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City Council Clarifies Rules for Pending Zoning Changes Amid Ongoing Development Plans

Official:Amending Title 14 of the Philadelphia Code relating to "Zoning and Planning" by amending Chapter 14-1700, entitled "Administration and Enforcement" by establishing when a Bill to amend the Philadelphia Zoning Maps or Code shall be considered a pending ordinance, under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember O'Neill

Introduced: November 20, 2003

: Committee on Rules

government planning zoning

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2000–2003 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill clarifies when a proposed change to Philadelphia's Zoning Maps or Code is considered 'pending', meaning it's been officially announced and will become law once it passes.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

The bill establishes when a proposed change to Philadelphia's Zoning Maps or Code is considered "pending", which means it has been officially announced and will become law once it passes.
The bill codifies the "pending ordinance doctrine", which allows the municipality to deem a zoning ordinance binding once it has been advertised for a public hearing.
The bill establishes that the pending ordinance doctrine will be triggered by certain terms and conditions, which are not specified in the provided text.
The bill does not appear to involve any significant financial changes, powers, obligations, or restrictions, as it is primarily a clarifying and codifying measure.