A weekly roundup of real estate news, compiled by Suburban Realtors? Alliance-week of: 2/11/2022
Laurel Road in Bucks County's David R. Johnson Natural Area is among the tens of thousands of miles of unpaved roads in Pennsylvania. Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Studies helps protect?waterways throughout the commonwealth from runoff from unpaved roads.
Weekly News Briefs
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General
Wolf’s final budget features public schools
Gov. Tom Wolf’s eighth and final budget proposal would push state spending past $43 billion for the first time, as the Democrat asks lawmakers for the biggest ever increase in aid for public schools, plus more money for direct care workers, higher-education institutions and college scholarships. Wolf delivered the $43.7 billion proposal to lawmakers before he was to address them in a joint session of the House and Senate. A hallmark of the Democrat’s tenure in office has been a campaign to wipe out deep funding disparities between the poorest and wealthiest public schools, and he is again hoping to persuade the Republican-controlled state legislature to approve a large increase, more than $1.5 billion. In addition to public schools, Wolf wants to increase reimbursements for direct care workers who serve the elderly and disabled under Medicaid and to marshal more money to qualify Pennsylvania for new federal highway and bridge funding.
Source: Daily Times; 2/9/2022
Penn State program focuses on PA’s unpaved roads
Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Studies, founded in 2001, has advised nearly every Pennsylvania county on projects to protect waterways from unpaved road runoff. Pennsylvania is home to approximately 23,000 miles of unpaved public roads, and there are likely thousands of miles more on private property and in the vast Allegheny National Forest. School buses, mail and other delivery vehicles, first responders, and a growing number of gravel-loving cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts use them daily. In places like Bradford County, which has the most miles of unpaved road in the state at just under 1,600, maintaining the dirt and gravel isn’t just about transportation and smoothing out a bumpy ride, though. It’s about water quality. “The sediment is the main impact from a dirt road, and that’s what our program aims to eliminate,” said Justin Challenger of the State Conservation Commission, which is affiliated with the Penn State center. “That’s why we’re more of an environmental program than a traditional, PennDOT-type of road program.” Read more?here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 2/7/2022
Wolf, Democrats outline proposal for $1.7 billion in pandemic funds
Gov. Tom Wolf and his Democratic allies in the state legislature laid out a proposal to spend federal pandemic relief money on workers, environmental and climate change programs, and a one-time property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters. The plan was announced less than a week before Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to present his 2022-2023 state budget proposal to the Republican-majority General Assembly. Lawmakers would have to approve the spending for the plan to take effect. Wolf pointed out that the state still has $2.2 billion in federal money from the American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden last March. But, he said, the money is just “sitting around” and not helping people recover from the pandemic when it could do some good. Republican lawmakers, however, have maintained that keeping the money in reserve is necessary to help balance the state’s budget through the next two-and-a-half years. Read more?here.
Source: Daily Times; 2/3/2022?
Bucks
Lower Southampton tables sewer inspection ordinance in response to SRA concerns
Lower Southampton Township Council has tabled an ordinance that would have required sellers to inspect and repair sewer lateral lines prior to settlement. The tabling of the ordinance came in response to concerns shared by the Suburban Realtors Alliance that it would not comply with the state Municipal Code and Ordinance Compliance Act (MCOCA). MCOCA was amended in 2016 to allow sellers and buyers to negotiate which party will take responsibility for code violations found during municipal use and occupancy inspections. Under MCOCA, once a municipality has conducted a resale code inspection, it must issue a resale certificate (U&O) to allow real estate settlements to move forward. There are three types of resale certificates: a normal U&O permit; a temporary U&O permit, allowing new owners to move in immediately and make repairs within 12 months; or a temporary access permit, a new type of permit allowing buyers of homes deemed “unfit for habitation” to access the building and make substantial repairs within 12 months. More information about MCOCA is available on the?SRA website.
Housing Link program offering cash bonuses for Realtors and landlords extended, expanded
Bucks County has extended and expanded a program that rewards landlords, and Realtors who refer them, who lease to low-income renters as part of an effort to find housing for residents who may be overlooked in the traditional rental market. The Bonus for Bucks Landlords program was originally scheduled to end on Jan. 31, but instead it will remain in place until at least July 31, according to county spokesman James O’Malley. The Bucks County Housing Link offers incentives to Realtors and landlords who partner with the Housing Link to lease to qualified program participants. Through the Bonus for Bucks Landlords Event, landlords who are new to the Housing Link program can receive a bonus equal to two months’ rent when they lease to a Housing Link program participant. Landlords and Realtors who refer a landlord to the Housing Link can receive a $2,000 finder’s fee if that landlord ends up participating. Aside from the cash bonus, landlords involved in the program receive reliable rent, continuity coverage payments between leases, the ability to collect additional referral bonuses, and support from the Housing Link staff. For more information on the program, visit the?Bonus for Bucks Landlords website?and read answers to?Frequently Asked Questions. Bonus for Bucks Landlords is a joint effort between the Bucks County Housing Link Partners, the Bucks County Association of Realtors and the Suburban Realtors Alliance.
Source: Bucks County Housing Link
Bucks County raising Section 8 housing payments
Bucks County Housing Authority is raising its rent ceilings for landlords who accept federal rent subsidies after a surge in the number of low-income voucher holders who are unable to find places to rent in the county. The authority, which oversees the Housing Choice Voucher Program, better known as Section 8, recently received federal approval to increase its ceiling for rent payments. The new rates go into effect March 1 for the remainder of 2022. The temporary waiver allows Bucks County to raise its maximum payments to 120% of the fair market value standard for the rest of 2022. Read the full article from the Bucks County Courier Times?here.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 2/8/2022
Upper Makefield appoints new director of planning and zoning
Upper Makefield Township officials recently named Denise Burmester as director of planning and zoning. Burmester has been with the township for four years and previously served as assistant director of planning and zoning before stepping into the role of interim director for the past six months. Burmester replaces David Kuhns, who had served the township for 29 years prior to his passing in August.?
Source: Bucks County Herald; 2/3/2022?
Chester
Residents struggle with skyrocketing rents in Chester County
For some individuals and families in the Greater Philadelphia Region, rental costs have increased by as much as 30% since January 2020. In the City of Coatesville, rent increased by 15% during the past two years, according to Dale Gravett, executive director of the Chester County Housing Authority. Rental units in Chester County that were listed on BrightMLS increased by 8.8%, from $1,971 per month in 2020 to $2,145 per month in 2021. The average rent in West Chester is $1,758 for an average space of 887 square feet, according to RentCafe. County Commissioner Josh Maxwell said there are more affordable housing developments in the works than ever before, in places like West Chester, Kennett Square, Coatesville and Phoenixville, and right now there is support for individuals and families in need of immediate assistance. Chester County residents can apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program by calling 211. They may be eligible for up to 15 months of rent that is in arrears plus utility assistance. Read more?here.
Source: Daily Local; 2/5/2022
Chester County publishes guide on senior housing
Chester County’s population of residents ages 65 and older is anticipated to nearly double between 2015 and 2045, from about 74,500 to more than 145,000 residents. The increased senior population will have significant impacts on housing, affecting both private and senior living arrangements. The county has prepared a?senior housing guide?that provides data on existing senior housing, potential impacts of the aging population on housing, and approaches and strategies to assist communities in planning for the future housing needs of their seniors.
Source: Chester County; 2/9/2022
East Goshen says Sunoco skipped notification before digging up damaged Mariner East pipe
Pipeline builder Sunoco/Energy Transfer was forced to dig up and either replace or repair the Mariner East Pipeline in front of Wellington retirement community on Boot Road in East Goshen. Sunoco is required to inspect the integrity of the pipeline prior to beginning operations to transfer natural gas liquids under pressure through these pipes. In a letter to residents, Township Manager Derek Davis wrote: “Sunoco/ET engineers identified a ‘deflection’ (a dent) in a section of pipe that required replacement.” Following a previous court ruling known as the Safety Seven case, Sunoco is required by court order and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to notify the township prior to any construction/maintenance activity — but it failed to do so in this case, according to the township. East Goshen supervisors voted unanimously to notify the PUC and its Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement of the breach, and to consult the township’s solicitor regarding potential legal action. Sunoco spokesperson Lisa Coleman maintains that the township was notified by the pipeline builder.
Source: Daily Local; 2/4/2022
Survey seeks community input on development of former NVF site
Kennett Collaborative (formerly Historic Kennett Square) is conducting a survey on behalf of the borough to find out what community members would like to see in the new development at the?former NVF site. The former industrial site has been undergoing cleanup for years and was recently bought by a large national developer. It’s zoned for commercial use, so Kennett Square Borough Council will have to approve zoning changes for any change of use. Responses to the?short online survey?are due by Monday, Feb. 14.
Source: Daily Local; 2/8/2022
Coatesville tunnel to become pedestrian-only ahead of new train station opening
Coatesville’s North Fourth Avenue and Fleetwood Street tunnel will be closed to vehicles permanently and converted into a pedestrian underpass beginning Monday, Feb. 28. The planned walkway will allow for safe passage of pedestrians to and from the east and westbound platforms of the Coatesville Train Station, commuter parking and surrounding neighborhoods. Drivers will soon be directed to Third Avenue or North Chester Avenue to connect to Coates Street. The work is part of a?$65 million project?— including design, station and streetscape construction, and Amtrak trackwork — that will result in a new station on Fleetwood Street just east of the existing historic station building. The original site is on a curve of the track that prevents construction of ADA-accessible platforms and necessitated the shift in the station location.
Source: Daily Local; 2/9/2022?
Delaware
Upper Darby avoids shutdown as forensic evaluation engaged
Upper Darby Township Council approved using $6 million of American Rescue Plan funds to sidestep a government shutdown, as the mayor ordered a forensic evaluation of township finances and the council speculated about launching its own investigation. Upper Darby Mayor Barbarann Keffer called for a special emergency meeting as administrative officials said the $6 million was needed to keep the government from shutting down. A bipartisan majority of the council had been hesitant to spend the funds in the midst of questions about expenditures. As a result, the mayor said the township coffers will be evaluated independently. “Because we take the concerns of the public and council seriously, we are engaging an independent, third-party forensic accountant to examine the township’s financials over the last few months, and, in fact, the last few years,” Keffer said. “I reiterate that my administration has nothing to hide from the public or council and we look forward to an independent review of the financial situations that we inherited as well as the situation over the past two years.” She also provided a letter dated Feb. 7 by a Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust official verifying that $20.8 million was in a “UDT ARPA Fund Account.” A separate motion at the end of the meeting in which council was exercising its right to conduct its own financial investigation was tabled until the Wednesday, Feb. 16 council meeting. Gary Merron, who resigned as Upper Darby’s finance director in September 2021 offered his opinion. “The problem is strategic and systemic,” he said. “This particular cash crisis is just the first in what I fear will be a continuing parade of management mistakes. This is in large part why I tendered my resignation.”
Source: Daily Times; 2/9/2022
领英推荐
Redevelopment moving ahead at old Viscose property in Marcus Hook
After decades of abandonment and a number of failed redevelopment plans, demolition at the former FMC/American Viscose property on 10th Street in Marcus Hook is kicking into high gear. Developers are demolishing the remaining buildings on the site ahead of a planned 375,000-square-foot warehouse complex to be built on the 30-acre property. Borough officials recently held a town hall meeting for residents with demolition experts and developers to outline their plans. Borough Manager Andrew Weldon called it an exciting time for the property to be redeveloped, as most of the structures have been vacant since the late 1970s. Weldon said borough council has conditionally approved the development, and the land development plan should be completed within the year. The sale of the property to Duke Realty was finalized in December. The developers said the new buildings will be fully sprinklered and environmentally focused.
Source: Daily Times; 2/7/2022
Delco anticipates saving millions in prison transition
Delaware County officials say the county is on track to save millions of dollars from taking over the operations of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility, with more details to be revealed. “The budget for this year, for 2022, is $50 million,” county Executive Director Howard Lazarus told county council. “If we had proceeded with the full GEO contract, that amount plus county costs would have been north of $55 million, so we’ve already seen, at least on paper, a savings this year due to the county taking over.” The facility has been operated by Florida-based GEO Group Inc. since 1998 and is on track to return under county operations April 6. Lazarus explained that the $9 million transition costs are reviewed to see if they can be covered by American Rescue Plan Act funds before going to the capital budget. In 2020, the county Jail Oversight Board hired CGL Companies to oversee the transition of the 1,883-inmate facility.
Source: Daily Times; 2/5/2022
Western Philadelphia Suburbs Trail Summit to be held virtually on Feb. 12
The 10th annual Western Suburbs Trail Summit will be held as a webinar on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. The summit will focus on trails and on-street bicycling/pedestrian improvements and opportunities for walkers and cyclists throughout the area. Presenters include the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaefer, Delaware County Open Space and Trails manager Steven Beckley. Updates on trails and open space will be delivered by officials from the townships of Upper Darby, Newtown, Haverford, Radnor and Thornbury, and the City of Chester. During the summit, presenters will review progress, identify opportunities to improve walking and biking, and prioritize and help plan continuing trail connections in the community. The free summit is open to all residents and organizations. Registration is available via?GoToWebinar, and maps and past summit presentations can be found?here. The summit is sponsored by the Friends of Haverford Trails and Haverford Township Parks and Recreation, with support from the DelCo Trails Alliance.?
Source: Delaware County; 2/2/2022?
Montgomery
Eyeing revitalization, Lansdale talks fees for vacant properties
During a recent code committee meeting, Lansdale Borough Councilman Mark Ladley and Mayor Garry Herbert detailed a proposal to help resolve the issue of commercial vacancies in the borough. The proposal includes a fee paid by owners if a property remains vacant for a certain time period. Herbert detailed the proposal in a 2021?“Mayoral Musings” column. The hope is that property owners who invest in properties in Lansdale with an eye to rising values once a town turns around, will instead “be active in building our community, not just holding onto an empty building because they hope to make a profit on it in five years.” Ladley added that the revenue from the fee could support programs like the Main Street manager, and Herbert said those properties still benefit from local services like street plowing, electricity, fire services and more. Read more?here. The borough’s director of community development, Jason Van Dame, said he would research the idea, consult with the solicitor, and report back findings for discussions at future code committee meetings. Lansdale’s borough council next meets on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m, and the code committee next meets on Wednesday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m., both at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine St.
Source: The Reporter; 2/4/2022
West Pottsgrove announces commissioner vacancy
West Pottsgrove Commissioner Pete LaRosa recently tendered his resignation after serving on the board since January 2012. He recently started a new job and felt he would be unable to “devote the time necessary” to best serve township residents. Township Manager Scott Hutt has begun the process of calling for resumes or letters of interest, to be submitted by Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m., from residents interested in?completing LaRosa’s term?that expires in two years. Commissioners hope to interview candidates during their workshop meeting later this month.
Source: Sanatoga Post; 2/3/2022
Lansdale moves Pierce Street residential project forward
Lansdale officials reviewed details on a proposed six-unit residential project at the corner of Fifth and Pierce streets. The plan could bring a new residential use to a corner that is zoned industrial. Engineer Jason Smeland said the two adjacent parcels are located in the downtown business overlay district, which does allow residential construction, so the new proposal would be a four-unit quad-style building that fronts on Fifth on one parcel, and a duplex fronting on Pierce on the other. Although borough codes do not require that parking spaces be provided for buildings of less than 20,000 square feet, the development calls for a total of 12 parking spaces, six each in two perpendicular strips parallel to each of the two streets, due to limited parking in the area. All three members of the code committee had no comments, then voted unanimously to recommend that the land development plans and conditional use approval be discussed by full council in two weeks.
Source: The Reporter; 2/4/2022
Sidewalk connections coming for Lower Salford shopping centers
Lower Salford Township Manager Joe Czajkowski reported that a $985,000 grant is coming to the township through the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program. The grant will be used to install sidewalks and trails between Quarry Road and Pleasant Run Apartments. Engineering and state approvals are expected to take 18 months, with bids from construction contractors being sought in the fall of 2023. The sidewalks and trails will make it easier and safer for residents to walk to two Main Street shopping centers. A section of Main Street sidewalk is currently being constructed between Clemens Road and the Mainland Pointe shopping center — it is expected to be completed by early March.
Source: The Reporter; 2/4/2022?
Philadelphia
Legislation to halt demolitions in NW Philly could bring court challenge
Legislation moving through Philadelphia City Council would temporarily ban most building demolitions in Philadelphia’s Eighth District. If passed, the bill would put a sixth-month moratorium on taking down properties in several Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods, including Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy and Germantown. Demolitions for projects valued at or below $150,000 would be exempt under the legislation. Demolishing a property the city has deemed imminently dangerous would also be permitted. Councilmember Cindy Bass, who introduced the measure, said the goal is to give her constituents time to “digest” the march of development in the district. A council committee must approve the legislation before the full body votes on the measure. Gary Jonas, president of the Building Industry Association of Philadelphia, said he cannot recall another instance of a council member attempting to halt building demolitions in an entire legislative district, only on a particular street or on a set of blocks. Jonas, who does development work in the district as principal of The HOW Group, said he and other BIA members will be dealt a financial blow if the council passes Bass’ measure. He said he also takes issue with the bill because it injects uncertainty into the development industry.
Source: PlanPhilly; 2/8/2022
Philly is losing historic buildings at an alarming rate
Philadelphia and Baltimore share much in common, with tight-knit landscapes of brick rowhouses, 19th-century churches, and former industrial sites reused or, more often, left to decay. Both cities have poverty rates over 20%. Despite its struggles, Baltimore places a greater premium on protecting its historic infrastructure and achieves far more in the field of preservation than its larger cousin to the north. In large part, that’s because city leaders have seen historic preservation as a tool to anchor rowhouse neighborhoods that are fighting divestment. Baltimore fell below 600,000 residents in the last census, roughly a third the size of Philadelphia’s population of over 1.6 million. Despite Philly’s larger size, the two cities fund and staff their respective historic commissions at a similar level. Given that Philadelphia is a larger city, it’s not surprising that Baltimore is able to protect proportionally more of its structures: 6.5% of its buildings are designated for preservation versus 2.2% of Philly’s stock. Local policies are especially important because there is little that neighborhood preservationists can rely on at the federal or state level. National Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits are only applicable to income-producing projects. That means they can’t be applied to owner-occupied properties. The National Register of Historic Places offers no protection from demolition. Read more?here.?
Source: PlanPhilly; 2/8/2022
City, facing criticism, says Washington Ave. pivot was for equity
City officials sparked outrage when they reversed course on a planned “road diet” for one of the city’s most dangerous thoroughfares — Washington Avenue. But transportation officials say the decision was meant to promote equity. Officials in Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability (OTIS) announced Saturday they have ruled out the plan to narrow most of a busy section of the five-lane Washington Avenue in South Philly to three lanes. The three-lane design — with one lane in each direction, plus a central turning lane and bike lanes protected by barriers — was labeled the “final design decision” in 2020 after an extensive process of public engagement. The redesign was intended in part to improve safety for people walking and biking on the dangerous road. The city is now considering a largely four-lane design, which still includes a wider section around Broad Street, and a mixed design, where nearly half of the project area would be reduced to three lanes and the rest would be wider. The city’s reversal comes after officials met in-person with Point Breeze and Grays Ferry residents and Registered Community Organizations, as well as a working group of residents, businesses, and advocacy groups such as the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the urbanist PAC 5th Square. OTIS deputy managing director Mike Carroll said in December that continued outreach after the official end of public engagement in 2020 was an attempt to be more inclusive. The city plans to hold a public open house on Tuesday, March 1, at 6 p.m. for people interested in seeing the finalized plans before construction.
Source: PlanPhilly; 2/7/2022
Wayne Junction is quietly booming
Steps from the Wayne Junction SEPTA station, at the southern border of Germantown, sits a large empty lot surrounded by the neighborhood’s industrial past and unfolding future. Last home to an addiction treatment center, the grassy plot on Berkley Street will soon be part of a six-story apartment building, the signature project of an ambitious effort to revitalize a pocket of Philadelphia that appears poised for it. In addition to the refurbished train station, which serves six regional rail lines, the area sits between two once-thriving commercial corridors. Some neighbors have mixed feelings about the $20 million project — and the broader effort to make the area a hub for retail, trendy restaurants and market-rate housing. The first phase of the revitalization project wrapped up last year. It includes a craft brewery, a bar and a barbecue restaurant that occupy a former pencil factory, as well as an on-site retail bakery up the road.
Source: PlanPhilly; 2/3/2022?
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