News Briefs Archive August 22, 2022
General News
Homeowners are concerned about property damage caused by climate change
As climate change continues to have devastating effects on the environment, many homeowners report that they think extreme weather will impact their properties. According to the Policygenius 2022 Climate Change Survey, 45% of homeowners expect their homes to be damaged by weather related to climate change over the next 30 years. Younger homeowners (ages 18 through 34) are very concerned about potential damage, with 72% predicting it will be a problem for them over the next three decades. More than three in 10 homeowners said their home has been damaged by extreme weather, including 56% of homeowners under 34 years old. Nearly half (48%) said they know someone whose house was damaged by extreme weather. The majority (67%) of respondents said they have enough insurance to afford a complete rebuild of their home; however, that leaves 33% who cannot afford it or do not know if they can. Twenty-seven percent of homeowners think they will have to move over the next 30 years due to extreme weather. More than 60% of homeowners under 35 predict they will have to move due to climate change, especially those with children (77%). Read more here.
Source: PAR JustListed; 8/17/2022
Residents impacted by pipeline can request free water testing
Earlier this month, state officials announced that Sunoco Pipeline L.P., and ETC Northeast Pipeline LLC, both subsidiaries of Energy Transfer, L.P., were convicted of criminal charges related to their conduct during the construction of two major pipelines in Pennsylvania. As part of the agreement, Energy Transfer will pay for independent evaluations of water quality for homeowners potentially impacted by the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline and, in some cases, offer approved mechanisms for restoring or replacing the impacted private water supplies. Residents interested in having their water tested should reach out to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General at watertesting@attorneygeneral.gov or 570-904-2643 as soon as possible. The deadline to sign up for water testing is Friday, Aug. 19. There are no distance limits from the Mariner East 2 pipeline that would impact their eligibility to apply for a water test.
Source: Daily Local; 8/16/2022
Philadelphia Business Journal identifies region’s fastest-growing companies
Each year, Philadelphia Business Journal identifies the region’s fastest-growing companies for the Soaring 76 program. The unranked list provides insight into the sectors and businesses that are taking off locally. Qualifying criteria for inclusion on the list were:
- Independent ownership
- Sustained annual growth, incrementally, from 2019 to 2021
- Revenue floors of $750,000 for 2020 and $2 million for 2021
- Headquarters in eastern Pennsylvania, western New Jersey or northern Delaware
Montgomery County businesses represented 21% of the entire list, with Chester County businesses holding 18%, Bucks County at 10.5% and Delaware County at 6%. Philadelphia County held the largest number with 30%.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 8/13/2022 & MontcoToday.com; 8/17/2022
Bucks County
Falls Township to study possible earned income tax
Falls Township supervisors voted to hire ESI Consult Solutions to conduct a two-phase evaluation of the impacts of an earned income tax (EIT). The supervisors last considered enacting an earned income tax in 2014. The proposed EIT would put a 1% levy on wages for workers who earn $12,000 or more annually and live or work in the township. Most of Falls Township’s neighboring communities have an EIT, and residents who work outside the township send that money to the municipality in which they work. LevittownNow did a review in 2014 and found EITs bring in tens of millions to municipalities and were widespread in Bucks County.
Source: LevittownNow; 8/16/2022
Bucks commissioners ask BCWSA questions about potential sale of system
The Bucks County commissioners sent a letter to the leader of the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority (BCWSA) asking questions as the authority explores selling its wastewater system to for-profit company Aqua Pennsylvania for $1.1 billion. The county chartered the authority in 1962 and could receive more than $1 billion in profit if the sale — which will raise customer rates — goes through. The commissioners’ requested answers from the authority by Aug. 29. A BCWSA spokesperson told LevittownNow the questions would be answered by that time.
Source: LevittownNow; 8/16/2022
Doylestown Borough begins live streaming council meetings
Doylestown Borough's new YouTube channel, Dtv, is on the air. Residents and the general public can watch the live stream of monthly council meetings as they happen or at their convenience. Additional content will be added in coming weeks.
Source: Doylestown Borough; 8/16/2022
Bucks County outlines use of ARPA funds
Bucks County released a report on its website giving the first public accounting of how it spent or will spend $122 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds (ARPA). The county commissioners have budgeted 37% — the largest portion of the county's ARPA funds — to a category called "Public Health-Negative Economic Impact: Public Sector Capacity," setting aside $43.3 million for payroll and benefits for the county's public health, public safety or human services workers, and county corrections workers. Prior to the ARPA funds, the county received $109 million in CARES Act money, which also was spent mainly on county employees. The next biggest category, "Negative Economic Impacts," received 35% of the funding, or $42.1 million, for assistance to households and small businesses recovering from the pandemic. To help households, the county budgeted $10 million for "Long-term Housing Security - Affordable Housing." Of that $10 million, only $6,945 is listed as having been spent so far, mostly on legal fees. Commissioners Chairman Bob Harvie said the county is still trying to figure out ways to provide more affordable housing for workers who are needed in the county but don't make enough money to afford to live there. Read more here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/17/2022
Affordable housing plans paused in Middletown
Woods Services announced it is "pausing" its request for zoning variances to build 42 affordable housing units in an apartment complex on Maple Avenue in Middletown. Woods requested three variances — to build an apartment building in an R-1 residential area, to build with a density of 2.75 units per acre when 2 are allowed, and to construct the building to a height of 54 feet where 35 feet is the maximum allowed. The zoning hearing on the variances began in April and was continued until July when Woods withdrew the height variance request. Residents signed petitions opposing a plan which would have provided Woods with tax credits for building attainable housing. Woods is a nonprofit organization that provides services to 22,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, brain injuries and mental health challenges.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/11/2022
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is warning residents of a scam in which a fraudster emails a fake warrant appearing to be from the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office and threatens the recipient with arrest if they do not pay a fee. Read more here.
Source: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office; 8/2022
Chester County
Phoenixville school district to hold forum on new school project on Aug. 30
An open school board forum to discuss plans to build a new elementary school on Hares Hill Road in East Pikeland Township has been scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m., in the cafeteria of Phoenixville Middle School. Phoenixville Area School District purchased the 29.5-acre property at 622 Hares Hill Road in late 2019 for $3.5 million. The triangular property is bounded by Route 23, Route 724 and Hares Hill Road. Since then, the Schrader Group architectural firm has been working with the district through the discovery phase, which included multiple sessions with a community advisory group. Architects led the group by identifying the needs of the district, looking at various grade configurations and exploring the best options for a district-wide plan. Those architects will be sharing the work from the advisory group and the school board building committee with the entire board and the community at the Aug. 30 forum. Following the short presentation, the community will have opportunities to ask questions and share thoughts and ideas with the architects and members of the board and administration.
Source: Times Herald; 8/16/2022
West Chester officials consider redrawing ward lines
West Chester officials grappled with how to best redraw ward lines at a recent meeting, and failed to reach a consensus. The borough’s seven wards are used solely for municipal elections, and each ward is represented by one borough council member. Borough staff presented four options to the borough Administration, Communication and Technology Committee. Option “A” uses the existing lines but does not meet legal obligations since populations have shifted, resulting in disproportionate representation. Option “B” spreads West Chester University students across multiple wards and rebalances the ward population, but federal law forbids splitting U.S. Census blocks. Option “C” promotes rebalancing ward populations and falls within federal guidelines, with no more than a 10% difference in population between wards. It would include a lopsided student-to-resident ratio in Ward 5. Option “D” was designed through use of a computer algorithm and sets boundaries based on reasonable apportionments, with no racial bias, although the new lines would lead to drastic changes in voting wards, and West Chester University students would make up almost an entire ward on their own. The ward reapportionment follows each 10-year census count and is meant to balance out wards and prevent racial imbalances according to population shifts.
Source: Daily Local; 8/11/2022
Police warn of paving scam in Caln Township
Police are warning residents after a Caln Township resident was victimized by an apparent paving contracting scam. Police advise residents to be wary of paving companies stating they have extra asphalt or seal coat ready to repair driveways for a minimal cost. They advise residents to never hire someone on the spot, to get at least three estimates before hiring anyone, and to avoid paying with cash. Credit cards are the best option, as there are options for recovering lost funds. Caln Township requires that any door-to-door salesperson apply for a peddler’s permit issued by the police department pursuant to a background check. The permit must be displayed. Call 911 if you suspect suspicious activity.
Source: Daily Local; 8/16/2022
Pandemic, inflation causing spike in homelessness
A recent study by the Chester County Department of Community Development found 402 people experiencing homelessness in the county, meaning they are sleeping in a temporary shelter, a vehicle or a place not meant for human habitation. “More and more Americans are losing their homes through eviction and foreclosure,” said Leah Reynolds, executive director of Kennett Area Community Service. “These forced displacements are intensely traumatic financially, physically and emotionally. Children have to switch schools, parents lose their jobs, families’ possessions end up on the sidewalk, and suicide rates spike. Research links housing loss to a litany of adverse impacts, from financial ruin and increased obesity for adults, to educational attainment gaps and chronic homelessness for children.” The pandemic, coupled with the rapid surge in inflation, has found many people unable to afford rent. Every $100 increase in median rent is associated with a 9% increase in the estimated homelessness rate, according to a 2020 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Chester County funds shelters throughout the county, including in Coatesville, West Chester and Phoenixville. There are currently no homeless shelters in southern Chester County, but Good Samaritan Services is expecting to open a facility there very soon. Kennett Area Community Service is planning a $10 million building project on West Cypress Street in the borough that will house a new program in partnership with the Chester County Food Bank and serve as a hub for all the pantries and cupboards in southern Chester County.
Source: Daily Local; 8/14/2022
United Way of Chester County to move into new building after raising $1.4 million
United Way of Chester County raised $1.4 million, which will enable the organization to move into a new 5,000-square-foot building in September. The building at 150 John Robert Thomas Drive in the Commons at Lincoln Center in Exton will include 10 private offices, a 1,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art leadership training center, a social innovation lab and a financial independence hub. Because the building is completely paid for, it will free up about $1 million every 10 years in rent and occupancy, money that United Way can funnel back into the community. The new building will become the permanent headquarters for United Way staff. Since the building was larger than needed, the extra space will be used to support the nonprofit community.
Source: Daily Local; 8/14/2022
The Kennett Township Board of Supervisors formally ushered the township into membership in the new Chester County Emergency Response Team (CCERT), which will also include Tredyffrin Township, Downingtown Borough, East Vincent Township and Schuylkill Township. The mission of CCERT will be to pool specialized police services. Thirty-two municipalities are expected to eventually become members of CCERT. Kennett Township Police Chief Matt Gordon said the organization will improve their success in obtaining grant funding, lessening the financial burden on municipalities.
Source: Chester County Press; 8/9/2022
Delaware County
Radnor to consider purchasing Garrett Hill property for public parking lot
Radnor officials are considering a plan to buy a small property at 26 Wentworth Ave. in Garrett Hill for a public parking lot. Township officials say it would help alleviate parking issues for the nearby business district if approved by the board of commissioners. Bill White, township manager, said Radnor would purchase the property for $573,000. The property sits a short distance from the commercial area along Conestoga Road, and the proposed parking lot would accommodate 17 public parking spaces. Radnor’s consideration of purchasing the property came one month after a developer presented plans to construct two semi-detached homes there. No vote was taken on the development plan, and the township approached the owner about purchasing the land. The $573,000 purchase price would come from money from the township’s general fund — representing $465,000 for the property itself and $108,000 in reimbursement for expenses related to the planned development of the site. The construction of the new lot would cost an additional $270,000, bringing the total cost of the parking lot to $843,000. A hearing on the proposed purchase of the property is expected to take place at the September commissioners meeting.
Source: Main Line Times and Suburban; 8/17/2022
Delco, Prospect Crozer settle pending litigation
According to a joint statement posted on the Delaware County website, county officials and Prospect Crozer representatives have reached a mutually amicable agreement to settle pending litigation regarding the provision of behavioral health services in the county. Delaware County had sued the hospital system in May for planning to close the mental and behavioral health units at Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Under the settlement agreement approved by Common Pleas Judge Kelly D. Eckel, the county has withdrawn its petition and Crozer has agreed to continue offering mental and behavioral health services uninterrupted. Per the agreement, in the event that any issues or special circumstances temporarily require individuals to be relocated or diverted to other locations within the Crozer Health network, timely notice will be provided by Prospect Crozer to the county.
Source: Daily Times; 8/12/2022
Upper Darby Council considers 6 ordinances for pandemic funds spending
On Aug. 15, Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer hosted a town hall meeting as the administration continues to push the township council to allocate more than $36 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) pandemic funds. The Keffer administration first presented the ARPA budget during the October 2021 budget presentation and has held multiple meetings and town halls on the topic. In that time, while all members of council have stated publicly that they support the ARPA budget, council has not moved past allocating $6 million in lost revenue in 2020 since a dispute arose over use of the funds. At last week’s special council meeting, members agreed to put six ordinances on the agenda for discussion at an upcoming council meeting. All spending must occur by December 2026. The six ordinances total $35.56 million, including: flood mitigation and sewer upgrades, $5 million; police and fire, $5.5 million; Upper Darby Community Center, $3 million; COVID relief and negative economic impacts, $5.8 million; parks and public spaces: $4.5 million; lost revenue in 2020, $1.8 million; and lost revenue for 2021, $10 million.
Source: Daily Times; 8/17/2022
New code enforcement officer resigns amid Yeadon turmoil
Two Yeadon employees recently quit their jobs amid reports of turmoil in the borough. Karena Sims, a code enforcement officer who had been employed for only two months, resigned after she said borough manager Isaac Dotson created a hostile work environment for her after she complained about being shortchanged on a paycheck. A week earlier, public works director Jeff Wilkinson — still in his first year on the job — resigned. According to The Spirit newspaper, residents are considering legal options against members of borough council who they say violated state Sunshine Law by abruptly adjourning public meetings without addressing some agenda items.
Source: The Spirit; 8/3/2022
Brandywine Conservancy marks milestone recovery from Hurricane Ida damage
Almost one year after the devastating floodwaters from Hurricane Ida, The Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art marked a milestone recovery effort. The estimated damages for the emergency phase of flood recovery from Ida approached $7 million, a figure that does not include additional mitigation work still to come, such as flood hardening and elevating campus buildings. “Experiencing the region’s largest flood in recorded history has taught us all so many lessons, especially for an organization like ours in such close proximity to a river,” said Wade Abnett, director of facilities and security.” He said the region needs better flood prediction tools to provide more adequate flood preparation warning time. In Coatesville, more than 100 families became displaced from their homes as rainfall from Ida caused historic floodwaters to reach both residential and commercial buildings in the city.
Source: Daily Times; 8/10/2022
Montgomery County
Lower Merion forgot a bit of roadway was private
Recently, Lower Merion Township officials and residents learned that a tiny section of one road in the township was never dedicated as a public road. The street is a half-block section of Sycamore Avenue between Valley Road and Calvert Road. In the 1940s, when the rest of Sycamore was dedicated to the township, the residents of the section decided to keep it private. Since then, the road’s status was lost by the township and residents, and the general public began using the road. The status of the roadway was discovered by the township’s public works director, Paul McElhaney, when he was reviewing snow removal routes. Now residents are asking the road be dedicated to Lower Merion, but first, it must be brought up to township standards — which will cost nearly $14,000 in new curbs and $7,770 for repaving. The residents have agreed to accept the curb costs, but are asking the township to reimburse them for the repaving. The commissioners tabled a vote on the repaving issue because the ward commissioner was absent from the meeting. A new vote is expected on Wednesday, Sept. 21.
Source: Main Line Times; 8/15/2022
Whitemarsh supervisors approve grant agreement for Abolition Hall purchase
Whitemarsh Township supervisors recently approved an agreement for a $2 million grant from The Karabots Foundation to the Whitemarsh Art Center that will go toward the $3.95 million purchase of the 10.5-acre property off Butler Pike that is home to Abolition Hall. The balance of the property’s purchase price is coming from the township’s open space fund. The property had been approved for development that would have seen townhouses constructed on approximately eight acres and the historic buildings preserved. In 2021, the developer walked away from the project and the township and art center developed a plan to purchase the property. Abolition Hall was built in 1856 by George Corson, an abolitionist who allowed the property to serve as a station on the Underground Railroad, and it earned its name because various abolitionists spoke there.
Source: Morethanthecurve.com; 8/14/2022
Merck to expand with new R&D lab in Lower Gwynedd
Life sciences are taking over the Spring House Innovation Park in Lower Gwynedd. Pharmaceutical giant Merck will lease building space for a 78,000-square-foot laboratory for vaccine research and development. Four life science companies have signed leases for space at the Spring House Innovation Park, with Merck being the largest. The four life science companies will occupy 60% of the campus and include: Merck, Seres Therapeutics, Tavotek Biotherapeutics and FlowMetric.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 8/10/2022
Open house scheduled for nonprofit upcycling furniture store in Lansdale
An open house event for a new nonprofit furniture store will be held in Lansdale on Saturday, Sept. 10. The Home on Main store provides a unique shopping experience of new and antique furniture, as well as various locally made items. The profits will go toward Marvin’s Home, a nonprofit committed to helping youth and young adults who have been homeless or in the foster care system have comfortable living spaces. The schedule for the open house will be posted on the Marvin’s Home Instagram and Facebook accounts as it gets closer to the day of the event. Marvin’s Home held a grand opening event in May and has been taking in donations and continuing to furnish homes. As of July 20, they had done 30 furniture installations.
Source: NorthPennNow.com; 8/10/2022
Kensington development team searches for middle ground
Developers Tayyib Smith and Jacob Roller are working to bridge the stark gap between gentrified and stagnant Philadelphia neighborhoods. They hope to forge a middle ground and create a pair of spaces that can benefit the broader community — even if it’s more challenging and potentially less lucrative than other residential projects in the neighborhood. The neighborhood they’re focused on is at the edge of East Kensington, and the developers are looking to adapt two vacant buildings — a former factory and a former bank — into a mix of commercial space and about 80 apartments. The developers plan to make more than a third of the apartments affordable, meaning they will be priced for people earning up to 80% of the area’s median income. “We need market-rate housing,” Smith said. “But we also need affordable housing that’s going to have some type of relationship with the existing community.” Read more here.
Source: WHYY; 8/17/2022
Hundreds of new apartments are coming to West Philly, a century after its last building boom
One hundred years ago, West Philadelphia reached its peak population, with almost 400,000 people residing in rowhouses, twins and — unusual for non-Center City neighborhoods — a lot of apartment buildings. West Philadelphia saw explosive growth in mid- to high-rise housing during the early 20th century, in developments with names like Royal Palm Court and the Towers. The developer, Clarence Siegel, created a whole neighborhood, Garden Court. Located between Cedar Avenue and Spruce Street, to the west of 46th Street, his creation included a mix of Tudor-style twins, a few grand, free-standing homes, and two towering multifamily complexes on Pine Street. In the century since Siegel’s high rises on Pine opened, West Philadelphia has gone through many changes. For decades, new construction was rare outside the University of Pennsylvania’s immediate purview, and most neighborhoods hemorrhaged residents as first white residents left the city, followed in later decades by Black families. Even Garden Court, which didn’t see much vacancy, kept losing population through the 2010 Census. That could soon change. In the next few years, 838 new multifamily units are expected to become available to rent, thanks to four major projects clustered around the northern edge of Siegel’s historic development. “It’s a beautiful, developing neighborhood with great people from all over the world,” said Kfir Binnfeld, a developer who has been operating in West Philadelphia for 20 years. “It’s near the hospital, the universities, the schools. There was always big demand … even during COVID we had very positive demand.” Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/17/2022
Philly’s Roundhouse presents redevelopment challenge
Next year, Philadelphia will solicit bids from real estate developers interested in acquiring the Roundhouse, a complicated piece of Philadelphia history located in a static corner of the city. The response could be underwhelming. Property advisors and preservationists say the block-long parcel at 7th and Race streets, which includes the former headquarters of the Philadelphia Police Department and a large parking lot, comes with a special set of challenges some developers may be loath to tackle. “You’re going to need to find a courageous developer willing to build where really nobody else has been in decades,” said Trip Lukens, senior managing director of Valbridge Property Advisors. The Roundhouse, the nickname for the soon-to-be-empty police administration building, sits between Chinatown and Old City in a nebulous area dominated by institutional buildings and parking lots. Read more here.
Source: PlanPhilly; 8/15/2022
Mayoral aspirations likely to open up multiple seats on city council
Philadelphia City Council Member Allan Domb has resigned his council seat, saying that he’s considering running for mayor in 2023. This marks the first major step by a mayoral contender toward jumping in the race. At least four other council members are considering running for mayor, and because Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter requires that city officeholders quit their current post when they run for another office, there likely will be a handful of council vacancies in coming months. In Philadelphia, it's the city council president who largely controls when vacancies on the body are filled. The charter says the council president must choose an election date at least 30 days in the future, and puts no limit on how long the president can wait to fill a seat. Usually, special elections happen concurrently with an already-scheduled future election — a practice that saves time and money for election administrators and can also increase turnout. The legislative body is set up to have 17 members — 10 represent geographic districts, and seven represent the city at-large. Of those seven at-large seats, two are reserved for members of political parties outside the majority. Before the departure of Domb, a Democrat, those seven seats were broken up as follows: five Democrats, one Republican, and one member of the Working Families Party. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/16/2022
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