News Briefs for January 19, 2024

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The Green Valley Log Cabin is part of the Green Valley Historic District, which dates back to the late 1700s. The historic district is located in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School Districts, which is proposing a tax increase in its preliminary 2024-2025 budget.

Photo: smallbones (CC0)

General News

U.S. Department of Labor issues final independent contractor rule
The U.S. Department of Labor issued the final independent contractor rule assessing how workers should be classified under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) given the department’s concerns with worker misclassification. The FLSA is the law that sets standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, youth employment standards and other rules impacting employees in the private sector. Real estate professionals generally are not subject to the FLSA, if they are independent contractors; however, there are concerns that application of this rule may lead to the misclassification of real estate professionals as employees. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is concerned about the unintended consequences of the law and its impacts for real estate professionals. NAR has worked with Congress to introduce H.R. 5419, the Direct Seller and Real Estate Harmonization Act, which is legislation to amend the FLSA to clarify the definition of “employee” as it relates to direct sellers and real estate agents, and for other purposes. Read more on the NAR website.
Source: Nar.realtor; 1/12/2024

Poconos population could drop up to 24% by 2050, state predicts
A recent study by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan research arm of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, predicts large population losses for rural areas over the next 30 years, with Poconos counties, such as Pike and Wayne, expected to have some of the biggest potential declines. The vast majority of homeowners in rural counties are baby boomers, and deaths are outpacing births in those areas. An aging population in rural Pennsylvania presents unique problems because there is already limited health care in those areas and there are waiting lists for senior housing. Declining birth rates affect school district budgets. Pennsylvania’s population is projected to grow by only 1.6% by 2050, with significant population decline in 41 counties that are mostly rural and in the north and west. Bucks County is the only local county expected to lose residents, but Philadelphia’s population is projected to grow by 15% by 2050. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 1/14/2024

Peco warns of phone scammers
Scammers are continuing to aggressively target utility company customers using sophisticated tactics. There has been an increase in scammers using tactics like “spoofing” to make their calls appear to be from a PECO phone number. Scammers are contacting PECO customers and falsely claiming their electric or natural gas service will be disconnected unless payment is made immediately. A Newtown Square resident was recently scammed for $1,800. PECO advises customers to never give out account or billing information to an unverified person and to call the utility directly at 800-494-4000 if they are suspicious about someone claiming to work for PECO.
Source: PECO 1/17/2024

Bucks County

Doylestown Borough residents challenge proposed hotel developer
A Doylestown developer appeared before the Doylestown Borough zoning board seeking several zoning variances to build a 32-room hotel, 70-seat restaurant and 120-person event space to replace the town’s former borough hall and police station at 57 W. Court St. Developer Larry Thompson has already received permission to raze the old building in the central commercial district. He is seeking variances for height, parking, buffer and setback requirements before the project can move forward. The hearing was standing-room only, with residents who live near the project waiting to comment on the current plan. Residents object to the request to allow a fourth story in a district that allows three stories. Residents are also concerned with parking and additional traffic, with one pointing out that homeowners “have graciously accepted many changes to our neighborhood” but “there is no reason change must come at the expense of the residents who have invested in making Doylestown what it is.” The hearing was continued. Visit the Doylestown Borough website for current meeting information. If zoning relief is granted, the project would move to the land development phase and further review by the county and borough planning commissions.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 1/13/2024

Roundabout project scheduled to start in Middletown Township
A major Pennsylvania Department of Transportation project is set to reconstruct two busy intersections in Middletown Township — Bridgetown Pike and Langhorne-Yardley Road, and Langhorne-Yardley and Woodbourne roads. Expected to cost $12.9 million, the project is designed to improve traffic flow and safety. The T-intersection at Langhorne-Yardley Road and Bridgetown Pike will be replaced with a single-lane roundabout. For the Langhorne-Yardley and Woodbourne Road intersection, plans include improved road alignment, additional turn lanes on all sides, a dedicated left-turn lane near Erica Drive, and upgraded traffic signals. The project is expected to be complete in 2025. Read more here.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 1/12/2024

Joint venture plans Trevose distribution warehouse
J.G. Petrucci Company of Asbury, New Jersey, has partnered with Boston-based Cabot Properties to develop a 320,250-square-foot distribution warehouse at 4626 Somerton Road in Trevose. JLL Capital Markets arranged financing for the joint venture’s construction loan from Principal Asset Management. As of the third quarter of 2023, Bucks County industrial properties had a vacancy rate of 4.5%, according to Colliers. The average asking rent was $11.38 per square foot, a rate exceeded in the Philadelphia area only by Chester County’s $13.65 per square foot and Burlington County’s $11.96 per square foot. Colliers also reported that there was 1.3 million square feet of industrial space under construction in Bucks County in the third quarter of last year.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 1/10/2024

Neshaminy School Board seeks to fill vacancy
The Neshaminy School Board recently voted to accept the resignation of board member Cyndie Bowman, of Lower Southampton Township. The school board is accepting letters of interest and resumes for the Region 1 vacancy appointment until Thursday, Jan. 30. Candidate interviews, if needed, and the appointment will be conducted publicly at the school board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6. For more information, visit the district announcements page.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 1/12/2024

Chester County

Kennett school district unveils preliminary budget with spending, tax increases
Property owners in the Kennett Consolidated School District will face a 4.8% tax hike for the 2024-2025 school year if the preliminary budget is approved as is. The numbers, calculated by district CFO Mark Tracy and announced by board treasurer Michael Finnegan, reflected an increase from the current $98 million operating budget to $104 million. Finnegan referred to the increase as unfortunate and said that it is the result of inflation. “We have three more meetings to look at this,” he said. “Each year we have been able to bring it down [by the final vote in June].” Based on the preliminary numbers presented, the average homeowner in the district who paid about $5,950 for the 2023-2024 school year will pay about $6,230 for 2024-2025 if no reduction of the initial numbers is worked out before the final vote on June 10. The preliminary budget does not include any additional funding for the building of two new elementary schools.
Source: Chester County Press; 1/10/2024

Unionville-Chadds Ford preliminary budget would raise taxes
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District’s preliminary 2024-2025 budget estimates revenues and expenditures of approximately $106.7 million, with a $12,000 deficit between them. The budget proposes millage rates of 33.17 mills for Chester County property owners and 18.89 mills for properties in Chadds Ford, the only Delaware County municipality in the district. Those figures represent an increase of 3.82% in Chester County and 12.98% in Chadds Ford. The preliminary budget includes $600,000 to implement full-day kindergarten. The numbers will likely change before the board is scheduled to vote on the final budget on June 17.
Source: Chadds Ford Live; 1/9/2024

Westtown denies conditional use request for Stokes estate
On Dec. 27, 2023, Westtown Township supervisors voted to deny Fox Clearing LLC’s conditional use application to construct 85 single-family detached homes on the Stokes estate on Shiloh Road. The Stokes Estate 2023 Application page on the township website includes a complete copy of the application, planning commission recommendations and hearing exhibits.
Source: Westtown Township; 12/2023

Chester County preservation program offers grants to municipalities, nonprofits
Chester County offers two distinct grant programs that provide funding to municipalities and nonprofit land conservation organizations to permanently preserve significant natural, recreational, agricultural, historic and cultural land resources, enhance public access to those lands, and implement county and municipal land use policies. Learn more at the funding opportunities on the county Parks and Preservation webpage.
Source: Chester County; 1/4/2024

Delaware County

Delco changes payment methods for county real estate taxes
Delaware County residents should be aware that TD Bank branches no longer accept payments for county real estate taxes. The county continues to offer multiple payment options, including an online payment portal, payment by mail to the county treasurer’s office, or in person. For more information, visit the Delaware County Treasurer’s website.
Source: Delaware County; 1/12/2024

County talks opioid settlement funds with stakeholders
Delaware County Council and the county chamber of commerce hosted a roundtable with business leaders on Jan. 5 to discuss the funding the county will receive from the $26 billion opioid settlement. The county will receive approximately $62.5 million over the course of 18 years to combat the effects of the opioid epidemic. The money is part of the $26 billion multi-state opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. The county formed a task force in 2022 to provide recommendations for short-term and immediate uses, as well as long-term programming that can be supported by the new funding. It is also engaging with community stakeholders on how to use the funding to tackle the opioid epidemic. During the roundtable forum, business leaders discussed the impact of the opioid crisis on their community and offered ideas for solutions. More roundtable events with various groups are being planned. For more information, visit the Delaware County Opioid Settlement website.
Source: Delaware County; 1/12/2024

Swarthmorean newspaper has new owners
Swarthmore residents Mary Kadlec and Lessa Josselyn Dixon have taken ownership of the Swarthmorean newspaper. “We begin our tenure as publishers and editors of the paper honored to act as its next stewards,” Kadlec and Dixon said. They expressed their gratitude to Rob Borgstrom, Greg Hoy and Todd Strine for positioning the 130-year-old publication for its next phase of growth. The new ownership team stressed that the paper will continue to be a community endeavor.
Source: The Swarthmorean; 1/12/2024

Stormwater improvements planned at Henderson Field in Swarthmore
Swarthmore Borough has been awarded a $300,000 small water and sewer grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The funds will be utilized for stormwater improvements at Henderson Field. The project will reduce flooding of the sports field facilities, reduce soil erosion on residential properties, and implement the goals of the borough’s pollution reduction plan. The funded plan will include the construction of stormwater inlets, pipes and manholes to convey stormwater to connect Forest Lane, the sports field facility and the existing storm sewer system.
Source: The Swarthmorean; 1/12/2024

Montgomery County

North Penn voters reject $97M high school proposal in special election
North Penn School District residents voted down a ballot question proposing a major expansion of North Penn High School in a Jan. 16 special election. Despite heavy snows and freezing temperatures, unofficial county vote totals reported 10,790 votes against the borrowing, versus 7,844 votes in favor, and only 166 absentee and mail-in votes pending review. According to the county, all results are unofficial until certified by the county’s board of elections during a public meeting. “The only way you can respond at this point is that the community has spoken,” Superintendent Todd Bauer said the morning after the election. “We’re going to move forward, starting right now. The votes were roughly 42 percent to 58, so that’s clear. And that’s OK, that’s how things work: we left it up to the community, they spoke, and here we are,” he said. The referendum asked whether voters approve the district borrowing $97 million and raising taxes above the normal state cap to fund major renovations to North Penn High School. Board members and district administrators have discussed for years the various failures and needs of the current high school, and presented to the community on the reasons to move ninth grade from the district’s three middle schools to the high school. The election outcome means the high school will still be renovated, but within its existing footprint, and ninth grade will stay at the district’s three middle schools. For more information, read the referendum update on the North Penn website.
Source: The Reporter; 1/17/2024

Montco to launch new call center for homeless response
Effective Feb. 1, Your Way Home will operate a new call center through Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Connections. The change will provide more direct, local expertise and responses to calls from residents experiencing homelessness. The county will hold a soft launch of the new call center starting on Jan. 15. People experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County can begin to call the new helpline number at 610-278-3522 to be connected to a coordinated entry specialist. The launch of the new helpline means that United Way of Southeastern PA’s 2-1-1 call center will no longer be the coordinated entry provider for the Your Way Home. During the soft launch, 2-1-1 will still be available, but starting Feb. 1, residents calling 2-1-1 for Your Way Home will hear a recorded message directing them to dial the new helpline number. Click here for more information about the new call center and Your Way Home’s programs. View the county press release here.
Source: Cheltenham Township; 1/11/2024

County designates funds for 2024 farmland preservation efforts
Montgomery County commissioners earmarked nearly $1.19 million for farmland preservation efforts in 2024. County planning manager Anne Leavitt-Gruberger told commissioners that the initiative began in 1990, and since then $122 million has been used to preserve 186 farms, totaling nearly 10,500 acres. The program uses a combination of local, county and state funds that allows the county to purchase the development rights on farms. In addition, the resolution stipulates $4,000 will go to the Montgomery County Conservation District, with those funds designated to “assist with the statutorily required annual inspections of each preserved farm, with the remainder of the funds to be used for the purchase of agricultural preservation easements.” Read more about the Farmland Preservation Program here.
Source: The Reporter; 1/15/2024

Tompkins Community Bank offers first-time homebuyer program
Tompkins Community Bank has announced that it is part of the 2024 Homebuyer Dream Program, which is offered through the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. The program provides up to $20,000 in funding to assist eligible low- and moderate-income homebuyers with the acquisition of their first homes. To qualify for the 2024 Homebuyer Dream Program, a borrower must be a first-time homebuyer, have a household income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income for the county in which the home will be purchased, and be in good standing with the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York. Awardees will also need to complete a homeownership counseling program. Founded in 1836, Tompkins Community Bank serves the Central, Western and Hudson Valley regions of New York, and the Southeastern region of Pennsylvania.
Source: Main Line Media News; 1/15/2024

Penn Medicine buys Montgomeryville site for outpatient care center
Penn Medicine paid $7.5 million to acquire a 12-acre parcel of undeveloped land in Montgomery County for a new multi-specialty outpatient care center. The property is located at 200 Dekalb Pike, between Welsh and Knapp roads in the Montgomeryville section of Montgomery Township. The proposed four-story facility, called Penn Medicine Montgomeryville, would have about 150,000 square feet of space and include an adjoining parking garage. The center is expected to provide an array of services, including primary care, women's health, heart care, lab testing, radiology imaging, radiation and infusion therapy for cancer patients, outpatient surgery, and urgent care. The project was approved by Montgomery Township last fall.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 12/26/2023

Philadelphia

Housing, not in-person work, will help Philly rebound from the pandemic, economist says
Lancaster-based economist Adam Ozimek gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his research on remote work, becoming a go-to source for news outlets across the country. Ozimek is also a Temple University graduate, a former Philadelphia resident and an alumnus of local economic research firm Econsult Solutions and West Chester-based Moody’s Analytics. Ozimek said that employees sent home during the height of the pandemic who are still working remotely are unlikely at this point to be called back to the office. He also noted that while some city residents relocated to the suburbs when their work became remote, many Center City residents moved to new areas within the city, creating vacancies downtown. “Demand is a curve, not a fixed quantity,” Ozimek said. “You can increase supply, and more people will come because prices fall. So cities can really help to offset the problems of declining downtown demand for remote work by simply building more.” Read the Inquirer’s full interview with Ozimek about his research on the latest changes in remote work and how they might affect Philadelphia.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 1/15/2024

Survey shows majority of Wash West residents oppose Sixers arena
A community survey conducted by the Washington Square West Civic Association shows residents strongly oppose the Sixers’ plan to build a new basketball arena near the neighborhood. A total of 412 residents participated in the single-question survey, which asked people whether they were “in favor of, opposed to, or neutral about the 76ers arena venue on Market Street.” About 77% of respondents said they are opposed to the project. Roughly 13% said they are in favor of it. The rest were either neutral or undecided. In a statement, Sixers spokesperson Nicole Gainer said the polling “only sampled a small group of individuals, was not reflective of the full Washington Square community, and did not represent the opinion of its board.” The survey comes as the Sixers hope to secure zoning approvals needed to proceed to demolition and construction. A lack of community support for the project could influence whether it moves forward. Read more here.
Source: PlanPhilly; 1/16/2024

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