A weekly roundup of real estate news, compiled by Suburban Realtors? Alliance week of: 6/10/2022
Bicyclists ride at the Philadelphia Pumptrack in Fairmount Park. A proposal to build a pump track in Malvern Borough has met opposition from residents who want the existing forest preserved.
Weekly News Briefs
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General
Pennsylvania’s definition of broadband hasn’t changed in nearly 20 years
Everyone in Pennsylvania has access to broadband — at least, according to the definition set by state lawmakers in the early 2000s. But residents of rural areas are likely to experience slow connections and outdated technology. In 1993, the state legislature cut a deal with the existing landline phone companies, who agreed to make broadband available across the entire state — even in unprofitable rural areas — in exchange for less regulation and the chance to earn higher profits. When they renewed the bill in 1993, they defined broadband as a minimum download speed of 1.544 megabits per second — blazing fast at the time. At a hearing over the proposed renewal in 2002, consultant Lee Selwyn testified that internet speeds once considered state-of-the-art were becoming hopelessly outdated in just five or six years. The companies had a financial incentive to oppose upping the standard, because higher minimum speeds would have required them to spend more to upgrade the infrastructure they owned. In the years that followed, however, the federal standard increased twice while the state’s stayed the same. By 2015, the state’s final deadline for companies to upgrade their networks, the federal standard for download speeds was 16 times faster than Pennsylvania’s. The state’s minimum upload speed, added by lawmakers in 2004, also lagged the federal definition. In interviews with Spotlight PA, industry representatives said the state’s definition of broadband is only a baseline and most customers can get far higher speeds. Since 2016, state Rep. Pam Snyder (D-50) has introduced three bills to increase the state’s definition of broadband speeds set in 2004; none of them have been brought up for a committee vote. A similar bill died in committee last year. Read more?here. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors strongly supports efforts to increase broadband access, particularly in rural areas.?
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 6/6/2022
Philly-area home builders continue to struggle even as buyer demand slows
Supply chain problems hit the home-construction industry soon after the pandemic did. Manufacturing halted, shipping slowed, and building briefly stopped. Two years later, builders are still struggling to keep up with demand. Appliances, building materials and workers remain difficult to get. Construction costs continue to rise. Higher mortgage interest rates are pricing some buyers out of deals they could afford months earlier as houses take longer than usual to build. “We definitely have had buyers fall out,” said Gary Jonas, managing member of the HOW Group and president of the Building Industry Association (BIA) of Philadelphia. Nationwide, just 38,000 of the 444,000 newly built single-family homes available for sale in April — 8.6% — are complete and ready to occupy, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). That’s down from 10.4% last April. The price of lumber was a major source of concern for builders early in the pandemic. That cost has started to come down, but other costs are up. The time it takes to build homes has become shortened but is not back to normal. Supply chain problems have improved but not enough. Overall, builders are feeling nervous and looking for some stability. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell in May to the lowest level since June 2020, according to a survey by NAHB. It’s the fifth straight month that builder sentiment has declined. Costs of building materials are up 19% from a year ago, according to the association. Building a house today costs $30,000 to $40,000 more than a year ago, according to BIA Philadelphia president Gary Jonas. Read more?here.?
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 6/6/2022
New 835 area code coming to southeastern Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is alerting residents and businesses that the 835 area code will soon be in use. The new 835 area code will be used in the same geographic region as the existing 610 and 484 area codes, including parts of Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton and Schuylkill counties. The earliest date that 835 numbers can be placed into service is Sept. 2.
Source: LevittownNow.com; 6/6/2022
Bucks
Pennsbury hires company to study proposed merger with Morrisville schools
The Pennsbury School Board voted unanimously to hire Public Financial Management (PFM) to conduct a feasibility study of a merger between Pennsbury and Morrisville Borough school districts. The board voted to move forward with the study after receiving assurances from the Pennsylvania Department of Education that a $195,000 grant would be forthcoming to pay for the work. According to Dean Kaplan, a managing director of PFM, the study will examine the feasibility of a full merger between the two school districts, which share a common border. In addition, the study will evaluate a model in which Morrisville sends all or some of its 800 students to Pennsbury School District on a tuition basis. Enrollment is down in Pennsbury School District, leading district officials to think now might be the time to seriously consider the proposal to merge with Morrisville.
Source: The Reporter; 5/26/2022 & Bucks County Courier Times; 6/6/2022
Nockamixon ordinance will regulate groundwater withdrawal
Nockamixon Township supervisors will conduct a public hearing to consider a proposed ordinance that adopts Article XIV, Groundwater Protection and Wells, within the zoning ordinance. The proposed ordinance outlines procedures for reliable, safe water supplies, and sets forth certain protections for neighboring wells, water quality protection and well construction requirements to ensure potable water, water supply and the protection of water quality. The hearing will be held on Thursday, June 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the municipal building, 589 Lake Warren Road, Upper Black Eddy. A copy of the proposed ordinance may be reviewed at the Nockamixon Township Municipal Building during normal business hours.?
Source: The Intelligencer; 6/2/2022
Former library’s transformation into condos almost complete in Doylestown
The transformation of the former Bucks County library at 50 N. Main St. in the heart of Doylestown Borough into six luxury condominiums is almost complete. Named The Residences at 50 North Main, the development boasts a blend of original brick and wood from the building’s earlier life, with new elements of steel and concrete. The condominiums range from a 2,950-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath penthouse to two-bedroom units. The condos range from a sale price of $2.5 million for the penthouse to $1.2 million for the smaller units. The estimated completion date is in November.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/2/2022
Palisades fiscal committee recommends 1.5% tax increase
The Palisades School District Fiscal Committee has recommended a 1.5% tax increase for the 2022-2023 school year budget, citing dramatically increased costs from the district’s contribution to “for-profit” charter school expenses and subsidies. While charter schools must be set up as nonprofit organizations, they are often run by for-profit organizations. The committee has also noted that state gaming relief, which is deducted directly from tax bills, is increasing by 25%, which would leave district households with an average annual increase of $4.77. Palisades currently has the second-lowest millage rate among the 13 Bucks County school districts. Only the New Hope district, where the earned income tax is 1% versus 0.5% in Palisades, shows a lower millage rate.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/2/2022
Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center celebrates expansion project
A $20 million expansion project at the nonprofit Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), one of the nation’s most successful life sciences incubators, officially opened on May 20, when local elected officials and the nonprofit’s management cut a ceremonial ribbon on the new building’s front steps. The PABC, which is next to the Doylestown Airport in Buckingham Township, has nearly 90 member companies, 50 of which have operations in the facility. The expansion will lead to as many as 100 additional jobs at the facility, according to Timothy M. Block, Ph.D., founder and CEO of the PABC, as well as numerous new companies and millions of dollars in commercial activity. The PABC also houses a teaching lab and state-of-the-art research facilities where college students, as well as students from Central Bucks and other local school districts, receive training in biomedical research.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 6/2/2022
Chester?
Westtown considering an open space tax referendum?
The Westtown Township Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance amending Chapter 154, Taxation, to authorize a referendum during the November general election to enact an open space tax. If voters approve the referendum, the earned income tax would increase by an amount not to exceed 0.08%, and the property tax would increase by a maximum of 0.42 mills. The new revenue would be used for purposes of securing open space benefits, pursuant to the state Open Space Lands Acquisition and Preservation Act. A public hearing will be held on Monday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m., at the township building, 1039 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, to consider the ordinance that would authorize the referendum.
Source: Daily Local; 5/30/2022
Habitat for Humanity to host beer fest
Habitat for Humanity of Chester County is hosting the inaugural?Hops for Homes Beer Festival?on Saturday, June 18, at Exton Square Mall. Ticket holders will receive a commemorative glass to sample some of Chester County’s finest craft brews. There will also be food trucks, local vendors, yard games and live music. The event is rain or shine, and there will be tent coverage. Ticket sales and sponsorship directly support Habitat for Humanity's mission to build affordable housing.?
Source: Vista Today; 5/23/2022
Settlement narrows Kennett Township’s loss from embezzlement
Lisa Moore, former Kennett Township manager, still owes the township more than $1 million from the more than $3.2 million she embezzled from taxpayers, and officials said they are continuing to narrow the loss. Richard Leff, chairman of the board of supervisors, said an agreement of $735,000 was reached with Barbacane, Thorton & Company, an accounting firm hired by Kennett Township. “The township and Barbacane had a bona fide dispute regarding potential claims arising out of Lisa Moore’s embezzlement of township funds and Barbacane’s auditing of the township,” Leff said. With the settlement, Kennett Township will have recovered about $3.4 million.?
Source: Daily Local; 6/3/2022
Malvern residents fight to save ‘last acre’ of unprotected forest in borough
Malvern Borough Council plans to raze a 0.85-acre forest — some of the last unprotected woodlands in the borough — to construct a bicycle pump track, but a group of residents oppose the plans. The parcel in question is a corner property that sits near the firehouse and across an emergency roadway, close to the 38-acre Randolph Woods Nature Preserve. In 2021, a petition was filed for a bike park to be built in Malvern, although most signers did not live in the borough. Unlike the White Clay Creek Preserve, Chester County’s only federally preserved forest, bicycling is not allowed at Randolph Woods Nature Preserve. The borough council has not yet voted to raze the one-acre forest — the proposal is still in the planning stage. Opponents of the plan have started their own?online petition?with 163 signatures and formed an advocacy organization, Save Malvern’s Habitat, to turn the tide and raise awareness in hopes of protecting — and preserving — land they say is environmentally important.?
Source: Daily Local; 6/5/2022
Ag Council issues new guide to local farms
Just in time for a summer full of exploring pick-your-own farms, wineries and farmers markets, the Chester County Agricultural Council has issued its new Guide to Local Farm Products in Chester County. The publication features the county’s diverse array of farms and locally grown farm products, from strawberry fields to rows of radiant peonies. The guide, highlighting over 125 family-owned farms and markets, includes a map and farm addresses to make them easy to find, plus a chart that indicates what’s currently in season. “With approximately 31% of Chester County’s land devoted to farming, agriculture is a critical industry for the regional economy and the county’s sense of place,” the county commissioners said in a press release. “Even as the county’s population continues to rapidly expand, our farming legacy endures with a great variety of farming types.” Chester County ranks second among all 67 Pennsylvania counties (and 53rd in the United States) in the total value of agricultural products sold, with annual sales of more than $712 million. The farm guide is available digitally on the?Ag Council website?and in print at libraries, township and county offices, Kimberton Whole Foods locations, and select farm stands across the county.
Source: Daily Local; 6/2/2022?
Delaware?
County reaches tentative deal with Prospect Medical Holdings to stall hospital closures
Prospect Medical Holdings has agreed to continue offering behavioral health services at both Crozer-Chester Medical Center and Delaware County Memorial Hospital after the for-profit company suspended those and other services earlier this year. After facing backlash from county officials and residents, Prospect said it would keep those services intact until Aug. 31. A hearing scheduled for May 31 to discuss a petition to keep the services running was rescheduled to Aug. 22. “The county will continue to work with Prospect Crozer to ensure there isn’t an interruption of mental health services for residents,” County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor said. Read more about the situation on the?county website.
Source: Chester Spirit; 6/1/2022
Chester City adopts 2018 IPMC
The City of Chester passed Bill No. 4 of 2022, which adopts the 2018 edition of the International Property Maintenance Code regulating and governing the conditions of all property, buildings and structures in the city.?
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Source: Daily Times; 5/31/2022
Receiver considers terminating Chester parking contract
Revealing concerns about how the city’s parking meter contract was procured, Chester City receiver Michael Doweary is considering using his powers to terminate it. Vijay Kapoor, chief of staff for the office of the receiver, gave a presentation on the situation at the bimonthly Municipal Financial Recovery Advisory Committee. He said that some documents indicate there was a competitive bidding process for the contract, but other documents suggest there was not. He noted that Chester City Council authorized the advertising for requests for proposals for parking management services on June 28, 2017. On July 24, 2017, Gatso/PFS appears to have responded with a bid. On Sept. 13, 2017, city council rejected all of the bids and directed that they all be returned unopened while authorizing a new advertising process for the RFPs. Kapoor said seven days later, on Sept. 20, 2017, PFS was notified by the city that it would receive the contract. Kapoor said city council did approve a contract with Gatso/PFS on Oct. 10, 2018, but he said the receiver’s team has found no evidence that the issue was re-advertised. Kapoor said the city has only received $330,000 through this contract and stood to receive another $650,000 once the full complement of 1,500 parking meters had been installed. As these amounts were called “advances,” Kapoor said it’s uncertain if the city must repay these. Receiver Michael Doweary said such a termination would probably lead to litigation.
Source: Daily Times; 6/4/2022
Chief administrator’s future in Upper Darby unclear?
At the end of an Upper Darby Township Council meeting, Councilwoman Meaghan Wagner called a motion for the forfeiture of Vincent Rongione from his position as chief administrative officer, citing the Home Rule Charter. The motion was passed with a slim but bipartisan majority by a vote of 6-5. The decision comes after months of bickering between multiple council members and Rongione over the handling of federal American Rescue Plan pandemic money. In response to the six council members who voted for the “forfeiture,” Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer has said, “My impression and reading of the Home Rule Charter is that the mayor along with the six council members are needed to fire the CAO or any of the department heads.” The mayor also contends that the vote was unauthorized and a violation of the Sunshine Act.?
Source: Daily Local; 6/3/2022 & 6/7/2022
Ridley Township sets medical marijuana regulations
Ridley Township commissioners have approved an ordinance establishing and regulating medical marijuana dispensaries and grower/processor facilities. The ordinance passed at the May commissioners meeting establishes and regulates medical marijuana grower/processor facilities as conditional uses in the “I” Industrial Zoning district and regulates medical marijuana dispensaries as conditional uses in the “SC” Shopping Center Zoning District. Neither facility can be located within 1,000 feet of a public, private or parochial school or day-care center, or within 1,000 feet of another dispensary or grower/processor facility. A medical marijuana dispensary may not have drive-through service, outdoor seating or vending machines, nor offer other direct or home delivery service.?
Source: Chester Spirit; 6/1/2022
Delco Fair Housing Task Force to host webinar on affordable housing
The Delaware County Fair Housing Task Force will host a Zoom webinar on Friday, June 10, at 10 a.m. to discuss affordable housing. Jordan Casey, director of the Housing Opportunities Program for Equity (HOPE), and Ashlynn Wittmann, HOPE’s direct services supervisor, will give a presentation on their efforts to address substandard housing and to help participants access stable, affordable and safe permanent housing. HOPE is a program of the Foundation for Delaware County, and its work includes housing policy advocacy, case management, placement, tenant rights education, financial literacy, referral services and direct financial relief. To register to attend, click?here.
Source: Housing Equality Center of PA; 6/8/2022
Upper Darby to amend fence regulations
Upper Darby Township will host a public hearing on a proposal to amend the fence ordinance to add a height limitation for fences on corner lots and provide guidelines regarding which materials may be used for both residential and nonresidential fences. Draft Ordinance No. 3116 provides the location of fences to be behind the right-of-way line. The draft ordinance also provides regulations for fences for swimming pools, as well as prohibiting fences from dividing and/or encroaching too closely to shared driveways. The draft ordinance provides provisions for temporary fences, maintenance requirements, nonconforming fences, a variance stipulation for any code relief, and a fee schedule for fence permitting. A hearing on the proposed amendment will be held during a township council meeting on Wednesday, June 15, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be streamed to the public via?the township YouTube account.
Source: Daily Times; 6/8/2022
Montgomery?
Realtors urge Lansdale to hold off on vacancy fee proposal
Lansdale Borough Council continues to discuss the possibility of drafting an ordinance that would impose fines for owners of vacant properties, and borough staff have started working on a map of vacancies. At a recent council meeting, Richard Strahm, a local Realtor who serves as vice chairman of the borough’s economic development committee, added another perspective, asking: Is the borough duplicating the efforts of professionals who market properties? “We already have a very robust system of helping people find vacant commercial properties. That’s what we do for a living,” he said. “As far as the vacant commercial properties that have no interest in selling themselves, or leasing them out — it’s a private property ownership right. As long as a property owner is following the maintenance ordinances, of which we have quite a few in the borough, it should be a private property owner’s right to leave their building vacant.” Strahm, a member and past chairman of the Suburban Realtors Alliance (SRA) board of directors, introduced Jamie Ridge, president and CEO of the SRA. Ridge spoke about state legislation under consideration to create 1031 Exchanges in Pennsylvania, which would add incentives on commercial real estate transactions by allowing a reduction of certain tax costs. “The federal government has that in place across the country. Pennsylvania is the only state that does not,” Ridge said. “This would be, I think, extremely useful for commercial properties that may not be marketable right now.” It might be wise to hold off on any action to pass or adopt a local vacancy fee for Lansdale until the state legislation is worked out, Strahm and Ridge said. Read the?full article?on The Reporter website.
Source: The Reporter; 6/3/2022
Dedicated open space tax question on the ballot in Limerick
Limerick Township supervisors voted unanimously to put an open space tax question onto the ballot in November. The language asks if voters are willing to have an additional 0.25% added to the township’s earned income tax for a 10-year period, from Jan. 1, 2023, until Dec. 31, 2032. The money collected could only be used for the purchase of open space, agricultural and forest conservation easements, for acquiring property development rights, or for acquiring certain lands. The “certain lands” are identified in the township’s updated master plan that was completed in January, after polling residents about open space preservation.
Source: Pottstown Mercury; 5/31/2022
Conshohocken to amend SALDO requirements related to stormwater management
Conshohocken Borough Council will hold a public hearing to consider the adoption an ordinance that will amend the borough’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO) at its meeting Wednesday, June 15, at 7 p.m., in Borough Hall, 400 Fayette St. The ordinance contains requirements regarding: stormwater management and design; compliance before construction activities may begin; retention of existing watercourses and natural drainage features; site drainage plans, including general requirements, plan content requirements and calculation requirements; storm sewer system design requirements, including applicable mathematical equations and formulas; storm sewer pipe design; inlet and manhole design; drainage channel and swale design; endwall design; bridge and culvert design; and roof drain and sump pump design. The ordinance also contains specific design criteria for infiltration best management practices (BMP), underground BMPs, bioretention BMPs, aboveground basin BMPs, primary spillway/outlet pipes, emergency spillways, and sediment basins and sediment traps. A copy of the ordinances under consideration can be found on the?Conshohocken Borough website.
Source: Times Herald; 6/1/2022
Lower Merion to host public open house for Ardmore Master Plan
Lower Merion Township began the Ardmore master planning process earlier this year with the selection of Kittelson Associates to aid in the planning. A public open house and community charrette has been scheduled for Tuesday, June 21, with the location and more information still to be announced. Lower Merion officials are stressing the importance of community participation in the process to ensure that the master plan reflects the community’s vision. A?webpage?has been established to serve as a clearinghouse for information associated with the master plan. Visit the page to sign up for updates and instructions on how to provide comments.
Source: Lower Merion Township; 6/2022
Second phase of redevelopment underway at former factory site in Ambler
The second phase of the redevelopment plan for the former Keasbey & Mattison Co. factory in Ambler Borough is underway. The first phase involved spending $16 million to convert the Ambler Boiler House into a 48,000-square-foot office building. That project was completed in 2013, and the building remains fully leased with many of its original tenants. The second phase of the project is a $24 million apartment complex called the Crossings at Ambler Station. When completed in August, it will have 114 units ranging from 669 square feet up to 1,155 square feet. The development will have 23,000 square feet of landscaped open space. The second phase of the project was tied up in litigation for years, but the delay in completion may be a blessing in disguise for developer Summit Realty Advisors. Small, walkable towns with apartment living near train stations — such as Ambler — have become more desirable.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 6/1/2022?
Philadelphia?
City to apply for funds to cap portion of Vine Street Expressway through Chinatown
Philadelphia is taking steps to cap a portion of the Vine Street Expressway that cuts through Chinatown, a long sought-after upgrade that supporters say would help right historic inequities, while making the neighborhood a safer and healthier place to live and work. In partnership with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, the city will soon apply for a federal grant through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The new initiative is an offshoot of President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill that’s designed to improve roadways that create barriers to “mobility, access or economic development,” according to the program’s website. Christopher Puchalsky, director of strategic initiatives with the Philadelphia Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability, said the city is seeking a planning grant through the program, which is slated to end in fiscal year 2026. The grant would be used to develop a final concept for the project, which is expected to address an area between 9th and Broad streets, including where those blocks cross Vine Street. The funding would also go toward determining what kind of project is possible from an engineering and economic standpoint. Read more?here.?
Source: PlanPhilly; 6/6/2022
Affordable housing to replace nuisance motel in North Philadelphia
Liberty Motel, a rent-by-the-hour establishment at the corner of Westmoreland Street and Germantown Avenue was shut down by the city twice for code violations, but each time it reopened after a few days. On Wednesday, a nonprofit called North10 Philadelphia will break ground on Be A Gem Crossing, an approximately $20 million affordable housing project that will stand where the nuisance motel once stood. The four-story property will feature 41 apartments and a ground-floor community health clinic. Most of the units will have two or three bedrooms and be heavily subsidized by housing vouchers from the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which require people to pay no more than 30% of their monthly income. “The median income of this neighborhood is about $21,000 a year,” said North10’s executive director Josh Klaris. “It struggles with a lot of intergenerational poverty. And so keeping apartments as affordable for folks in this neighborhood as possible was absolutely a goal.” North10, an organization rooted in the philanthropy of H. Chase Lenfest, purchased the Liberty Motel and four adjacent properties in 2018, not long after the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections temporarily closed the motel for the second time in two years over fire code violations. The motel was then permanently shut down, an outcome some neighbors had wanted for nearly two decades but were never able to see happen, even with the involvement of city and elected officials. Be a Gem Crossing will be the first visible piece of a larger effort to revitalize the section of North Philadelphia that runs roughly between Sedgley and Hunting Park avenues, and between 9th and North Broad streets, Klaris said. Construction on the publicly funded project is expected to take approximately a year.
Source: PlanPhilly; 6/7/2022?
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