Reconsider proposed division of 200th District!
As a resident of Chestnut Hill and the current 200th legislative district, I urge the Commission to reconsider its proposed remapping of this district, and adopt instead the Map offered by Fair Districts PA which keeps Chestnut Hill and Mt Airy united in one district. I am an active member of several organizations which serve Chestnut Hill and Mt Airy as intertwined neighborhoods -- a single community of interest: For example, I am on the board of Northwest Village Network (NVN), a volunteer-run organization that serves seniors, the vast majority of whom live in Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill. NVN has no office, and its gatherings take place all over the Chestnut Hill / Mt Airy community. And I am a member of the wonderful Weavers Way Coop, and I shop and fulfill my work requirements in both the Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill stores. Other commenters have described the historical connection of Chestnut Hill to Mt Airy, and explained why the proposed redistricting across the Wissahickon Creek makes no geographical sense. The Fair District PA Map effectively maintains the historical and physical connection of Chestnut Hill and Mt Airy. It also meets reasonable redistricting criteria including: compactness, contiguity, relatively equal population, preservation of existing political communities, partisan fairness, and racial fairness. I respectfully request that the LRC readjust the House legislative boundaries for NW Philadelphia in the spirit of the Fair Districts PA Map.