North Penn School Board members recently voted to approve a $15 million sale agreement for the so-called “movie lots” near Welsh Road in Hatfield Township. The parcels were divided into strips roughly 100 feet by 200 feet and given away by movie theaters as prizes for attending movies. The properties remained undeveloped due to a lack of roadways and survey markers. Over time the private owners would stop paying taxes and the properties would be sold at tax or sheriff sales. The district acquired well over 100 parcels and hoped to use the lots as a site for a new school or transportation depot. Superintendent Todd Bauer said the district began to pursue the sale of the lots once it was determined zoning would not support a transportation depot. The district reviewed multiple proposals for the land and determined the offer from Pulte Homes for just over $15 million was the most desirable. The agreement is “contingent on the buyer receiving final approval to build 85 homes in the development,” according to School Board President Tina Stoll, adding that the plan and offer was “the best value and the least disruptive to the neighboring community.”
Source: The Reporter; 9/20/2024