Chester County Real Estate News: Week of January 24
Naturalizing stormwater basins focus of lecture
The Chester-Ridley-Crum Watersheds Association, in conjunction with East Goshen Township, Habitat Resource Network and other municipalities, is presenting a lecture next month on naturalizing stormwater basins. Many townships and private property owners have stormwater basins on their property, but aren’t aware that making modest changes such as adding native species can improve the look and function of the basins. Homeowners, property managers and parks managers can benefit from the lecture Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at Penn State Brandywine in Middletown Township. The free lecture is presented by Mark Gallagher, vice president of Princeton Hydro, a company that specializes in ecological and engineering consulting services. The presentation will provide examples of landscaping with native plants and the redesign of existing basins which improve the basin’s ability to infiltrate more stormwater and reduce maintenance costs. Gallagher will explain the state’s new stormwater regulations for municipalities. The lecture will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the Tomezsko building auditorium of Penn State Brandywine, 25 Yearsley Mill Road in Media. Space is limited. Reservations are recommended. Contact Chester-Ridly-Crum at crc@nni.com or call 610-892-8731.More information is available at www.crcwatersheds.org or www.habitatresourcenetwork.org.
Source: Daily Local; 1/19/10OJR eyes possible $1.6 million budget shortfall
The Owen J. Roberts School Board is looking for ways to avoid a potential budget shortfall for the next school year. The 2010-11 budget won’t be approved until June, but the school board got a first look at the preliminary financial plan at a workshop Monday night. It’s likely that the budget will undergo a number of revisions between now and June. Business Manager Jaclin Krumrine warned the board that the preliminary budget shows the potential for a $1.6 million shortfall, even if the board levies the 2.9 percent real estate tax hike allowable under Pennsylvania’s Act 1 taxing index. The board must decide this month whether to apply for two special exceptions that would allow for a greater tax increase. Krumrine recommended applying for those exceptions now, even though future cuts to the preliminary budget could render the exceptions unnecessary.
Source: Daily Local; 1/18/10
Coatesville official: Chetty deal meeting ‘suspicious’
Coatesville City Council authorized its solicitor to review a special meeting regarding the city’s sales agreement with development company Chetty Builders. Councilman Karl Marking suggested tasking newly appointed City Solicitor John Carnes to “review the legitimacy of the manner in which the meeting was called and executed” to ensure the Dec. 23, 2009, special council session was “in accordance with the Sunshine Law and the city charter.” Council unanimously approved. The special meeting in question began at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall and lasted about five minutes. During that meeting, City Council, including some members no longer on the council, approved a sales agreement with Chetty Builders for an 84-townhouse community on a northern, 10-acre section of The Flats. The sale agreement and addendum were passed on a 4-0 vote, with former Council President Martin Eggleston and former Councilwoman Robin Scott absent. The agreement states that Chetty Builders plans to pay the city about $1.6 million for the land. But the actual purchase price will be paid to the city in installments at the closing of each townhouse in the proposed residential subdivision. The townhouses will range in price from $159,000 to $199,000.
Source: Daily Local; 1/20/10
Budget cuts under review by West Chester Area School Board
The West Chester Area School Board has begun to consider the budget cuts that the school district’s community budget task force developed late last year. On Monday night, the school board’s education committee and pupil services committee, both of which are made up of school board members, talked over some of the cuts. Among the cuts they looked at were reducing the number of high school counselors available during the summer; ceasing to offer free SAT prep courses; and starting vocational education in 10th grade rather than ninth grade. Neither panel committed to any particular budget cut. Discussions are likely to continue over the next few months, and cuts are likely to be finalized by mid-spring, officials say.
Source: Daily Local; 1/20/10
Great Valley School Board votes to limit tax increase
A split Great Valley School Board voted 6-2 Tuesday to keep any increase in taxes for the 2010-2011 school year within the state’s Act 1 index of 2.9 percent. The district is facing a $3.2 million shortfall in revenue for the 2010-2011 school year’s projected $78.8 million budget. If the board voted to apply for the special exceptions, it would have to approve a preliminary budget by Feb. 16. Since the board voted to keep the budget within the Act 1 index, the preliminary budget doesn’t have to be approved until April. The full board will continue discussing the budget at the finance committee meeting Feb. 1, which will be open to the public.
Source: Daily Local; 1/21/10
Taxes rising in West Pikeland
The West Pikeland Board of Supervisors increased taxes for the second time in the last two months, but now must decide exactly how to use the money that is already earmarked. The millage rate in West Pikeland was 0.125 mills in 2009, but in November the board voted to increase the rate to 0.2 mills in order to help balance the budget. On Tuesday, the board reopened the budget and hiked the tax rate up to 0.5 mills on a 4-1 vote, but stipulated that the additional funds generated from the most recent increase be used for infrastructure within the township. Most residents in the audience at Tuesday’s meeting threw their support behind the hike, but were concerned over the earmarking of funds for infrastructure purposes. The main cause for the board’s move to produce more revenue was that a survey was done by engineering firm McCormick Taylor on the township roads. The survey recommended a 10-year repair plan that would ultimately cost $6.5 million.
Source: Daily Local; 1/21/10
