Registered Community Organization

Old City District serves as the local Registered Community Organizations (RCO), as recognized by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The RCO reviews zoning applications for projects proposed within our geographic boundaries, once an application has been submitted to the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), as prescribed by the zoning code of Philadelphia.  This review may result in a position letter sent to the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). The RCO meets on the third Wednesday of the month, as needed.

Old City District Registered Community Organization Remote Meetings

Due to COVID-19, the Old City District RCO is currently holding RCO meetings remotely. Meetings will take place remotely at 5:15pm on the third Wednesday of the month unless otherwise noted. 

Members of the public who wish to attend the remote meeting must register in advance using a form that will be posted here in advance of the scheduled meeting. Registration must be submitted by no later than 3:00 PM the day of the scheduled meeting. Registrants will receive information on how to join and participate in the public meeting remotely prior to the meeting start time.

Structure of remote RCO meetings: 

• The public will start out on mute.

• OCD Staff will provide an overview of the meeting format and voting process. 

• Presenters will verbally review their projects, and should use share screen to provide presentation visuals. 

• OCD RCO Committee members will ask questions following each presentation. 

• Following each presentation, public attendees can submit questions using the chat box function in Zoom, or can verbally ask questions by using the “raise your hand” feature in Zoom to ask to be unmuted. 

• Voting will be held after all presentations are complete. OCD staff will send all attendees a form to submit their vote and any comments immediately following the meeting. The OCD RCO will only count votes from members of the public who register and attend the remote RCO meeting.

• The OCD RCO Committee will deliberate and vote following the public meeting. Vote totals from committee members and the public will be submitted to the Zoning Board of Adjustment following the meeting, and the final vote totals will be posted on the OCD website.

This public remote meeting process is evolving, and OCD RCO welcomes feedback from applicants and attendees. Please email any feedback to [email protected].

Schedule an RCO review meeting

To discuss your project, schedule an RCO review meeting, or inquire further about the RCO process, please contact Old City District at [email protected], before or upon submission of your application to L&I. 

RCO Newsletter

If you would like to receive emails about upcoming Old City District RCO meetings, you can sign up for the Registered Community Organization email list at this link.

OCD RCO Meetings - 2023

May 17, 2023, 5:15pm, via Zoom

10 S Front Street:

• Proposal: Application is for an assembly and entertainment and smoking  lounge and sit-down restaurant at second floor in the same building with existing sit-down restaurant and assembly and entertainment at first floor on the same lot with all other uses as previously approved.
• Reason for refusal: The proposed, assembly and entertainment, is prohibited, in Old City Residential Area Control District.

112 N 2nd Street:

• Proposal: Application is for a retail sale of food, beverages and groceries, for the retail sale of Italian specialty food dry-goods (groceries) and for wines for off-site consumption; sit-in restaurant (wines, beers and spirits for on-site consumption); for the non-cooking preparation and sale of cheese, dried/cured meat, fruit, nut (charcuterie), boards/plates, preparation for on-site consumption and sale of Italian specialty coffees. In the same lot with all other uses as previously approved. 
• Reason for refusal: Eating and drinking establishment (sit-in restaurant), is a special exception to ZBA in this Old City Residential Area Control District. 

To register for the meeting, click here.