Upper Pottsgrove Township commissioners recently voted 4-1 to buy three properties from companies controlled by developer Richard Mingey for $2.9 million. The property on West Moyer Road will expand existing open space, and two adjacent parcels, 1327 Farmington Ave. (nearly 13 acres) and 67 Steinmetz Road (nearly 11 acres), are planned as the site of a new municipal complex including administrative offices, police, fire and public works. Commissioners also voted to settle related litigation with Mingey's Shadeland Development Corporation for $100,000 over a sewer-line dispute, even though Mingey had sought $700,000. Chairman Al Leach defended the $2.9 million price as below a $3.7 million appraisal and said recent tests found no evidence of TCE contamination — a carcinogen previously found in over 100 nearby wells in 2003 — though a further environmental review will occur before closing. The purchase follows two failed prior attempts under the previous board to build a municipal complex elsewhere, both blocked by lawsuits, and comes after mold problems shut down the township's administrative offices last year, forcing a temporary lease in a Mingey-owned building. Around 10 residents spoke out against the deal at the meeting, criticizing the township's repeated dealings with Mingey, who has a history of unpaid township bills and an unfinished nearby housing project. One resident voiced support.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 8/18/2026