A weekly roundup of real estate news, compiled by Suburban Realtors? Alliance week of: 3/18/2022
Flooding in Mont Clare, Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in 2021. The National Flood Insurance Program was recently renewed through Sept.
Weekly News Briefs
Scroll down for full text of articles
General
Biden signs omnibus spending bill including NAR priorities
On March 15, President Joe Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package that will keep the government running and funded through Sept. 30. Since last October, the government has relied on a series of short-term funding extensions while Congress worked toward this long-term solution. Notably, the bipartisan package includes a number of National Association of Realtors priorities, including funding for fair housing programs, extending the National Flood Insurance Program, affordable housing options, rural housing loans and rental assistance. Read more about the full list of NAR priorities included?here.?
Source: Nar.realtor; 3/15/2022
National Flood Insurance Program extended through September
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been extended through Sept. 30 as part of the $1.5 trillion federal spending package signed into law on March 15. Visit the National Association of Realtors’?NFIP resource page?for more information about the program. Flood insurance is particularly important for Pennsylvania.?A recent study?conducted by the nonprofit research and technology group First Street Foundation found that the risk for potential damage from increased flooding in Pennsylvania is the second-highest in the nation, behind only Florida.
Source: City & State PA; 3/9/2022
Registration open for PAR public advocacy training
The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) is offering advocacy training for members, including two sessions in the Philadelphia region. Attendees will learn how to tell their stories to elected officials and decision-makers to affect change in Harrisburg and their local communities. The training sessions will cover PAR’s advocacy efforts and simulate a day on the Hill with other Realtors. The half-day training sessions are free and open to any PAR member.?Visit PAR’s website to register for a local training session:?
Source: PAR; 3/2022?
Bucks
Affordable housing is needed in Bucks County, so why isn’t it being built?
In a survey released earlier this month, the Bucks County Opportunity Council identified affordable housing as one of the greatest community needs. The average rent in the county — before the pandemic caused prices to skyrocket — was $1,257. Close to half of renters in Bucks County are spending more than 30% of their income on rent, creating a “housing cost burden.” Being able to afford housing is secondary to availability. The county’s emergency homeless shelter is full, budget hotels are full of families with nowhere else to go, and first-time homebuyers are being priced out of Bucks’ hot real estate market. Affordable housing advocates say there is no simple solution. The federal low-income housing tax credit program is one option. It gives government funds to help developers finance a project if they agree to set aside a portion of the units for those who qualify as low income. Developers that have tried to build affordable housing in the county say too often residents and politicians “push back.” Jacob Fisher, regional vice president for Pennrose development, said local boards and commissions point to issues like traffic, neighborhood density or the impact on schools. “They will say that they support affordable housing,” Fisher said. “They just believe it should go somewhere else.” Pennsylvania has awarded $317 million in tax credits for affordable housing projects throughout the state since 2012 — and less than 1% of that went to developers seeking projects in Bucks County. Read the full article from the Bucks County Courier Times?here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 3/15/2022?
Morrisville schools get boost from state; merger study on hold
Morrisville School District will receive $1 million in increased funding from the state to supplement a “critical need.” The state will provide the supplemental funds through the Ready to Learn Block Grant, which provides enhanced student learning and school resources. Officials say the school district has long been underfunded because of Pennsylvania’s basic education funding formula, which hasn’t allowed the 800-plus student district to receive its fair share of money for several years. The funding issues have led Morrisville to look into consolidation with other school districts over the years — most recently with Pennsbury School District. Both districts are awaiting the review of a grant submission to cover the cost of a feasibility study for the merger.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 3/13/2022
Lower Makefield hears ideas for township-owned properties
Lower Makefield Township supervisors recently heard from the township’s Ad Hoc Property Committee concerning two township-owned properties. The committee presented several ideas for the Patterson Farm on Yardley-Newtown Road and the historic and vacant Slack House at the township-owned Makefield Highlands Golf Club. Recommendations for the Patterson Farm included: review tenant leases to maximize revenue; develop a master plan; form a Patterson Farm Oversight Board; expand a building being used by the Artists of Yardley organization; and convert one of the buildings into township office space, while preserving the farm’s agricultural space. Slack House recommendations included: conduct an engineering assessment, and convert the structure into a wedding and/or large events venue that could potentially produce significant revenue for the township. Dennis Steadman, who presented on behalf of the committee, estimated the total cost of implementing the recommendations on both properties would be roughly $5 million to $5.5 million. Township officials lauded the quality of the presentation and acknowledged the “enormity of it.” The entire presentation can be viewed on the?township website.?
Source: Bucks County Herald; 3/10/2022
Developer looks to build in Hulmeville
A special community meeting will be held for a developer to present plans for a 40-acre property in Hulmeville. Superior Holdings will present two conceptual plans — one for several dozen single-family homes, and one that features a mix of apartments, townhomes and single-family homes. The developer will go over the different plans Thursday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the William Penn Fire Company station, 123 Main St. The land where Superior Holdings is seeking to construct the development has been purchased in pieces since 2019 for a combined total of just over $6 million, according to county property records. The property was once the Harriet Black farm and Langhorne Wood Products.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 3/14/2022?
Chester
Phoenixville council OKs mixed-use Steelworks project at old slaughterhouse site
Phoenixville Borough Council on Tuesday voted 6-1 to approve a plan to demolish all buildings on an abandoned slaughterhouse site on Bridge Street and replace it with a mixed-use building with 375 apartments, more than 40,000 square feet of commercial space and an extension of Hall Street. The development is called Steelworks and was formally submitted last April by Steelworks Acquisition LP. Local developer Manny DeMutis said planning for the project actually goes back to 2006 and the first plan was submitted in 2016. Much of the site, officially located at 537 through 551 Bridge St., has been abandoned for years. The project also calls for tearing down some row houses. DeMutis said the residents of those homes are being relocated by the developers. The project will allow widening of that part of Bridge Street, make it more walkable and will put all the utilities underground. Hall Street also will be extended through the site all the way to Paradise Street, which will improve access for the newly constructed firehouse, Phoenixville Borough Manager E. Jean Krack said. In addition to the apartments and commercial space, which is divided up among five units, Steelworks also would include a 22,000-square-foot piazza, 370 parking spaces on the ground floor for the exclusive use of the residential units, and another 241 parking spaces on the first floor for retail use. Mayor Peter Urscheler noted that the latest census figures show Phoenixville’s population grew by 14.5% in the past 10 years and the borough is the 13th fastest-growing municipality in Pennsylvania.
Source: Daily Local; 3/11/2022
New park planned for lot across from West Chester Borough Hall
West Chester Borough Planning Commission and the borough’s Smart Growth Committee each voted to recommend to borough council the installation of a tree-lined linear park at the Gay and Adams streets intersection near Borough Hall. The park would follow a slightly curving line from east to west entirely along the public right-of-way and the sidewalk next to Gay Street. An enhanced streetscape would include plants, trees, a sidewalk and rain gardens. Three curb cuts would remain, two on Gay and one on Adams. Sidewalk bump outs on all four corners at Gay and Adams streets would be installed as traffic-calming devices and to improve pedestrian crossing safety. The price tag is approximately $200,000, according to tree commission member and landscape architect Chris Pugliese. The tree commission suggests the borough seek grant funding to pay for the project.
Source: Daily Local; 3/15/2022
111 acres in Charlestown Township preserved
French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, in partnership with Charlestown Township, has protected 111 additional acres in northern Chester County through conservation easements on two properties. The easements were funded through the township’s Open Space Initiative using tax dollars. The easements have eliminated all but six residential rights on what could have been high-density development. Located within the Pickering Creek Watershed, the properties include heavily wooded areas, a tributary to the Pickering Creek and 71 acres of soils considered to be “Prime Agricultural Soils” by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. There are 31 acres of mixed-aged woodlands and a vegetated stream corridor that provides habitat to numerous plant and animal species. Both properties are near other lands under easement with French & Pickering, increasing the already expansive conservation corridor in Charlestown Township.
Source: Daily Local; 3/12/2022
Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties consider a new passenger rail authority
Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties are taking the first steps toward creating a Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, with the goal of restoring a passenger line connecting Reading, Phoenixville, Pottstown, Norristown and Philadelphia. The route would offer a one-seat ride (no transfers) via an existing freight rail line and would reach Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station using SEPTA’s Regional Rail line. The new authority also would consider exploring other stops along the way, still to be determined. Public forums to gather community input are scheduled in all three counties for late April. Montgomery County’s hearing is set for Wednesday, April 20, Berks County’s virtual public forum is Thursday, April 21, and Chester County’s is Wednesday, April 27. At the forums, the commissioners of the three counties are expected to vote on creating the authority. On formal approval by all three counties, the new transportation agency would have “the power to formalize agreements, procure funding, and provide for a direct governmental body that can work with Amtrak, PennDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration and other necessary partners,” according to Montgomery County officials. The nine-member authority — three members from each county — would be a public entity, with all meetings required to be open under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act. The authority would help with getting a piece of the $66 billion set aside for Amtrak through the federal infrastructure bill. Read more?here.?
Source: WHYY; 3/15/2022
Demolition of Rubenstein’s in West Chester begins
Demolition work has begun at the old Rubenstein’s office store and Salvation Army thrift shop in West Chester Borough. Preliminary plans call for construction of approximately 219 apartments at the vacant site of office supply and furniture store Rubinstein’s and the former Salvation Army thrift shop. Builder Eli Kahn submitted plans to the borough to raze the buildings and construct a 60-foot-tall structure, with four stories of apartments. Parking is slated for ground level of the 2.4-acre property at 250 E. Market St. The proposed S-shaped structure would allow for green space and natural light. The building plans show 39 two-bedroom units, 162 one-bedroom apartments and 19 studios. Amenities include an 1,820-square-foot pool, a putting green and a bocce ball court. The plans indicate that the building is located within a “floodplain hazard zone.” Goose Creek runs beneath the property. No housing units would be built at ground level due to the potential for flooding.
Source: Daily Local; 3/13/2022?
Delaware
PUC rules PECO gas facility can move ahead in Marple
The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has ruled development of PECO’s proposed gas reliability station at Cedar Grove and Sproul roads in Marple can move ahead despite zoning violations. The PUC ruled 3-0 Thursday against Marple zoning restrictions that were preventing the facility, which would reduce high pressure gas coming from the company’s Conshohocken plant for distribution to customers in Delaware County. For the past year PECO had been trying to get state approval to build the facility, saying it’s vital to meet increasing gas demands in the area and Cedar Grove Road is the best site. Area residents and Marple Township have been opposed, saying the facility belongs in an industrial site, not near heavily populated homes and businesses. The proposed site was once a gas station. PECO has an option to purchase the property. Marple solicitor Adam Matlawski said he expects the township will appeal but that decision will be discussed by the township commissioners.
Source: Daily Times; 3/12/2022
Receiver moves to strip Chester councilman of financial responsibilities
Chester’s receiver is asking the Commonwealth Court to strip Chester City Councilman William Morgan of his financial operational authority for a variety of reasons, including incorrectly paying police officers and firefighters, $750,000 in Internal Revenue Service penalties, and the purchase of $1,500 in gift cards last December. Since September 2016, Morgan has been director of Chester’s Accounts and Finance office and the supervisor of the city’s Finances and Human Resources departments. The Writ of Mandamus requests that the court suspend his authority solely in this capacity. In addition, the receiver is asking the court to rescind $10,000 pay increases that some city officials enacted for themselves for this year, to reverse an application for an economic development liquor license for a property partially owned by a city employee and relative to the mayor; and to require city officials and staff to comply with the receiver’s March 2 order regarding financial and human resources operations.
Source: Daily Times; 3/14/2022
Upper Darby residents might be eligible for trash fee rebate
Upper Darby Township is now offering a trash fee rebate for eligible residents who qualify for PA-1000, the state property tax rebate program. The rebate could return up to $100 of the $280 fee for eligible residents: people 65 and older; widows and widowers 50 and older; and residents 18 and older who have permanent disabilities. Eligible applicants must have an income below $35,000. The program uses 2021 tax information, with the rebate being applied to the 2022 bill. The rebate is a multi-step process, and to be considered for the program residents must first have paid their trash fee for 2022. State Sen. Tim Kearney (D-26) said his staff is happy to assist constituents with completing the PA-1000 form and navigating the rebate process. More information can be found on the?Upper Darby finance website.
Source: Daily Times; 3/15/2022
Delco vote-by-mail ballots may not get out until early May
Delaware County election officials are anticipating that the vote-by-mail ballots may go out shortly before they’re due. “We could be looking at vote-by-mail ballots, if we’re lucky, going out at the end of April, perhaps even as late as the first week of May,” said James P. Allen, Delaware County director of election operations. “That is not good.” The Pennsylvania primary is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17. Any mail-in or absentee civilian ballots must be received by the Bureau of Elections by 8 p.m. that night. At issue is the contention surrounding redistricting and the litigation surrounding the legality of vote-by-mail ballots. Every 10 years, in conjunction with the U.S. Census, congressional and state legislative districts are redrawn based on updated population figures. “We still do not have a firm date for petitions to be circulated for state representatives and state senators,” Allen said. “We think it’s going to end up being toward the end of March.” In addition to appearing on the ballot, this delay also impacts the election staff duties from putting the candidates’ names in the system, proofreading them and preparing test decks that double check accuracy.
Source: Daily Times; 3/10/2022?
领英推荐
Montgomery
Lower Pottsgrove to consider sewer lateral inspections at point of sale
The Lower Pottsgrove Township Board of Commissioners intends to adopt an ordinance providing for the inspection and repair of private sanitary sewer laterals and privately owned sanitary sewer systems. The proposed ordinance will require sewer lateral inspections in various situations: upon transfer of title of the property; when the sanitary sewer main to which the private sewer lateral is connected is replaced or repaired; and upon inspection by the township due to requirements from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A complete copy of the proposed ordinance can be reviewed at the township office, 2199 Buchert Road, Pottstown. The proposed ordinance was?previously discussed?in September 2021, though some minor changes have been made since then, according to commissioners’ meeting minutes. The commissioners will discuss and potentially vote on the proposed ordinance at a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m., at the Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Road, Pottstown.?
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 3/16/2022
Towamencin sets dates for sewer study town halls
Towamencin Township officials have set dates for two town hall meetings to further discuss the township’s study of a possible sale of the sewer system. Those meetings will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, April 6 and 20, in the auditorium of Dock Mennonite Academy, 1000 Forty Foot Road. Meeting notices are being mailed to all residential sewer customers. The possible sewer sale has been a topic of heavy discussion since fall 2020, when the supervisors authorized study of a possible privatization of the township’s sewer system, including a sewer treatment plant on Kreibel Road.?
Source: The Reporter; 3/10/2022
North Penn Water Authority talks water tank
Worcester Township residents have an opportunity to learn more about a water tank planned for a site off Trooper Road. The water tower is being proposed by the North Penn Water Authority (NPWA). A first presentation was held on March 14, and another one is scheduled for the township zoning hearing board meeting on Tuesday, March 22, at 6 p.m. at Worcester Township Community Hall, 1031 Valley Forge Road. “The proposed water tank (132 feet tall) will be designed to look exactly like the existing grain silo (about 100 feet tall) at Merrymead Farm, including the shape and dark blue color, in order to be compatible with the agricultural character of the township,” said NPWA executive director Tony Bellitto. According to Bellitto, the new tank is meant to increase pressure reliability for NPWA customers and not to add volume to serve additional new customers.
Source: The Reporter; 3/14/2022
Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties consider a new passenger rail authority
Montgomery, Chester and Berks counties are taking the first steps toward creating a Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority, with the goal of restoring a passenger line connecting Reading, Phoenixville, Pottstown, Norristown and Philadelphia. The route would offer a one-seat ride (no transfers) via an existing freight rail line and would reach Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station using SEPTA’s Regional Rail line. The new authority also would consider exploring other stops along the way, still to be determined. Public forums to gather community input are scheduled in all three counties for late April. Montgomery County’s hearing is set for Wednesday, April 20, Berks County’s virtual public forum is Thursday, April 21, and Chester County’s is Wednesday, April 27. At the forums, the commissioners of the three counties are expected to vote on creating the authority. On formal approval by all three counties, the new transportation agency would have “the power to formalize agreements, procure funding, and provide for a direct governmental body that can work with Amtrak, PennDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration and other necessary partners,” according to Montgomery County officials. The nine-member authority — three members from each county — would be a public entity, with all meetings required to be open under Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Act. The authority would help with getting a piece of the $66 billion set aside for Amtrak through the federal infrastructure bill. Read more?here.?
Source: WHYY; 3/15/2022
Lower Frederick Township to hold open space discussion March 23
In November 2020, residents of Lower Frederick Township approved a tax to buy, preserve and maintain open space. The Open Space Committee will host a discussion of special places in Lower Frederick Township that are important to preserve on Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Lower Frederick Fire Company Social Hall, 137 Spring Mount Road, Schwenksville.?Click here?for more information.?
Source: Natural Lands; 2/25/2022?
Philadelphia
Developer plans lawsuit over city council vote to block sale of affordable rentals?
Following nearly two years of private discussion, a property owner in Philadelphia plans to file a federal lawsuit against City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, saying the first-term lawmaker has violated its “constitutionally protected right” to sell an affordable housing complex in West Philadelphia. The decision came hours after Philadelphia City Council passed contested legislation designed to preserve the University City Townhomes, a valuable 70-unit site that went up for sale last summer after IBID Associates declined to renew its affordable housing contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “It is clear by her actions that the Councilmember is intent on using the power of her office to punish IBID and prevent it from exercising its constitutional right to sell the property,” IBID spokesperson Kevin Feeley said in a statement. Approved in a 15-1 vote, the measure would temporarily bar developers from demolishing the University City Townhomes, which sits in the same swiftly gentrifying section of West Philly that the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University call home. The bill, backed by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, would also rezone the valuable land so developers would be required to build some affordable housing on the site containing the complex. The rents for those units would have to be below the market rate.
Source: PlanPhilly; 3/10/2022
Philly has over 10,000 tangled titles. Here’s what residents need to know about them
Many issues impact housing affordability in Philadelphia, but there is one that impacts more than 10,000 households — mostly in low-income neighborhoods — and is a huge barrier to equity and generational wealth. The issue is tangled titles, when the name on a home’s deed does not match its current owner. Many Philadelphians are at risk, without realizing it. According to a recent study by Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia has at least 10,407 tangled titles, affecting 2% of the city’s more than 500,000 residential properties. The prevalence of tangled titles is highest in parts of North, West and Southwest Philadelphia — areas that account for only about one-third of all residential properties, but more than half of the city’s tangled titles. The neighborhoods most affected tend to be those with relatively low housing values, low incomes and high poverty rates. The census tracts with the highest percentages of tangled titles are 87% Black, making this a significant racial equity issue.
Source: PlanPhilly; 3/13/2022
A ‘Mr. Fixit’ helps West Philly residents and businesses cut through red tape
Ryan Spak loves to untangle titles, locate long-lost owners, and figure out how to reinvigorate vulnerable residential and commercial real estate in West Philadelphia. “The more complicated the issue, the more fun it is to work on, and the more enjoyable it is to resolve,” said Spak, who provides the free service as a part-time employee of the University City District’s Project Rehab. Spak links owners with resources to stabilize, renovate or sell their properties and, in the process, stave off demolitions that can lead to vacant lots and lower a neighborhood’s quality of life and real estate values. Spak also has his own development firm, the Spak Group, which does no business within the district. The 61 success stories in Spak’s portfolio over the past decade include preserving a beloved church complex at 47th and Kingsessing and helping find new quarters for a popular tattoo artist’s studio. Collectively, these projects have generated about $32 million in real estate market value, according to an estimate by the University City District. Read more?here.?
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 3/15/2022?
??Steve Sisman?
??610.357.6101?mobile
a "Caring Real Estate Professional"
????????Since 1998
CSP, e-Pro, SFR, REALTOR,
Designated Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource,
Certified Short Sale Master Default Intermediary,
Certified Real Estate Divorce Specialist,
Associate Leadership Counsel Alumnus,
a member of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce,
Delaware Small Business Chamber Alumnus,
VP of the "Little Shul" (CYSEI)
?
Viet Nam Veteran
???????????????
FLORIDA's CHOICE REALTY
352.857.9748?office
11150 E Hwy 316
Ft McCoy, FL 32134
?
A caring professional...
Oh and by the way, I'm never too busy for your referrals!
?
*If your property is currently listed; or, you are currently?contracted with a licensed real estate professional, this IS NOT intended as a solicitation*
**E-mails sent or received shall neither constitute acceptance of conducting transactions via electronic means nor create a binding contract until and unless a written contract is signed by the parties**
***NOTE:?I will?NEVER?request Bank Wiring Instructions, Bank Account Information or Social Security Number by email.?If you receive an email requesting this information,?DO NOT RESPOND!!!