About
Where is Somerton?
Somerton is a neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia. Its boundaries might be debated, but the area bounded by Roosevelt Boulevard, Red Lion Road, and the Bucks and Montgomery County lines-- almost the same boundaries as those of Zip Code 19116, seen here-- is a fair approximation. Those boundaries are the ones identified in Somerton Civic's bylaws, and the ones recognized by City agencies as Somerton Civic's boundaries as a "Registered Community Organization" for purposes of the Zoning Code. The Philadelphia neighborhoods nearest to Somerton are Bustleton, Normandy, and Parkwood.
The historic center of Somerton is at Bustleton Avenue and Byberry Road. The aerial photo above taken around 1920 shows the part of Somerton just south of that intersection.
What is the Somerton Civic Association, and what does it do?
The Somerton Civic Association is a neighborhood civic organization. Its board and members consist exclusively of volunteers. They reside in Somerton. Members meet once a month between September and June, with further special meetings held as necessary. The meetings begin at 7:00 PM on the second Tuesday of the month. The Walker Lodge of the I.O.O.F. kindly allows the Civic to meet at its building, which is located at 1290 Southampton Road in Somerton.
The Civic's purpose as expressed in its governing documents is to “uphold the common good and improve the quality of life of the people of Somerton by means that may include charitable giving and service, education, beautification, public discussion of matters of community importance, protection of public health, welfare, safety, and morals, community organization, cooperation, and development, and advocacy on behalf of Somerton and its people.”
At Civic meetings, members discuss events of importance to Somerton. The Civic serves as a Registered Community Organization for Somerton pursuant to the City's Zoning Code, so its members are often asked to consider zoning variances, and they take an active interest in development and land use in the community. Speakers are frequently invited to Civic meetings. Members often bring problems in the neighborhood to the attention of elected officials or their staff members who regularly attend Civic meetings, or to the police, who conduct the monthly meeting of Police Service Area 3 of the 7th Police District during the Civic meeting. The Civic's board meets prior to member meetings. The board and members also work outside the context of meetings to serve the purposes of the organization.
The Civic is more than 70 years old, and the neighborhood's residents organized to advocate for Somerton long before that. In 1975, the Civic became a nonprofit corporation.
Who should join the Civic, and how can you join?
If you live in Somerton and you are interested in the well-being of your neighborhood and its residents, you should join the Civic. Come to a monthly meeting of the Civic to join. Annual dues beginning in September of a given year and extending through the following August are $5 and cover up to two members of a household. A new member becomes eligible to vote at the meeting after the one at which he or she joins.
What do the Civic's bylaws say?
After lengthy discussion, Civic members voted in 2017 to extensively revise the organization's governing documents. Current bylaws are available here.