Suburban office parks now have millions of square feet of new vacant offices
Jenkintown and Fort Washington have seen office vacancy rates decrease since the COVID lockdowns — but the rest of the region has gone in the other direction. Almost a quarter of the vast Pennsylvania suburban office market is vacant, says commercial real estate firm CBRE, with more than 1 million square feet in the Pennsylvania suburbs emptied this year so far. Since early 2020, the amount of vacated space totals 3 million square feet. Acres of asphalt make up much of today’s suburban scenery, as parking lots sit empty. Townships that banked their economies on white-collar workforces and office parks will face public policy questions over how, or whether, to redevelop office buildings for apartments or homes, distribution centers or industrial sites. Read more in the Inquirer.
Source: Inquirer; 11/1/2022

Pennsylvania General Election is Nov. 8
The 2022 general election is fast approaching on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Across Pennsylvania, voters will go to the polls to cast votes for governor, U.S. Senate, congressman, state senator and state representative. The Pennsylvania Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) is actively engaging in numerous state legislative races, including 26 open legislative seats. RPAC also has announced support for nine Senate and 60 House incumbents. RPAC recently launched a tool on the PAR website that highlights the candidates RPAC has endorsed for the general election. Check out the RPAC Election Guide and see the candidates RPAC is supporting in your legislative districts. 
Source: PA Realtors; 10/28/2022

Report finds PA needs to ‘unlock its innovation potential’
A new report from the Brookings Institution says that although Pennsylvania boasts powerhouse research universities and a diverse and talented workforce, it hasn’t been able to convert on those opportunities to create high-quality economic growth. “Pennsylvania needs to unlock its innovation potential, which will require catalytic steps on the part of state government,” experts at The Brookings Institution’s Brookings Metro wrote, as they set out to provide a roadmap to the state’s next governor and the General Assembly. Read the full article from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star here.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 10/30/2022

Yardley Borough considers 2-mill tax hike
The preliminary 2023 budget for Yardley Borough includes a $68,000 deficit, and borough officials are considering passing a 2-mill tax increase to cover the shortfall. Councilman Matt Curtain said the budget gap is due to “contractual cost increases for running the borough” and the tax increase is likely if no alternative measures can be found to reduce expenditures. The borough has benefited from increased revenue from real estate transfer taxes and the acquisition of grant money, but a lot of projects are planned for 2023, including phases two and three of the North Main Street sidewalk project and the rebuilding of the Mary Yardley Bridge. Visit the Yardley Borough website for upcoming budget meetings.
Source: The Reporter; 10/30/2022

Newtown Township rejects Wawa, appeal is likely
Newtown Township supervisors denied preliminary and final land use plans for a 5,585-square-foot Wawa convenience store and gas station on the Newtown Bypass at Lower Silver Lake Road. The proposal has been hotly debated for four years. According to plans, the Wawa was to front the bypass with front and rear access, pedestrian walkways, bike racks, an electric vehicle charging station, two air pumps and 60 parking spaces. Supervisors Chair Dennis Fisher said he felt “Wawa has submitted a plan that has tried to follow” the township’s E30 ordinance — which was passed in 2020 and added a combination gas station and convenience store as a special exception in the township’s office/research zoning district — and that the board would have “more control than if this is decided by the court.” Even so, the plan was denied by a 3-2 vote. Project developer Provco Pinegood is expected to appeal the board vote to Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
Source: The Reporter; 10/30/2022

Bristol Township to blight eight more homes
As part of an effort to fight blight, Bristol Township is moving forward with plans to blight eight vacant properties. The township partners with the Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County to control blighted properties in the municipality. Properties approved to be blighted are often behind in taxes, abandoned, eyesores and badly damaged, or the owners are dead or have vacated the property. The current properties include some that have been vacant and unkempt, with several inhabited by squatters and even a family of raccoons. Bristol Township’s effort to fight blight started several years ago when there were 204 vacant properties. As of this past summer, the township is now down to 54 vacant homes.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 10/31/2022

Results of Solebury Route 202 property survey available
The results of Solebury Township’s Route 202 property survey were recently presented to the board of supervisors and can be viewed on the township website. The survey explored the public’s thoughts on potential future uses for the recently purchased land on Route 202. About a third of residents and households responded, and the top of the list of preferred uses is a passive park. In second place was a farmers market. The next step will be to establish a committee to create concrete proposals based on the survey.
Source: Solebury Township

Upper Makefield preliminary budget includes a proposed tax decrease
Upper Makefield’s 2023 preliminary budget includes a proposed tax decrease of 0.8 mills due to the township’s repayment of open space bond debt. By three taxpayer-approved referendums beginning in 1996, the township borrowed $30 million for the purchase of open space and has since preserved over 37% of the land in the township. Eliminating the open space bond debt allows for a tax reduction for residents. A mill is a tax of one dollar per $1,000 of a property's assessed value. This year's budget presentation was held Oct. 18, and the preliminary budget is now available for review online.
Source: Upper Makefield Township

ChristianaCare receives $2.5M for upgrades to West Grove campus
The ChristianaCare West Grove campus has received a $2.5 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant from the Chester County government for capital improvement projects related to information technology, medical equipment and facility renovation. “We are enormously grateful to the Chester County Commissioners for this generous grant,” said Douglas Azar, MHA, ChristrianaCare’s senior vice president of strategic clinical integration. “Our assessment and inventory of the facility indicate that while it contains some usable equipment, including hospital beds and some imaging and diagnostic equipment, there is a lot of work to be done in many key areas.” County commissioners approved ARPA grants to 73 groups and organizations totaling close to $40 million last month. “These funds represent a substantial investment in much-needed local programs and services including support for public health,” said Commissioners Chair Marian Moskowitz. “Being able to financially assist ChristianaCare as it works toward bringing hospital services back to southern Chester County firmly met ARPA guidelines and was very important to us.”
Source: Daily Local; 11/1/2022

Westtown voters to decide on tax increases for open space
Westtown Township residents will be asked on the Nov. 8 ballot whether they want increases in property and earned income taxes for open space preservation. The question is driven by the township’s desire to preserve Crebilly Farm. If residents approve the referendum, the earned income tax will increase from 1% to 1.08% and the real estate tax would go from 3.5 mills to 3.92 mills. The extra tax revenue would amount to an additional $681,000 per year for the township. Of that, about $545,000 would be needed to secure $7.5 million in open space bonds (i.e. new debt) to fund the acquisition, while the remainder (about $136,000) would be used to maintain the property. Crebilly Farm is 320-plus acres situated between Route 926 to the south, Route 202 to the east, West Pleasant Grove Road to the north, and South New Street to the west. Supervisors twice denied conditional use approval to Toll Brothers, who wanted to build 317 new homes on the site. Westtown was able to enter into an agreement of sale with the Robinson family, the owners of the farm. The township wants to buy the 206 easternmost acres for $100,000 per acre. The remaining acreage along the western side has four parcels that would remain residential but eased so that those parcels could not be subdivided. The nonprofit organization Natural Lands would oversee the open space portion. For the township to become the legal owner of the property, it will need to secure approximately 75% of the purchase price from various sources, such as county, state and federal grant programs by March 31, 2023. The remaining 25% would be paid for with local Westtown tax dollars. However, if the referendum does not pass, the deal with the Robinsons would not go through, and the family, supervisors have said previously, has other developers interested in the property.
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 10/25/2022

East Bradford legacy of making open space a priority
In 1998, East Bradford residents made their town the first municipality in Pennsylvania to pass a referendum to fund open space. Two years later, township voters elected to raise the township earned income tax to open space to 0.25%. Since then, East Bradford has preserved about 1,300 acres of land through titled property and easements. Township Manager Madie Cantlin said that the open space referendum then was “a significant leap of faith” and a “defining moment for East Bradford.” Township taxpayers have invested $21 million — not including acquisitions made with grants. Cantlin said that for 2022, East Bradford is projected to receive about $1.2 million from its earned income tax levy. The balance of all outstanding open space loans or notes, as of January 2023, will be $6.87 million. Historically, East Bradford has allotted $20,000 annually for the maintenance of open space, and that cost is expected to increase as the township invests more in land stewardship.
Source: Daily Local; 10/27/2022

$2 million award will advance new municipal services complex in Kennett Square
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of the Budget awarded the Borough of Kennett Square $2 million from its Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to be used toward the completion of its multi-purpose complex. The borough purchased several buildings at 600 South Broad Street with the intention to transform the underutilized space into a comprehensive municipal and community services complex, which will include new administrative offices, the police station and community-service providers. The complex is widely regarded as the borough’s next major step to elevating the borough and helping its citizens. “We are a borough that cares deeply about the future of our community,” said Mayor Matthew Fetick. “To that end our police department and community-service providers deserve a facility that gives them space, infrastructure and location in the borough to do their jobs effectively and reach our residents.” The complex is located adjacent to Kennett High School and is close to other major community service providers. The borough intends to utilize about 40% of the space in the complex for administrative and police functions. Borough officials are evaluating several community partners to occupy the unused space in the complex.
Source: Daily Local; 10/30/2022

Regional rail authority approves agreement with passenger rail advocate
The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) recently approved an agreement with Smart Growth America through their Transportation for America (T4A) program. Under the agreement, Transportation for America will provide guidance to the authority during the process of advocating and applying for federal funding to restore passenger rail service in the Reading to Philadelphia corridor. The SRPRA is a joint effort between officials in Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties to revive passenger rail service in the region. To stay updated, visit the SRPRA website.
Source: Montgomery County Civic Alerts; 10/28/2022