PA opens its first underground state park
Pennsylvania's 125th state park — and its first underground one — is set to open on Earth Day, April 22, when Laurel Caverns in rural Fayette County officially becomes public land. The 435-acre property features the state's largest and deepest limestone cave, with four miles of passages reaching 476 feet deep and the largest bat shelter in the northeast. The land was donated by longtime owners David and Lillian Cale, who wanted to ensure the caverns remain protected and accessible to the public in perpetuity. The aboveground park is free and open year-round, while guided cave tours — available mid-April through late October — cost about $20 for adults, with discounts for seniors and children. A master plan for the full property is underway, with future amenities like overnight accommodations still under consideration. Find out more on the Laurel Caverns website.
Source: Hanover Evening Sun; 4/6/2026

State extends LIHEAP deadline to May 8
Pennsylvania has extended the 2025-2026 LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) deadline from April 10 to May 8, following a delayed season start caused by a federal government shutdown. The program provides one-time grants sent directly to utility or fuel providers to help Pennsylvania families pay their heating bills. To qualify for LIHEAP in Pennsylvania, there are income requirements, which are set based on household size. Renters and homeowners are both eligible for benefits. Find out more here.
Source: LevittownNow; 4/9/2026

Deadlines to know for the primary election
Pennsylvania voters face several key deadlines ahead of the Tuesday, May 19, primary election, with the last day to register to vote set for Monday, May 4, and the deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot being 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12. Completed mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day, May 19. Polls will also be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for in-person voting. Voters can check their registration status, apply for a mail ballot and find polling place information through the state’s official election website.

The U.S. is short 10 million houses. A new White House report lays out a blueprint to fix that
White House economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase homeownership, and fuel faster economic growth. The analysis is part of the Economic Report of the President, which lays out a blueprint for how more home construction would help the middle class and the overall economy. Put together by staff at the White House Council of Economic Advisers, it finds there would be 10 million more houses in the country if “homebuilding and the growth of the single-family housing stock had continued at their historical pace instead of falling dramatically” after the 2008 global financial crisis. That crisis was caused largely by a wave of defaults in the housing market, where prices had been fueled by problematic lending practices.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/14/2026

PECO pursues real estate expansion to prepare for future demand
David Vahos, who took over as CEO of PECO last June, is moving quickly to make real estate deals that support the company’s operational needs. The electric utility, a division of Exelon, has purchased three suburban properties in Vahos’ first year on the job. “If I wait too long, there won’t be land where I need it to be,” Vahos said. “So, we actually spend a lot of time thinking strategically about, ‘Hey, are we seeing [electrical] load growth in this area? Do we need to go buy that parcel now so 10 years from now we can build a substation?’” Peco paid $10.6 million for a 70,000-square-foot office and warehouse in Plymouth Meeting in 2025, and recently acquired another property in Plymouth Meeting and one in Malvern.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 4/8/2026

Data centers require huge amounts of power
At maximum capacity, PECO can supply 8.3 gigawatts of electricity, which is more than enough to serve its 1.7 million commercial and residential customers. But a single data center can house as many as 5,000 computer servers and require 1 gigawatt of electricity to operate. That means one customer's demand could claim one-eighth of PECO's power generation. To address the electricity squeeze, there are efforts underway on two fronts: new generation capacity and limits on data center development. At the local level, data center proposals have faced pushback among municipalities throughout the Philadelphia region. The planning commissions for Chester and Montgomery counties recently teamed up to write a data center ordinance guide to help municipalities form land-use rules for data centers.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 4/13/2026 

Bucks County partners with Tax Claim Bureau to help struggling homeowners
Bucks County Commissioners have approved a new partnership between the Bucks County Tax Claim Bureau and the nonprofit Credit Counseling Center, aimed at helping struggling homeowners manage delinquent property taxes and avoid losing their homes. The program combines the Tax Claim Bureau's ability to arrange affordable repayment plans with the Credit Counseling Center's free, confidential financial literacy coaching and guidance — services the bureau doesn't offer on its own. With nearly half of the Credit Counseling Center's 5,000-plus clients facing mortgage distress in 2025, the partnership is designed to break the cycle of mounting tax debt before homes are put at risk of upset tax sale. Residents can enter the program through Tax Claim Bureau referrals, community partners or elected offices who may direct their constituents to the tax program.
Source: LevittownNow; 4/10/2026

Federal government commits $600M for PA Turnpike bridge replacement
The federal government has committed $600 million to replace the aging 1956 Pennsylvania Turnpike Bridge over the Delaware River, connecting Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Burlington County, New Jersey. Two replacement plans are under consideration: the "North Partial Impact" (NPI) option, which takes four years to build while keeping four lanes open, and the "North Staged Alternate" (NSA), an eight-year phased build that avoids impact to the nearby Fleetwing Estates neighborhood. The new six-lane bridge is needed because the current structure no longer meets modern federal standards for the I-95 corridor, which handles over 67,000 vehicles daily. Construction is not expected to start until 2031, tolls will not increase to fund it, and a final design won't be selected until around 2028.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 3/31/2026

West Rockhill to consider data center zoning requirements
West Rockhill Township is considering a zoning ordinance that would regulate data centers by permitting them in the "Planned Industrial" district via special exception, with requirements like infrastructure improvements and on-site solar power generation. While no formal application has been submitted, the township was presented last fall with an informal sketch plan for a 150,000- to 200,000-square-foot facility at 215 Cathill Road in Sellersville. Proposed by National Land Developers and Greener by Design, the developers cited the site's proximity to power infrastructure and highway access as advantages. Residents have raised concerns about noise, light pollution and water usage. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance was scheduled for April 15 at the township's municipal building.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 4/14/2026

Third-party voter registration mailers not from Bucks County
Bucks County election officials want residents to know that voter registration mailers arriving at local households are not from the county government, but from two third-party organizations — the Center for Voter Information (CVI) and the Voter Participation Center (VPC). The mailers, typically addressed to "Current Resident," are meant to help unregistered residents sign up to vote, and while they use the Bucks County Board of Elections' address on return envelopes for processing, the county did not send or sponsor them. Residents who are already registered can ignore the mailings, and those wishing to opt out can contact CVI at (866) 204-4137 or VPC at (866) 209-9755 using the code printed on the mailing. Official voter registration status can be verified through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s website here.
Source: LevittownNow; 4/7/2026

Langhorne officials ask for input on comp plan update
The Langhorne Borough Planning Commission is hosting a public meeting on Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall on Maple Avenue to gather resident input as it begins updating its comprehensive plan — the borough's primary blueprint for land use and development. Last updated in 2014, the plan guides zoning and development decisions and is revised roughly every decade to keep local planning goals aligned with evolving housing, economic and land-use trends. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their priorities and vision for the borough's future.
Source: LevittownNow; 4/9/2026 

Kennett Square Borough Council discusses NVF development
Kennett Square Borough Council considered but voted against a motion to advertise a draft ordinance that amends the borough’s zoning code to permit multi-family development by conditional use in the OI-2 office and industrial zoning district. The ordinance would enable housing to be built on the former NVF site. Lexi Gambs, codes manager for the borough, explained that language was added to state the intention of there being a mixture of affordable and market-rate development at the site, along with other changes. Councilmember Michael Bertrando shared concerns about the affordability aspect of the project, saying that 49 new affordable units would not help affordable living in the borough. Other concerns about the ordinance included potential missed economic opportunities for commercial business at the site, infrastructure demands and health and environmental concerns about the site.
Source: Chester County Press; 4/8/2026

East Vincent planners reject data center plan again
For the second time in as many months, the East Vincent Township Planning Commission voted unanimously against recommending approval of the proposed data center at the former Pennhurst hospital site. As in February, the developer, Penn Hurst Holdings DE LLC did not show up for the meeting. Commission member Lawson Macartney said, “The deficiencies are very obvious and this project would require multiple zoning variances. Further, there is no consideration for topography, like steep slopes and no details on noise, emissions or vibrations, and no further details on water usage or required power usage.” The next step for the project is the start of conditional use hearings before the township supervisors who will sit in a “quasi-judicial” capacity to determine if the plans meet the conditions laid out in the zoning ordinance.
Source: Daily Local; 4/11/2026

West Chester Borough grappling with quality-of-life concerns from residents
Officials in West Chester Borough are weighing new strategies to manage large, off-campus parties tied to West Chester University after St. Patrick’s Day gatherings drew crowds of about 100 people, prompting complaints from residents about noise, safety and quality-of-life disruptions. Borough leaders discussed options, such as a potential permit system for large gatherings, while police emphasized legal limits on enforcement, noting that “extraordinary activity in the Southeast” led to citations but that peaceful gatherings are not illegal. For residents, the issue means continued concerns over overcrowding, parking shortages and repeated disturbances near student rental homes. The university said it “values its relationship with its neighbors and takes concerns about student conduct seriously,” urging collaboration and reporting of off-campus behavior as officials consider longer-term solutions.
Source: Daily Times; 4/9/2026

Kennett Square Borough considers short-term rental regulation
Kennett Square Borough Council considered an advertisement of a draft ordinance that would change the local agent requirements for rentals. The existing ordinance currently requires local agents for short- and long-term rentals to live within a five-mile radius of the rental. The proposed amendment would change it to a 10-mile radius for short-term rentals and no distance requirement for long-term rentals. Council ultimately voted down advertising the measure and suggested changes to be made that would enforce the ten-mile radius rule on all short- and long-term rentals, as well as a possible stipulation that the responsible local agent should also live within the county as well. The borough’s planning commission has recommended that short-term rentals in residential districts can only be accessory dwelling units to a primary home that is owner-occupied. Short-term rentals can be the principal use of an apartment or house, so long as it is in a commercial district. The recommendation also included a boroughwide cap of 20 short-term rentals. The borough currently has about 24 short-term rentals — none would be forced to close to accommodate the new limit, but no new rentals would be added and if any current rentals sell, those residencies would no longer be allowed to be a short-term rental until there were fewer than 20 rentals again.
Source: Chester County Press; 4/8/2026

Middle school project draws questions from residents in Unionville-Chadds Ford
Several residents in Unionville-Chadds Ford School District expressed concerns at a March 23 school board meeting about the costs of renovating Charles F. Patton Middle School and potential tax increases. Most of those who spoke held similar grievances, citing issues with transparency, a lack of clarity, potential planning and legal missteps, as well as the potential the project has to trigger an Act 1 referendum on a budget because it would exceed the state limit for a tax increase in a given year. The originally projected figure for how much the school district would be able to spend on the middle school project was $120 million. Since then, projections of costs have ballooned to around $167 million. Read more at Chester County Press.
Source: Chester County Press; 4/1/2026