Robert’s

09/13/2019

If any of my friends in PA are available, please have one for me!!

08/02/2017

http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20170727/closed-for-most-of-year-new-route-926-bridge-will-reopen-sept-1

POCOPSON >> Four more weeks.That’s how long motorists will have to wait until they can cross the new, state-of-the-art, $8.6 million Route 926 bridge that has been closed for most of the year.

07/30/2017

http://allthingsmediapa.blogspot.com/2017/07/plans-released-for-new-retail-space.html?m=1

They haven't even put the final touches on the new Super Wawa that was opened this week, when plans were announced last week that a new reta...

07/24/2017

07/21/2017

Montgomery County Real Estate News

-Sora West project in Conshohocken receives zoning approval
Three years after first proposing the idea, Keystone Property Group has received zoning approval to move ahead with a $100 million mixed-use project called Sora West. The project will be done in two phases and will define a key gateway in Conshohocken. A historic firehouse that dates back to 1874 will be redeveloped into a brew pub, and two office buildings will be torn down and replaced by two new office structures. One building will total 245,000 square feet, with 11,800 square feet for restaurant space and 1,900 for retail. The second office building will total 223,000 square feet and include: 3,500 square feet of retail space; a 171-room hotel with restaurant and retail; and an eight-level parking garage with almost 1,000 spaces. The developer still needs to obtain preliminary and final land development approvals.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 7/2017

-Towamencin reviews ways to announce curb upgrades
Towamencin Township officials are discussing whether residents should be required to repair or replace their curbs as road repairs are completed throughout the township. Township codes currently require homeowners to take responsibility for repairing their existing curbs and sidewalks, according to Township Manager Rob Ford. Ford has discussed with staff whether to start notifying residents one or two years in advance of road-repaving projects, that they will need to replace the curbs too. “We started, probably six or eight years ago, when a house is up for sale and goes to settlement, they have to get a use and occupancy permit, and our code department goes and inspects and notes if any curbs or sidewalks don’t meet the code requirements,” Ford said. “We’ve had some success with that, but the issue is, not all houses are going up for sale, if you live in a house for 25 or 30 years, and we’re starting to look at beginning to pave roads where the curbs and sidewalks are in poor condition,” he continued. Township staff looked at one older neighborhood in the township that could be in line for paving over the next two years, and out of a total of 183 homes, 102 had issues with their curbs that would necessitate repaving. Ford said that fresh curbs help to maintain the integrity of a new roadway by providing strong support on either side. Ford and Township Engineer Tom Zarko plan to gather more information and discuss the plan with supervisors at a future board meeting.
Source: The Reporter; 7/19/2017

-Community Connections offers one-stop resource for Montco residents
Montgomery County describes its “Community Connections” program as an innovative approach to providing services to people who need them most, where they need them most — in their community. There are currently four Community Connections offices located in Willow Grove, Pottstown, Lansdale and Norristown, and the county has added several expansion sites with limited hours. These offices offer guidance related to taxes, veterans’ affairs, addiction services, housing, women’s health and many other areas. Community Connections aims to build a stronger partnership between government, community organizations and families to foster better service and care. Click here for the Community Connections brochure.

-Lower Merion boards recommend approval of hotels at Pencoyd Iron Works site
The Lower Merion Township Planning Commission and the Building and Planning Committee recommended approval of a plan to construct two hotels and other amenities on a portion of the former Pencoyd Iron Works site in Bala Cynwyd. Penn Real Estate Group plans to construct one hotel with 124 rooms and a second hotel with 138 rooms on a site between the new Royal Athena apartments and the Aquatic Fitness Center on Righters Ferry Road. The plan will also provide public access to a public gathering space that will be called Pencoyd Square. There will be a café and a trail that township officials hope will one day reach the Falls Bridge in Philadelphia. The Board of Commissioners will review the plans for approval.
Source: Main Line Times; 7/13/2017

07/21/2017

Delaware County Real Estate News

-Marple investor's proposed retirement community stirs controversy
Steve Sudhop, a 35-year Marple resident and real estate investor, purchased the remnants of Greenbank Farm and its four-acre parcel on Palmers Mill Road last August. The purchase ignited apprehension among residents who are concerned he’ll combine the property with proposed plans for his controversial Woodland Preserve project, a 650-unit active-adult continuing care retirement community on a neighboring 45-acre tract, turning the historic farm into a clubhouse corner that green-space groups are calling “invasive.” “All I want to do is build a retirement community so I can live in one that I like,” Sudhop said. He’s planned a park-like setting on the site and promises 69 percent of the property will remain as green space, more than is typical in such high-density housing. He says the vertically stacked single-floor hybrid apartment-cottage units for independent, assisted and skilled living would be affordable and equipped with elevators and communal recreational galleries. The proposed project has not yet been approved by the township and project remains contrary to current zoning. Neighbors have joined forces to oppose the project as a group called Paxon Hollow Greenspace.
Source: Main Line Today; June 2017

-Springfield rejects zoning change for car dealership
Springfield Township’s Board of Commissioners rejected an application by Reedman Toll to rezone 305 West Ave. from residential to business. Residents who live near the site raised concerns about their homes, safety and lifestyle. The board’s 4-3 vote to deny the application represents a reversal from earlier approvals the commissioners had given to the automotive dealership’s plans. Commissioner Dan Lanciano, who changed his vote, said he walked the property, and reconsidered what he’d heard and the strong feelings of residents.
Source: Daily Times; 7/13/2017

-New study identifies main Delco employers
The boom in the health industry and the expanding education workforce in Philadelphia is having a positive impact on the suburbs, according to a report in the Philadelphia Business Journal. According to a study from Data USA, these industries are now the main employers in Delaware County. With 85,623 employees, they employ nearly a third of the county’s workforce. Overall employment in Delaware County has increased at a rate of 4.71 percent since 2014. Read more about Data USA’s findings in the Philadelphia Business Journal by clicking here.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 7/5/2017

-Concord planners to review proposed development
The Concord Township Planning Commission is slated to review an application regarding Concord Ventures, a proposed development involving 63.8 acres bordered by Route 202, Watkin Avenue and the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line. The tract is owned by Woodlawn Trustees with equitable owners Eastern States Development Co. and McKee-Concord Homes. The new design of 29 townhouses, three five-story apartment buildings, a clubhouse and an in-ground pool was revised from the original proposal based on comments from township consultants. Because the plan is a planned residential development, it could be considered by council without input from the planning commission, but council voted earlier this year to request the commission complete a review and provide recommendations. The meeting will be held Monday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. at the township building, 43 Thornton Road.
Source: Daily Times; 7/17/2017

07/21/2017

Chester County Real Estate News

-Sunoco will connect homes to public water
Sunoco Pipeline LP will pay to extend municipal water mains to about 30 Chester County households whose private water wells were impacted by pipeline construction. The company arranged to extend Aqua Pennsylvania water service to an area of West Whiteland Township. Township Supervisor George Turner affirmed that the company had agreed to “assume responsibility for the expansion of the public water system to serve the residents involved.” Details about costs, timetables and whether Sunoco will support the residents’ monthly water bills were still being worked out. Sunoco was under pressure from public officials to remedy the damage caused by the company’s horizontal directional drilling, which caused some of the wells to stop flowing and others to go cloudy. Some of the affected homes are along Township Line Road near an existing Aqua main, but other homes along Valleyview Drive will require the design and construction of a new main.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 7/12/2017

-Phoenixville Council cuts tax abatement short
Phoenixville Borough has opted to accelerate the expiration clause of the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) ordinance. Previously scheduled to sunset in 2020, the program will now end July 31, 2017. The 10-year LERTA ordinance, adopted in 2010, is a tax abatement meant to incentivize development in the community. “We had all of the former steel site property under the LERTA in the hopes that we would get new development going on,” said Borough Manager Jean Krack. In 2016 and 2017, Phoenix Village and Riverworks took advantage of the abatement. Those projects resulted in 625 new apartments and 30,000 feet of commercial space. The downside of the tax abatement is the borough must provide services to the newly developed areas without receiving full tax payments to cover the costs. Property taxes increase 10 percent each year until they reach the newly assessed amount in the 10th year of the LERTA. Phoenixville, the school district and the county will receive full taxes for Phoenixville Village and Riverworks in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Source: Daily Local; 7/17/2017

-Coatesville Gateway Project: ‘When we build it, others will follow’
An official groundbreaking was held July 18 for Coatesville Gateway, a roughly $22 million redevelopment project planned for the area around First Avenue and East Lincoln Highway. The mixed-use project calls for new retail and office space that supporters hope will generate a wave of further investment in the city of 13,000 people. “I think it’s going to be incredibly catalytic,” said Sonia Huntzinger, Economic Development Administrator for the Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance. “Coatesville has been on the verge of revitalization for a long time, and it’s only been a matter of getting that first domino to fall.” Coatesville has recently drawn expectant comparisons to other areas – like West Chester and Phoenixville – that have seen their fortunes turned around through investment and revitalization. While other revitalization efforts are in the planning stages, some will soon be under way. Later this month, a groundbreaking will be held for the first phase of work on the Third Avenue Streetscape, a project that will transform the Amtrak station and surrounding area. The city also received funding from PennDOT for a much-needed realignment at the intersection of First Avenue and East Lincoln Highway to improve traffic flow and safety. The Gateway Project has also kindled interest in improving Coatesville’s infrastructure, the exploration of new uses for old warehouses and strategies for bringing new developers for future projects.
Source: Vista Today; 7/16/2017

-New report identifies Chester County’s main employers
The boom in the health industry and the expanding education workforce in Philadelphia is having a positive impact on the suburbs, according to a report in the Philadelphia Business Journal. According to a study from Data USA, these industries are now the main employers in Chester County. With 61,062 employees between them, they account for nearly a quarter of the county’s workforce. Overall, employment in Chester County has grown by a rate of 1.29 percent since 2014. The highest-paid jobs in the area tend to be in the fields of legal, management, technology and mathematics. Read more about Data USA’s findings in the Philadelphia Business Journal here.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal; 7/5/2017

07/19/2017

https://www.facebook.com/allthingsmediapa/posts/1722342454460511

It's been almost 6 years when I first reported that Wawa was interested in bringing a marquee store to Media, PA. During that time, a ...

07/10/2017

Congratulations to Roy and Tiffany on their new home!

07/02/2017

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20170629/new-marple-newtown-school-budget-cuts-tax-rate

NEWTOWN >> Although the decrease will barely pay for a cup of coffee, it is a decrease none the less.

06/22/2017

https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/diy-repair/what-new-homeowners-need-to-know/?cid=eo_sm_fb_mxm-social

What’s do new homeowners need to know once they move in? HouseLogic gives a checklist for new homeowners to help them avoid costly mistakes.

06/21/2017

http://mentalfloss.com/article/56736/how-philadelphias-neighborhoods-got-their-names

Philadelphia is a city of American history, and that history is reflected in its various neighborhoods.