Chronology of the Venice Island Projects

September 1998 - City Planning Commission hosted the Venice Island Design Charette.

March 1999 - Dennis Maloomian presents Realen plans for Connelly site at civic meeting.

May 1999 - Carl Dranoff presented plans for the Namico site to members of the residential community.

July 1999 - Planning Commission supports the Dranoff plan for Venice Island.

September 1999 - Hurricane Floyd inundates Venice Island.

November 1999 - Manayunk Neighborhood Council submits a draft to Planning Commission supporting development limited to commercial, recreational, cultural, and light industrial.

December 1999 - Councilman Nutter introduces bills in City Council to rezone Venice Island from industrial to residential. The bills are passed into law when signed by Mayor Rendell on December 30.

November 1999 to September 2000 - Manayunk Neighborhood Council and Friends of the Manayunk Canal oppose the developments before the Zoning Board. The cases are continued over several months. The groups hire several professionals to testify.

August & September 2000 - the Dranoff/Namico and Maloomian/Connelly projects are approved by the ZBA.

August 2001 - Dranoff and Maloomian ZBA decisions are overturned by the Common Pleas Court (City).

September 2001 - Dranoff and Maloomian appeal to the Commonwealth Court.

May 2002 - Judge Wolf issues her opinion in the Dranoff case. This was necessary for the state appeal to proceed.

July 2002 - Judge Wolf issues her opinion in the Maloomian case. This was necessary for the state appeal to proceed.

December 2002 - Commonwealth court overturns Judge Wolf in the Dranoff case.

March 2003 - Commonwealth court overturns Judge Wolf in the Maloomian case.

March 2003 - We petition the state supreme court to accept an appeal in the Dranoff case.

June 2003 - We petition the state supreme court to accept an appeal in the Maloomian case.

September 2003 - State Supreme Court refused to accept our appeal in the Dranoff case.

As of November 17, 2003 the State Supreme Court has not ruled whether or not to hear the Maloomian case.