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Historical Commission further delays a decision on whether to create a historic district in Washington Square West

The commission granted requests from some property owners for a delay. Washington Square West's proposed historic district would include 1,441 properties.

St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 250-256 S. 8th Street would be included in the proposed Washington Square West Historic District. The Philadelphia Historical Commission decided Friday to grant opponents' request to delay its consideration of the district.
St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 250-256 S. 8th Street would be included in the proposed Washington Square West Historic District. The Philadelphia Historical Commission decided Friday to grant opponents' request to delay its consideration of the district.Read moreJose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

The Philadelphia Historical Commission has again delayed its vote on whether to create a historic district in Washington Square West, a district that would be the largest the city has created in decades.

On Friday, the commission voted to wait until its Sept. 13 meeting to consider the proposed district, granting requests from property owners for a delay.

The commission had been scheduled to consider the nomination at its meeting last month, but too few commissioners were present to take any action.

» READ MORE: A historic district designation could be coming to Washington Square West

The proposed district in Washington Square West would include 1,441 properties across roughly 26 city blocks. Opponents of the district have said the proposal is overly broad and includes too many properties.

Owners of properties that are included in historic districts need the commission’s approval to make changes to the outside of buildings, and properties are shielded from demolition.

The nomination is the result of a yearslong effort by the Washington Square West Civic Association and preservationists, who said the area is culturally significant to Black, immigrant, Jewish, and LGBTQ+ communities. And the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia said the district shows Philadelphia’s development westward and highlights the neighborhood’s architectural styles and development trends.

A homeowners association and individual property owners formally and informally requested delays. Some asked for at least 90 days and others asked for a shorter delay — until September, said Jon Farnham, executive director of the Historical Commission.

On Friday, the commission did not open the meeting to any public comment about the proposed district or the decision to postpone its consideration until September. Farnham and Robert Thomas, the commission’s chair, said that decision was an internal scheduling matter that does not require public comment.

» READ MORE: Historical Commission pushes off decision on Washington Square West’s historic district

Before the vote to postpone consideration of the district, Thomas said the commission has heard from “quite a few people” who have shared their thoughts in writing, and “no action is being taken on any property if we do a continuance, so there’s no loss of opportunity to bring more material to us when we do in fact hear it.”

Thomas said that in the next two months, commission staff can further educate property owners about what designation means, answer questions, and hear concerns.

“This is a large, important district,” he said. “My own feeling over the years is that sometimes having more participation can help in the long term,” because when a district gets added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, property owners already are aware of the resources available to them.