UPDATE: Week of March 9, 2009

GENERAL INFORMATION

Stimulus plan to impact housing in the region

Two major economic stimulus plans that will have a direct impact on housing affordability and mortgage foreclosure prevention in southeastern Pennsylvania have recently been enacted by President Obama and Congress. Following is a summary of the elements of these plans that may have the most positive impact on home buyers, homeowners and the real estate industry in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Click here for more.



A home-building ban in an economic crisis?

Amid an economic disaster that has brought the home-building industry to its knees, Pennsylvania lawmaker Robert Freeman of Northampton County intends to resume his push for building moratoriums. He wants to ensure that when the orders for new houses start pouring in again, communities have a way to temporarily stop the bulldozers if they do not have adequate growth plans and ordinances in place. Municipalities currently have the right to reject a development proposal if it does not meet local land-use requirements. But they cannot simply declare that no building can occur if in fact there is room to accommodate it. Freeman wants to give them the temporary right to do so - but only if a town determines that it is overwhelmed by development and that its growth plans, ordinances, and zoning are inadequate to address that crush. A bill he sponsored last session would have allowed communities to impose building bans of up to two years if they were rewriting zoning, comprehensive plans, and subdivision and land-development ordinances. The ban could be no more than a year if only one of those land-use documents was being reworked. The bill never made it to a vote. Click here for more.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 3/1/09




BUCKS COUNTY



Commissioner Marseglia proposes ‘ Bucks County Stimulus Incentive’

Bucks County Commissioner Diane Marseglia recently suggested a stimulus plan for the county that would protect residents from higher tax bills and encourage homeowners to hire contractors for renovation projects. Marseglia suggests a temporary freeze on property tax reassessments would allow homeowners to pursue home improvement projects. Commissioner Charley Martin is waiting for feedback on the proposal from county solicitor Glann Hains as to whether the proposal is legally feasible. If approved, the freeze could be limited in time and scope: Reassessments could kick in after six months and the freeze could not apply to improvements in excess of $100,000.

Source: The Intelligencer; 3/4/09



Central Bucks struggles to fill budget gap

A $3.8 million gap in the 2009-2010 school district budget is posing a challenge to Central Bucks School District officials. Over $2.1 million in expenses has already been cut from the $279.7 million preliminary budget that was approved in January, but district officials may have to use approximately $3 million of the district’s reserves to make the budget work. The district has already frozen any hiring of new teachers for the year, cut spending on curriculum and athletics, halted borrowing and discretionary spending at each of its schools, and eliminated 10 education assistant positions. The district is also considering proposals to reduce transportation costs, increase class sizes, and institute “pay-to-play” participation in extracurricular activities to ease the strain on the budget.

Source: The Intelligencer; 3/2/09



Centennial officials debate K-5 building options

Plans for the six elementary schools in the Centennial School District have been examined by district officials, with 13 options presented to the public at a meeting earlier this week. The plans ranged from $55.6 million in individual renovations to a $100 million consolidation project for all 2,600 K-5 students. The six existing elementary schools are nearly 50 years old and require renovations to bring them up to modern standards. Details of the 13 options are posted on the district web site at: www.centennialsd.org.

Source: The Intelligencer; 3/5/09







CHESTER COUNTY





Tredyffrin’s plans are official

The Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors has adopted new “Township Comprehensive” and “Historic Preservation” plans. The Comprehensive Plan is used to guide future redevelopment and growth in the township, while the Historic Preservation Plan provides assistance in long-term planning and decision making with respect to historic preservation and community character. Tredyffrin has been working on both plans for the past two years. Visit the Township’s website at www.tredyffrin.org for more.

Source: Main Line Suburban Life; 3/4/09



Slowed growth in East Coventry presents problems for developers

East Coventry’s growth has slowed considerably in the past year. Below is a status update of several East Coventry residential projects:

Blossom Meadows II (Halteman and Kulp roads): In a "holding pattern." Total build out is 27 units.

Meadowbrooke Hunt ( Maack Road ): Nine of the 11 units are built and public improvements are completed.

Whispering Woods: No recent activity.

Painter Tract II: Has received sketch plan approval and will be before the planning commission in the near future.

Bentley Communities LP, of West Chester: Proposing a 112-unit development adjacent to Coventry Glen — off Ellis Woods and East Cedarville roads.

Green Acres: A subdivision on Bethel Church Road , has seen some changes due to a soil conservation plan required by Chester County . The owners are Joseph and Patricia Kandler.

Hidden Acre Estates: A 6-unit development on Grubb Road , Hidden Acres has received final approval, but AMCC Properties III has not proceeded or performed public improvements.

Neuman subdivision, aka Ridgefield Estates: A 6-unit subdivision on Ridge Road , has been extended and is still in the planning phases.

Bittersweet on Schuylkill LLC: A 5-lot subdivision, has been pushed back, or extended.

Source: Potts Mercury; 3/4/09


Brandywine Valley water improvement initiative receives funding

A major initiative to improve water quality in the Brandywine Valley has received more than $236,000 in Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener grants. About three years ago, the Brandywine Valley and Red Clay Valley associations started work on the program “Red Streams Blue” to improve streams identified by the state as impaired. In an assessment done in the lates 1990s, the state listed about 21 percent, or 127 stream miles, in the Brandywine Creek watershed as impaired. On a state map, impaired streams are shown in red and healthy streams are shown in blue. "Impaired" means a stream's water quality has degraded below standards for its designated use, such as recreation. The Brandywine Valley Association spent more than a year developing restoration plans for four sub-watersheds: Radley Run, Plum Run, Valley Run and Little Buck Run. With funding now in place, the first two major projects for Red Streams Blue can begin. The Brandywine Valley Association will launch a Radley Run stream bank restoration near a subdivision off Leadline Lane , near routes 926 and 202 in Thornbury. A section of Radley Run that flows through the homeowners' association's open space has eroded a 5-foot-deep ravine in residents' back yards. The restoration plan for the stream banks includes creating a new floodplain. In all, the project will cost about $128,000. Some financing is being provided by the homeowners' association. Another project in the Plum Run watershed will use a $141,000 grant received by the Chester County Conservation District to correct severe streambank erosion at Strode's Mill in East Bradford .

Source: Potts Mercury; 3/3/09





DELAWARE COUNTY



Delaware County school districts prep for piece of stimulus pie

Delaware County school district officials are hoping that the same funding formulas that boosted spending in several local school districts last year will bring benefits from the federal stimulus plan this year. Under the current state formula, which officials hope will be used to distribute this year’s stimulus funding, Upper Darby received a 22.42 percent boost, the largest in the commonwealth. Chester Upland, William Penn and Southeast Delco also received multi-million dollar state funding increases under the formula.

Source: Daily Times; 3/4/09



Sharon Hill official tenders resignation

Sharon Hill Council recently accepted the resignation of Vice President Joseph White, who is leaving the position for personal reasons after serving 10 years on council. White was council representative for the police and fire departments and never missed a caucus or council meeting during his years of service. White has 10 months left on his term, and council will seek to fill it with an interim appointment until the November election.

Source: Daily Times; 3/6/09



Radnor Township suspends manager over compensation

The Radnor Township Board of Commissioners took steps Thursday night to start the process of removing its township manager of eight years, David Bashore. The six board members in attendance voted to approve resolutions to request his resignation and to suspend him because of allegations that he misrepresented his compensation to them, altered business records and failed to disclose annual lump-sum bonus payments to himself. Bashore did not attend the special meeting, instead asserting in a statement that the board was in violation of his employment agreement. Bashore’s base salary averaged $163,548 in 2008.

Source: Daily Times; 3/6/09





MONTGOMERY COUNTY



East Norriton gets “best” nod from Business Week

East Norriton topped the list of Pennsylvania towns and placed fifth nation-wide on a list of best affordable suburban towns in America . Affordable housing, a low instance of violent crimes, and a median household income of $73,773 are a few of the factors that attributed to the township’s designation. For the complete article, go to: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/feb2009/bw20090219_228108.htm

Source: Montgomery Life; 3/5/09



Springfield School District considers budget cuts

The Springfield Township School Board will have to make some difficult decisions to fill a revenue shortfall of over $1.75 million in the 2009-2010 budget. To eliminate the shortfall, the district will have to either raise taxes by 5.32 percent or pare the $45 million budget by over $1 million. The district has approximately $6.5 million in its two reserve funds, with an additional $8 million designated for current projects.

Source: Springfield Sun; 3/4/09



Waste water treatment 5-year plan examined by Ambler

Ambler Borough Council held a special meeting to discuss the borough’s five-year plan for the waste water treatment plant. Over the next five years, the plant may need to spend up to $5 million in upgrades mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. By 2011, Ambler would need to be prepared to pay for 20 percent of the total cost. Borough Council will hold another meeting on March 17 to further discuss the five-year plan.

Source: The Ambler Gazette; 3/3/09



Development extension granted to Ridgewood

Upper Providence Supervisors have granted a land development extension for Ridgewood , an active adult community which originally included plans for 450 units. The new deadline of Sept. 24 will give Upper Providence time to re-evaluate the progress of the development. The development is located on the 300 block of Linfield-Trappe Road near Township Line Road . Ultimately, the plan will likely reduce the number of units and shorten the buildings, leaving more open space within the development. According to the Ridgewood web site, the community will consist of 80 percent age-restricted town-homes with no permanent resident under the age of 19 allowed.

Source: Spring-Ford Reporter; 3/5/09