House passes NAR-supported SECURE Notarization Act
On July 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act of 2022, in a 336-90 vote. If the legislation becomes a federal law, the SECURE Notarization Act would provide meaningful relief to America’s homeowners and prospective buyers by allowing immediate, nationwide use of remote online notarization technology. Allowing for remote online notarizations (RONs) will permit a notary and signer, who are in different physical locations, to safely and securely execute electronic documents. Current requirements for a signer to be in the physical presence of a notary are often impractical and sometimes impossible due to social distancing constraints. RON is a convenient alternative to traditional in-person notarization for all consumers, but it is particularly beneficial to consumers who are unable to easily travel, such as active-duty military stationed overseas, child and elder caregivers, and sick or elderly persons. The National Association of Realtors applauds the House for its efforts to promote more accessible, efficient and secure real estate transactions, and it will continue to advocate for the bill’s passage in the Senate.
Source: Nar.realtor; 7/27/2022

Flexibility added for federal housing programs
The U.S. Treasury Department announced updates to its guidelines for using the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to augment the administration’s “Housing Supply Action Plan” by adding flexibility within the program for uses aimed at increasing the affordable housing supply in the country. A component of the American Rescue Plan, the SLFRF provides $350 billion for state, local and tribal governments to support COVID-19 response and recovery actions. The Treasury Department previously released an outline of approved uses for the funds, determining that programs targeted toward increasing the supply of affordable housing are responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus may be an eligible use. Those regulations stipulated that the funds may be used to provide housing services, including: the development of affordable housing to increase supply to communities that were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; addressing housing insecurity; lack of affordable housing; and homeownership. These services include production, rehabilitation and preservation of affordable rental housing and in some cases affordable homeownership units, as well as down-payment assistance and homeownership assistance that would be eligible under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. In addition, affordable housing and development projects that increase the supply of long-term affordable housing for low-income residents can qualify for SLFRF funds, if they are eligible under either the National Housing Trust Fund or the HOME Investment Partnership Program. Read more here.
Source: Nar.realtor; 7/29/2022

PSU Extension offers 2022 ‘Watershed Steward’ native tree and shrub sale
The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program is holding its third annual native tree and shrub sale fundraiser. The sale offers 28 different native trees and shrubs with curbside pickup at 22 sites across the state in the fall. Proceeds will support the master watershed steward activities in the respective region, including planting trees to intercept and infiltrate stormwater, stabilize soils and filter pollutants.
Source: Penn State Extension; 8/1/2022

New housing to replace old elementary school in Bristol Township
A 55-plus housing community will soon rise at the former site of Lafayette Elementary School at 4201 Fayette Drive in Bristol Township. The school was sold in 2019 after Bristol Township School District consolidated elementary school operations to three newly built schools. Nathan Fox, representing developer D.R. Horton, told the Bristol Township Planning Commission in July that "not much has changed" between present plans and those brought before the commission last year. "We are proposing 88 units in the form of two-family units, and we had to get some zoning relief, both dimensionally and to allow for the [land] use," Fox said. The planning commission voted unanimously to move the project forward and the zoning hearing board will consider D.R. Horton's variance requests at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 8. Other elementary schools that were sold by the district include John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington — all three were sold to developer McGrath & Son Homes and are in various stages of the development process.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/3/2022

One-year construction project on Route 1 begins in Penndel
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will begin construction in early August on a project to enhance safety and improve travel through the Business U.S. 1 (Lincoln Highway) and Hulmeville Avenue intersection in Penndel. Construction on the $2.2 million project is expected to finish in summer 2023. The contractor will: widen the existing intersection to add exclusive left-turn lanes; mill, pave and stripe the intersection and its approaches; upgrade existing traffic signal equipment; and install new ADA-compliant curb ramps at the Business U.S. 1 intersections at Hulmeville Avenue and Noeland Avenue. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work area because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.
Source: The Intelligencer; 7/28/2022

Insurance costs rising in Bucks County
With flash floods, rising rivers, tropical storms and tornadoes becoming more common, insurance premiums are rising and brokers are scaling back on the types of coverage offered for apartments, automobiles and homes, industry analysts say. According to Tom La Croix, an Allstate agent with offices in Fairless Hills, insurance companies use actuaries who study the risk and give each property a score. Insurance claims for natural disasters near your property can hurt your score, he said. In fact, homeowners insurance premiums have risen in nearly every ZIP code in Bucks County since 2015, government records show. Roy Wright, president of the Insurance Institute for Home and Business Safety, said inflation and the “frequency and severity of events” are driving the increases. Bucks County experienced 10 extreme weather events last summer alone. The average Bucks County homeowner spent $636 to insure a home in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which conducts surveys on consumer spending by ZIP code. The price of a homeowners policy was up $96, or 19%, from 2015, according to federal estimates. Some of the largest premium increases were recorded in ZIP codes in Dublin (49%), Levittown (42%) and Telford (37%), according to the Labor Department. Read the full article from the Bucks County Courier Times here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 7/28/2022

Inflation hits Neshaminy School District building plan
Neshaminy School District must hold another public hearing on its proposal to build a new elementary school because the overall maximum project cost has increased by $8.49 million based on the bids received. The bid figures are more than 8% over the initial maximum costs that the school district presented at the first hearing in December 2021, so the hearings must be held again under Pennsylvania Act 34 of 1973. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. at the district administrative offices at Maple Point Middle School, 2250 Langhorne-Yardley Road in Middletown. The maximum project cost to build the new school on the grounds of Maple Point Middle School now stands at $51.86 million, with the maximum construction costs alone totaling $40.82 million. The new elementary school would replace the Pearl S. Buck Elementary School that was built in the late 1960s.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/1/2022

Lower Makefield appoints interim manager, advertises amendment to vacant property ordinance
Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Kenneth Coluzzi has temporarily taken on the additional role of interim township manager until a new full-time manager can be hired. Lower Makefield is looking to replace Kurt Ferguson, who resigned July 4 after four years as township manager to take the same job in Upper Dublin Township, Montgomery County. Board members also voted to advertise an amended vacant property ordinance that will provide for faster demolition or other remedy for buildings rendered vacant and uninhabitable by fire or another “act of God.” The Alliance will review the proposed amendments.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 7/28/2022

113-acre farm in West Bradford and Newlin townships preserved
Natural Lands announced the successful preservation of the 113-acre Castle Rock Farm that straddles West Bradford and Newlin townships. The farm is adjacent to several other protected properties, adding to a growing greenway along West Branch Brandywine Creek. Using a conservation easement, Natural Lands has ensured the property is never developed, preserving the pastoral views of the Brandywine Creek valley. Two years ago, the Giangiulio family placed a conservation easement on a 54-acre section of the farm. The second easement adds 113 acres to the amount under permanent protection at Castle Rock. A study released by the Chester County Planning Commission documented the myriad ways in which preserved green spaces are economic powerhouses that generate significant value for the region. Open space contributes to the local economy, increases property values, and saves money on everything from health care to recreation. It improves air and quality. West Bradford Township’s municipal open space funds provided $1.67 million toward the conservation project. Castle Rock Farm has been a priority for preservation for West Bradford Township, as it represents one of the last large agricultural properties in the municipality. An additional $1 million came from Chester County’s Conservancy Grant Program. Newlin Township and Marshallton Conservation Trust also contributed financial support.
Source: Daily Local; 8/2/2022

Coatesville officials bank on new $50M sports and events facility
Home to more than 13,000 people and the longest operating steel mill in the United States, Coatesville was once a booming industrial town. However, steel industry changes in the mid-1900s led to a 60-year period of population decline and economic decay. Now, it appears things are starting to turn around. There are 34 active development projects in the city, including the heavily-anticipated Coatesville train station scheduled to open in 2025. In addition, IDG Development is set to build a sports and events complex called the National Sports and Events Center (NSEC) on a 26-acre commercial site on West Lincoln Highway that was formerly known as the Flats. Leaders of Chester County’s only city have branded this recent era of growth as a period of revitalization and redevelopment. In addition to sports and events spaces, NSEC would have an indoor velodrome, which the company says is a “first” on the east coast. Their goal is to have the bicycle track be a hub for Olympic-level competition. Crosby Wood, a project manager for IDG Development, said he believes that cycling is the project’s “secret sauce.” The plan also includes supportive retail space, a sports medicine provider and a 150-room hotel. Read more here.
Source: WHYY; 8/1/2022

New Garden considers stormwater management
New Garden Township supervisors heard an overview of Chester County’s revised model stormwater ordinance from Beth Uhler of Cedarville Engineering, who said the changes are being driven by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Uhler’s presentation touched on key updates in several areas: redevelopment; green infrastructure management; riparian buffers; inspection and best management practices; authorized discharges; and the disposal of pet waste. DEP is making the changes because of the increasing need for stormwater management, intensified storm events and the continued growth and development in the county. The township is expected to adopt the county’s revised stormwater ordinance at the supervisors meeting on Monday, Aug. 15. The board gave approval to Cedarville Engineering’s $34,620 proposal to conduct a stormwater assessment of the “downtown” vicinity of Toughkenamon. In her broad overview, Uhler said the village is suffering from severely outdated and limited stormwater infrastructure that is leading to road erosion and ponding along roads, and that there are large stretches of roads with no stormwater infrastructure at all. Cedarville’s assessment will identify outdated infrastructure, create a proposal with recommendations and cost estimates, seek methods to fund the project, and incorporate them into the Streetscape and Transportation Improvement Plan currently being developed by McMahon Associates.
Source: Chester County Press; 7/12/2022

New Garden to fund temporary repair of Somerset Lake sinkhole
New Garden Township supervisors gave approval at their July 18 meeting to have the township pay for the materials needed to make repairs on a widening sinkhole that has closed a portion of Buttonwood Road in the Somerset Lake development. The township will spend $19,900 for the purchase of two steel plates that will be placed over the sinkhole and then paved over with asphalt, at a cost of $3,700. The Somerset Lake Service Corporation will agree to pay for the purchase of flowable fill that will be used to fill in the sinkhole. The repair is only a temporary solution — the corporation has sent three engineering concepts to the Department of Environmental Protection for review that would provide long-term stability of the road and the nearby basin.
Source: Chester County Press; 7/20/2022