Suburban REALTORS Alliance

06/16/2026

Bensalem Township Council unanimously voted to pause all data center development for six months while it rewrites its zoning rules, responding to growing resident alarm over the facilities' impact on electric grids, water usage, air quality and property values.

Bensalem officials paused new data center construction to rewrite zoning laws amid resident concerns over utility strain.

06/15/2026

Pennsbury School District officially broke ground on a new $269.5 million high school in Falls Township, marking the start of construction on a nearly 500,000-square-foot campus expected to open in fall 2029 and serve up to 3,000 students.

The facility will feature modern security, collaborative learning spaces, a 1,000-seat theater, a 3,000-seat gymnasium, a pool, an outdoor courtyard and continued hosting of the district’s prom. Officials said the Class of 2030 is expected to be the first graduating class in the new school.

06/14/2026

Pottstown approves amendments to residential rental ordinance

After a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled unanimously in December 2025 that Pottstown's rental inspection program was unconstitutional — finding that its use of administrative warrants without probable cause violated the state constitution's stronger privacy protections — the borough has been navigating how to preserve housing oversight while complying with the ruling.

Pottstown is appealing to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, but as a fallback, borough council adopted an amended ordinance allowing landlords to hire qualified third-party inspectors instead of borough officials. The ordinance also requires landlords to notify prospective tenants of the borough’s inspection requirements before leasing a unit and establishes a formal appeals process for rental license non-renewals, with the new rules taking effect Sept. 1 and full enforcement beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

The Institute for Justice (IJ), the law firm that won the original ruling, has pushed back on that workaround, too, arguing that outsourcing the inspections to private parties doesn't make them constitutional. The borough is standing firm, calling the inspections a routine public safety measure, while IJ has suggested less confrontational alternatives, such as tenant anti-retaliation protections used by other Pennsylvania municipalities.

06/13/2026

*Realtors report continued delays in Upper Darby use-and-occupancy process*

The Suburban Realtors Alliance continues to hear reports from Realtors experiencing delays and challenges during the use-and-occupancy (U&O) process in Upper Darby Township.

Many members have recently cited a lack of responsiveness from the township. The SRA has been in contact with township officials, and we are pressing for systemic changes to fix the widespread issues.

Realtors who are experiencing issues with U&O inspections, permit reviews, certificate issuance or other transaction-related delays in Upper Darby are encouraged to contact the SRA.

06/12/2026

A new park is coming to Tredyffrin Township, with completion expected in late 2026. The five-acre property had long been abandoned and was at the center of legal disputes in the township.

The 5-acre property had long been abandoned and was at the center of legal disputes in the township.

06/11/2026

Franconia Township is set to buy the historic Rising Sun Inn, including 11 acres and a liquor license, for $1.25 million. The nearly 300-year-old inn briefly housed the Liberty Bell and was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

A Telford-area tavern older than the United States has closed its doors. Here's what's next for the historic inn.

05/18/2026

Granite Creek Properties is proposing to convert a roughly 7,500-square-foot former manufacturing building at 5 New Galena Road in New Britain Township into a six-unit apartment complex with a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom units.

The adaptive reuse project, which would preserve the existing building's footprint, includes 12 parking spaces with additional reliance on street parking.

Granite Creek Properties to present sketch plan for 6-unit adaptive reuse project in New Britain Township

05/18/2026

Philadelphia City Council has passed a pair of bills aimed at strengthening renter protections and reducing instances of landlord retaliation, potentially ending a protracted legislative process that has pitted fair housing advocates against independent landlords.

The legislation expands “good cause” protections to all renters. That means, regardless of the term of a tenant’s lease, landlords must state in writing the legitimate, legally defined reason why they want to terminate or not renew a lease. Currently, the law only applies to month-to-month leases and leases that run for less than a year.

The bills expand protections against landlord retaliation when renters complain about living conditions, allow for rent relief in some cases, and authorize Philly to proactively inspect rental homes.

05/17/2026

A controversial proposal to build a 2-million-square-foot AI data center outside Conshohocken has been resubmitted for zoning approval.

Main Line developer Brian O'Neill wants to construct the facility on the 66-acre site of the shuttered Cleveland-Cliffs steel mill along the Schuylkill River in Plymouth Township, less than a mile from downtown Conshohocken.

Plymouth Township's zoning hearing board must schedule a public hearing within 60 days to determine whether a data center qualifies as a permitted use in the area's heavy industrial zone.

A Main Line developer is again seeking a special zoning exception at the Plymouth Township site, less than a mile from Conshohocken, to build a 2 million-square-foot AI data center.

05/16/2026

Willistown Township supervisors will consider an ordinance to establish a municipal sewer, a move that would formalize oversight of sewer infrastructure and services.

Draft Ordinance 4 of 2026 would approve and authorize the filing of articles of incorporation for the proposed Willistown Township Sewer Authority. The authority would be tasked with holding, constructing, maintaining and operating sewer systems and treatment works, as well as providing sewage collection, transportation and treatment services through agreements with the township.

The board will take up the matter at a public hearing on Monday, June 1, at 7 p.m. at the Willistown Township Municipal Building, 688 Sugartown Road, Malvern.