PA lawmaker hopes to avoid ‘retail apocalypse’ with mall redevelopment tax abatement
As vacancy rates in Pennsylvania malls pile up and mall owners face a vexing real estate problem, state lawmakers are trying to help steer the future of these properties. The Pennsylvania House passed a bill to allow local municipalities to enact a property tax abatement for 10 to 15 years if mall properties are redeveloped with multiple uses, which could include housing, commercial and industrial. Written by state Rep. Josh Siegel (D-22), the Economic Development and Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Shopping Malls Act (HB1799) has 20 sponsors, including eight from Philadelphia and its collar counties. It is now headed to the Senate. “It is in the public interest to promote redevelopment of these large parcels and return them to function in accordance with sound and approved plans for their redevelopment that will promote public safety, convenience and welfare,” the bill reads. Siegel intentionally wrote the bill with a loose definition of shopping mall, allowing redeveloped strip malls and shopping centers to also qualify for the tax abatement. The abatement would relate only to the improvements made on the property, meaning taxes would still need to be paid based on the property assessment before the improvements are made. The length and amount of the abatement could also be customized by each taxing jurisdiction. If a municipality implements a full abatement, that would mean the improvements from the redevelopment would be exempt from property taxes for 10 years. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors supports the bill.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 4/23/2024

Childcare costs ‘more than a mortgage’ per kid, forcing parents to make tough choices
Between 2019 and 2023, childcare costs jumped more than 30%, outpacing inflation, according to anonymized Bank of America data for 68 million customers nationwide. Families making between $100,000 and $250,000 a year saw the biggest increases. Amid an ongoing staffing crisis, the childcare landscape got even bleaker last fall when federal stimulus money ran out. As a result, more than 4,000 centers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey could eventually close, potentially affecting more than 250,000 children, according to the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, though other industry experts and analysts have contested the “worst-case scenario” prediction. Childcare costs in the region as a share of a typical family’s income range from 6% to more than 22%, depending on location, age of the child and setting. Read more in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/24/2024

With homelessness on the rise, Supreme Court weighs bans on sleeping outdoors
The U.S. Supreme Court will continue to wrestle with major questions about the growing issue of homelessness as it considers whether cities can punish people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking. Grants Pass v. Johnson is the most significant case before the high court in decades on the issue, and it comes as record numbers of people are without a permanent place to live in the United States. The case started in the rural Oregon town of Grants Pass, which began fining people $295 for sleeping outside as the cost of housing escalated and tents sprung up in the city's public parks. The San Francisco-based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the law under its holding that banning camping in places without enough shelter beds amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/23/2024 

Falls rejects condo project for a second time
Falls Township supervisors rejected a plan to turn the old Lincoln Garage site on Lincoln Highway into a three-story, age-restricted condominium development. It is the second time the supervisors have rejected the plan, for the same reason — supervisors feel the property is too small for the scope of the builder’s plans. Builder Bryan Brzezinski first requested a change in zoning from industrial to residential to build four-story condos with 97 parking spaces. That plan was rejected. A modified plan was presented with three stories and 90 parking spaces, along with other breaks from zoning guidelines. It was also rejected. Nearby residents opposing the plan said the “building does not fit into our community.” Brzezinski, a Falls native, appeared frustrated at the second dismissal of his petition, saying he is trying to “redevelop a terrible eyesore.”
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 4/18/2024

Morrisville School District to welcome new superintendent, host forum
The Morrisville School Board is scheduled to formalize an employment agreement with Dr. Andrew J. Doster to serve as the district’s next superintendent. Doster has served as a public-school administrator since 2007, most recently as the director of elementary education for the Easton Area School District in Northampton County. The district began the search process in January with assistance from the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. Doster was selected from a pool of 20 candidates who applied for the position. The school board invites all community members to attend a community forum with Doster on Monday, April 29, at 6 p.m. in the middle/high school auditorium, located at 550 W. Palmer Ave. The format for the forum will not allow for questions or comments from the audience, but community members are invited to submit up to two questions for consideration through an online survey. The community forum will be recorded and made available on the district website.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/18/2024

Later start time planned for Pennsbury High School in 2025-2026
Pennsbury School District Superintendent Thomas A. Smith announced that the school day at Pennsbury High School will begin at 8 a.m. instead of the current 7:20 a.m. beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Smith cited “an increasing body of research” that recommends a later school start-time for adolescents. Middle school times “will move up slightly,” according to Smith, but elementary school start times will not change. The district will need to make adjustments to the transportation schedule, after-school activities and the overall schedule in the 17 months leading up to the change. The district will also hold informational sessions on the changes and “anticipated benefits,” he said.
Source: The Reporter; 4/22/2024

Commissioners approve $20M in contracts for new Levittown Government Services Center
Bucks County commissioners recently voted to approve about $20 million in construction contracts for the new Lower Bucks County Government Services Center in the Levittown section of Bristol Township. The project is a culmination of years of planning to replace the current 8,600-square-foot annex that has been in use for 30 years. The new 39,000-square-foot, two-story building on county-owned property along New Falls Road will consolidate operations for 13 county departments currently spread across various Lower Bucks County locations, some of which are leased offices. A small solar farm is also planned next to the facility. Construction is expected to begin within weeks.
Source: Levittown Now; 4/18/2024

Springfield Township to post temporary audio recordings of meetings
Springfield Township used Zoom during the pandemic to allow public access to meetings. The practice continued well after pandemic restrictions were lifted — until September 2023, when the Zoom broadcasts were canceled by the township due to cost and minimal online attendance. Several residents opposed the change, and the township now plans to make audio recordings of its meetings available once a new website is live in the summer. The audio recordings will be available until the meeting minutes are recorded, then the recording will be removed from the website. Supervisors Chairman Bill Ryker, one of four that voted in favor of the change, said, “People should hear how people behave at these meetings.”
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/16/2024 

Toll Brothers buys 22 acres in East Brandywine with plans for 89 townhomes
Toll Brothers has acquired 22 acres in East Brandywine Township with plans to build 89 townhomes, further expanding the company’s presence in the Philadelphia suburbs. The Fort Washington-based homebuilder paid $6.23 million for the parcels at 1130 and 1136 Horseshoe Pike, according to property records. Toll bought the land, which is located two miles from Route 30 and Downingtown Middle School, from ELU Planebrook Guthriesville LLC. The builder plans to begin site improvements in the coming weeks for a townhome community called Stonemill Village. John Dean, Pennsylvania and Delaware division president for Toll Brothers, said in a statement that the company expects to begin selling the homes in spring 2025.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 4/22/2024

West Chester Borough Council talks short-term rentals
West Chester Borough Council continues to discuss whether and where to allow short-term rentals in private homes. The public conversation has been ongoing for about a year. Councilwoman Lisa Dorsey said there are already 60 operating short-term rentals in the borough, and she favors allowing short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, in all neighborhoods. “Since we have them, they need to be controlled,” Dorsey said. “They are not regulated and managed and they’re not supposed to be here, but they are here.” Dorsey said that the borough is a destination, with visitors staying overnight for special events. Councilman Brian McGinnis suggested capping the total number of units at 20 to 25 and requiring safety inspections. Hosts would also need to fill out an application and live within 10 miles of the borough. Property managers would be required to be located within five miles of the borough, according to McGinnis. He also called for a $500,000 liability policy for units and one parking space per bedroom if the unit is located in a residential neighborhood. Several members of council are in favor of not requiring parking spaces in the town center or business district. Councilman Bernie Flynn was opposed to allowing overnight rentals in the neighborhoods. Flynn said that short-term rentals are currently illegal in the borough, and the borough’s Building and Housing Department should investigate and start serving cease-and-desist orders. Resident and former borough council president Anne Carroll noted that all borough rentals require a permit. She suggested that a loss of earned income tax might be realized due to those staying in a home but not working in the borough, and hotel taxes might not be collected.
Source: Daily Local; 4/18/2024

Oxford Borough mulls who will pay for sidewalks, curbing
Oxford Borough Council continues to discuss who should pay for improvements to sidewalks and curbing — individual property owners or the borough itself. Seeking grant funding is one possibility, but such funding is very competitive. A planned project on Mount Vernon Street will not include sidewalks, but it does have curbing, which could cost upwards of $500,000. If property owners are asked to pay and refuse, or are not able to pay, attaching a lien on their property may be a possibility. Curbs are a necessary requirement for stormwater management and to protect the longevity of the road. A project at Hodgson and Eighth streets is also under consideration. The borough continues to look at the ordinance language and will discuss it with engineers. Council members are aware of the hardships that property owners could face if sidewalk or curbing improvements are mandated. The Suburban Realtors Alliance is opposed to point-of-sale sidewalk mandates and will continue to monitor the discussion.
Source: Chester County Press; 4/17/2024

Pennsbury Township approves bed and breakfast at Gables property
The Pennsbury Township Board of Supervisors gave unanimous approval to the owners of The Gables restaurant for a bed-and-breakfast operation in two buildings on an adjacent property. Township solicitor Tom Oeste read a list of 29 conditions that Gables’ owners Ann Kolenik and Alfredo Giannaccari agreed to abide by, including having a full-time operator with an operator’s apartment, no more than three employees, no cooking in the guest rooms, and a 14-day maximum guest stay. Other conditions require food service to be limited to breakfast and afternoon tea for guests only, and that no catering shall be done from the stone building. No alcoholic beverages can be served in the bed and breakfast, but guests may bring their own. The applicants wanted 16 rooms, eight in each building, but the board granted approval for a total of 12 rooms, eight in the stone building but only four in the carriage house. Another condition is restoring and maintaining the exteriors of both buildings “in substantial historic accuracy.” The Gables was once a creamery and had an exterior mural of a cow. Kolenik said they’ll be changing the name of the restaurant to the Black Cow Bistro.
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 4/18/2024

Kennett Township has a new manager
Kennett Township supervisors voted on April 17 to hire Alison S. Dobbins as the new township manager. She will also serve as township secretary and right-to-know officer. “I believe work at the municipal level is most impactful,” Dobbins said. “I take that responsibility seriously.” Dobbins had worked for Upper Darby Township since 2020, first as the deputy chief administrative officer and then, since January 2023, as the acting chief administrative officer. She also held positions with the state legislature and with Drexel University.
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 4/19/2024

West Chester affordable housing proposal tabled amid sharp pushback
At a West Chester Borough Council work session, residents and officials alike rejected a plan to bring affordable housing to a parking lot that hosts the West Chester Growers Market. After a long discussion on the agenda item “Consider entering into a housing development proposal agreement with Pennrose Properties on Lot 10 Chestnut and Church St,” the council voted “to not move forward with this item.” Council members said other locations could be discussed by the Smart Growth Committee. The proposal from the Pennrose development group would have brought a building of anywhere from one to five stories to the corner of Church and Chestnut streets. "Although there is understanding and support for affordable housing, the prevailing message to the developer was that the current market location is not the place," the West Chester Growers Market posted on Facebook.
Source: West Chester Patch; 4/18/2024