News Briefs for August 16, 2024
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West Chester University’s Recitation Hall was originally constructed in 1892 of serpentine stone, which was a rare commodity in other parts of the country but plentiful in the local area. West Chester Borough is considering a proposed short-term rental ordinance.
Photo: Zeete (CC BY-SA 4.0)
SEPTA will end free parking at Regional Rail lots and increase prices
More than four years of free parking for SEPTA riders is scheduled to end on Sept. 23 at Regional Rail surface lots and garages at Lansdale Station and the Frankford and Norristown transportation centers. Parking fees also are set to double — from $1 to $2 per day on surface lots and from $2 to $4 in garages. In 2020, SEPTA stopped charging for parking in hopes of attracting riders during the pandemic. SEPTA plans to phase in the parking changes over the next two-and-a-half months at 96 surface lots and the three garages. Parking will remain free on weekends and major holidays. Methods of payment will be modernized with a new SEPTA Park app allowing travelers to pay by license plate number and run to the train, deducting the cost of parking without waiting in line. People will also have the option to pay by text message, and kiosks will accept credit and debit cards and coins. SEPTA projects it will collect about $6 million in parking fees annually. The money will be used to help pay for the upgrades and lot maintenance — and remaining funds could fill gaps in the operating budget.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/13/2024
Region’s luxury housing market sees bidding wars, strong demand and fast sales
In Philadelphia’s collar counties, the luxury-home market is most competitive in and around the $1 million to $1.5 million range, which has the lowest amount of supply compared to demand, the fastest sales and the highest amounts that buyers end up paying over the asking price. This spring, luxury-home buyers faced strong competition across the Philadelphia metropolitan area, which includes counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The typical home for sale priced in the top 5% of the market sold fast, and just over half of the luxury homes that sold went for more than the listing price, according to a report from Bright MLS. Read the full article in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/12/2024
Two developments could add 205 new homes in Dublin
Two developers have proposed new housing along Route 313 in Dublin Borough that — if approved as planned — could add about 205 new homes. Nehemiah Development Company has proposed 127 new homes on the former Moyer Farm, beside the Dublin Town Center, which also was developed by Nehemiah. The plans are in the land development approval process and consist of 54 single-family homes, 14 twins and a 45-unit apartment building. The company plans to preserve the existing barn and silos. A second development, The Landmark at Dublin, is scheduled to break ground on Aug. 16. The 78-unit luxury apartment complex at 144 N. Main St. is across from the Dublin Town Center.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/13/2024
Developers propose 165 new homes in Richland
Richland Township supervisors heard a proposal from David Caracausa of Cornerstone Premier Homes and Brian Seidel of Seidel Planning and Design to rezone 80 acres of land to build 165 single-family homes. The developers are asking that the parcel be rezoned from a Residential Agriculture District to a Suburban Residential Medium District, with 14 acres left over for resource protection. Although the township has the area marked for potential development, the density and number of homes in the proposal surprised the supervisors. According to township engineer Mike Schwartz, the current zoning of the property only accommodates 30 homes. If the property were rezoned to a Suburban Residential Low District it could accommodate about 132 single-family homes. Caracausa said that the extra expense of bringing public water and sewer to the development requires a certain level of density to make the project financially viable. The board recommended that the developers consider its feedback, consult with township staff and return with a new proposal.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/12/2024
Bensalem Amazon Fresh is finally opening; Middletown may be next
After two years of waiting, the Bensalem Amazon Fresh store is slated to open on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 8 a.m. The high-tech supermarket is located in the Brookwood Shopping Center in the 1800 block of Street Road. It was originally scheduled to open in late 2022. A grand opening for the Amazon Fresh store off East Lincoln Highway in Middletown may be next. The company listed job openings recently for that location. Amazon opened its first Fresh store in Bucks County in the Creekview Center in Warrington in August 2021.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/9/2024
Richland supervisors oppose 50-foot height variance for warehouse
Richland Township supervisors moved to recommend against a 50-foot height variance for a proposed Quakertown area warehouse. The supervisors will make their recommendation in a letter to the township’s zoning hearing board. Residents urged the supervisors to oppose the variance, saying a larger warehouse would mean more traffic, pollution, noise and visual blight. The proposed warehouse at Route 309 and Tollgate Road is near the Brayton Gardens housing development. The board of supervisors rarely weighs in during the variance process, typically deferring to the zoning board.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 8/14/2024
Solebury asks for input on comprehensive plan
Solebury Township is in the early stages of updating its 10-year comprehensive plan in a committee process named Solebury 2035. Solebury has offered three ways to get involved — take a survey, attend a public workshop, and check the website for more information. The survey closes on Sunday, Sept. 15, and the public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Read the Solebury Township civic alert for more information.
Source: Solebury Township
West Chester council considers short-term rental ordinance
West Chester Borough Council will consider amending Chapter 112, Zoning, to add a short-term rental as a permitted use in the town center district by conditional use. It also adds a requirement for one off-street parking space per bedroom in a short-term rental. The ordinance will be considered for adoption at a public hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 5:30 p.m. at 401 E. Gay St.
Source: Daily Local; 8/6/2024
North Coventry Township to amend peddling and soliciting ordinance
The North Coventry Township Board of Supervisors will consider for adoption draft Ordinance No. 02-2024, which would repeal and replace Chapter 259, Peddling and Soliciting. The draft ordinance establishes regulations for transient retail businesses requiring licenses, including relevant definitions, regulations regarding the conduct of transient retail businesses, license application criteria, and a “do not solicit” registry. It identifies prohibited acts and penalties, and provides criteria and procedures for the issuance, suspension and revocation of the transient retail business licenses. The proposal will be considered at a public meeting on Monday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m. at the township building, 845 S. Hanover St., Pottstown.
Source: The Mercury; 8/9/2024
Congresswoman Houlahan tours homes, discusses housing issues in Chesco
U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D, PA-6) recently toured homes in Parkesburg and Coatesville to see how volunteers have performed home repairs at no cost to low-income homeowners using federal funding. She was joined by Bob Beggs, executive director of Home Works, and Chris Weisman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Chester County. After the tour, the congresswoman and county and local officials met for a panel discussion at Coatesville City Hall to discuss what Coatesville City Manager Roberta Cosentino said is a “housing crisis” in the city of 13,500 residents. Sixty percent of the city’s homes are rented, which Cosentino said “presents its own challenges.” Most are two- and three-bedroom homes, and the average family has 2.8 children. The average Coatesville home rented for $1,300 in 2020, and now in 2024 rents run from $1,500 to $2,000. “Rents are going up, but income is still staying the same,” said Debra Johnson, director of administration of the Housing Authority of Chester County.
Source: Daily Local; 8/12/2024
Spring City Borough should provide 12 months to complete U&O repairs
The Suburban Realtors Alliance recently heard from a Realtor whose client was given 30 days to complete repairs as a condition of receiving a temporary certificate of occupancy in Spring City Borough. The Realtor provided the borough with information about Act 133 — which mandates a minimum of 12 months for the completion of repairs — and the borough amended its timeline accordingly. If any new homebuyer is given a period of less than 12 months to make repairs after a use and occupancy inspection — in Spring City Borough or any other Philadelphia suburb — we ask them to contact us via our Municipal Code Inspection Issues form.
Upper Darby council advances earned income tax plan
Upper Darby Township Council voted to advertise a draft ordinance that would create a 1% earned income tax (EIT). According to township projections, by 2027 if nothing is done, the budget deficit would grow to over $16 million. According to the Suburban Realtors Alliance municipal database, more than 80% of municipalities in the region have an EIT. Gordon Mann, from the consulting firm Public Financial Management, gave a presentation on what the new tax will mean:
- The 3,000 Upper Darby residents working in the township will pay more.
- The 10,000 people who live in Upper Darby and work in a town without an EIT, such as Haverford Township, would pay the 1% tax.
- For the 9,100 people who live in Upper Darby and work in a municipality with a 1% EIT, their tax payments would revert to Upper Darby.
- Two groups won’t be impacted: Upper Darby residents who work in Philadelphia, and residents with no earned income, such as those who are retired or active military.
- Mann said more people in the township will not be impacted by the tax than are impacted.
Upper Darby has an information page relating to the EIT proposal. View the proposed EIT ordinance here.
Source: Daily Times; 8/13/2024
Crozer Health will be sold to CHA Partners, converted back into nonprofit
Crozer Health could get a new owner under a preliminary agreement announced Wednesday by Prospect Medical Holdings, the California for-profit firm that has controlled the financially beleaguered Delaware County health system for eight years. The tentative buyer is CHA Partners LLC, a New Jersey real estate company that specializes in buying hospital properties and redeveloping them into mixed-use medical facilities. The price was not disclosed. The plan calls for CHA to work with Healthcare Preferred Partners, an affiliated company, on the management of Crozer and its conversion back into a nonprofit. Crozer operates four hospitals — Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park and Springfield Hospital in Springfield — as well as several other outpatient and surgical facilities. “We believe this is a positive step for our physicians, employees, and the communities we serve, and will help secure Crozer Health’s future as a critical health-care provider in Delaware County,” Crozer CEO Tony Esposito said in an announcement. Read the full story in the Inquirer. Chester Mayor Stefan Roots has been critical of the business practices of Prospect Medical Group.
Source: Delaware County; 8/7/2024 and Swarthmorean; 8/9/2024
Community Hospital in Chester to become housing for seniors and people with disabilities
The former Community Hospital on 9th Street in the West End of Chester will be the new home of Silvercare Senior Housing, a 94-unit development for senior citizens, ages 62 and older. Financing for the project initiated from a $750,000 federal matching grant awarded to Everest Pace Center Inc. The grant will kick off Phase 1 with a projected opening date of March 2026. A second grant for the same amount was presented to Liberty Housing Corp. from FHLBank and Reinvestment Fund to support Eileen & Shawn’s Place, which will house low-income individuals with disabilities who are transitioning out of nursing homes. Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (D, PA-6) discussed the potential economic impact of the project for the city, saying, “Investing in accessible and affordable housing is essential to creating communities that provide equitable opportunities for residents.”
Source: Chester Spirit; 8/6/2024
Aqua breaks ground on Crum Creek treatment project in Springfield
Aqua Pennsylvania broke ground at its Crum Creek Water Treatment Plant in Springfield on July 24. The $14.3 million project includes a new concrete pretreatment sedimentation basin along with upgrades to mechanical and electrical equipment in the three existing basins. The project, which is expected to be complete at the end of 2025, is one of several across the region to enhance water service and quality.
Source: Delaware County; 7/26/2024
Lower Merion looks to tighten rental licensing regulations
Lower Merion Township has been discussing proposed ordinance amendments that would enact new licensing requirements and regulations for student and residential rentals. The proposed ordinance would separate student and nonstudent residential rental licensing regulations and requirements. One important change relates to how violations will be handled, enhancing the ability of staff to take prompt action on violations of township code. Another provision includes the requirement that property owners who do not live in Lower Merion must appoint a property manager who lives within a 10-mile radius. Student rental applicants will be required to identify every student living in the dwelling unit and notify the township of any change to the tenants. Proposed changes include the establishment of an annual licensing period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 for student rental licenses. Nonstudent/residential licenses would have the same licensing period but would change from an annual to a three-year term. The proposed ordinance also offers a defined list of criteria for taking enforcement action against a rental unit and its license and would provide for several enforcement actions that are not currently stated in the code. The proposed ordinance amendment will be included on the agenda for the Building and Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at which time the committee will be asked to consider recommending advertisement to the board of commissioners.
Source: Lower Merion Township
Engage Montco allows residents to provide feedback on county projects
Engage Montco is an online civic engagement platform for residents and business owners in Montgomery County. The website includes opportunities to provide feedback on projects and help county leaders gain a better understanding of how to plan for the future, including policies on housing, transportation, land use and other necessary investments. Current open survey topics include: housing and development; open space and the environment; transportation; and people and places. Also open is Vision 2050, an idea board for the future of the county.
Source: Montgomery County
Montco DA warns residents of fake arrest scam
Montgomery County authorities are warning residents of an email scam with messages falsely claiming to be from the sheriff's department. In the email, the recipient is told a warrant was issued for their arrest for failing to appear in court. According to the district attorney's office, the scam email tells the recipient to put money into a "digital escrow" via a Coinstar Bitcoin terminal to avoid being arrested. District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement that arrest warrants are never handled this way, and no money is involved if there is a warrant issued for someone's failure to appear in court for any reason.
Source: 6ABC; 8/13/2024
Aqua installs PFAS treatment system for Upper Providence customers
Aqua Pennsylvania has completed the PFAS treatment system installation at its Perkiomen Woods well station, which serves about 1,100 people in Upper Providence Township. It is the fourth PFAS treatment facility that Aqua Pennsylvania has completed and placed into operation since 2018, all of which meet both the new state and federal PFAS national drinking water standards. The treatment became fully operational on July 30.
Source: Montco Today; 8/12/2024
Low-income neighborhoods close to gentrified areas see biggest assessment spikes
City property assessments are rising most rapidly in a handful of low-income neighborhoods that are near heavily gentrified areas in West Philadelphia, according to an Inquirer analysis. Homeowners in Kingsessing and Parkside this year will see some of the sharpest spikes in their real estate assessments, which the city uses to determine property tax bills. In Kingsessing, the average assessment increased just over 50%, the highest increase of any neighborhood in the analysis, which was focused on single-family homes and was based on data the city posted online. But for now, tax bills will remain relatively low for most homeowners in those neighborhoods, at less than $500 for many residential properties. That’s because property values are lower there than other parts of the city and because city council this year increased the homestead exemption tax break so that owners of homes worth less than $100,000 owe nothing. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced that the tax bill for the average homeowner will increase about $330 to about $2,300 — assuming they are signed up for the homestead exemption, a free program that reduces the assessed value of owner-occupied properties by $100,000. The tax bill for the average residential property without the exemption will increase by $614, according to an administration document obtained by The Inquirer. The property tax rate is 1.3998% of assessed value.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/8/2024
How speculators fueled a nightmare for Kensington residents — and could soon cash in
City leaders have sought solutions to Kensington’s narcotics crisis either through public health measures or policing. However, stabilizing the neighborhood also will require a reckoning with predatory and negligent real-estate practices. Absentee landlords and real estate speculators that have held on to vacant properties have fueled Kensington’s degradation for decades, often with little intervention from City Hall. Now, even as residents root for Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to succeed in shutting down the area’s notorious drug market, some fear a perverse plot twist: Cleaning up Kensington could pave the way for surging development and soaring property values — leaving the same speculators who enabled the disorder and disrepair poised to cash in. Some residents say that the city needs to hold owners to account, in addition to boarding up properties, which all too often are pried open the next day to become home to a new set of squatters.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/12/2024
Philly is in its millennial era
Millennials make up the largest portion of Philadelphia’s population, according to data from the U.S. Census and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The generation took the lead at the start of the century in Philadelphia, and its dominance has only grown. Unlike past generations, the number of millennials living in Philadelphia increased year-over-year as they aged from their early 20s into their 30s. And the city is getting older with them. Today, more than 400,000 millennials live in Philadelphia. The generation makes up about 27% of city residents, according to 2023 figures.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 8/12/2024
5 new developments in and around Center City add over 1,700 apartments
More than 1,700 apartments have opened in and around Center City this summer thanks to five major developments. The new units come amid a surge in multifamily projects throughout Philadelphia. Among developments with at least 50 units, 2,653 new apartments were built citywide in the first six months of 2024, according to real estate data firm Yardi Matrix. Five high-profile developments have accounted for 1,747 — or more than 65% — of those new units: Post Brothers and Tower Investments’ One Thousand One; Midwood Investment and Development’s 210 S. 12th St.; GY Properties’ Five on Canal; Southern Land Company’s Josephine; and Jefferson Apartment Group and Haverford Properties’ Rivermark Northern Liberties.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 8/11/2024
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