Gov. Shapiro restricts data center development
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a sweeping executive order on Aug. 18 dramatically restricting data center development in Pennsylvania. The move is a major reversal from his earlier championing of the industry, with Shapiro noting that some data center projects would “negatively impact our communities.” The executive order removes all projects from fast-track permitting, requires local approval and legally binding transparency/environmental commitments, bans state nondisclosure agreements on such projects, mandates developers bring their own power and fund community-benefit agreements, and directs public disclosure of permitting data. The move comes as data centers have grown deeply unpopular (76% of Pennsylvania voters oppose one in their community, per a June Quinnipiac poll) and as Shapiro faces reelection. It has drawn praise from local officials and environmental groups but criticism from the Data Center Coalition, his GOP rival Stacy Garrity, and activists who say the order still doesn't go far enough without a full moratorium.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/18/2026

Condo lending rules are changing
New condominium lending rules from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to simplify approval for some borrowers while creating new challenges for others, including the elimination of streamlined project approvals, new waivers for buildings with 10 or fewer units, and increased homeowners association reserve requirements. National Association of Realtors (NAR) officials said concerns about potential transaction delays may be eased by Fannie Mae’s condo project manager app, which allows subsequent loans in an already approved building to avoid a full project review, while the changes are also intended to address deferred maintenance, special assessments and long-term affordability concerns. Read more here.
Source: NAR; 8/18/2026

Expanding health coverage options is a priority for NAR
Representatives from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) met with White House, Labor Department and Health and Human Services officials to advocate for expanded health coverage options for independent contractors and other self-employed workers. The advocacy comes as the Labor Department prepares a proposed rule that could allow self-employed individuals without employees to participate in association health plans (AHP) through trade associations, potentially expanding group coverage options for many real estate professionals who currently rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans, a spouse’s coverage or government programs. NAR supports the ACA while urging the department to clarify that self-employed individuals can participate in AHPs under appropriate circumstances. “Today, millions of Americans work as independent contractors as sole proprietors or in other nontraditional arrangements,” said Austin Perez, a senior policy advisor at NAR. “We’re simply asking for real estate professionals and other self-employed individuals to have access to the same types of health coverage options available to employees and union members.”
Source: NAR; 8/13/2026

Construction in region has slowed, as builders shift to data centers and military projects
The Philadelphia region’s construction industry showed signs of slowing this summer as projects were downsized or canceled, developers struggled to secure financing and contractors faced payment disputes, industry leaders said. Higher interest rates and rising labor and material costs have made residential and commercial projects more difficult to finance, while a shortage of moderately priced homes persists despite an oversupply of luxury housing. Construction activity remains strongest in industrial, manufacturing, defense and data-center development, with some Philadelphia-area firms expanding into the Washington region to pursue those opportunities. Public transportation and infrastructure spending also continues to support construction activity, though contractors said changing federal policies have delayed some bids. Industry officials said lenders are increasingly favoring projects with long-term demand, including logistics, industrial and data-center development, while office, life-sciences and some multifamily projects face a more challenging financing environment.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/18/2026

SEPTA bus routes are changing
The first phase of SEPTA’s bus network overhaul begins on Aug. 23. Unlike some transit agencies, SEPTA has not done a comprehensive redesign of its bus network in its 58-year history. The agency has publicly pushed to do so since 2021, but change was delayed by opposition, political wrangling and, later, a two-year fiscal crisis. In the first wave, 30 routes will be affected in some way. Some routes with low ridership or that duplicate nearby service will be eliminated. Others will be extended or run more frequently, and two new routes will be added. Learn more about the changes at the SEPTA website.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/17/2026

Wrightstown passes sewer lateral inspection ordinance despite flaws
Wrightstown Township supervisors passed a sewer lateral inspection ordinance despite concerns it does not comply with the Pennsylvania Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act (MCOCA). The township solicitor acknowledged receiving comments from Suburban Realtors Alliance (SRA) prior to a vote but said that, because the ordinance had already been advertised, she recommended moving forward and addressing SRA's concerns through a future amendment. The board approved the ordinance unanimously, which requires a sewer lateral inspection for property resales, with no public comment. The new ordinance requires escrowing of funds for repairs, mandates that repairs are made within 60 days or by the settlement date, and allows the township to withhold a resale certificate until repairs are made — all of which run afoul of the state law. The meeting video is available here. Read more about the Wrightstown ordinance on the SRA blog.
Source: Wrightstown Township

Plans advancing for 106 homes in Milford Township
D.R. Horton is advancing plans to build a 106-home, single-family community called Brookfield Estates on 127 acres in Milford Township. The developer agreed to purchase the land from Quakertown Community School District for $7.8 million after the district dropped plans to build a school there in 2024. The district still owns the property pending the sale. Most lots will run roughly a third of an acre, with some larger parcels and about 68 acres preserved as open space. The Bucks County Planning Commission reviewed the plan in early August, but the Milford Township Board of Supervisors has tabled it until a Sept. 1 meeting, with neither D.R. Horton nor the school district offering further comment. The project is part of the Texas-based homebuilder's broader push into Bucks and Chester counties, where it also has communities underway or under consideration near Sellersville, Honey Brook and Parkesburg.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 8/16/2026

Middletown eases restrictions on backyard chickens
Middletown Township supervisors unanimously adopted an updated ordinance lifting the previous five-acre restriction on backyard chickens, now allowing residents with at least 5,000 square feet of residential property to keep up to four hens (no roosters), with one additional bird permitted for every extra 5,000 square feet. The change comes with new costs and rules, including a $150 poultry permit, a $50 annual registration fee, yearly property inspections, and a requirement that coops sit at least 15 feet from neighboring property lines. Officials clarified the ordinance covers only chickens (not guinea fowl, quail or other poultry). Backyard beekeeping was raised but tabled for future discussion. The move is the result of a broader nationwide surge in backyard poultry-keeping that has seen the number of U.S. backyard birds more than double, from about 6 million to 15 million, since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/17/2026

Applications available for Habitat for Humanity townhomes in Middletown
Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, in partnership with private developer W.B. Homes, is selling seven income-restricted, three-bedroom townhomes within the new 34-home Thatcher Square development at 1492 Woodbourne Road in Middletown Township. The idea is to target the "missing middle" of buyers who earn too much for traditional housing aid but too little to comfortably afford the county's roughly $525,000 median home price; four homes are reserved for households earning up to 80% of Bucks County's median family income and three for those up to 120% (household incomes as high as $195,000 may qualify depending on family size). Habitat will offer mortgages between $100,000 and $450,000 through "quiet liens" and require applicants to live or work in Bucks County, show financial need, have a credit score of at least 600, and help build future Habitat homes. The homes will be sold through a community land trust so they remain affordable for future buyers. Applications are open through Aug. 27.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/17/2026

Pipeline cleanup slows in Upper Makefield
Residents in Upper Makefield Township have spent 18 months living with jet fuel and toxic chemicals contaminating their drinking water wells after a crack in Energy Transfer's 68-year-old Twin Oaks pipeline went undetected for 16 months, with the company only now testing a vacuum extraction cleanup system while federal oversight has been notably weak. The Environmental Protection Agency has declined jurisdiction by excluding groundwater from Clean Water Act protections, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) — a federal agency that falls under the Department of Transportation — has lost significant staff and initiated a record-low number of enforcement actions in 2025. PHMSA initially provided a strong response to the leak, but has since softened its consent agreement with Energy Transfer, reflecting the Trump administration's broader deregulatory push under its "Unleashing American Energy" order. Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has been left to oversee cleanup under a voluntary state law that critics say wasn't designed for residential drinking-water crises. More than 200 residents now rely on company-funded home filtration systems, while local and federal lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-1) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), are pushing for stronger pipeline safety legislation and federal funding to connect the neighborhood to public water. Read more from Spotlight PA.
Source: Spotlight PA; 8/12/2026

Westtown’s fired historical commission members launch their own society
Westtown residents who were fired from township’s historical commission after disagreements with local officials over the future of a historic inn have launched an independent historical society with a mission to protect buildings and history in the area. The six former members of the township commission now constitute the board of the Westtown-Brandywine Historical Society, which they started within weeks of the township’s three elected supervisors’ July vote to remove all members from the commission. “Although it’s very disappointing to see the township operate the way that they did, it was perhaps an opportunity for us to build something even better,” said Stephen Wahrhaftig, one of the society’s founders. The new society doesn’t foresee any tension blossoming between their new organization and the township they once served. They received the OK to represent the new group at the annual Westtown Day, which they think “bodes well” for working together.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/14/2026

West Chester considers parking hikes, EMS fee as sewer capacity expands
West Chester Borough Council committees discussed potential increases to parking rates and property taxes, including a possible 0.4- to 0.5-mill fee to help fund emergency medical services, while also reviewing improvements to sewer capacity that could allow major housing development at several previously constrained sites. Officials said sewer Phase I was completed on time and slightly under budget, opening capacity for development at the Rubensteins, Market Street and Burger King properties, where plans have been revised from 126 apartments to 42 stacked townhomes. The borough is also considering higher garage and permit parking rates, though no action was taken pending additional data, while officials said property taxes will likely increase next year.
Source: Daily Local; 8/13/2026

Chester County AI kiosk project earns national award
Chester County’s AI-powered, self-service kiosk program has received a national AI 50 Award from the Center for Digital Government for its innovative use of artificial intelligence to improve public access to court and government services. Launched in 2025, the bilingual kiosks are located at the Chester County Justice Center, Government Services Center and Magisterial District Courts, providing English- and Spanish-language assistance with building navigation, court forms, hearing searches, payment platforms, frequently asked questions and connections to 211 community resources. County court administrator Patricia Norwood-Foden said the technology has been widely embraced by the public and has become one of the county’s most successful public-facing technology projects.
Source: Daily Local; 8/13/2026

North Coventry to consider conservation easement acquisition
North Coventry Township will consider authorizing the use of open space funds to acquire a conservation easement on a 13-acre property at 1869 Shenkel Road, a move that would preserve the land for open space uses under the Pennsylvania Open Space Lands Acquisition and Preservation Act. The property is identified as Tax Parcel No. 17-2-72.1. Supervisors will hold a public hearing to receive public comment on Monday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at the North Coventry Township Municipal Building, 845 S. Hanover St., Pottstown.
Source: Daily Local; 8/17/2026

Chesco commissioner reaffirms commitment to open space
Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell said he expects the county to restore open space funding and maintain preservation as a priority in its 2027 budget despite slower tax-base growth, declining state and federal support, inflation and rising construction costs. The county had received pushback from municipalities after it eliminated new funding for open space and other initiatives in its 2026 budget as part of spending cuts, ending a practice of allocating about $10 million annually for preservation and related programs. Maxwell said Chester County has invested an estimated $200 million in land preservation over the past 20 years and has permanently preserved more than 600 farms encompassing 45,000 acres since 1990, while recent projects include the preservation of much of Crebilly Farm in Westtown Township and the acquisition of the Downingtown Trestle Bridge for conversion into a future Chester Valley Trail extension. He said the county also plans to continue expanding its parks and trail network, with long-term goals of improving connections between communities, preserves and regional trails.
Source: Daily Local; 8/14/2026