like Grow This Block!, approximately 30 of the block’s 46 row homes now have front yard gardens.

This summer, more than 10 residents added large sidewalk planters to the mix, adding even more greenery to the streetscape. Two residents, one with a concrete front yard, even built their own raised beds at their houses to add additional greenery to their homes!

W Rockland Street residents should be incredibly proud of all their hard work. Two groups of judges walked the block in the hot summer heat and took notice.

Garden Party in the Lot Formerly Known As Vacant

Eating tomatoes by the handful in the community garden

THE IMPACT OF GREENING W ROCKLAND STREET 

While we’re thrilled to have been honored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the win comes at difficult time for W Rockland Street.

In late August, a longtime block resident was shot to death on the block while sitting on his front porch. The murder remains unsolved, and Captain Verdell Johnson of the 39th Police District has confirmed there are no leads in the case.

This act of violence marks a surge in violent crime in Germantown. Gunshots, police sirens, and helicopters are now regularly mixed in with other sounds from the neighborhood. This summer, Aine and I learned a new (and unwanted) skill – how to properly gauge the distance of gunfire. Our block. One block over. Two blocks. Three blocks…

With the shooting in mind, we have been thinking long and hard about the impact of the greening efforts on the block with regards to quality of life improvements, crime deterrence, community building, neighborhood revitalization, and the overall attitude of block residents and visitors.

We have been working for four years to improve W Rockland Street alongside an amazing group of block residents. Now we ask – what has the widespread residential gardening accomplished? Does it really make a difference that the block’s many vacant lots are maintained? What does the existence of a community garden really mean?

Six days after the shooting incident, Michaela Krauser published an article titled The Urban Garden as Crime Fighter on Next City, an online publication connecting cities and informing the people working to improve them.

“Community gardens have been long-regarded as symbols of neighborhood revitalization, but could a well-tended patch of grass actually help fight crime? A recently published study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine suggests the answer may be yes.”

We read the article. We got a copy of the study. We want to believe it. We hear about other inspiring gardens in rough and tumble neighborhoods, like this one in North Philadelphia which should be commended (read their story!). We have a lot of support and people are helping to tell the (whole) story of W Rockland St and offer outside perspective, including a few journalists like Dan Geringer in the Philadelphia Daily News, Inga Saffron in The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Brian Hickey on WHYY’s Newsworks.

It’s true, urban gardens and greening of W Rockland Street has beautified the block and connected neighbors. The greenery has improved our personal experiences living on the block. The work has made the neighborhood less depressing. But this summer, no amount of coleus, marigolds, or exotic elephant ears could stop bullets. This is a Philadelphia story.

First Presbyterian Church, 35 West Chelten Avenue. Directions. RSVP at 215-686-3424, rosa.woods@phila.gov / ray.jones@phila.gov. Or better yet, just go.