Zoning conversation worth having

To the Editor,

Thank you for your thoughtful article on zoning (March 26). It touched me on so many levels. I am part of a multi-generational Swarthmore family. My father was raised on Kenyon Avenue. My mother moved to Cedar Lane in ninth grade. I’ve lived in or owned five homes in the town and currently own one on Chestnut Avenue. 

Living on Cornell Avenue in the 1960s, my brothers and I were often sent to the butcher for a package. And we played in the creek that runs behind the Historically Black Neighborhood of Swarthmore.

In short, those streets are in my bones. I am white. And back in the day, Jews and Blacks weren’t allowed to live “just anywhere” in Swarthmore. Inclusivity and diversity came later. So your questions about what Swarthmore should be are thought-provoking. 

Perhaps it would be worthwhile considering having community representatives from different areas of Swarthmore as trusted advisors to the zoning hearing board? They could give context to each request. 

So glad we are having this discussion. Though I worry it’s late in the game. 

All the best,  

Perri Evanson
Philadelphia