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City Council Tinkers With Vacant Properties Panel, Adds New Duties Amid Calls for Change Now

Official:Amending Chapter 16-400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Vacant and Surplus Properties," by changing the composition of the Vacant Property Review Committee, by providing for further duties of the Vacant Property Review Committee, and by requiring certain provisions to be included with property dispositions; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Council President Clarke

Introduced: December 6, 2018

: Committee on Public Property and Public Works

housing planning

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2016–2019 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 amends the Vacant Property Review Committee to change its composition and duties, and requires certain conditions to be met when disposing of vacant properties.

What This Bill Does

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

Changes the composition of the Vacant Property Review Committee to include the Philadelphia Land Bank and removes the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation.
Adds further duties to the Vacant Property Review Committee, including making determinations on blighted properties and certifying them to the Redevelopment Authority for acquisition.
Requires the Vacant Property Review Committee to work with the City Planning Commission to make determinations on blighted properties.
Requires the Redevelopment Authority to acquire certain blighted properties under the Urban Redevelopment Law, with the condition that no property can be certified for acquisition unless an appraisal of the fair market value is conducted.