Fox Chase Town Watch and Civic Association met on Wednesday night, tentatively approving a proposed self-storage facility at an industrially zoned, triangular-shaped property at 7801-45 Oxford Ave.
The site is the former home of an auto-body shop and Northeast Propane.
Looking to build and operate the facility is BG Capital, a Bala Cynwyd-based firm that was represented by its owner, Joe Byrne.
Byrne had a team on hand that included Ron Patterson, the longtime land use attorney with Klehr Harrison.
At first, they proposed a six-story facility that would be almost 70 feet in height and consist of 118,000 square footage, 12 parking spaces, new sidewalks and more trees and shrubbery.
Byrne told the crowd there would be little traffic. While he could turn the property into a tractor-trailer parking lot by right, he needs zoning approval due to, among other things, the proposed rear, side and front setbacks not meeting code.
Initially, members were against the proposal, mainly because they believed the proposed building would be too high for the neighborhood. Civic association president Kate Friend called the height “unreasonable.”
Other issues raised included the property being too close to SEPTA train tracks, the fear that users would leave trash and the presence of similar sites, including a new one at the old Pathmark at 840 Cottman Ave.
Byrne offered to go down to five stories, then four, but Friend and members said that would still be too high.
“I think I have the solution,” Byrne said, walking outside with his team.
In the meantime, most members agreed that a three-story facility would be reasonable, and that’s what Byrne offered when he returned. A three-story structure, at about 59,000 square feet and a little less than 40 feet high, would comply with city density and height requirements.
In exchange for those concessions, Byrne asked for and received support from the civic in regard to the issues with setbacks and parking.
The civic voted 18-3 in favor of the proposal.
BG Capital will go in front of the city Civic Design Review committee on Feb. 4 and the Zoning Board of Adjustment on Feb. 26. When the facility is built, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.
In other news from the Jan. 8 meeting:
• The police department was represented by Inspector Frank Bachmayer, commander of the Northeast Police Division; Capt. Scott DiDonato, commander of the 2nd Police District; and Mark Mroz and Al Fiorentino, community relations officers in the 2nd and 7th police districts, respectively.
Bachmayer said homicides, robberies with guns and stolen autos were down in 2024 compared to the year before, while vehicle investigations were up. He credited DiDonato and the rest of the 2nd district personnel.
Bachmayer said a challenge in 2025 will be maintaining staffing due to retirements in the department.
Steve Phillips, president of the Town Watch, said he is hoping for a return of police dirt bikes and installation of a camera system at Fox Chase Recreation Center that would provide a live feed for the 2nd district, allowing officers to be proactive when they see things such as underage drinking parties and people causing damage to the fields.
Phillips thanked Mroz and Fiorentino for helping organize the annual Fox Chase Champions Christmas party at Knowlton Mansion.
Mroz thanked civic and Town Watch members for their donations to various police outreach efforts during the holidays.
To report nuisance vehicles and illegally parked trucks and tractor trailers, contact the Philadelphia Parking Authority at 215-683-9630 or PhilaPark.org/Enforcement.
• State Rep. Sean Dougherty was in attendance. His office is at 7801-A Hasbrook Ave. He was sworn in to his first term on Jan. 7, his 31st birthday. ••
