News Briefs for October 11, 2024
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Idlewild is a circa 1890 home in Upper Providence, Delaware County, designed by the Victorian-era Philadelphia architect Frank Furness as a summer cottage for his family. Upper Providence Township supervisors are considering enacting an earned income tax.
Photo: Smallbones (CC0)
Realtor election resources online
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Pennsylvania Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) voter guide has information on RPAC-supported candidates.
PA township supervisors can now vote themselves up to a 7% pay raise
Pennsylvania’s township supervisors can vote themselves a pay raise over the next five years under a new law. The measure allows for the salary of elected officials in the state’s nearly 1,500 second-class townships to rise for the first time since 1995 by nearly 7% next year. The pay raises only take effect after a supervisor stands for election for a six-year term, meaning the soonest any would benefit from the law is 2026 and it won’t apply to all supervisors until January 2030. The law also allows for townships to pass an ordinance to shift to a per-meeting compensation arrangement based on meeting attendance. The per-meeting pay basis would be capped at the maximum annual compensation levels permitted under the law. Caps vary depending on population, with a range of $3,145 for townships with less than 5,000 residents to $8,385 for townships with 35,000 residents.
Source: Daily Times; 10/5/2024
American Water targeted by cyberattack
American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States, announced that it was the victim of a cyberattack, prompting the firm to pause billing to customers. The company does not believe its facilities or operations were impacted by the attack and said staffers are working to investigate the nature and scope of the attack. American Water manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities in multiple states, including Pennsylvania.
Source: Daily Times; 10/8/2024
Niche releases rankings of school districts in PA
Radnor Township School District has been ranked as the best in Pennsylvania in Niche’s 2025 Best Schools and Districts rankings. Local districts in the top 10 include:
#1 Radnor Township School District
#3 Tredyffrin-Easttown School District
#4 Lower Merion School District
#9 New Hope-Solebury School District
#10 Spring-Ford Area School District
Niche’s ranking methodology differs from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance because it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.
Source: Patch; 9/30/2024
First LIHTC affordable housing program unit deadlines approaching
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is a federal program launched in 1987 that provides tax credits to developers in exchange for keeping rents low. Since its inception it has pumped out 3.6 million units nationwide. The buildings need to be kept affordable for a certain amount of time — normally a minimum of 30 years. For the wave of LIHTC construction in the 1990s, those deadlines are arriving now, threatening to cause a drop in affordable housing supply when it is already struggling. The best nationwide analysis estimates that by 2030 roughly 350,000 LIHTC units are at risk of losing affordability. Some states have extended the affordability, while others are prioritizing tax credits for expiring developments. Read more here.
Source: AP News; 10/7/2024
Developer plans 50 homes at former Heckman elementary in Middletown and Langhorne
Erin Development Company is planning to build 44 townhomes and six duplex units on the site of the former Oliver Heckman Elementary School, which closed in 2016. The 8.2-acre property spans Middletown Township and Langhorne Borough. Preliminary plans were recently shared with Langhorne Borough officials. The plans include two stormwater basins and about two acres of open space. The townhouses will be located within Middletown Township and require zoning variances, including adjustments for allowable density, building coverage and an increase to the permitted impervious area. The developer was scheduled to appear before the Middletown Township Zoning Hearing Board on Oct. 9 but was subsequently rescheduled to Nov. 13.
Source: LevittownNow; 10/5/2024
Lower Bucks Logistics Hub looks to open in November
Two Middletown Township warehouses on the old Reedman-Toll Auto World site are slated to open in November. The Lower Bucks Logistics Hub is owned by Foxfield, a Boston-based real estate company. The twin warehouses are large — the building at 1600 E. Old Lincoln Highway is nearly 361,500 square feet, and 1620 across the street is more than 453,100 square feet. A traffic light is planned for Route 213, which divides the buildings from each other. Foxfield states in its brochure that the Logistics Hub will “provide ease of access to I-295, I-95, Route 1 and Route 13, allowing distribution up and down the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.” No tenants have been named.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 10/4/2024
Falls Township police announce outreach program to aid homeless
The Falls Township Police Department has announced the initiation of a new outreach program to support the homeless population in Bucks County. The program is named Direct Appeal to Support Bucks County’s Homeless (DASH) and it has placed donation boxes in businesses, faith-based entities and civic organizations that have partnered with the police department. The police force is often the first line of engagement with the transient and resident homeless population. Read more and see donation locations at LevittownNow and the township website.
Source: LevittownNow; 10/7/2024
Middletown Township residents petition for backyard chickens
Middletown Township residents have petitioned to amend laws related to owning chickens in residential areas. The petition advocates for backyard chicken-keeping as a “cost-effective food source,” offering “natural pest control” and “mental health benefits.” Current township regulations prohibit chickens on most properties, with chickens only allowed on properties greater than 10 acres within certain residential agriculture zoning districts. The residents are asking for more relaxed rules that are still subject to limitations, including restrictions on the number of chickens, banning roosters, and regulations on feed storage and coop conditions. The petitioners planned to bring their proposal in front of the zoning hearing board.
Source: LevittownNow; 10/7/2024
Oxford Borough receives funding to transform Niblock Alley
Oxford Borough has been awarded a state grant for more than $854,000 that will ensure completion of strategic improvements to Niblock Alley, a rebuilding effort that followed the devastating fire in Oxford’s downtown in September 2023. The money comes via PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund Program and also provides funds to rehabilitate the Broad Street Bridge. Read more in the Chester County Press.
Source: Chester County Press; 10/2/2024
Penn Township considers how to adequately fund fire and ambulance services
Penn Township supervisors are grappling with how to raise the allocation for the West Grove Fire and Ambulance, which serves Penn Township and neighboring municipalities. The costs of fire equipment and paid staff have increased significantly, and there was discussion of imposing a fire tax or an increased real estate tax. The lack of volunteers increases the need for paid staff. The West Grove Fire Company is in a transition period to increase the number of paid staff over the next two years to reach what they hope will be a 70/30 split of paid/volunteer. Read more here.
Source: Chester County Press; 10/2/2024
Chester County seeks resident volunteers for innovative solutions
Chester County commissioners are asking residents to help them find new ways to address complex social challenges facing county government via a new initiative called Innovate Chester County. The new program will generate ideas from the public on affordable housing, public transportation, children’s mental health, veteran services and agriculture. For more information, visit the Innovate Chester County website. The deadline to apply is Oct. 18.
Source: Chester County; 10/3/2024
Kennett Township reviews 2025 capital project requests
Kennett Township’s director of finance and human resources Amy Heinrich introduced one component of next year’s fiscal outlook to the board of supervisors: a wish list summary of capital projects totaling $875,000 that it proposes to invest in over the next year. Heinrich’s presentation included a diverse list of projects for the township’s main building; its public works and police departments; upgrades for its sewer system; paving and stormwater needs; and the construction of the Five Points intersection project. View the presentation on the township website.
Source: Chester County Press; 9/25/2024
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District invites feedback on Middle School Feasibility Study
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District held a special “community conversation” on its Middle School Feasibility Study and continues to seek community feedback. Superintendent John Sanville said the study was the first step in addressing longstanding concerns about the middle school building and campus. The school board will vote in February 2025 on a recommendation to maintain, renovate or replace the current middle school. Another community meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Charles F. Patton Middle School, and the Feasibility Study Report and recommendation will be presented to the board at a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Source: Daily Local; 10/8/2024
Upper Providence to consider EIT
Upper Providence Township Council will consider establishing and enacting an earned income tax (EIT) for township residents and nonresidents working in the township at a rate of 1%. The township has answers to common questions about the proposed tax on its website. The township council determined the EIT is necessary to diversify the tax base and lower property taxes. The township estimates that approximately $3.75 million per year in revenue will be derived from the EIT. The ordinance will be considered for adoption on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Upper Providence Township Building, 935 N. Providence Road, Media.
Source: Daily Times; 10/8/2024
CWA files federal court motion to block Chester receiver’s plan
The Chester Water Authority (CWA) has filed a motion in federal court requesting the bankruptcy court return the authority’s pending appeal to the state Supreme Court. The appeal has been dormant since November 2022, when a stay was issued. The CWA claims the City of Chester is attempting to use the bankruptcy court to dissolve the nonprofit public water utility company and seize its assets. Chester Mayor Stefan Roots has said several times that CWA and Delcora are the city’s most valuable assets and should be used to help the residents.
Source: Chester Spirit; 10/2/2024
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District invites feedback on Middle School Feasibility Study
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District held a special “community conversation” on its Middle School Feasibility Study and continues to seek community feedback. Superintendent John Sanville said the study was the first step in addressing longstanding concerns about the middle school building and campus. The school board will vote in February 2025 on a recommendation to maintain, renovate or replace the current middle school. Another community meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Charles F. Patton Middle School, and the Feasibility Study Report and recommendation will be presented to the board at a special meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Source: Daily Local; 10/8/2024
Aston issues reminder about need for permits
Aston Township reminds property owners in its fall 2024 newsletter that permits are required for new houses, additions (regardless of size), decks, doors, windows, kitchen remodels, pools, water heaters, driveways, sidewalks, fences, roofing (both new or replacements), and bathroom remodels. Permits are also required for a change in use of commercial buildings, as well as the replacement of electrical, gas or plumbing systems. An emergency repair or replacement of equipment may be made first without applying for a permit if a permit application is submitted to the building code official within three business days of the repair or replacement. A permit is also required for the installation, alteration repair or removal of solar panels. More information about permits can be found here. Questions relating to permits can be directed to the township code department at 610-494-0384.
Source: Aston Township; Fall 2024
Middletown Township becomes a ‘Bird Town’
Middletown Township Council recently adopted the Bird Town Pennsylvania program proposed by the environmental advisory committee (EAC). Middletown joins 68 other municipalities in Pennsylvania in becoming a Bird Town, a statewide program that recognizes townships for their commitment to stewardship. ”The EAC is looking forward to making Middletown an even more beautiful and environmentally friendly township for both people and birds," said Linda Coulston, chair of the local Bird Town Committee. The EAC will work with Bird Town Pennsylvania and the Valley Forge Audubon Society to highlight the township’s ecological resources and provide outreach and education to property owners.
Source: Middletown Township; 9/2024
Norristown approves 116-unit apartment building
Norristown Municipal Council approved a proposal from MM Partners for an apartment building at the intersection of Main and Dekalb streets. The seven-story, 116-unit apartment building at 69 E. Main St. would be built on land that has sat vacant for decades next door to the Justice Center Project, the expansion of the county courthouse. The new building will include more than 11,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. Tom Lepera, president of Norristown Municipal Council, pointed out that to “enliven the heart of Norristown,” you need people close by, and then businesses will follow. Norristown’s private sector development is experiencing a renaissance — more than 1,200 housing units are slated for the municipality, according to the Montgomery County Commerce Department, with an additional 618 planned across the Schuylkill River in Bridgeport Borough. Construction is expected to begin within the next 12 to 18 months.
Source: Norristown Patch; 10/3/2024 & Philadelphia Inquirer; 10/7/2024
Limerick talks data center zoning
Limerick officials approved a “data center” overlay district in the township’s “heavy industrial” zone in June and are now looking to create a similar data center overlay district for about one-third of the properties in the “light limited industrial” district. The light limited industrial district includes the Philadelphia Premium Outlets and the acres of vacant land across Lightcap Road. About 117 of those acres have already received preliminary approval for a warehouse, trucking and distribution center, but according to township officials, the warehouse project seems likely to become a data center instead. The proposed new overlay district would set conditions for the approval of data center projects within it and allow data centers only as a conditional use, thereby moving zoning use decisions into the hands of the elected supervisors. The advertisement of the proposed overlay district will set the date for a public hearing on the subject for Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 10/4/2024
Pottstown region comprehensive plan survey closes Oct. 20
The Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission is preparing a new comprehensive plan for its eight-town region and is seeking input from the people who live there. The municipalities include: Pottstown, West Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, New Hanover, Douglass (Montgomery Township), North Coventry and East Coventry. A comprehensive plan is a long-range planning document that outlines future growth and development objectives. An online survey asks about things like housing, commercial development, open space, parks and recreation, and transportation. According to Montgomery County Planning officials, 651 people have taken the survey, and they are hoping to get many more before the Oct. 20 deadline.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 10/7/2024
Limerick opens community park ahead of schedule
Workers are nearing completion of a $1.3 million expansion of Limerick Community Park. The expansion includes new tennis and pickleball courts that are generating “significant interest from the community,” according to Limerick Township Manager Dan Kerr. Kerr updated supervisors on the progress being made and received approval to open the courts ahead of schedule. The park originally spanned 56 acres and grew by 25 acres in 2016 following a land donation. A $50,000 study, partly funded by a state grant, guided the park’s redesign. Future plans include a large, multi-use field, an amphitheater and a complete rebuild of the Manderach Playground. A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for later in the month.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 10/7/2024
Souderton names new manager
Souderton Borough has selected Sara Jarrett-Easton to the position of borough manager. She was first hired as director of finance and treasurer on April 1, and then named acting borough manager two weeks later following the departure of Stacy Crandall. Jarrett-Eaton has a background in finance and municipal work. Her top three goals are long-term planning, community engagement and building the borough’s reserve fund.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 10/3/2024
East Falls, Manayunk publish flood mitigation study 3 years after Hurricane Ida
During the wake of Hurricane Ida, residents and businesses in Philadelphia’s East Falls and Manayunk neighborhoods were blindsided by heavy flooding — the magnitude of which hadn’t been reported in 100 years. The damage caused by the high waters forced some businesses to close for almost a year. Three years after Ida, the East Falls and Manayunk development corporations have made recommendations to prepare for future storms and mitigate severe flooding. A 72-page study outlines short-term solutions like evacuation plans, and long-term road and stormwater infrastructure projects that would require significant funding and resources. “There’s no magic bullet to fix everything. This is something that we’re going to have to learn to live with,” said Gwen McCauley, executive director of the Manayunk Development Corporation. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the neighborhoods are in the 100-year floodplain, meaning in any given year they have a 1% chance of flooding, and over the course of a 30-year mortgage there’s a 25% chance of flooding. However, the agency’s national flood maps are outdated and don’t take into account environmental changes, such as sea level rise and changes in rainfall. Read more at WHYY.
Source: WHYY; 10/5/2024
PhilaPort plans to create 9,000 jobs with $2B in capital investments
The Port of Philadelphia — managed by the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority, also known as PhilaPort — has outlined an aggressive strategic plan it estimates will create 9,000 new jobs and triple container capacity over the next 15 years as it invests $2 billion in capital projects and land acquisitions. The comprehensive plan will take PhilaPort through 2040 in a bid to greatly expand the port's footprint, capacity, offerings and standing as an economic hub in Greater Philadelphia and along the East Coast. The plan, which PhilaPort says has support from Gov. Josh Shapiro, is projected to create $2.84 billion in new business revenue and $170 million in state and local tax revenue. The strategic plan comes on the heels of an announcement that cruise ships will return to PhilaPort in 2026 and coincides with discussions about potentially partnering with developer HRP Group on its massive Bellwether District nearby. The 15-year framework details those plans further, including a priority project to create a temporary cruise terminal south of the Walt Whitman Bridge that, if successful, would lead to a permanent terminal for cruise ships at a location to be determined. The port is also actively exploring an acquisition of some 150 acres south of the Walt Whitman Bridge to develop into automobile and container space.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 10/8/2024
Housing programs in Philly are rooted in regional income measurements
In the world of affordable housing, area median income (AMI) is one of the most important metrics. Defined as “the midpoint of a specific area’s income distribution,” AMI is a regional measure often used as a shorthand to signal the relative affordability of a particular housing initiative. AMI is most often used to set income guidelines for government-backed housing and community development programs designed to help people with low incomes like the Housing Choice Voucher Program. AMI values are regional. Philadelphia’s AMI — which is currently $114,400 for a family of four — is based on incomes in 11 counties spanning four states. Some housing advocates find that uniformity problematic. City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced a resolution calling for a hearing to explore the shortcomings of using a regional AMI. Read more at PlanPhilly.
Source: PlanPhilly; 10/7/2024
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