Please consider re-design for 200th Legis District
This is a request for the Legislative Redistricting Commission (LRC) to reconsider its redesigned map for the current 200th Legislative District. As a resident of Chestnut Hill, and a Democratic committeeperson of the Ninth Division of the Ninth Ward which covers most of Chestnut Hill and a small portion of Mt. Airy, and also a constituent of the 200th Legislative District, I support the map offered by Fair Districts PA as an alternative to the LRC’s proposed new boundaries for 200th legislative district The LRC has made a major change in the current 200th District by moving the Ninth Ward into the proposed 194th Legislative District which comprises Roxborough, Andorra, Manayunk and East Falls. With full regard for the 194th, where I have a dear friend and a dear niece, I maintain that the Ninth Ward does not belong in that legislative district. The Ninth Ward is almost equivalent to Chestnut Hill, although a small portion of Mount Airy adjacent to Cresheim Creek, the southern boundary of Chestnut Hill, is also part of the ward. The LRC change disregards the historical and geographical connection of Chestnut Hill with its adjacent communities of Mount Airy and Germantown, as shown on the two maps below. Part of Tourist Map: https://www.discoverphl.com/blog/things-to-do-in-chestnut-hill-and-germantown/ The Fair Districts map differs from the map created by the LRC by preserving much of the current shape of the 200th Legislative District – in other words, by keeping Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy together, as they have always been, for geographical and historical reasons. Wissahickon Valley Park Map - Google My Maps (map of the Friends of the Wissahickon organization) As the above map shows, Wissahickon Creek is a major geographical/physical feature in northwest Philadelphia. The Creek, which flows roughly south/southeast through a steep-sided gorge, or valley, is a physical feature that separates several distinct neighborhoods, whose origins began as settlements in early colonial days – Germantown and Roxborough. Germantown Township, on the northwest side of the gorge evolved into the neighborhoods of Germantown (59th and 12th Ward), Mount Airy (22nd Ward) and Chestnut Hill (Ninth Ward). Roxborough Township on the southeast side became Roxborough, Manayunk, Andorra, and East Falls. These neighborhoods comprise the entire 21st Ward and part of the 38th Ward There is no easy way to walk or drive from one side of the valley to the other. Crossing it can be done on rugged hiking and biking trails, which provide enjoyable recreation, but are not conducive to the activities of daily life such as grocery shopping. There is no direct public transportation between the neighborhoods. Only two vehicle bridges connect the two sides of the Valley; they are four miles apart. In a rural area, a four-mile driving distance may be insignificant; however, in a densely populated city with many stop signs and traffic lights, that is not the case. Residents on opposite sides of the valley, while certainly not hostile to each other, view the other side of the valley as “somewhere else.” Essentially, the Wissahickon Valley is the southeastern boundary of two wards in the current 200th legislative district – the Ninth Ward (Chestnut Hill), and the 22nd Ward (Mount Airy). (Germantown is in a separate legislative district. Its current form, oddly shaped like an upside-down V, has – thankfully – been corrected by the LRC to a much more sensible form.) But Chestnut Hill, Mt Airy and Germantown are almost always grouped together in descriptions of the city and its neighborhoods. See for example this tourist web site: Things to Do in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and Germantown - discoverPHL.com The Ninth Ward is essentially equivalent with the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill, although a small portion of Mount Airy is also part of it, and the 22nd Ward comprises most of Mount Airy. Chestnut Hill has jokingly been referred to as “North Mount Airy.” The current shape of the 200th reflects the geographic continuity and historic connections of these two neighborhoods. There is one modification. Both the LRC map and the Fair Districts map have moved the 50th Ward (known as East Mount Airy, or West Oak Lane, or Cedarbrook) into a new 200th District. The 50th Ward is a younger part of northwest Philadelphia. Most of its development occurred after World War II, so it lacks historical continuity with Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy. However, the Fair Districts Map more effectively maintains the historical and physical connection of the old Germantown settlement. It also meets reasonable redistricting criteria including: compactness, contiguity, relatively equal population, preservation of existing political communities, partisan fairness, and racial fairness. For these reasons, I respectfully request that the LRC re-adjust the boundaries of northwest Philadelphia district in the spirit of Fair Districts PA’s People’s Map. With respect and thanks for your hard work, Barbara Bloomfield