When the application for a zoning permit to operate a liquor store at the former Rite-Aid building (42XX Walnut) was a hot topic, a point made favoring the change was that the owner of the property was very responsible so the "scene" outside the Market Street liquor store wouldn't be repeated at the proposed location. Pennsylvania law makes it difficult for a property owner to control the behavior of tenants -- even when tenants are operating outside the law. In drug-related cases, for instance, an owner can do little more than file a complaint with the police or District Attorney and initiate a long, costly, and difficult eviction process. It's especially noteworthy in the case of the liquor store proposal that the same people who own the former Pagano's Restaurant building in which Koko Bongo and Wizzards are located, also own the former Rite-Aid. This isn't to imply that the owners (who include Ted Pagano and Dan DiRitis) bear any blame for the operations that lead to two shootings at their 38th & Chestnut property. But it renders meaningless the argument that the ownership entity includes people who are held up as models of community responsibility so nobody has anything to worry about in connection with what may or may not be the scene in front of the proposed liquor store. Yes, I oppose the use of the former Rite-Aid for this purpose. Al Krigman
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