Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association
Serving the area bounded by Henry Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Hermit Lane, and the Wissahickon Creek
P.O. Box 5874
Philadelphia, PA 19128

March 26, 2001

Ms. Jane Glenn, President
Manayunk Neighborhood Council
P.O. Box 4667
Philadelphia, PA 19127

Dear Jane:

At the general membership meeting of the Wissahickon Interested Citizens Association held on March 21, 2001, the matter of Manayunk Neighborhood Council's recent dealings with the developers Tom Connelly and Dennis Maloomian was discussed. Forest Aegiano of the Wissahickon Neighbors Civic Association (WNCA) attended the meeting and asked the membership for its support of MNC. Specifically, Forest asked WICA to send a letter to the MNC board supporting its defense against what he described as recent efforts by the developers to underwrite the cost of membership in MNC for scores of new members who are expected to support the developers positions on the Venice Island development. He said that MNC membership applications were received by mail with postal money orders covering the cost of membership. He also said that after serious deliberation, the MNC board decided to request that the new applicants come to a meeting or call MNC to confirm their residency and their eligibility for membership.

On the basis of this information and after much discussion and careful consideration, the members of WICA voted to authorize me to write a letter of support to MNC, but required that I not express any position regarding any specific action by MNC to verify the registration of new members. WICA members also cautioned that I should not imply or assert knowledge that the circumstances which led to the receipt of scores of applicants for MNC membership were necessarily ill intended or controlled by forces that oppose the MNC board, however likely that may appear.

That said, as a civic association chartered more than 70 years ago to represent the residents living in the westernmost portion of Wissahickon, WICA can affirm from its long standing relationship with MNC that it is today, as through its 45 year long history, the singular forum in which residents, elected officials, prospective businesses, and, yes, developers communicate their concerns, ideas, and enthusiasms to the Manayunk community at large. Indeed, the efforts of the Venice Island developers to engage MNC, even though in opposition, is testament to MNC's standing as the recognized representative organization in Manayunk.

Like WICA, the legitimacy of MNC as a democratic and representative body is confirmed by the democratic requirements of its charter. Election of officers of the board MNC is a wholly democratic process requiring public nominations and public elections. Beyond its charter, MNC's long history of cooperation with other area civic organizations is added testimony to its legitimacy as the democratically controlled representative body in Manayunk. WICA's relationship with MNC has been collegial and productive. Together we have worked to create a reasoned development plan for the movie theater complex at Ridge and Main; after which developer Bart Blatstein was quoted in the press as saying of the WICA/WNCA/MNC collaboration: "The community groups were well-informed and cooperative. They were involved in [the theater development] every step of the process. They were naturally concerned about development of that scope and size." Not faint praise when coming from a developer with whom civic representatives have had serious disagreements.

Similarly, WICA, WNCA, and MNC worked with businesses and property owners along lower Main Street, Councilman Nutter, and the Manayunk Development Corp. to produce a consensus zoning overlay for the lower portion of Main Street. The overlay was uncontested when it went before the Philadelphia City Council and remains today as a testament to the value of civic compromise for which MNC has long been noted.

Finally, it must be said that any questioning of MNC's legitimacy because not all members of the community are in agreement with its duly adopted positions is to entirely miss the point of the organization (and of democracy). The legitimacy of an organization can no more be determined by the popularity if its positions than can be the legitimacy of the American democracy by the popularity of the policies of its elected officers. The process for voicing disagreement is amply provided for in the MNC charter, and it is only by this established process that the matter of representation and legitimacy can be resolved. WICA's support of MNC is based on MNC's long and unbroken track record of representation, not whether there is consensus or even majority agreement with its duly adopted positions.

Be assured that WICA will stand beside MNC in its current and future trials and remain ready to assist in any way that it can. To stand by and watch our civic colleague be diminished is tantamount to watching the paring away of a piece of democracy itself.

The board and membership of WICA wish the board and membership of MNC well in all of its endeavors. You efforts are vital to the health of Manayunk and the community at large.

Jeffrey Allegretti,
Vice President