[00:00:01]
ALRIGHT.[CALL TO ORDER]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THIS, UH, REGULAR MEETING OVER THE UPPER PROVIDENCE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025.AND, UH, IF EVERYONE WOULD RISE AS THEY'RE ABLE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[MOTION TO APPROVE BOARD AGENDA]
AN AGENDA AND UH, I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE.I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REGULAR MEETING AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, I'M A MOTION TO SECOND.
[SPECIAL PRESENTATION]
A SPECIAL PRESENTATION AND A RECOGNITION OF OUR TOWNSHIP SOLICITOR FOR MANY YEARS.I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TIM DEPERMAN.
I DON'T THINK I GET DOWN HERE VERY MUCH, BUT, UM, JOE, ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF AND BEHALF OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, JUST WANTED TO SET THE STAGE ON, UH, GOING BACK TO 2015 WHEN I FIRST STARTED SHORTLY AFTER YOU, UM, UH, TOOK OVER FROM ED CAPPEL.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, A VALUABLE SOLICITOR.
I'VE BEEN IN THE PROFESSION FOR 35 YEARS, AND YOU BY FAR ARE THE BEST SOLICITOR I'VE HAD.
AND ONE OF THE NICE THINGS, UH, THAT I, I WOULD LIKE TO, WELL, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOU'RE ONE OF THE BEST, UH, ONE OF THE BEST TRIBUTES IS YOUR ABILITY TO PROTECT US FROM OURSELVES AND SAY THINGS THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH.
BUT, UM, I WANT TO, UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.
ALWAYS APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU AND THE ADVICE YOU PROVIDED OVER THE YEARS.
UH, GLAD TO HAVE YOU, UH, AS A RESIDENT DURING YOUR TENURE WITH THE TOWNSHIP, UH, AND IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU IN THE PLANNING COMMISSIONER ZONING, HEARING BOARD
WE, IF THE BOARD WILL, WE'LL AGREE TO THAT IN THAT CAPACITY.
WE, WE DIDN'T SAY WE'RE GONNA PUNISH HIM.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE, FAITHFUL SERVICE, LOYAL SERVICE TO THIS TOWNSHIP.
I DON'T KNOW, PEOPLE MAYBE DON'T UNDERSTAND IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T, NOT FROM PENNSYLVANIA, BUT SO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY IS DRIVEN DOWN TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AND THE ROLE OF MUNICIPAL, UH, LAW.
THE PRACTICE OF IT IS CRITICAL IN THE STATE.
MAYBE WE WOULD GRIND TO A HALT WITHOUT MUNICIPAL ATTORNEYS AND GOOD ONES TO REPRESENT US.
BILL, I, I COULD SAY A LOT ABOUT JOE.
I KNOW JOE, I KNEW JOE WAY BEFORE HE WAS EVEN A SOLICITOR HERE.
UM, OUR BOYS PLAYED, UH, SPORTS TOGETHER AT SPRING COURT, SO I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS BEFORE.
SO IT WAS COMFORTING WHEN I WON SUPERVISOR THAT JOE WAS HERE AND I GO TO JOE AND BE LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK AS A RESIDENT? TAKE OFF YOUR LAWYER HAT LIKE ON A SUNDAY WHEN I WAS CALM AND NOT WORKING MY OTHER JOB.
AND NOT ONLY DO PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK I SIGNED UP HIS WIFE KIM, FOR SOMETHING TOO.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT IT EITHER.
AS A PART OF, AS A PART OF COURSE OF ALL, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE 'CAUSE YOU'RE STILL RESIDENT, JOE, AND WE ALREADY HAVE YOU SLATE FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO, UM, IT SEEMS TO BE A THEME.
UM, HELENE AND I PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER TRYING TO SEE WHAT WE, WE WOULD, UM, LIKE TO GIVE YOU, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE A TRAVELER, EVEN KIM ARE TRAVELERS.
SO WE GOT TOGETHER, IT'S CALLED A TRAVEL BOOK, AND IT'S, UM, UH, AUTHORED FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE.
I THINK EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY IS IN HERE.
THERE'S SOME COUNTRIES I DON'T THINK I'D WANT TO VISIT
WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE THING I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SAY IN 40 YEARS OF DOING THIS, BUT NOW I CAN SAY I WON'T BE STAYING FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING.
I YOU SHALL I GET A PHOTO WITH YOU, EVERYBODY? SURE.
[00:05:16]
NOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM OUR TOWNSHIP MANAGER ON THE UPCOMING OPEN SPACE REFERENDUM, WHICH WILL BE ON THE BALLOT ON NOVEMBER 4TH.AND, UH, THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION, SO TIM'S GONNA GIVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION, AND THEN AFTERWARDS WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SHORT Q AND A PLEASE, INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONS ONLY.
WE JUST WANT TO GET OUT TO THE PUBLIC WHAT THIS IS AND GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE YOU CAST YOUR VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4TH.
UM, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION IS, UH, WE WE'RE TRYING TO TIME THIS AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING BECAUSE, UM, WE KNOW THAT MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE GONNA BE GOING OUT AND WE HAVE A MUCH MORE THOROUGH PUBLIC INFORMATION SESSION THAT WE'RE GONNA DO ON OCTOBER 15TH.
PURPOSE OF TONIGHT IS TO GET THIS ON THE PUBLIC RECORD AND, UM, UM, RELAX THE RULES A LITTLE BIT ON PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, WELL AND CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS OPEN, OPEN SPACE IS A, A VERY, UH, UM, UM, TERM THAT CAN MEAN MANY THINGS.
AND SO I WANT TO GO OVER VERY BRIEFLY ON SOME OF THE, UM, COMMON, UH, THINGS THAT WE'VE, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE RECEIVED AND WANTED TO START OUT.
UM, FIRST, UH, JUST TO, UM, JUST SAY THAT THIS BALLOT INITIATIVE IS, UM, UH, ON NOVEMBER 4TH, 2025.
UM, AND IT WILL BE, UH, PART OF THE, UH, GENERAL ELECTION THIS YEAR.
SO JEFF, IF YOU GO THROUGH, UH, SO THE AGENDA TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP IT BRIEF.
UH, WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REFERENDUM PURPOSE, THE, UM, THE ENGAGEMENT OF NATURAL LANDS.
UH, THAT'S THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT WE CONTRACTED WITH PUBLIC, UH, COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TAX IMPACT ON RESIDENTS IF ONCE THE REFER, IF THE REFERENDUM IS APPROVED, UM, THE USE OF THE TAX FUNDS, UH, THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS.
SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL IS, UH, THE REFERENDUM PURPOSE.
AND THE QUESTION IS WHY NOW? UH, A COUPLE OF MAIN REASONS IS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN DECISION MAKING, PRO PROCESSES, UH, TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERN AND, AND GOVERNANCE, UH, TO ENGAGE VOTERS TO ELICIT THEIR FEEDBACK, UM, TO HELP MITIGATE THE STRAIN ON TOWNSHIP INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UH, TO HELP BEND THE COST CURVE ON THE IMPACTS OF MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL DISTRICT SERVICES.
UM, THE, THE UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP BOARD ENLISTED THE NATURAL LANDS ORGANIZATION FOR EXPERTISE ON THE OPEN, UH, OPEN SPACE BALLOT QUESTION.
NATURAL LANDS IS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSING ON LAND CONSERVATION IN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY.
THEY MANAGE, UH, 43 NATURE PRESERVES, COVERING NEARLY 24,000 ACRES AND HOLD ABOUT 494 CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON ANOTHER 20 THOU 28,000 ACRES.
UH, NATURAL LANDS ALSO PROVIDES OPEN SPACE FINANCING, ACQUISITION SERVICES AND UPDATES TO THE TOWNSHIP'S OPEN SPACE OPPORTUNITIES MAP.
AND THAT IS VIEWABLE ON THE TOWNSHIP'S, UH, WEBSITE.
WE DO HAVE A SLIDE LATER TONIGHT.
UM, HOW THIS NEW LEVY, UH, HOW THIS NEW LEVY AFFECTS THE AVERAGE RESIDENT, UH, DEPENDS ON A COMBINATION OF EARNED INCOME TAX AND OR THEIR HOME ASSESSED VALUATION.
UH, NATURAL LANDS RECOMMENDED AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED WHAT WE CALL A BLENDED TAX FORMULA, UH, WHICH WOULD RAISE THE TOWNSHIP'S EARNED INCOME TAX FROM 1% TO 1.06%, AND THE REAL ESTATE TAX FROM 2.75 TO 3.25 MILLS.
THIS ENSURES BOTH PROPERTY OWNERS AND WORKERS CONTRIBUTE FAIRLY TO THE OPEN SPACE TAX FOR PERSPECTIVE.
AND THIS IS, UH, WE, WE TRIED TO FIND A VERY SIMPLE CALCULATOR, UH, TO, FOR PEOPLE TO USE, UH, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PROPERTY TAX, UH, ASSESSMENTS ON THEIR HOMES DIFFER.
BUT, UH, FOR, FOR A PERSPECTIVE, THE THE AVERAGE ASSESSED HOME IN UPPER PROVIDENCE IS AROUND $500,000.
UM, AND TO CA TO CALCULATE THE OPEN SPACE TAX, ONE WOULD NEED TO APPLY THE FOLLOWING CALCULATOR.
YOU, YOU HAVE $500,000 IF A PROPOSED TAX INCREASE OF 0.50 MILLS, UM, NOT THAT'S BEEN SPELLED IN MY O LIST CALCULATION WOULD BE 500,000 DIVIDED BY A THOUSAND.
UM, THAT GIVES YOU THE MILLAGE NUMBER TIMES 0.50, AND THAT WOULD
[00:10:01]
BE AN ESTIMATED TAX INCREASE OF ANNUAL TAX INCREASE OF $250, $250.THAT'S FOR A HOME THAT HAS AN ASSESSED VALUATION OF 500,000.
AS YOU KNOW, SOME HOMES ARE LESS THAN THAT, SOME HOMES ARE MORE THAN THAT.
SO IF IT, UM, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT, HOW IT WILL IMPACT YOU, YOU WOULD NEED TO USE THIS TAX CALCULATOR.
ANY QUESTIONS WE WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CALL THE TOWNSHIP, UH, OFFICES.
THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE ON THE, UM, EARNED INCOME TAX.
UH, CALCULATE EARNED INCOME TAX, UH, CALCULATOR FOR PERSPECTIVE, THE AVERAGE EARNED INCOME IN UPPER PROVIDENCE AROUND 141,771.
TO CALCULATE THE OPEN SPACE TAX, ONE WOULD NEED TO APPLY THE FOLLOWING CALCULATOR, 1 41 7 7 6 TIMES 0.06 OF 1%.
THAT'S A CALCULATION OF AROUND $85, UH, ANNUALLY.
UH, FOR THE EIT, UM, HOW CAN THE TAX BE USED? UH, UM, IS OFTEN THOUGHT THAT AN OPEN SPACE LEVEE CAN ONLY BE USED TO BUY LAND, BUT THAT IS INCORRECT.
THE NATURAL LANDS TRUST AND THE TOWNSHIP LEGAL COUNSEL HAVE ENSURED THAT THE BALLOT QUESTION ALLOWS FLEXIBLE USE OF THE FUNDS WITHIN STATE LAW.
FUNDS MAY BE USED FOR ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.
UH, LAND ACQUISITION PARK AND TRAIL DEVELOPMENT, UH, HABITAT RESTORATION, MAINTENANCE AND STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING ADMINISTRATION.
I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON EACH OF THOSE ITEMS AS FAR AS LAND ACQUISITION.
LAND ACQUISITION REFERS TO THE ACQUIRING LAND, OR CONSERVATION IS EASEMENTS FROM WILLING SELLERS TO PRESERVE NATURAL AREAS, AGRICULTURAL LANDS, AND WOODLANDS.
LOCAL FUNDING IS FREQUENTLY SUPPLEMENTED, UH, WITH STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS TO, UH, MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF PROTECTED OPEN SPACE PER DOLLAR EXPENDED SOME OF THE FREQUENTLY, UH, ASKED QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
UM, PARKS AND TRAIL, UH, PARKS AND TRAIL DEVELOPMENT ALSO REFERS TO THE PLANNING OF NEW PARTS, UM, EXTENDING TRAILS AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO, TO NATURAL AREAS.
HABITAT RESTORATION, UM, REFERS TO THE RESTORING OF WETLANDS STREAMS AND, UH, CRUCIAL HABITATS.
UM, PLANNING ADMINISTRATION, DID I SKIP UNDER MAINTENANCE AND STEWARDSHIP.
MAINTENANCE AND STEWARDSHIP, UH, REFERS TO THE LONG-TERM CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PRESERVED LANDS, UM, INCLUDING INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL AND TRAIL UPKEEP.
UP TO 25% OF THE FUNDS ACCUMULATED BALANCE FROM THE REFERENDUM AUTHORIZED TAX MAY BE USED TO DEVELOP IMPROVED DESIGN ENGINEER AND MAINTAIN OPEN SPACE PROPERTY.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION.
THIS WOULD COVER THE COST ASSOCIATING WITH IDENTIFYING PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREAS, UH, CONDUCTING APPRAISALS AND MANAGING THE OPEN SPACE PROGRAM.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE IN NOW TO SOME OF THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UH, CAN THE FUNDS BE USED FOR, UH, ROAD REPAIRS OR OTHER TOWNSHIP EXPENSES? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
STATE LAW MANDATES THAT FUNDS BE USED ONLY FOR OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION AND RELATED PROJECTS, UH, NOT FOR SERVICES LIKE ROAD MAINTENANCE POLICE OR GENERAL ADMINISTRATION.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT WE RECEIVE IS, WILL THE TOWNSHIP SEIZE PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH THIS MONEY? UM, IN OTHER WORDS, WE FOUND A NICE PIECE OF OPEN SPACE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A WILLING SELLER.
COULD WE USE EMINENT DOMAIN TO PURCHASE THAT? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
ALL AND ACQUISITIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED WITH WILLING SELLERS.
UH, THE TOWNSHIP WILL NOT EMPLOY EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES FOR OPEN SPACE.
THIS PROGRAM STATE LAW PROHIBITS MUNICIPALITIES FROM INVOLUNTARILY CONDEMNING LAND FOR OPEN SPACE PURPOSES.
ANOTHER FAQ THAT WE GET IS WHAT KIND OF OPEN SPACE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? THIS CAN INCLUDE VARIOUS, UM, SPACES SUCH AS FARMLAND, WOODLANDS, WETLANDS, STREAM CORRIDOR, STREAM CORRIDORS, UH, HISTORICAL LANDSCAPES AND AREAS FOR PASSIVE, PASSIVE RECREATION SUCH AS WALKING TRAILS, NATURAL PARKS, AND COMMUNITY GARDENS.
IT ALSO FOCUSES ON PRESERVING ECOLOGICAL VALUE AND PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
WHAT WILL THE FUNDING BE USED FOR PURCHASING FLOOD, UH, PURCHASING FLOOD PRONE PROPERTIES, UH, WITH THE HELP OF FEDERAL FUNDS, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CHUCO RIVER.
UH, IT, IT WOULD, UH, PREVENT FURTHER FLOOD DAMAGE, RESTORE THE FLOODPLAIN AND INCREASE REC,
[00:15:01]
INCREASE RECREATIONAL ACCESS TO THE RIVER, UH, PURCHASING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OR CONSERVATION EASEMENTS ON PRIVATE LANDS TO, UH, PREVENT DEVELOPMENT ON WORKING FARMS, UH, WILDLIFE HABITATS AND OTHER ITY OF THE NATURAL RECREATION AREAS.UM, COULD BE USED FOR ALSO THE PURCHASING TRAIL RIGHTS AWAY TO LINK AND OR EXPAND THE TOWNSHIPS PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL SYSTEM.
AND FINALLY, THE PURCHASING OPEN LAND WERE APPROPRIATE FOR ACTIVE, UH, RECREATION, SUCH AS, SUCH AS
ANOTHER FAQ IS WHAT WILL THE PROJECT BE SELECTED? HOW WILL THE PROJECT BE SELECTED IN A TRANSPARENT AND FAIR MANNER? PROJECT SELECTION WILL ADHERE TO THE OPEN SPACE RECREATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES PLAN, AND THIS WOULD BE, THEY WOULD RECEIVE IT, UH, RECEIVING APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY, UH, PLAN, COMMISSION, AND APPOINTED COMMITTEE WILL EVALUATE, RANK AND RECOMMEND PROJECTS EMPHASIZING LANDS WITH ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE, LINKS TO PRESERVED AREAS, PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY, OR THOSE UNDER DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE.
UM, AND ANY CASE, IF WE FIND AN, UH, A VALID PIECE OF PARCEL PARCEL, THE TOWNSHIP MUST CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE ACQUIRING ANY PROPERTY.
PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO PRESENT THEIR TESTIMONIES ON ACQUISITIONS FINANCED BY THE OPEN SPACE TAX TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ARE CRITICAL.
UH, CAN THESE OPEN SPACE FUNDS BE COMBINED WITH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES? YES, THEN THAT'S A RESOUNDING YES.
OPEN SPACE TAX FUNDS CAN BE COMBINED AND ARE ALMOST ALWAYS COMBINED WITH COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL GRANTS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF DEVELOPMENT OF NEW OPEN SPACES.
VERY SELDOM DO WE NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH ANY TYPE OF PROJECT WITHOUT SOME GRANT, UM, ASSISTANCE.
UM, MANY OF THESE GRANTS, PARTICULARLY FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA'S, UH, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, REQUIRE MATCHING FUNDS WHERE THE GRANT COVERS PART OF THE COST AND THE MUNICIPALITY PROVIDES THE REMAINING AMOUNT.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT WE RECEIVED IS, WHY DOES THE TOWNSHIP NEED A SPECIAL OPEN SPACE TAX WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE MONEY FROM DEVELOPERS FOR PARKS? UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE PARK IMPACT FEE THAT WE'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS FROM DEVELOPERS IS A ONE TIME CHARGE, UM, ON NEW RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS.
UM, AS OUR TOWNSHIP IS NOW OVER 95% DEVELOPED, UH, THIS FEE WILL YIELD MINIMUM RETURNS IN FUTURE YEARS.
UH, AND OPEN SPACE TECHS WILL PROVIDE A DEDICATED ONGOING FUNDING SOURCE TO PRESERVE REMAINING UNDEVELOPED PARCELS AND MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY'S CHARACTER, UH, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
JUST TO DRILL DOWN, UH, ON THAT FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE, UM, PUTTING OUR, PUTTING OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR LITTLE BIT ON THE SPOT.
I THINK WE HAVE PLUS OR MINUS ABOUT $2 MILLION IN THE PARKS AND OPEN SPACE FUND, GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DOLLARS.
PEOPLE SAY THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP THIS IN CONTEXT.
UM, CAN YOU MOVE UNDER THE DEMAND? YOU GOTTA KEEP THIS IN CONTEXT.
THIS IS KIND OF THE OPEN SPACE PRIORITIES MAP, UM, BY COUNT, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME, JEFF, 'CAUSE I ASKED YOU THIS EARLIER TODAY, BY COUNT WE HAVE ABOUT 1,390 ACRES LEFT OF UNDEVELOPED PROPERTY.
AND WHEN YOU APPLY THAT BASED ON THE ASSESSED VALUE WITH COMMON LEVEL, WITH A COMMON LEVEL RATIO, IF WE, IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT, AND WE COULD JUST WRITE A CHECK FOR ANYTHING THAT, THAT ESTIMATED VALUE IS AROUND A HUNDRED, UH, PROBABLY 150 MILLION, $150.5 MILLION IS THE ASSESSED.
IT'S PROBABLY THE VALUE OF A LOT OF THAT MONEY.
AND THAT'S BASED ON THAT FORMULA.
SOME PROPERTY MAY BE MORE VALUABLE THAN THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE WANT TO KEEP IN PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND THAT IS A, UH, FOR A SEA FEE SIMPLE PURCHASE.
UM, ANOTHER ONE, UM, IF YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS AN AREA OF ALL OF OUR FLOODPLAINS, AS YOU KNOW.
UH, HURRICANE IDA, UM, OPENED ALL OF OUR EYES AND SOME OF THE DANGERS TO SOME OF THE STRUCTURES DOWN IN OUR, DOWN IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
BRIAN, YOU CAN CORRECT ME ON THIS STATISTIC, BUT I THINK OF A HUNDRED, 100 OF THE 103 S AND THE FLOODPLAIN ARE IN MONTCLAIR AND POOR PROVIDENCE.
AND THIS IS A ATTACHED IS AN ARROW IMAGE SHOWING THE AREA IN WHICH THE HUNDRED, UH, PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED.
UH, AGAIN, IF WE APPLY THE, THE FORMULA AS FAR AS WHAT THOSE PROPERTIES ARE VALUED, THAT COMES TO CLOSE TO 38 TO $40 MILLION.
AM I CORRECT? SO, SO THAT'S 38 MILLION IN ADDITION TO THE 150 MILLION OF VALUATION OF OPEN PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE.
[00:20:01]
OF $2 MILLION, THAT'S REALLY, THAT $2 MILLION IS A FINITE RESOURCE.WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS CREATING A, A SMALL STEADY ANNUAL INCOME WHERE WE AS IF ONCE PROPERTIES BECOME AVAILABLE OR WE FIND SOME OTHER WILLING SELLERS, WE'LL HAVE SOME AVENUES TO, UM, KIND OF REACT PROACTIVELY TO SOME OF THAT.
UM, ONE LAST, UH, ONE OTHER, UH, O UH, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION IS, WHAT WILL PREVENT THE OPEN SPACE REVENUE FROM BEING USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES? AND MR. SOLICITOR, YOU CAN CHIME IN ON SOME OF THIS, BUT I THINK PENNSYLVANIA ACT 1 53 MANDATES THAT OPEN SPACE FUNDS MUST BE ONLY USED FOR PRESERVING OPEN SPACES.
A PORTION OF THE FUNDS CAN MAINTAIN PROPERTIES BOUGHT WITH THESE FUNDS AND THE FUNDS WILL BE RECORDED IN A SEPARATE AUDIBLE OPEN SPACE ACCOUNT IN THE TOWNSHIP'S FINANCIAL RECORDS.
UM, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHERS, BUT, UM, I ALSO WANNA TELL EVERYBODY TO SAVE THIS DATE.
THAT WILL BE OUR NEXT OPEN SPACE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
YOU, THIS ONE WILL BE FACILITATED BY OUR CONSULTANT, THE NATURAL LAND TRUST.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SPEAKERS THAT MEETING, UM, TO GO INTO MORE DEPTH THAT WILL ALSO BE ADVERTISED.
TONIGHT'S PURPOSE IS JUST TO TRY TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON WHAT, UH, FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR AND TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THE FAQS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN.
CHERYL, I THINK WE HAVE, UM, SOME, SOME HANDOUTS,
SO IF THE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE, THEY COULD WELCOME THEM TO GET A COPY.
AND, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE LAST SLIDE IS, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR.
THAT'S QUESTIONS FROM THE SUPERVISORS OR ANYBODY FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
WE WANTED TO FILL IN ANYTHING THAT WAS MISSING.
IS THERE ANYTHING MISSING? ANY INFORMATION YOU WANT? UM, I, I, I THINK THAT I WOULD JUST ADD TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON WHAT TIM HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN THE TOWNSHIP, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN MAYBE GET SOME MORE OPEN SPACE OR KEEP SOME OF THOSE LARGER DEVELOPMENTS FROM BUILDING UP DENSITY IS BY PURCHASING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR PURCHASING PROPERTY.
YOU CAN PURCHASE PROPERTY AND THEN PUT AN EASEMENT ON IT AND THEN SELL THE PROPERTY FOR SOME OF THE PURPOSES CAN BE CONTINUE TO BE FARMED OR, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE JUST A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, BUT MAYBE PRESERVE THE OTHER ACREAGE.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT THAT'S, UH, AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE PROPOSAL THAT THAT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED.
AND WAS IT EVEN AS DEVELOPMENT DOES HAPPEN THAT YOU COULD PURCHASE SOME OF THE UNIT WITH THE MONEY? COULD YOU DO THAT? LIKE SAY, OKAY, INSTEAD OF 155 UNITS, LET'S DO WHATEVER WE WOULD PURCHASE THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE A, A, A WILLING SELLER, IF YOU HAVE A DEVELOPER THAT HAS A PROJECT AND YOU SAY, LOOK, WE'RE WILLING TO BUY A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON FROM YOU.
WE'LL BUY SOME GOOD DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OFF OF THE PROJECT AND PART, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL BUY X NUMBER OF UNITS AND IT WILL REDUCE THE DENSITY AND CREATE A, A PARK AND AN OPEN SPACE AREA NEXT TO THE DEVELOPMENT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WHOLE TOWN SHOULD BE.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE AT THE OCTOBER MEETING IS THE ACTUAL VERBIAGE.
WHAT DOES THAT, UNLESS WE HAVE IT, I ACTUALLY HAVE IT.
I DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN, BUT I CAN, AND I'LL JUST WEIGH THAT THE VERBIAGE THAT WE HAVE ON THE BALLOT IS DICTATED BY STATUTE.
SO THE STATUTE IS VERY PRECISE IN HOW THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO LOAD THE BALLOT INITIATIVE.
YOU HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, DO YOU FAVOR THE IMPOSITION OF INCREASE IN AND THEN THE TYPE OF TAX, WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS GONNA BE.
UM, AND THEN FOR WHAT PURPOSES? SO THE, THE DRAFT OF THE REFERENDUM AS WE HAVE IT IN THE ORDINANCE THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED SPECIFICALLY IS WRITTEN SO THAT THE PURPOSES ARE AS BROAD AS IS PERMITTED UNDER THE LAW.
SO THAT IF, IF THIS WERE TO BE ADOPTED, IT WOULDN'T BE, UM, HE WOULDN'T REALLY BE HEMMED IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU COULD DO.
SO THAT'S THE WAY, THE REASON IT'S WRITTEN, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IN, IN LEGAL, UNFORTUNATELY.
I'LL LET, UH, JEFF IS PUTTING IT UP ON THE SCREEN FROM THE, IF ANYONE ELSE FROM THE REPUBLIC HAS A QUESTION, YOU CAN COME FORWARD TO THE, TO THE LECTERN AND UH, STATE YOUR NAME AND ASK IT.
THIS IS NOT IN PLACE OF, WE'RE STILL GONNA DO REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER THIS, SO I'LL BE UP TWICE.
HI, KRISTEN TROUTMAN 1320 BLACKROCK ROAD.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IF THIS DOES PASS WHEN PEOPLE VOTE
[00:25:01]
IN NOVEMBER, IS THERE GONNA BE VERBIAGE IN THE RESOLUTION OR ORDINANCE STATING THAT MONIES USED TO PURCHASE OPEN SPACE MEANS IT WILL BE OPEN SPACE IN PERPETUITY THAT THE TOWNSHIP CAN NEVER SELL IT TO, SAY, GENERATE REVENUE FOR SOMETHING? BECAUSE I SAW ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, NUMBER NINE, I THINK IT IS, IS THERE'S SOME TOWNSHIP OPEN SPACE THAT'S POTENTIALLY GONNA BE SOLD.SO IT'S, I'M QUESTIONING IF WE'RE GONNA BE TAXED TO PAY FOR OPEN SPACE, WILL IT STAY OPEN SPACE FOREVER OR WILL IT, IF THE TOWNSHIP COMES UPON HARD TIMES WHEN DEVELOPERS ARE NO LONGER DEVELOPING, UM, WILL THAT THEN GET SOLD LIKE PARKHOUSE? SO THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS IN, IN TERMS OF HOW THE TOWNSHIP CAN DISPOSE OF ANY PROPERTY THAT IT REQUIRES AND HOW IT GOES ABOUT DOING THAT AS WADE IN INTO THAT FACT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AN EASEMENT WOULD BE SOMETHING IF A DEVELOPMENT EASEMENT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT A, YOU KNOW, THE TOWNSHIP COULD ONLY DISPOSE OF IF THEY WENT TO COURT AND CONVINCED THE, THE ORPHANS COURT THAT THEY COULD DO IT AND IT WOULD STILL SERVE THE PURPOSE THAT IT WAS INTENDED.
SO IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO EVER CONVEY.
I I, I CAN'T SAY THAT IN PERPETUITY FOREVER.
IT WOULD NEVER BE DISPOSED OF OR SOLD OR ANYTHING.
'CAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT GO INTO IT.
BUT IF THAT'S THE PURPOSE THAT IT'S BEING BOUGHT FOR, THAT'S THE PURPOSE.
'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY AG PRESERVATION PROGRAM THAT'S IN PERPETUITY, SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TOWNSHIP COULDN'T ALSO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, EVEN THE, EVEN THE AG PROGRAM, THERE ARE WAYS TO DO IT WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST, IT'S IT'S NOT FOREVER.
MY NEXT QUESTION IS, HOW MANY PARCELS OF OPEN SPACE DOES THE TOWNSHIP OWN? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? WE OWN AROUND 500 ACRES.
I, I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER OF PARCELS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT IT'S AROUND 500 ACRES.
BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT FOR EVERY PARCEL THAT GETS ACQUIRED FOR OPEN SPACE, IT COMES OFF THE TAX ROLLS, WHICH THEN MEANS THAT THE SCHOOL TAXES GO UP BECAUSE THAT'S LESS PROPERTY OWNERS PAYING INTO SCHOOL TAX.
AND WHEN YOU SHOW THE TAX FOR THE OPEN SPACE, $250 OR $85, THAT'S JUST FOR OPEN SPACE.
WE ALL KNOW OUR TAXES GO UP EVERY YEAR FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, FOR EVERYTHING.
SO, UM, I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT IF THIS DOES PASS AND THEY GET THEIR TAX BILL NEXT YEAR, IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE $250 MORE.
CAN I JUST ADD, IF WE DEVELOP AND MORE PEOPLE MOVE IN, WE COULD ALSO HAVE INCREASE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN AND WE NEED MORE EMERGENCY SERVICE AND WE COULD HAVE TWO OR THREE MORE POWERPOINTS.
SO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE, YOU KNOW, TRUE.
RIGHT? YEAH, WE COULD ADD MORE, UH, POWERPOINT SLIDES ON THE COST OF SERVICES.
BUT I'LL, MAYBE I'LL USE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS AN EXAMPLE.
FOR EVERY RESIDENTIAL UNIT, I THINK WE HAVE AN AVERAGE MULTIPLIER OF WHAT, 2.5 AND MAYBE OFF OF THIS 2.5 STUDENTS.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE, UH, IN, IN SPRING FORWARD, I THINK IS AROUND NINE OR 10, NINE OR $10,000.
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT WE DON'T ONE, THE AVERAGE, UH, RESIDENTIAL UNIT DOES NOT GENERATE THAT AMOUNT OF, UH, TAX TO COVER, UM, TO COVER THE COST OF EDUCATING A CHILD.
SO THERE IS A NET LOSS, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN, WHEN YOU DO A RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
THAT'S WHY WE TRY TO, WHEN WE DO PLANNING, WE TRY TO HAVE A NICE, UH, DIVERSE BASE OF COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND INDUSTRIAL.
SO YOU KIND OF FACTORS AND BALANCES THAT.
VICTORIA SCHWARTZ, 2 48 BAXTER DRIVE, PHOENIXVILLE.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE KIND OF TWO QUESTIONS, BUT TO TAG ALONG ON, UM, THE, THE TAXES AND THE INCREASES IN TAXES, YOU'RE SAYING THAT ESSENTIALLY WE CAN HAVE A 250 AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT 850, WHICH EQUATES TO $350, IS THAT PER HOUSEHOLD? IS THAT PER PERSON? WHAT'S IT'S BASED ON THE AVERAGE, UH, THAT THOSE, YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THOSE, UM, TWO CALCULATORS.
IT'S BASED ON WHAT THE AVERAGE ASSESSED VALUATION IS.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL SITUATION AND APPLY IT TO THE CALCULATOR TO COME UP WITH YOUR OWN TAX BILL.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT.
UM, EVERYBODY, UH, SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE A, UH, AN EARNED INCOME THROUGH A JOB IN THE TOWNSHIP.
YOU MAY HAVE UN INCOME UNDER UNEARNED INCOME IS NOT TAXED.
WHAT ABOUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO, THE BEST WAY TO EXPLAIN THIS IS LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE
[00:30:01]
OF WHAT THE AVERAGE, UH, ASSESSMENT VALUATION FOR A HOME AND THE AVERAGE INCOME.SO PEOPLE MAKE MORE OR LESS THAN THAT.
NOW, IS THAT BASED ON THE NEW ASSESSMENT MEANING A, A NEWER ASSESSMENT OR ARE WE GONNA HAVE OUR HOMES REASSESSED OR THE EXISTING ASSESSMENTS? EXISTING ASSESSMENTS.
SO THEN SECOND OF ALL, WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE WITH FIXED INCOMES OR EVEN SINGLE INCOMES THAT MAYBE DON'T MAKE 140? I KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF JUST A RANGE BASED UPON INCOME.
SO HOW DOES THAT EQUATE TO PEOPLE? SO FOR INSTANCE, MYSELF, UM, SO WOULD I BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF MY EXISTING, WOULD I BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL 350 ON TOP OF MY EXISTING TAXES ALREADY, JUST TO KIND OF GET AN, DEPENDS WHAT YOUR EARNED INCOME IS AND WHAT YOUR ASSESSMENT.
SO IT IS BASED UPON EARNED INCOME AS WELL.
YOU TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THE EARNED INCOME FORMULA.
SO 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S 1% THAT WERE BEING TAXED.
SO BASED UPON THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH FIXED INCOMES.
SO I JUST GUESS, UM, I GUESS MY ASKING QUESTION IS, DO WE NEED TO FLUSH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE? HAVE THAT, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU GUYS TRIED TO DO A GOOD JOB IN, IN SHOWCASING THIS.
I THINK FIXED INCOME, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE IMPLYING SOCIAL SECURITY, YES, PEOPLE RETIRED SOCIAL SECURITY, ANYBODY ON FIXED INCOME WOULD NOT BE, WOULD NOT BE, UH, SUBJECTED TO THE IT TAX BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HER ACCOUNT.
SO I JUST THINK THAT IF WE CAN FLUSH THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, ESPECIALLY ON PROPERTY TAXES.
'CAUSE AS WE KNOW, EVERYTHING DOES GO UP AND, YOU KNOW, UM, SEWERS GONE UP.
DEFINITELY SCHOOL TAXES HAVE GONE UP AND I USED TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, I STILL CAN'T AFFORD MY HOUSE FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT HOW MUCH LONGER, YOU KNOW, I'M, AGAIN, I'M SINGLE.
SO, AND I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO OWN A HOME AND NOT JUST MYSELF, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER WHO'VE WORKED REALLY HARD THEIR WHOLE ENTIRE LIVES AND THEIR TAXES ARE BEING TAXED OUT.
UM, SO AGAIN, I I UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF, OF THE TAX.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT IT IS CONCERNING IN TERMS OF THAT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, TRYING TO HAVE, FIND THE BREAKDOWN IN WHAT EXACTLY IT COULD BE USED FOR.
UM, THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, THIS IS KIND OF LIKE WHY, WHY NOW? WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS NOW? WHY WAS THIS NOT LOOKED AT BEFORE? AND WHY DID NOT WE CREATE A FUND BEFORE, UM, TO ACTUALLY HAVE OPEN SPACE, YOU KNOW, FIVE, 10 YEARS AGO? WHY IS IT NOW? I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE FAQS THAT WE ADDRESSED.
DID I, DO YOU WANNA GO BACK TO THAT? FORGIVE ME IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF CLARIFY THAT AND I, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR ASKING A QUESTION THAT MAYBE ALREADY COVERED.
I CAN'T, UM, SPEAK FOR PRIOR BOARDS.
I MEAN, I MEAN, IN A PERFECT WORLD, SHOULD WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH SPACE TAX 20? I MEAN, YOU CAN BE THE JUDGE OF THAT.
I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR 10 YEARS.
THE POINT IS, I THINK THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT YOU BRING IN A LOT OF MONEY FROM DEVELOPERS THAT THOSE, THOSE FUNDS THAT WE GET ARE ONE TIME RESOURCES.
WELL THEN I GUESS HERE'S MY QUESTION THEN.
IF WE ANTICIPATE THAT, MAYBE THIS MIGHT BE A TAG ON THAT QUESTION, WHY ARE DEVELOPERS NOT CHARGED A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER PERCENT ANTICIPATING? BECAUSE ONCE THEY COME IN, THEY DEVELOP, THEY'RE MAKING LOTS OF MONEY, MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO WHY ARE THEY NOT HELD A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCOUNTABLE TO THIS PRETTY, HELP ME HERE, BUT I THINK THE DEVELOPMENT THE HIGHEST PER, PER HOME UNITS.
BUT IT'S A, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IT MIGHT BE LIKE, IS IT ONE TIME FEE OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW ALL THIS WORKS AND IT'S, IT'S ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING TAXED CONTINUALLY, CONTINUALLY, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
UM, SO WHAT'S TO SAY ONCE THEY COME IN, THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY, THEY GO OUT.
BUT IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME A NEW DEVELOPMENT'S BUILT, EVERYTHING GOES UP.
AND AGAIN, THE TAXES SHARED AMONGST THE, AMONGST THE REST OF US, OBVIOUSLY SCHOOL TAXES AND SO FORTH.
I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY STARTING TO GET TAX OUT OF THEIR HOMES, ESPECIALLY IF RETIRED.
UM, THAT'S A CONCERN MOVING FORWARD.
NOT THAT WE DON'T HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS ABOUT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE AS A COMMUNITY AND WORK AS A COMMUNITY AND GROW AS A COMMUNITY.
BUT I THINK THAT'S A BIG CONCERN.
PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE TO SELL THEIR HOMES NOW BECAUSE EVERY TIME TAXES GO UP, PEOPLE START, YOU KNOW, THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT.
AND SO THAT'S A BIG CONCERN JUST IN GENERAL.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, SO, UM, I WAS ON THE SUPERVISORS AND KO TO HAVE THIS REFERENDUM BECAUSE SINCE JOINING THE BOARD, I'VE HEARD LIKE A LOT OF RESIDENTS COME AND DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, HOW THE DEVELOPMENT IS IMPACTING THEM.
AND SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF RESERVES TO BUY OPEN SPACE, THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS THAT WE CAN FIGHT THE DEVELOPMENT AND GET, GET THOSE RIGHTS.
AND SO IT'S THE CHOICE TO THE TOWNSHIP, RIGHT? YOU CAN VOTE YES OR NO, BUT YES, YOU PAY MORE TAXES, BUT YOU GET THE OPTION TO BUY A HAND AND HOPEFULLY MINIMIZE THE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT.
SO I THINK, AND I UNDERSTAND, I GET THE WHOLE UNDERSTANDING AND THE, THE RESOLUTION OF TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION, RIGHT? THAT MAKES SENSE.
THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, AS A TOWNSHIP, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A, AN OPTION THAT WE HAVE TO PRESERVE THAT.
'CAUSE YES, EVERYONE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT HAVING OPEN SPACE.
[00:35:01]
I THINK IT'S JUST STILL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND, AND WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TRYING TO BRING THIS.SO MAYBE BY THE TIME OCTOBER COMES AROUND, WE CAN FLUSH OUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SOME OF THESE OTHER QUESTIONS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE, WHAT IS IT FOR HOW MUCH TAXES? AND THEN THAT'S A STATE THAT THOSE TAXES CAN GO UP AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
I MEAN THAT, AGAIN, TAXES GO UP, WE GET THAT THAT'S LIFE, BUT WHAT PERCENTAGE DO THEY CONTINUALLY GO UP? AND THAT'S, I THINK THE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A CONCERN GENERALLY IN THAT PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY WITH PEOPLE IN FIXED INCOMES.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT THEY'LL BE MOSTLY OKAY, BUT ALSO PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, NEWER FAMILIES OR THE SINGLE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BUY A HOUSE.
I THINK IT KIND OF JUST COMES INTO PLAY AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN FLUSH OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN OCTOBER AND, AND THOSE ARE ALL FAIR, FAIR POINTS.
AND I THINK IT'S MOSTLY JUST THE CHOICE OF THE RESIDENTS IF THEY WANT THIS OR NOT.
AND SO THAT'S THE BEST THING WE CAN DO.
LIKE YOU, YOU TELL US DO YOU WANT TO GO TO BY LAND OR NOT? YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S UP, UP TO EVERYONE.
WELL, I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN FLUSH OUT THE QUESTIONS AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GOING IN, I THINK THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE IS JUST BEING ABLE TO REALLY FLUSH THAT OUT, REALLY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, THE QUESTIONS AND APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY HERE.
I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF REALLY MAYBE ADDING A COUPLE THINGS OR WHATEVER THAT MAY COME UP.
THIS IS WHY WE WANT TO DO IT IN SEPTEMBER BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE ON OCTOBER AND THEN, THEN BY THAT TIME WE CAN HAVE ADD A COUPLE MORE Q AND AS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BY THE WAY, THIS PROPERTY WE'RE SELLING IN ITEM NUMBER NINE.
THERE'S NICE, THERE'S A NICE 2018 DODGE RANCH, 40,000 MILES ON THERE.
I LIVE AT 6 36 OLD STATE ROAD IN UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP.
MY HUSBAND AND I, WE'VE LIVED UP IN THIS TOWNSHIP FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND I AGREE WITH THE PAST LADY IS ISN'T THIS A GOOD 20 YEARS TOO LATE? I AGREE WITH WHY NOW.
AND I ALSO WANNA COMMENT THAT I THINK THIS OPEN SPACE MEETING AND QUESTION, IT'S KIND OF IRONIC SINCE YOU HAVE DEVELOPERS SITTING RIGHT HERE IN THE SAME MEETING.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, I SAW YOU SAW, UM, PUT UP ON THE MAP, THE OPEN THE, UM, HOUSES DOWN IN MONTCLAIR THAT ARE FLOODED THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY BUY.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, I DON'T THINK ANY DEVELOPERS ARE GONNA WANNA BUY THIS ANYHOW AS PRIME LAND BECAUSE IT'S IN A FLOOD WAR, YOU KNOW, FLOOD AREA.
SO I COULDN'T SEE THIS BEING DEVELOPED IN SOME BIG BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.
BUT THE LAND AND YOU SAID IS STILL AVAILABLE.
HOW MANY ACRES ARE PRIME LAND NOW? ALL OF A SUDDEN, 20 TO 30 YEARS LATER, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND SAVE.
SO HOW MANY ACRES IS IT? DO YOU KNOW? IT WAS 1300 ACRES.
REALLY? THE TOWNSHIP IS 17,000.
RIGHT? UH, I BUT IN TIME AGAIN, I I I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY WE DIDN'T DO THIS.
YEAH, I MEAN 1300 ACRES IST A LOT OF LAND.
AND I KNOW WHERE I LIVE ON OLD STATE ROAD, EVERY SINGLE FIELD OR ORCHARD HAS BEEN SOLD AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WILDLIFE.
I HAVE A PARADE OF DEER GOING THROUGH MY BACKYARD EVERY SINGLE DAY ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP DID TRY AND SAVE THE WILDLIFE 20 TO 30 YEARS AGO.
SO YOU SAY YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WILDLIFE, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE YOU ARE, I MEAN I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WILDLIFE AND PLANTS AND TREES AND ALL THAT.
UM, AND THE OTHER COMMENT IS, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THIS, WE WOULDN'T NEED ALL THIS REVENUE FOR ROADS AND SCHOOLS AND YOU KNOW, THE TRAILS, THE TRAILS ARE BEAUTIFUL, BUT SOMEBODY'S PAYING FOR IT NOW.
HOW MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL CAN THEY BE? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM, I'M SURE FROM MY TAXES, BUT I'M JUST I AGREE WITH THE LAST LADY IS WHY NOW? I MEAN, I I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
AND ACTUALLY I'M JUST ALEXIS OF THE BOARD EVERY TWO YEARS AND YOU HAVE THE NEW BOARD.
YEAH, BUT I I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IN AT LEAST 20 YEARS.
NOBODY ELSE THOUGHT THAT YOU CAN'T CONTROL WHAT ANYONE ELSE.
OKAY, WELL I'M, I'M VOTING NOW.
I DON'T WANT THIS AND I'M DISAPPOINTED IN OUR, MY LEADERS.
ALRIGHT, ANY MORE INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONS? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
MARLENE LASKA 1142 EGYPT YARD.
I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY I, THE, THE ZONING, UM, HAS, IT HAS ALREADY BEEN OPEN SPACE.
[00:40:02]
WHY NOW? UH, WHY, WHY ARE WE, HOW, HOW IS IS THE ZONING HANDLED TODAY FOR OPEN SPACE? RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A, UM, A A ZONING DISTRICT CALLED OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION.THAT IS ALL OF THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY AND A SELECT FEW OTHER PROPERTIES.
SOME OF THE, EXCUSE ME, SOME OF THE COUNTY OWNED PROPERTIES, SOME OF THE STATE OWNED PROPERTY, THOSE ARE ALL ZONED OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION.
THOSE ARE ALREADY OPEN SPACE PROPERTIES.
IF FOR SOME REASON, LIKE THE PARKHOUSE SITUATION, SOMETHING WAS TO SELL, THE ZONING IS VERY LIMITING ON THAT.
UM, THE PROPERTIES THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE REPRESENTED ON THIS MAP ARE PROBABLY MOSTLY ZONED R ONE.
UM, I CAN SEE SOME THAT ARE ZONED IO TWO IO IO ONE.
UM, THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ZONING.
THE OPEN SPACE PARCELS, THE UNDEVELOPED PARCELS ARE NOT IN THE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION DISTRICT.
THAT DISTRICT IS REALLY SOLELY TOWNSHIP AND MUNICIPALLY OWNED PROPERTY.
SO, SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT POTENTIALLY, UH, THE, YOU CAN HAVE A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
OUR, OUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ALREADY, UH, ZONED RESIDENTIAL.
IF IT'S NOT, IF SOMETHING'S NOT ZONED OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION, IT IS PROBABLY ZONED R ONE.
I MEAN, THERE'S A DEBATE TO BE HELD THAT IF I ZONE SOMETHING OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION, I'M TAKING AWAY THE PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THAT, OF THAT PROPERTY.
AND IF I DO THAT, THEN YOU AS A LANDOWNER COULD COME TO ME AND SAY, YOU'VE TAKEN MY PROPERTY RIGHTS, YOU OWE ME X AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THOSE PROPERTY RIGHTS AS AN R ONE PROPERTY, AS AN OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION PROPERTY.
I CAN'T GET TO IT REAL QUICKLY.
FOR THE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION ZONING DISTRICT, THAT IS AGAIN, TOWNSHIP OWNED AND MUNICIPALLY OWNED PROPERTY THAT WE PUT INTO THAT OPEN SPACE CATEGORY.
IF WE ARE TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE OR THROUGH ANOTHER METHOD, WE WILL BE PUTTING THAT PROPERTY ALSO INTO THE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE TASK THAN A PURE ZONING TASK, BUT THAT'S HOW WE SORT OF TRACK WHAT IS OWNED AS THE TOWNSHIP.
IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING UP THERE, THAT IS A DARK GREEN ON THAT MAP.
I GUARANTEE IF YOU PULL UP THE ZONING MAP, IT'S GONNA SHOW UP AS, AS OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION ZONING DISTRICT.
AND SO THE TOWNSHIP PROPERTY, THE OTHER EXISTED, UH, SOME OTHER MUNICIPAL OWNED PROPERTY IS ALL IN THE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION ZONING DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, THESE TWO THINGS ARE SOMEWHAT, SOMEWHAT RELATED BUT REALLY NOT RELATED.
OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION IS AN ACT BY THIS BOARD, BY THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO OPEN TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE AND ZONING IS JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY.
BUT, BUT THERE ARE PROPERTIES THAT ARE ZONED OPEN SPACE THAT ARE OWNED BY THE TOWNSHIP.
THAT ARE OWNED BY THE TOWNSHIP ALREADY.
YEAH, I I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
PARK HOUSE WAS ZONED OPEN SPACE.
THAT WAS A MISTAKE MADE BY THE BOARD AT THE TIME THAT WAS SOLD BY THE COUNTY.
OPEN SPACE ON PRIVATELY HELD LAND HAS NO MEANING AS FAR AS PRESERVATION GOES, ONLY ON PUBLICLY HELD LAND.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP WHAT WE HOLD.
SO TIM
UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE IS THE GREEN, THE DARK GREEN THAT'S ALREADY OWNED.
UH, FIRST OFF I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE MOVED HERE IN 2016, UM, OPEN SPACE HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY DECLINING.
RIGHT? AND I THINK EVERYBODY HERE WOULD AGREE THAT IF YOU JUST ASKED DO YOU WANT MORE OPEN SPACE IN UPPER PROVIDENCE TOWNSHIP, MOST PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY YES.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE SIGNS THAT WE SEE AROUND VOTE YES FOR OPEN SPACE, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT DECEITFUL BECAUSE NOT ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR TO THE BOARD FOR, FOR HOLDING INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EDUCATE THE PUBLIC TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
UM, SO DIVISION LAND, BUT YES.
SO THE CONSERVATION PROGRAM, SO CHAPTER TWO 70 ALREADY RESTRICTS, RIGHT? HOW MUCH OPEN SPACE CAN BE WHEN WE ZONE SOMETHING OR WE DEVELOP ON CERTAIN LAND.
THE QUESTION IS, ISN'T THERE ALREADY A RESTRICTION THAT WILL PREVENT THE ENTIRE LAND FROM BEING DEVELOPED FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE? THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION
[00:45:01]
WITHIN THAT DEVELOPMENT.THE WAY ZONING WORKS, WHICH IS CHAPTER 300 ZONING, WHEN YOU COME IN FOR A DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WHEN MOST RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT COMES IN, THERE'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN A 10% TO SOMETIMES 50% SET ASIDE FOR OPEN SPACE DEPENDING ON THE DISTRICT IT'S IN.
SO THERE'S DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FROM R ONE TO R FOUR, RIGHT? VILLAGE PRESERVATION.
SO THERE'S OSR ONE O SR TWO, RIGHT? R ONE, R TWO OH, R THREE, R FOUR O SR TWO AND OSR ONE ARE, ARE, UM, THEY ARE DISTRICTS THAT YOU CAN APPLY.
THEY'RE STILL ZONED OR ONE, BUT YOU CAN APPLY OSR ONE TO IT, OSR ONE, IN THIS CASE, LET'S USE THAT.
THERE'S LIKE A 75 ACRE MINIMUM THAT YOU HAVE TO SET ASIDE FOR WHEN YOU'VE USE THAT DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, THAT DEVELOPMENT OPTION.
UM, WITH, WITH AN R ONE PIECE, WITH JUST A BASIC R ONE PIECE, THERE'S A 10% SET ASIDE OF OPEN SPACE.
WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS AIMING TO DO IS TO PURCHASE ALL OF THAT.
SO INSTEAD OF SAYING IF YOU HAVE A HUNDRED ACRE PIECE AND YOU SET ASIDE 75 FOR OPEN SPACE AND YOU'VE 25 HOUSES ON THERE FOR THE ONE ACRE DEVELOPMENT, WELL ACTUALLY YOU GET THE FULL DEVELOPMENT.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE THE HOUSES ON THE 25%, YOU SAVE 75%.
WE'RE LOOKING TO SAVE THROUGH THIS, THE WHOLE THING, ALL OF, SO WE WOULD BE BUYING THE ENTIRE PARCEL.
TURNING IT BACK TO, TO DARK GREEN ON YOUR MAP.
IT, IT WOULD BECOME, IT WOULD BECOME TOWNSHIP OWNED AT THAT POINT.
AND WE WOULD NOT, WE CAN'T DEVELOP IT.
WE WOULD NOT BE DEVELOPING IT.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY COMPETING TO BUY PROPERTY INSTEAD OF DEVELOPERS BUYING PROPERTY.
OR THAT IS, THAT IS ONE DRAWBACK TO IT IS YES, WE ARE COMPETING WITH THE DEVELOPERS OF THE WORLD TO BUY PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS JUST GONNA UP THE COST BETWEEN, UH, CITIZENS VERSUS THE DEVELOPERS, WHICH IT SEEMS LIKE HAS BEEN THE AGE OLD BATTLE IN THIS DISTRICT.
I, AGAIN, IT'S THE FREE MARKET.
WE HAVE TO GO OUT AS THE TOWNSHIP IN THE FREE MARKET.
NOW YOU HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A BENEVOLENT FARMER, AS I CALL 'EM, THAT SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO SAY, HEY, I DON'T WANNA SEE MY PROPERTY DEVELOPED.
LET'S FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK.
BUT YOU AS A PROPERTY OWNER OR OR A BENEVOLENT FARMER AS A PROPERTY OWNER, HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY FOR WHATEVER THEY WANNA SELL IT FOR.
WE'RE JUST OUT THERE COMPETING WITH THEM AT THAT SAME, AT THAT SAME RATE.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE BEST OPTION AND JUST SAY THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT.
RIGHT? SO JUST TO CLARIFY, IT ALSO WOULDN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO NECESSARILY BE FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU OWN THE ENTIRE PROPERTY AND YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU OWN IT OUTRIGHT.
YOU CAN BUY IT AND ESSENTIALLY GO TO THE BENEVOLENT FARMER AND SAY, HEY, YOU CAN STAY ON YOUR PROPERTY, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO FARM IT, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IT, BUT WE'RE GONNA BUY THOSE DEVELOPMENT RATES.
SO NEXT TIME A DEVELOPER MIGHT COME AND SAY THAT THEY WANT TO PUT UP THE TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND YOU'RE IN YOUR PROPERTY, THEY WOULD SAY, WELL, I ALREADY SOLD THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO THE TOWNSHIP.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS A FEE OWNERSHIP, A FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP SITUATION.
AND I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION BECAUSE WHAT A GOOD TOPIC.
WE CAN'T GO ABOVE THE ASSESSED VALUE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT REALLY IN COMPETITION WITH THE SELVES.
CAN I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? WHAT THE ASSESSMENT WOULD BE? I MEAN, YOU CAN PAY UNDER, BUT YOU CAN'T GO OVER WHAT THE ASSESSED VALUE IS AND THE ASSESSED VALUE IS GONNA BE BASED ON WHAT COMPARABLE SALES HAVE MADE FOR COMPARABLE LAND.
SO DID YOU SAY BEFORE IT WAS THE ASSESSED OR THE APPRAISED VALUE? I MAY HAVE MISSPOKE.
I I DO MEAN THE ASSESSED VALUE.
SO, SO WITH THE APPRAISED VALUE, WHO IS THE PERSON THAT IS GONNA DO THE APPRAISAL AND IS THAT ALSO OPEN FOR PUBLIC? WE HAVE PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT SHARED TO THE CITIZENS.
BECAUSE THAT'S A, RIGHT, LIKE THAT SHOULD BE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
CAN YOU GUARANTEE, IS IT WRITTEN IN THE REFERENDUM THAT IT WILL BE PUBLIC INFORMATION AS TO WHO IS ACTUALLY DOING THE APPRAISAL? IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE PUBLIC INFORMATION IN THE MIDST OF A NEGOTIATION FOR PROPERTY.
WOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE IT PUBLIC, BUT IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE PUBLIC DOCUMENT THAT, THAT THEY COULD, THAT COULD BE RELEASED.
WE DO HIRE AN APPRAISAL FIRM, AN INDEPENDENT APPRAISAL FIRM TO DO THE APPRAISAL.
HOW THAT'S NEGOTIATED IS UP TO THE DEVELOP TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
OUR ATTORNEY NEGOTIATIONS, I'M BEING NOT INVOLVED WITH SALE, SO RIGHT.
I JUST AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, YOU CAN SEE HOW MY CONCERN WOULD BE, DEPENDING ON WHO'S DOING THE APPRAISAL, THEY COULD APPRAISE IT FOR WHATEVER THEY WANT.
AND THEN THE WILLING SELLER COULD BE SOMEONE ELSE, WHOEVER THEY WANT.
AND THEN THE PERSON THAT IS SELLING THE PROPERTY IS JUST GETTING TAX DIVERTED CITIZENS TAXES TO ENRICH THEMSELVES AT, AT THE END OF THE, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE A VALID POINT, BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS TRUST IN THE REAL ESTATE AND THE APPRAISAL PROFESSIONALS THAT WE HIRE.
YOU'VE DONE IT FOR YEARS AND, AND I, I GET WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND WHAT YOUR POINT IS,
[00:50:01]
BUT ALL WE CAN DO FROM A MUNICIPAL STANDPOINT IS TRUST THE APPRAISER THAT WE USE.NOW WE, IS THERE A PETITION FOR APPRAISAL OR IS IT A CLOSED COMPETITION THAT IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? IS THE QUESTION AND I, AN APPRAISAL IS DONE BY THE APPRAISER.
THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC FORUM TO RIGHT, BUT YOU APPOINT THE APPRAISING COMPANY OR IS THERE APPRAISAL COMPANIES THAT CAN COMPETE FOR WHO'S GOING TO BE HIRED? UM, I DO THE APPRAISAL GENERALLY THROUGH THE BOARD.
THE APPRAISAL WOULDN'T BE A BIDDING PROCESS.
IT'S A, IT'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SO THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO GO OUT TO BID.
BUT I MEAN, ALL APPRAISERS ARE CERTIFIED.
THEY HAVE STATE LICENSES, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO, THEY HAVE ETHICS REQUIREMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, ANY OF THE APPRAISERS I KNOW WOULD, YOU KNOW, THEY
I MEAN IT'S, IT'S LIKE AN ENGINEER FALSIFYING A DOCUMENT TO CONTRARY TO ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES.
I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, YOU HAVE TO TRUST YOUR PROFESSIONALS.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M, YOU SEE WHAT I'M ASKING? I MEAN, WE'VE ALL GOTTEN APPRAISALS DONE BEFORE.
WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS BASICALLY CRIMINAL CORRUPTION.
SO
THAT'S WHY MY STATE FIRST STATEMENT WAS IT SHOULD BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
BECAUSE AN APPRAISAL WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE MIDST OF NEGOTIATING A PRICE AND DOING THAT.
THAT'S NOT A PUBLIC DOCUMENT, THAT'S NOT SUBJECT TO RIGHTS.
BUT WHEN THE, WHEN THE BOARD WOULD ACTUALLY MOVE TO, UH, TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION, THE APPRAISAL WOULD BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
SO AFTER THE FACT IT, IT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO RIGHTS TO KNOW AND IT WOULD BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT.
SO YOU MENTIONED THE SIGN THAT YOU SEE AS THEY VOTE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE YOU MENTION THAT THE SIGNS YOU GUYS HAD OUT YES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT, THIS ISN'T A BOARD PROJECT.
THIS IS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S AWARE THAT THE NATASHA WAS NOT TELLING ANYONE HOW TO VOTE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT, THAT THE FUNDS THAT WERE IN THE, THAT WERE IN THE PROGRAM, UM, SO THEY STAY IN THAT PROGRAM IN PERPETUITY OR WOULD THEY EVENTUALLY REVERT TO A POSSIBLE GENERAL FUND AFTER A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME? UNDER STATE LAW, THEY CANNOT GO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IT HAS TO BE A SPECIAL CORRECT.
THEY HAVE TO BE PUT IN A SEGREGATED FUND.
CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THEM, I THINK 25% CAN BE USED FOR LIKE MAINTENANCE AND, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTIES.
BUT THE REST, IT HAS TO STAY WITHIN THAT SEGREGATED FUND.
UM, AND IS THERE ANY, OR WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO A POSSIBLE SUNSET CLAUSE OF THIS PROGRAM? UM, IF, IF WE GET TO A POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE RAISED ENOUGH FUNDS THAT WE DON'T SEE THAT IT'S NECESSARY ANYMORE.
LIKE, OR HEY, IF THE CITIZENS NO LONGER, LIKE, UH, WHAT, HOW THIS IS GOING, UH, THAT THE TAX INCREASE WILL EVER GO AWAY.
OR LIKE MOST TAXES, ONCE YOU RAISE THE TAXES, THE TAXES ARE RAISED FOREVER.
SO THERE IS NO SUNSET CLAUSE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.
IF YOU ADOPT A REFERENDUM, IF IT PASSES, IT HAS TO BE AROUND FOR A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS BEFORE IT CAN BE REPEAL.
I THINK IT'S FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
I'M TRYING TO CHECK THE STATUTE, BUT THAT'S AS SOON AST THAT IT COULD BE REPEALED.
OTHERWISE IT HAS TO BE IN PLACE FOR THAT NUMBER OF YEARS.
BUT THEN AFTERWARDS IT COULD BE REPEALED.
THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION GOING INTO THIS ABOUT A SUNSET CLAUSE THAT WOULD, THE ORDINANCE THAT WOULD PUT IT BACK UP FOR A VOTE, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED DOES NOT HAVE A SUNSET SET.
THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WITH AN INFORMATIONAL QUESTION, OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO REGULAR
[PUBLIC COMMENT]
PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.AND, UH, SO IF YOU HAVE REGULAR COMMENTS, I'D ASK YOU TO COME FORWARD AGAIN TO ELECT HER AND STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, PLEASE TRY TO HOLD YOUR COMMENT TO THREE MINUTES.
UM, I KNOW THE QUEST PROJECT IS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, CHATTER ABOUT THE HISTORIC FARMHOUSE, JUST LIKE MR. TIMER'S NOT WORKING.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYBODY HERE OR THE DEVELOPERS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE HISTORIC FARMHOUSE.
UM, 'CAUSE I DID SOME DIGGING, UM, HANDED THE PAJAMA
[00:55:01]
IN THE BLUE SHIRT RIGHT THERE.UM, THE HOUSE, MY PARENTS OWNED THE HOUSE FROM 1978 TO 1988.
UM, THEY BOUGHT IT FROM, UH, THE GRIFFITHS.
BOB GRIFFITH HAD BEEN A LONG TIME TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR.
UM, AND MY MOTHER RESEARCHED IT AS FAR BACK AS SHE COULD, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY RECORDS.
AND IT DATES BACK TO AT LEAST 1747, UM, WHICH IS 58 YEARS BEFORE THE TOWNSHIP WAS THE TOWNSHIP.
ONE IS OF THE HOUSE, UM, THE BARN.
IT HAD TWO SECTIONS THAT KIND OF MET IN THE CENTER.
AND WHEN MY PARENTS BOUGHT IT, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF ROCK THERE.
SO THEY HAD TO TEAR THE ONE, THE REAR SECTION OFF, WHICH WAS TOWARDS BLACKROCK PARK.
YEAH, THEY SOLD IT IN 88 TO RELAND, WHO THEN TURNED IT INTO THE QUEST PROPERTY.
UM, SO CONSIDERING THAT IT WAS BUILT SOMETIME PROBABLY BEFORE 1747, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE DIDN'T GO TO PHILADELPHIA TO, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO PHILADELPHIA TO LOOK AT ANY MORE PROPERTY RECORDS.
SO THAT MAKES THE CENTER SECTION, WHICH WE DETERMINED BY STUDYING HOW IT WAS BUILT ARCHITECTURALLY, THAT, THAT'S THE OLDEST SECTION IN THE HOUSE.
AND THEN THE END SECTION THAT GOES, UH, BACK TOWARDS THE SKATE PARK WAS PROBABLY THE SECOND SECTION BUILT.
AND THE STONE PARK, I MEAN, IT'S ALL STONE, BUT THE PART CLOSEST TO THE ROAD WAS PROBABLY THE THIRD SECTION.
UM, ON THE LAST PAGE I MADE A COPY OF AND THEY'RE NOT GREAT.
UM, WE METAL DETECTED THERE LIKE AROUND THE HOUSE AND WE FOUND A BUTTON OR WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A BUTTON BECAUSE IT'S GOT AN EDGE, IT'S HOLLOWED OUT.
UM, METAL, THE METAL DECAYED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, BUT WE DID A RUBBING, WHICH IS ON THERE, BUT THE BUTTON, UH, DATES BACK TO 1780 AND IT'S GOT LIKE A DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE, SO IT LOOKS LIKE A PRUSSIAN TYPE THING.
UM, AND WE ALSO, WHILE WE LIVED THERE, FOUND A LETTER IN THE ATTIC OF THE MIDDLE SECTION, WHICH IS THE OLDEST, UM, FROM THE CIVIL WAR.
SO IT'S NOT IN THE BEST OF SHAPE EITHER, AND I ACCIDENTALLY CHOPPED THE BOTTOM OF IT OFF, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DATE ON THERE.
SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE HISTORIC FARMHOUSE SIGNIFICANCE WITH THE TOWNSHIP.
AND THIS IS OPEN FORM, CORRECT? JUST FOR ANYTHING THAT'S ON THE, THE BALLOT.
UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION AND, AND MORE OF ALSO A STATEMENT AS WELL.
THE SEWER BILL, I KNOW THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION AND REGARDLESS OF PUTTING IT INTO REAL ESTATE TAXES, UM, I, FOR ONE ABSOLUTELY WOULD PREFER TO KEEP IT SEPARATE AS IT IS.
UM, WHEN I STARTED, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR ABOUT, SINCE I'VE MOVED BACK TO THE AREA FOR ABOUT 17 YEARS.
UM, WE USED TO HAVE IT, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A QUARTERLY, IT WAS $200, NOW IT'S 352.
WELL, IT, IT RAISED UP TO ABOUT $152 IN EXCESS.
UM, WHAT'S VERY HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO PAY THEIR BILLS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR USAGE IS, IS BY ROLLING IT INTO A REAL ESTATE TAX, WE WILL KIND OF LOSE THE TRANSPARENCY OF IT, EVEN THOUGH QUOTE UNQUOTE HAVE A, A SEMI, UM, ITEMIZED, I GUESS BILLING STATEMENT OR HOWEVER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO LOOK.
UH, I FOR ONE, PREFER TO KEEP IT SEPARATE.
THIS WAY I UNDERSTAND THE, THE, UM, RULES AND REGULATIONS, IF YOU WILL, THE SEWER BILL.
I CAN SEE WHEN IT GOES UP, WHY IT GOES UP.
AGAIN, COMING FROM DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS, I KNOW DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, I WENT FROM $50 OR YOU KNOW, IF YOU WILL, UH, AGAIN, 200 BUCKS.
NOW IT'S TO A MONTH WHERE, WHERE IT IS NOW, IT'S $88 A MONTH ON ONE PERSON PERSON.
NOW, THAT'S NOT TO EQUATE THAT, OF COURSE WE HAVE FAMILIES, BUT, UM, IT'S NICE TO BE ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR WHEN IT COMES TO SEWER.
SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT STAY SEPARATE.
UM, AND IF, AND IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO HAVE AN EXPLANATION MAYBE OF WHY YOU GUYS WERE THINKING ABOUT ROLLING IT IN.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE THING I DO NOT KNOW, LIKE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF WANTING TO ROLL THE SEWER BILL INTO REAL ESTATE TAXES? SO MAYBE YOU CAN ENLIGHTEN, UH, ENLIGHTEN ME ON THAT AND, AND WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.
UM, THE SECOND THING, UM, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT, AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SHARE THIS, IS, UM, SOMEONE HAD ALREADY ASKED THE QUESTIONS, BUT WHAT IS, UH, WHAT ARE THE PROPERTIES THAT THE TOWNSHIP ARE LOOKING TO SELL? AND THAT'S SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
AND THEN, UM, ANOTHER THING IS ALSO TOWNSHIP PENSION PLANS.
I WAS A LITTLE CURIOUS AS TO WHY THAT'S KIND OF ON
[01:00:01]
THE, ON THE AGENDA.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST CURIOSITY ON THE THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS, UM, WHERE'S THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY LOCATED AND WHERE'S THE OLD ONE? AND WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY IN, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE NEW ONE IS GOING AND THE COST AND ALL THAT.
SO THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS ON THE AGENDA.
THE FIRST ONE IS BECAUSE WE WOULD SAVE MONEY, AND SO FOR THE TOWNSHIP, IF WE ROLLED, UM, IF JULIE TOOK OVER THE, THE BUDGET.
SO I, I DON'T ANYTHING ELSE MONEY BECAUSE WE DID THAT BEFORE.
YEAH, WE, WE DID THAT BEFORE IT WAS $200, IT WAS $50 A QUARTER.
SO IF ANYBODY ELSE CAN SHARE WITHIN THAT, OR IF THEY HAVE ANY IDEA OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT'S THE PRICE, HOW, HOW WILL WE KNOW THE DIFFERENTIATION, ALL THAT STUFF.
WE WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE ON IT TONIGHT.
WE TABLED IT BECAUSE WE NEED MORE TIME TO ANSWER ALL THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO AT LEAST THEN YOU'LL, AT LEAST YOU'LL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS EXACTLY.
THE PHILLIES ARE ON LATE TONIGHT.
UM, COMMENT ABOUT QUEST, THEN I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE OPEN SPACE THING FIRST WITH QUEST, UM, LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, WE WERE SHOCKED TO FIND OUT THAT THE QUEST BUILDING WAS SOLD.
AND, UM, INITIALLY THE REACTION OF DEVELOPING IT WAS NOT PLEASANT.
BUT I CAN SAY THAT OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, SEEING WHAT IS PLANNED HERE, IT'S A UNIQUE TYPE OF PROPERTY THAT I THINK ONLY UPPER PROVIDENCE CAN PULL OFF.
THIS ISN'T BEING BUILT IN LIMERICK.
IT'S NOT BEING BUILT IN LOWER PROVIDENCE FOR A REASON.
THIS IS STILL THE JEWEL OF THE, OF THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
SO, UM, IT COMBINES, UM, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL TAX BASE, UM, SUPPORT.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A WELL PLANNED COMMUNITY.
AND I TOLD YOU BEFORE, YOUR JOB'S GETTING HARDER, NOT EASIER THAN WHEN WE HAD IT.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, GROUND PEGS AND SQUARE HOLES.
SO, UH, I KNOW YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS ON THIS AGENDA, UH, OVER AT, UM, ACROSS THE STREET AT, UM, THE PFIZER PROPERTY.
AND, UM, THEY'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO DO OTHER THINGS PROBABLY.
SO LOOK AT, INSTEAD OF CHANGING ZONING, LOOK AT LITTLE PIECES AND MAKE YOUR OPINION KNOWN WHAT YOU WANT DEVELOPED AND HELP MS.
SORRY, SORRY, LIMERICK PEOPLE.
UM, SO, UM, THE, UH, OLD HOUSE THAT'S ON THE, UH, ON THE PROPERTY AT QUEST, THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
WE CAN'T HAVE A COFFEE SHOP THERE THAT'S NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT.
LOW PROVIDENCE DID A NICE JOB WITH THE CVS BUILDING.
IT'S A, IT'S A HIGH END LAW OFFICE.
SO IT'S JUST, JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA PROVE THIS TONIGHT.
JUST YOU CAN TURN THAT BUILDING INTO SOMETHING.
IF THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A BITE STOP WITH A COFFEE SHOP.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL BUSES LAST TIME.
WE HAD A BATTLE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 2015 BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN RIVER CREST BECAUSE OF THE BATTLE WE HAD BACK THEN.
UM, JO
SO I THINK, UM, THE DEVELOPER HERE PROBABLY HAS A, A DECENT, UM, PLAN.
THERE'S NOT A CHANCE IN THE WORLD.
THE BUS IS GONNA GO INTO THIS DEVELOPMENT THOUGH.
BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DONE A BETTER JOB BRINGING THE BUSES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
UM, AS FAR AS THE OPEN SPACE PIECE, UM, WE BOUGHT A LOT OF PROPERTY, A LOT OF PROPERTY, AND WE TOOK A LOT OF HEAT FOR IT.
NOW PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WHY DON'T YOU BUY MORE? WE DID LEWIS ROAD NEXT TO THE, UH, SEVENTH GRADE CENTER, BOUGHT A LOT OF PROPERTY THERE.
UH, THERE'S A, AN OLD HOUSE FROM 1753 AT THE TOWN
AND WHEN WE DID IT, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME HERE THAT COMPLAINED.
SO IT'S JUST HOW THINGS HAPPENED.
UM, MY ONLY THOUGHT WITH HAVING A REFERENDUM IS YOU BOX YOURSELF IN FIVE OF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT, JUST CREATE SOMETHING.
'CAUSE IF YOU, YOU RELY ON THE PUBLIC, SOMETIMES YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE 'EM HAPPY.
SO, UM, REFERENDUMS BOX YOURSELF, YOU BOX YOURSELF IN AND YOU JUST DID.
UM, I RESPECT WHAT YOU DO AND HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
[01:05:01]
AND ONE LAST THING YOU SHOULD NOTICE, BUT WE STILL HAVE THE LOWEST, UM, WASTEWATER, UM, FEE.ONE OF LOWEST OF ANY COMMUNITY AROUND HERE.
SO YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT THAT BACK THERE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT]
WE HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION JUST PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, AND WE DISCUSSED, UH, LEGAL NEGOTIATIONS, PRIOR MATTERS, TAX SELECTION AND PENDING LITIGATION MATTERS.[APPROVAL OF BILL LIST]
BILL LIST IN OUR PACKET, UH, FOR AUGUST PERIOD.AUGUST 1ST THROUGH AUGUST 30TH.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THAT.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 1ST THROUGH AUGUST 31ST, 2025 BILL LIST IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,367,549 AND 40 CENTS.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
HAD, UH, MINUTES FROM OUR AUGUST, UH, OH, EXCUSE ME, MINUTES FROM OUR AUGUST 18TH MEETING IN OUR PACKET.AND, UH, IF THERE ARE NO CORRECTIONS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AUGUST 18TH, 2025 MEETING.
SUPERVISOR'S, REGULAR MEETING MINUTES.
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT.
[OLD BUSINESS (ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS)]
ON ALL BUSINESS IS CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTION 2025 DASH 28 GRANTING PRELIMINARY LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR THE QUEST REDEVELOPMENT AT, UH, 1201 SOUTH COLLEGEVILLE ROAD.ALLISON ZARO ON BEHALF OF HT 1201 COLLEGEVILLE, LLC.
UM, THIS TONIGHT I'M PREPARED.
I GOT THE, THE LASER POINTER BEFORE I STARTED WAVING MY HANDS AROUND.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE SITE.
THIS IS OUR THIRD TIME HERE ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY PLAN.
UM, AND WE RECEIVED SOME GOOD COMMENTS FROM YOU AT THE LAST MEETING, PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL PORTION, UM, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER THAT AGAIN.
BUT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME THINGS THAT WE, WE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF YOUR COMMENTS FROM THE LAST TWO MEETINGS.
UM, ON THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE SITE, WHICH IS THE UPPER PORTION OF THIS PLAN, UM, PRIMARILY WE WERE FOCUSED ON, IF YOU REMEMBER THE, UM, THE AREA THAT WAS IS NEXT TO THE STONE HOUSE THAT, UH, MS. TROUTMAN WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WE ARE RETAINING THAT, UH, BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY.
AND THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT EIGHT STACKED TOWNHOUSE DWELLING UNITS THAT WERE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THAT BUILDING ON THE PRIOR VERSIONS OF THE PLAN THAT WE SHOWED YOU.
UM, THE, THE VERSION YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SCREEN TONIGHT REMOVES THOSE, UM, EIGHT UNITS IN PROXIMITY TO THE HOUSE.
IT RELOCATES SIX OF THOSE UNITS ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE ROAD NETWORK.
OOPS, I THINK I JUST SAID THE WRONG THING.
WE ALSO RELOCATED THE TOP LOT.
IF YOU REMEMBER, IT WAS OVER HERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PLAN.
WE'VE NOW RELOCATED THAT TO, UM, BE IN PROXIMITY WITH THE STONE HOUSE.
WE FEEL THAT THAT COULD BE A NICE AMENITY SPACE OVERALL AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED A LITTLE OUTDOOR AREA, UM, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN THE RENDERINGS THAT WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT, UM, TO CREATE AN AMENITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER POSITIVE THAT CAME OUT OF RELOCATING AND RECONFIGURING THIS IS THAT THE ROAD CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PORTIONS HAD A LITTLE BIT OF A FUNKY CURVE TO IT ORIGINALLY.
WE WERE ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT ON THIS PLAN, UM, AND MAKE FOR A BETTER MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO, UH, PORTIONS OF THE SITE.
IF YOU RECALL, THERE IS A STREAM THAT RUNS THROUGH THE SITE.
AND SO THAT'S SORT OF OUR NATURAL BREAK IN THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN FINALLY, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THESE, UM, VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE PLAN AROUND, WE WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE RETAINING WALLS BOTH IN HEIGHT AND AND LENGTH, UH, WITHIN PROXIMATE PROXIMATE
[01:10:01]
PROXIMITY, I SHOULD SAY, TO THIS A AN EXISTING SEWER EASEMENT ON THE PROPERTY.SO THIS ALL RESULTED IN WHAT WE THINK IS A POSITIVE IMPROVEMENT FOR THIS PLAN.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE COMMENTS EARLIER, IS LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, MR. YEAGER HAD RAISED A CONCERN ABOUT SCHOOL BUSES COMING ONTO THE SITE.
WE HAVE COORDINATED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION FOR SPRING FORD, UM, SINCE WE WERE LAST HERE.
AND SHE SAID THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WOULD BE WILLING TO COME INTO THIS PROPERTY, PROVIDED THAT THE HOA SIGNS, A HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT, WHICH IS HOW IT'S BEEN HANDLED IN RIVER CREST AND SOME OF THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROMULGATE UPFRONT AS PART OF THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE KNOW ABOUT IT GOING IN.
SO WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT IF FOR SOME REASON THAT CHANGES IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WE DO BELIEVE WE HAVE AN APPROPRIATE AREA HERE ON THE SITE.
UM, IF YOU RECALL THE SEPARATE ENTRANCE TO, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ALSO HAS, UH, THAT PARKING LOT RIGHT THERE THAT WOULD SERVE AS OVER FOOT PARKING, COMMUNITY SPACE, ET CETERA, NEXT TO THE STONE HOUSE.
AND SO WE DO BELIEVE THERE'S AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION, UM, FOR BOTH THE, UH, CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS TO BE WAITING FOR THE BUS IF THAT SHOULD BE NEEDED.
SO, UM, SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN, UH, CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO THE PLAN.
UM, WE DO HAVE UPDATED RENDERINGS.
YOU'VE SEEN THE COMMERCIAL RENDERINGS BEFORE THEY'RE IN THIS PRESENTATION.
SO, AND HERB IS NOT WITH US TONIGHT, SO I WILL NOT RUN THROUGH THEM SPECIFICALLY UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
BUT AT THE END, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF RENDERINGS OF, THIS IS THE NEW, UM, VIEW FROM BLACKROCK AT THE STONE HOUSE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WITH THE ELIMINATION OF THOSE UNITS.
UM, AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE A SECOND SLIDE.
THAT SHOWED TO YOU, UM, THE EXPANDED AMENITY AREA AND TOP LOT IN PROXIMITY TO THE STONE HOUSE TO HAPPEN TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I DO HAVE DAVE LANCE GRONER, UM, AND OUR CIVIL ENGINEER DENNIS KIRK HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE THAT TOP WALL A LITTLE BIT HIGHER? THE TOP WALL WALL? UM, IS THERE A GRAY CHANGE THERE ALREADY, DENNIS? OR, OKAY.
YEAH, I, I, IT'S A GOOD POINT.
YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S LIKE EITHER A PROTECTED BARRIER OR SOMETHING.
BUT NO, I THINK THIS IS GREAT.
I THANK YOU FOR TAKING OUR COMMENTS AND JUST CONSIDERATION.
UM, ALSO, I DON'T WANNA SEE THE SML FARMHOUSE.
DO YOU THINK IT'D BE GOOD PREVENT ANYTHING LIKE THAT FROM HAPPENING? UM, THE LOSS OF THE FARMHOUSE, WE ARE PROPOSING TO RETAIN IT ON THE PLAN.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ULTIMATE USE IS A LITTLE FLUID STILL AT THIS POINT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT IT SHOULD BE, BUT I THINK OUR, OUR THOUGHT HERE IS THAT IT WILL SERVE AS SOME SORT OF COMMUNITY SPACE WITH THAT TA LOG RIGHT NEXT DOOR AS WELL AS THE PARKING.
SO WOULD YOU DEDICATE MONEY TO REHABBING? YOU'D HAVE TO, RIGHT? YES.
I MEAN, THAT WAS THE INTENT FROM THE BEGINNING, UM, DAVE, CORRECT? YEAH.
WE, WE KNOW IT NEEDS SOME WORK.
SO THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US ON THAT.
AND, UM, DID YOU DID THE QUESTION, DO WE HAVE ANY ANSWERS ON THAT? WELL, WE DID LOOK AT, UM, OTHER STACKED TOWN HOME COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT ORIGINALLY IN THE CONTEXT OF, UM, MY CLIENT HAVING DONE DEVELOPMENT WORK IN THE CITY.
BUT HE HAS TALKED TO OTHER DEVELOPERS IN THE SUBURBS AND NONE OF THEM HAVE A COMMUNITY DUMPSTER, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE STACKED TOWNS STILL WOULD OPERATE THE SAME WAY AS A TRADITIONAL TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY IN THE SENSE THAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO STORE.
AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE HOA DOCKS, YOUR PARTICULAR, UM, TRASH CONTAINERS, RECYCLING CONTAINERS WITHIN YOUR HOUSE, WITHIN THE GARAGE, PULL THEM OUT ON, YOU KNOW, COLLECTION DAY, TAKE THEM BACK IN THERE, WOULDN'T BE SORT OF SCATTERED, UM, TRASH CONTAINERS ALL OVER THE COMMUNITY.
AND CERTAINLY WE CAN EITHER DO THAT IN, YOU KNOW, ONE ROUND, TWO ROUNDS, WHATEVER THE TOWNSHIP THINKS IS BEST FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND ULTIMATELY THERE WOULD BE, UM, THE HOA, THE BOARD WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ONE COLLECTOR COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY, NOT THIS SORT OF WILLY NILLY, HEY, I PICKED MY OWN, UM, PROVIDER.
WOULD WE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? NO, THAT WOULD BE RETAINED BY THE HOA BOARD.
WE WOULD NOT, WE WOULD NOT, WE WOULDN'T WISH THAT ON YOU.
SO RIGHT NOW, I KNOW THE TOWNSHIP USES THAT PARKING LOT FOR OUR BIG EVENTS.
IS THERE SOME WAY WE, WE HAD TO USE LIKE A PORTION OF THE PARKING LOT FOR ANY FUTURE COMMUNITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? SO, UM, ON THE DATE, I KNOW THERE'S AN EVENT COMING UP.
I, I THINK IT'S, IS IT THIS MONTH? I THINK IT'S THIS MONTH.
UM, AS FAR AS IN THE FUTURE, IT'S GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON THE RETAILERS AND REALLY WHAT THEIR LEASE SAYS.
UM, IF THERE IS FLEXIBILITY, WE'LL OBVIOUSLY WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP, BUT I CAN'T GUARANTEE
[01:15:01]
IT.'CAUSE SOME RETAILERS WANT TO PROTECT THEIR PARKING SO THAT THEY CANNOT PEOPLE THERE AND SHOP FOR THE STORE.
SO EACH RETAILER GETS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SPACES? SOME, YES.
ARE THERE ANY EXTRA SPACES THAT ARE JUST AROUND THAT WE COULD, IT'S AGAIN, IT'S JUST A FUNCTION OF WHO'S GONNA BE THERE AND WHO WE, YOU KNOW, IS GONNA BE THE END USER AND THE SPACE.
EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS FROM A ZONING STANDPOINT.
THEY ARE A LITTLE OVER PARKED.
I I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY OVER PARKED.
SO IF WE, AGAIN, IF WE CAN, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY HELP FOR SURE.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION WITHOUT RESOLUTION.
2025 DASH 28 GRANTING PRELIMINARY LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR QUEST REDEVELOPMENT.
12 0 1 SOUTH COLLEGEVILLE ROAD.
ALRIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025 DASH 28 GRANTING PRELIMINARY LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL FOR QUEST THREE DEVELOPMENT 1201 SOUTH COTO ROAD.
NUMBER SIX WAS, UH, WE WERE GONNA CONSIDER ENACTING ORDINANCE SIX 15 ON E-BIKES, BUT WE MISSED AN ADVERTISING DEADLINE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TABLE THAT ITEM UNTIL, UH, NEXT MONTH.
WE DON'T NEED A MOTION FOR THAT, DO WE? OKAY.
[NEW BUSINESS (ACTION/DISCUSSION ITEMS)]
BUSINESS, UH, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, DISCUSSION OF BRIDGE ON THIS IS A INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION, UH, FOR POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF 400 R COLEBROOK.I'M KRISTEN PCIO WITH HAMBURG RUBIN MALL AND MAXWELL LUPIN.
UH, I'M HERE TONIGHT, UH, WITH MY TEAM THAT IS SITTING HERE IN THE TWO ROWS, UH, TO THE RIGHT OVER THERE WE HAVE, UH, THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY ARE HERE, AT LEAST PART OF THEM.
UH, FROM GREEN BARN INVESTMENT GROUP.
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OVER THERE, IT IS CHRIS RICHTER AND MATT LAVELL.
THE OTHER OWNER IS DAVID WARNER REAL ESTATE.
HE'S NOT PRESENT THIS EVENING.
UH, WILL JAGGER IS HERE FROM BULLER ENGINEERING SITTING ON THE YEN.
UH, MATT HAMMOND FROM TRAFFIC PLANNING AND DESIGN IS HERE.
AND ERIC HETZEL FROM EH, CREATIVE SERVICES, WHO DID SOME FINANCIAL ANALYSIS IS HERE AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE, THE GREEN, THE, UH, PFIZER DOW PROPERTY, AS WE ALL CALL IT.
UH, THIS PROPERTY WAS ACQUIRED BY MY CLIENTS TWO YEARS AGO.
THEY MET WITH STAFF TO TALK ABOUT THE TROUBLE THAT THEY WERE HAVING WITH THIS PROPERTY AND ITS DECLINE IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
WE MET WITH STAFF TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT THE VACANCY AND THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL SPIRAL OF THE OFFICE, UH, USE ON THE PROPERTY.
WE DISCUSSED SOME PROPOSALS ON OUR END AND STAFF SAID, COME IN WITH THE SKETCH, DISCUSS IT, UH, WITH THE BOARD.
SO, UM, WE HAVE SOME PROPOSALS TO DISCUSS WITH YOU OR A PROPOSAL TO REVITALIZE THE PROPERTY.
UM, IT IS, UH, A SUFFERING PIECE OF PROPERTY, 335 ACRES.
IT IS TERRIBLY UNDERPERFORMING.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TO FIX THAT.
AND I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THERE ARE THREE BENEFITS, UH, THAT WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU.
AND IN 10 MINUTES, I CAN GO THROUGH OUR SLIDE PROJECTION, GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU, AND THEN WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE SLIDES THAT JEFF CAN CLICK THROUGH, BUT I HAVE HARD COPIES HERE IN CASE YOU WANT TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THINGS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE SCREENS IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT I LIKE HARD COPIES AND THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE THEM TOO.
THERE SHOULD BE ONE FOR EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE POLICE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE INTERESTED.
IS THERE ENOUGH, JEFF? UH, YOU ONE SHORT? I HAVE.
OH, THIS IS DIFFERENT, YOUR HONOR.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST THE COVER PAGE.
UH, SO THIS IS THE PROPERTY IDENTIFIED HERE.
I THINK YOU'RE ALL, UH, FAMILIAR WITH IT.
[01:20:01]
IS DOWN HERE ON THE BOTTOM.WE HAVE ROUTE 29 HERE TO THE TOP.
WE CALL THIS THE QUADRANT, UH, IN REFERENCE TO OTHER, UH, EXHIBITS THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU.
SO, UH, THE OFFICE, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE CONSISTS OF 1.9 MILLION SQUARE FEET.
CURRENTLY, DOW IS OCCUPYING 800 SQUARE FEET ON YOUR COPIES.
YOU SHOULD SEE THOSE IN COLOR.
AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WATCHING, IT'S, THIS AREA RIGHT HERE IS OCCUPIED BY DOW.
THEY ARE, UH, THEY HAVE A 10 YEAR LEASE.
SO THEY ARE STAYING AND THEY OCCUPY 800,000.
PFIZER IS OCCUPYING 675,000 SQUARE FEET.
THEY ARE HERE, WE'RE NOT SURE HOW LONG THEY'LL BE THERE.
AND KELLER WILLIAMS OCCUPIES THESE TWO LITTLE BUILDINGS RIGHT HERE ON THE PROPERTY.
THE REST OF THE PROPERTY IS VACANT.
SO, UH, THERE'S BEEN A MAJOR REDUCTION IN THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THIS PROPERTY.
UH, YOU HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS TONIGHT ABOUT TAX REVENUE AND IF THIS, THE COURT HAS, UH, APPROVED THE TAX REDUCTIONS SINCE WE WERE HERE IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND TONIGHT, YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS EXHIBIT THERE'S THREE COLUMNS.
HERE WE HAVE THE CURRENT OCCUPANCY, THE PREVIOUS ASSESSED VALUE FOR THE PROPERTY.
AND THIS IS THE ASSESSED VALUE, NOT THE MARKET VALUE.
IT'S ABOUT $144 MILLION THAT HAD A MARKET VALUE OF ABOUT 468 MILLION.
UH, THE CURRENT REDUCED, UH, ASSESSED VALUE HAS DROPPED TO 45 MILLION.
SO WE'VE LOST, UH, A SIGNIFICANT ABOUT $101 MILLION IN ASSESSED VALUE ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S BASED ON THE CURRENT OCCUPANCY OF EMPLOYEES OF 550.
THE LAST COLUMN SHOWS THAT THERE'S A CURRENT, THIS CURRENT TREND IS A REDUCTION IN OCCUPANTS ON THE PROPERTY.
IF THAT CONTINUES AND DROPS TO 250 EMPLOYEES, THERE'S A FURTHER REDUCTION, NOT IN THE PROPERTY VALUES, BUT IN THE TAX REVENUE.
SO AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS EXHIBIT, YOU'LL SEE WE'VE DONE THE TAX REVENUE FOR THE TOWNSHIP AND THE THESE COLUMN, THESE, UM, ROWS HERE IN EACH OF THE COLUMNS.
WE'VE DONE THE REVENUE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE BECAUSE WE THINK YOUR RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT BOTH.
AND IN THE BOTTOM, WE HAVE THE TOTAL TAX REVENUE FOR EACH OF THE TAXING DISTRICTS.
WE DID NOT DO THE COUNTING, JUST THE TOWNSHIP AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO PRIOR TO THE, TO THE REDUCTION, WE HAD ALMOST $6 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE TO THE TOWNSHIP AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, IT IS NOT ONLY A PROBLEM FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, WE THINK IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE FOR THE TAXING AUTHORITY.
SO WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TO TRY TO FIX THAT.
SO IN ORDER TO REVITALIZE THIS OFFICE CAMPUS, AND WE HAVE A UNIQUE SITUATION BECAUSE DOW IS STAYING, THOSE OFFICE STRUCTURES ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PROPERTY, AND WE'D LIKE TO REVITALIZE THE USE OF THE OFFICE, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND TO DO THAT, WE ARE SUGGESTING A TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
IT'S ON THE SIDE WHERE THE PER TRAIL IS LOCATED.
THE TRAIL DOES TRAVERSE OUR PROPERTY VIA AN EASEMENT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED, UH, A HOSPITAL OR GMP USE HERE ALONG ARCOLA ROAD THAT IS ABOUT 290,000 SQUARE FEET WITH SURFACE AND A PARKING GARAGE.
THE TOWNHOUSES CONSIST OF 349.
AND THEN WE PROPOSE FOUR PAD SITES DOWN HERE, UH, POSSIBLY A CONVENIENCE STORE AND THREE QSRS.
THEY'RE QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS.
SO THE IDEA IS TO GET PEOPLE ON THIS CAMPUS TO ENTICE OFFICE USERS TO COME BACK TO THIS PROPERTY.
WE DON'T BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE BIG HITTERS THAT WOULD TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE.
WE THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE LARGE, YOU KNOW, SMALLER CHUNKS OF SQUARE FOOTAGE TO BE OCCUPIED BY OFFICE USERS.
THOSE PEOPLE ON THE PROPERTY WOULD ALSO ENTICE, YOU KNOW, A HOSPITAL USE ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH THEN WOULD REVITALIZE THE OFFICE USE AGAIN FOR THEIR, UM, OFFICE NEEDS.
AND THEN THE RETAIL AND OR SERVICE RESTAURANT USE WOULD ALSO SERVE THESE PEOPLE.
SO THE NEXT PAGE IN YOUR PACKET AND ON THE SCREEN, WE'VE DONE ANALYSIS OF WHAT THIS DEVELOPMENT WOULD GENERATE FROM A TAX PERSPECTIVE.
SO JUST THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT I JUST DESCRIBED.
[01:25:01]
THE FIRST COLUMN, THE LIFE SCIENCE OR HOSPITAL FACILITY IN THIS SECTION HERE, AND THEN THE RETAIL OR QSR IN THIS SECTION HERE.WE'VE DONE THIS FOR TOWNSHIP REVENUE ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE'VE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE EXPENDITURES, UH, NECESSARY FOR EACH OF THOSE USES.
UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT ALONG HERE, JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS ANALYSIS, GRAND TOTALS ALONG THE BOTTOM.
SO IN TOTAL TAX REVENUE FOR BOTH THE TOWNSHIP AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF ALL OF WHAT I PROPOSE IS CONSTRUCTED WOULD BE, UH, $3.15 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE.
SO IF WE CAN JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT.
IF WE HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE OF 3.15 MILLION AND WE REVITALIZED THE OFFICE, WE COULD GET THIS PROPERTY BACK IN TOTAL TO A TAX REVENUE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE TOWNSHIP TO $9.15 MILLION OF TAXES FOR THE BOTH THE TOWNSHIP AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COMBINED.
SO THE BENEFITS, NUMBER ONE, THAT, THAT TAX REVENUE, THAT'S THE BIG ONE.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE, UM, IF WE GOT INTO LAND DEVELOPMENT, WE WOULD DISCUSS SOME PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY THAT WE COULD CONTINUE THROUGH THIS PROPERTY.
UH, ON THIS PLAN IN PURPLE IS THE EXISTING PUBLIC TRAIL SYSTEM.
WE HAVE THIS THROUGH CAMPUS DRIVE ACROSS OUR COLA.
WE HAVE THE PER TRAIL, WHICH TRAVERSES PART OF OUR PROPERTY UP IN THIS AREA IN YELLOW, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TRAIL SYSTEM THROUGH THE CAMPUS OF MY CLIENT'S PROPERTY.
THERE IS AN INTERNAL ROAD SYSTEM, BUT ALSO A TRAIL SYSTEM THAT IS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
WHAT YOU SEE IN BROWN IS WHAT WE COULD DO.
AND AS FAR AS FUTURE CONNECTIVITY THROUGH THAT LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE COULD ADD ADDITIONAL TRAIL ALONG OUR FRONTAGE, ALONG OUR COLA.
WE COULD BRING IT AROUND DOWN, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, ON ROUTE 29.
THEN BRING IT AROUND ON OUR COLA, ADD SOME CONNECTIONS INTERIOR TO THE CAMPUS DOWN HERE.
WE HAVE A GAP BACK IN THIS AREA.
I'M SORRY, THIS AREA HERE WHERE OUR EXISTING TRAIL DOESN'T QUITE MEET, UH, THE PERCH TRAIL.
WE COULD MAKE THAT CONNECTION AND MAYBE ANOTHER CONNECTION DOWN ON THIS LOWER END.
UM, SO ADD TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
WE DO HAVE YOUR, UH, INTERACTIVE TRAIL MAP AND WE THINK THAT THE, THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY, UH, WOULD BE ANOTHER HUGE BENEFIT FOR THE TOWNSHIP.
AND LASTLY, AS FAR AS THE THIRD BENEFIT, WE WOULD DO OUR SHARE OF IMPROVEMENTS ALONG ROUTE 29.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A LOT OF FRONTAGE ON ROUTE 29, AND WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS BEING DONE NORTH OF US ON ROUTE 29.
AND THERE'S A GAP, UH, BETWEEN US AND THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ALL OF ROUTE 29 AND WE COULD DO OUR SHARE, UH, TO COMPLETE THAT.
AND, UM, ADD TO THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ROUTE 29, ALL OF WHICH WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY DISCUSS, UH, DURING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SO WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE, UM, DEVELOPMENT FATIGUE.
SO I LOOK THROUGH YOUR, UH, PLANNING DOCUMENTS AT THE COUNTY AND THE TOWNSHIP LEVEL TO SEE WHY FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO STARTING WITH THE MONKO 2040 VISION, THAT'S THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THIS AREA, WHAT I CALL THE QUADRANT, WHICH INCLUDES OUR PROPERTY AS A, UH, REGIONAL RETAIL.
I WANNA GET IT RIGHT, REGIONAL MIXED USE CENTER.
I'VE CIRCLED THAT ON THE PLAN.
AND THEY'VE IDENTIFIED AND DEFINED A REGIONAL MIXED USE CENTER AS AN INTENSELY DEVELOPED SUBURBAN CORE WITH SIGNIFICANT RETAIL, LOTS OF TRAFFIC, LOTS OF JOBS OVERALL, A LOT OF ACTIVITY.
IT INCLUDES SPECIFICALLY HIGH DENSITY, MULTIFAMILY, AND TOWN HOMES.
THEN I WENT TO YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH WAS JUST ADOPTED LAST YEAR, AND ON PAGE 66 OF YOUR PLAN UNDER THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN, IT TALKS ABOUT GIVEN THE EVER SHIFTING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT MARKET AND TOWNSHIP NEEDS, THE TOWNSHIP NEEDS TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE TRENDS AND THE UNDERUSED IE VACANT OFFICE BUILDINGS, VACANT INDUSTRIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN ITS BOUNDARY AND THE EFFECT ON THE FINANCIAL VIABILITY TO ADEQUATELY SERVE THE REMAINING TOWNSHIP AT LARGE.
SO UNLIKE OTHER COMPREHENSIVE PLANS THAT HAVE DOZENS
[01:30:01]
OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WITH RESPECT TO THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN, THIS COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE PLAN PAIRS THAT DOWN TO ONE GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR THE LIFE OF THIS PLAN.AND IN BOLD, THEY PUT PRESERVE THOSE UNDER UNDEVELOPED AREAS AND CHANNEL REDEVELOPMENT INTO THOSE AREAS THAT THE IN INFRASTRUCTURE EXISTS.
SO CLEARLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS HERE ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, WE HAVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, WE HAVE ROAD SYSTEMS, WE HAVE, UM, WATER, WE HAVE SEWER, WE HAVE INTERSECTIONS.
AND SPECIFICALLY ON THE NEXT PAGE, THEY IDENTIFY THIS ROUTE 29 INTERCHANGE, CAMPUS DRIVE.
UM, IDENTIFYING IT IS GIVING ITS PROXIMITY TO THE EXISTING AND LONG TERM OFFICE CAMPUS, CAMPUS ENVIRONMENTS, UH, PROXIMITY TO THE INTERCHANGE OF ROUTE 4 22, A THRIVING COMMERCIAL SHOPPING AREA.
REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA IS PARAMOUNT TO THE FUTURE OF THE TOWNSHIP.
WITH THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICE MARKET FLOUNDERING AT THIS TIME, THE TOWNSHIP CANNOT WAIT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL OFFICE USERS TO RETURN.
ZONING SHOULD BE REVIEWED TO ENSURE FLEXIBILITY WITH A BROAD RANGE OF PERMITTED USES.
SO WE THINK WE'VE DONE OUR HOMEWORK.
WE THINK THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP REVITALIZE THIS PROPERTY TO CREATE TAX REVENUE FOR THE TOWNSHIP, ADD THE CONNECTIVITY THAT'S MISSING IN PIECES ON THIS PROPERTY, AND DO OUR PART, UH, ALONG ROUTE 29.
AND WE THINK THAT WE FOLLOWED YOUR PLANNING GUIDELINES BOTH FROM THE COUNTY AND THE TOWNSHIP.
AND WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR STAFF WITH YOUR PERMISSION TO ACHIEVE SOME LEGISLATIVE, UM, RESULT THAT COULD ACHIEVE THIS PLAN AND GO THROUGH THE DETAILS DURING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HOSPITAL THERE IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER? I'M GOING TO ASK FOR MY CLIENTS TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THOSE USERS.
THIS IS, THIS IS CHRIS RICHTER AND MATT LABELLE.
AND, AND, AND THANKS FOR HEARING OUR, UH, PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE A, A FORMAL APPLICATION.
OUR PROCESS OF, OF THE END RESULT BEING WITH YOU TONIGHT IS WE WERE APPROACHED BY, UH, A REGIONAL, UH, CALL IT A NATIONAL BANK, UH, TO, UH, SIGN A LOCATION AT THE INTERSECTION.
AND WE'VE HAD A FULL LEASING TEAM IN PLACE, UH, AT THE CAMPUS RIGHT NOW TO TRY TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL OFFICE USERS.
AND WE WERE APPROACHED BY, UH, ONE OF THE HOSPITAL GROUPS.
UH, WE'VE DONE NOTHING TO PROGRESS THOSE DEALS, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE SO FAR OFF WITH, WITH ZONING RIGHT NOW AND TIMING AND UNDERSTANDING THE VIABILITY OF, OF WE'RE BUILDING RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS A PROCESS WE'RE TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE THAT THERE IS A PROCESS, UM, FOR US AL TO GET TO THE END GAME.
UM, I DO WANT TO BRING UP ONE OTHER POINT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I ENJOYED THE PRESENTATION IN YOUR OPEN SPACE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT ALL THESE PROJECTS AS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF A, A PUBLIC PRIVATE, UH, PARTNERSHIP.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS LARGE CHUNK OF LAND THAT YOU CAN SEE BETWEEN THE BROOK TRAIL AND THE RIVER.
UM, THAT THE ONLY USES FOR US RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE A 10% BUILDING COVERAGE RATIOS.
THE LAND HAS VALUE BASED ON THE PERCENTAGES, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP ON UNDERSTANDING WHETHER, UM, THAT PARCEL IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, COULD BE, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE OPEN SPACE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE HERE AS WE, WE, WE LOOK AT ALL THESE PARTNERS WE HAVE TO, UM, AS, AS A PARTNER WITH THE MUNICIPALITY, AND WE WOULD GLADLY, YOU KNOW, SIT DOWN WITH YOUR STAFF AND START LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SEE, I'M SORRY, WHICH PART ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE OPEN SPACE? IS IT WHERE THE RESIDENTIAL IS? SO I LET SEE THE, SO THIS, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE, THIS PARCEL, THIS IS THE INGHAM TRAIL, THIS IS THE RIVER.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY NOTED ON ONE OF YOUR EXHIBITS THAT YOU HAD, UM, POP AS AS POTENTIAL, UH, OPEN SPACE ACQUISITIONS.
AND I DON'T HAVE AN ACREAGE ON IT, BUT IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT MY ENGINEER HERE TO SAY 20, 25 ACRES.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD JUST WANT TO GET, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND UNDERSTAND YOUR PRIORITIES.
THIS IS TO US, THIS IS A CAMPUS THAT HAS A TON OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL, WILL BENEFIT THE TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY AND WE CAN INTEGRATE THIS PROJECT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT EXISTS.
UH, NOT JUST THE TOWNHOUSES, BUT THE RETAIL AND POTENTIALLY THE HOSPITAL SITE.
IF IT WAS MIXED USE INSTEAD ALL TOWN ROOMS, WOULD YOU HAVE 349 TOWNHOUSES?
[01:35:01]
I'M SORRY, I HAVE A HARD TIME HEARING YOU.UH, JUST LIKE A MIXED USE MOVEMENT INSTEAD OF ALL THOSE TOWN HOMES, YOU HAVE LIKE WHAT, 349 ALL TOWN HOMES? 349? YEAH, I, WE, I MEAN HONESTLY, WE WOULD TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.
WE, WE, WE, WE DID EVALUATE THE OPPORTUNITY OF KNOCKING DOWN SOME OF THE OFFICE BUILDINGS AND CREATING, YOU KNOW, I'LL CALL IT A, AN APARTMENT TRUE MIXED USE.
IF YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE CAMPUS AND LOOKED AT THE DOW BUILDING, IT IS JUST NOT THAT ATTRACTIVE.
UM, AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOOKED AT THIS 10 DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE MIXED USE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND WE JUST CAN'T GET COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH INTEGRATING RESIDENTIAL INTO THE SURFACE PARKING AREAS AND NOT HAVE IT, UH, BEING ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE.
UM, SITES OPEN POLICE TAKE A RIDE THROUGH THERE ANYTIME YOU WANT.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURE AND REALIZE IT'S JUST NOT COMPATIBLE WITH INTEGRATING RESIDENTIAL ADJACENT TO IT.
BUT EVEN THE, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE NUMBERS, WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO 340 UNITS.
WE'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE APPROPRIATE BUFFER IS TO THE TRAIL.
YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT THE DETAILS THAT, UM, MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UM, AND GET TO, UH, A TOWNHOUSE COUNT THAT, UH, THAT MAKES SENSE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S VALUABLE TO THE TOWNSHIP AND STILL GIVES US A PROJECT THAT'S WORTH PURSUING.
UM, WE'RE NOT MARRIED TO TOWNHOUSES, BUT WE THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT PRODUCT.
I THINK YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF APARTMENTS COMING ONLINE IN TOWN.
UM, WE THINK THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION, GIVEN ITS ITS OPEN SPACE, UM, AND WE THINK THE TOWNHOUSE IS THE RIGHT MARKET AS IF COMPARED TO BUILDING MORE APARTMENTS.
YOU MENTIONED A $9 MILLION NUMBER EARLIER.
I WAS FOLLOWING YOUR MATH UNTIL YOU THREW 9 MILLION OUT.
YEAH, I THINK WHAT SHE MISSED IS THAT IF WE CAN FILL THE 500,000 SQUARE FOOT OF VACANCY, WE WOULD THEN HAVE THAT VACANCY BACK IN THE TAX ROLL, ADDING TO THE, THE 2 MILLION PLUS THE THREE, THE 2 MILLION UNDER THE EXISTING SCENARIO, PLUS THE 3 MILLION TO ADD VALUE, PLUS GETTING THAT OFFICE SPACE FILLED UP SO IT GETS BACK INTO A HIGHER SUSPECT.
YEAH, YOU MENTIONED THE FATIGUE.
I MEAN, I THINK THE FATIGUE IS THAT IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S CONSTANT, UM, MULTIFAMILY HIGH DENSITY HOUSING THAT'S COMING AT US ALL THE TIME.
AND PROVIDENCE, AND THAT'S, LENE JUST MENTIONED IT, IT'S, I, I, WE KNEW THIS WAS GONNA COME EVENTUALLY.
SO FIRST OFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN AND STARTING HERE AND NOT STARTING AT, HEY, WE GOT, WE GOT PRELIMINARY PLANS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET DOWN THEM TRACK.
IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO START HERE.
IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE IT'S, NOW WE CAN START WRAPPING OUR HEADS AROUND WHERE YOU'RE THINKING AND KIND OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
YOU'RE RIGHT, THE HIGH DENSITY, WE SAID IN THE, IN THE, UH, 10 YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE WANTED IT UP AROUND THE 4 22 CORRIDOR.
SO THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE WANT IT.
WE JUST HAD A BIG DEVELOPMENT, UM, A YEAR AGO AND SCHOOLS WERE A GIANT ISSUE.
SO 350 HOMES BECOMES, WE ALREADY HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT BELIEVES WE'VE OUTGROWN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO WHAT DOES THIS CAUSE FROM US FROM A SCHOOL STANDPOINT? UM, DO WE NEED TO REDISTRICT SCHOOLS? I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT REDISTRICTING SCHOOLS, SO THERE'S A, SO THERE'S THINGS COME INTO PLAY A LOT TOO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT THE, THE FATIGUE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT, UM, I'M INTRIGUED BY THE HOSPITAL ACTUALLY.
IS THERE, UM, I DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING.
IS THERE A, IS THERE A NEED? IS THERE ARE, ARE THE CURRENT PHOENIX BILL, SO I'VE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTING UP THE PROPERTY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
UM, MINIMALLY HAVEN'T DONE A THAT GREAT OF A JOB, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, BUT THAT'S MORE OF A RESPONSE TO MARKET, UH, KIND OF INQUIRIES.
WE'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT HOSPITALS COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, YOU'VE GOT THIS PARCEL OVER THERE, LIKE, WE WANT TO BE IN THIS AREA.
WE THINK THAT THIS AREA DOESN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, ISN'T SERVED, UM, BY A HOSPITAL ADEQUATELY.
UM, SO AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST CALL I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WHATEVER.
SECOND CALL CAME IN, THIRD CA THIRD CALL CAME IN.
I WAS LIKE, THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING HERE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHY WE WANTED TO PUT IT ON THERE.
WE ALSO HAD GMP, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, DRUG, UH, MANUFACTURING, UM, COMPANIES THAT HAVE REACHED OUT TO US AS WELL.
SO WE'RE JUST, WE WANT TO KEEP THAT PARCEL AS YOU KNOW, FLEXIBLE RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR HOSPITAL THAT HAS BEEN MORE ENGAGED THAN THE OTHER TWO.
UM, AND IN RESPONSE TO YOUR HIGH DENSITY, WE SEE IT, I, I'M HERE, YOU KNOW, ONCE A WEEK, UM,
[01:40:01]
LOVE THE AREA.UM, GREW UP IN PENNSYLVANIA AND UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE COME IN HERE WITH, YOU KNOW, FOUR OVER ONE 3000 UNITS AND WE, WE JUST, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT, WE, WE KIND OF THINK THAT MARKET'S KIND OF MAXED OUT.
SO WE JUST, I DON'T WANNA BUILD SOMETHING THAT ISN'T SALEABLE RIGHT.
I HAVE ALREADY GOT VACANT SPACE THAT I NEED TO DEAL WITH.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE CAME IN WITH, UH, DIFFERENT PRODUCTS I TO, TO SERVE A DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC.
UM, I LIKE THAT YOU STARTED A TOWNHOUSE AND NOT STACKED UP.
IT, THEY'RE REGULAR OLD TOWNHOUSES.
I THINK THE 24 BY 52 IT'D BE, UH, YOU KNOW, THREE BEDROOM, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF, THREE STORY, THREE BEDROOM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T SEE IT VERY WELL ON THE PLAN, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS A FULL AMENITY AREA, FULL PICKLEBALL COURTS.
AND WE CAN, WE, WE CAN GET INTO THE DETAILS ON THAT.
I MEAN, WE, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE THAT LAND IS NOT OUR ISSUE ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
UH, THIS WAS REALLY JUST A STARTING POINT TO REALLY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, THAT IF WE PROCEED FORWARD, WHAT WE'D LOVE TO SAY IS OKAY, YOU KNOW, MIXED USE MAKES SENSE ON THE PROPERTY.
A RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT, A HOSPITAL COMPONENT, UH, MAYBE MANUFACTURING.
WE DON'T SEE THIS AS A GREAT RETAIL SITE.
UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST TOO BIG.
THAT'S WHY I WAS CURIOUS HOW MARRIED YOU ARE TO THE FAST FOOD THE CORNER.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE, THE ONLY REAL INTEREST WE HAVE IS, IS THE BANK.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT LITTLE BANK PAD SITE.
WE THINK THAT SOME, YOU KNOW, QUICK SERVE RESTAURANTS OR SIT DOWN RESTAURANTS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR THE, UH, EXISTING OFFICE TENANTS AND THE FUTURE TENANTS.
WE COULDN'T CARE ABOUT THE CONVENIENCE STORE.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER.
ANYTHING THAT'S OBJECTIONAL WHAT WE DON'T WANT, AND WE WILL NOT PROCEED WITH, YOU KNOW, A FIGHT ON THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE WITH A FIGHT ON THIS PROJECT, RIGHT? WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO WORK WITH IT.
WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU GUYS, BRING A PROJECT THAT, THAT EVERYONE'S PROUD OF.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY, TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE TAKING THIS BABY STEP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AT LEAST IN THE BALLPARK AND THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, NOT SPEND OUR MONEY, NOT WASTE YOUR TIME, NOT WASTE OUR TIME, BUT PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.
THAT MAKES SENSE FOR EVERYBODY.
I, I ALMOST WANNA SPEND TIME AND KIND OF TAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT IS ALL THE THINGS GOING HERE? WHAT DO WE ACTUALLY, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT GOING IN AT QUEST NOW, I HAVE POTENTIAL TO PUT SOMETHING ADDITIONAL IN HERE THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN THE TOWNSHIP, RIGHT? SO WHAT, HOW CAN WE BE CREATIVE WITH WHAT YEAH, WHAT, WHAT DON'T WE HAVE THAT, MAYBE WE CAN GO INTO THIS.
CAN YOU SHOW THE, THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED AGAIN IN THE, CAN YOU YEP.
WE'LL GET, SO JUST THE ONES, SO DOW IS ALL OF THE BLUE.
DOW HAS THIS PORTION RIGHT HERE, RIGHT ON THE HARD COPY.
YOU CAN SEE IT HIGHLIGHTED EASIER.
SO THE, ARE THEY ALL OCCUPIED OR NOT? NO, WE HAVE, DOW HAS ABOUT, UM, A 1.9 MILLION SQUARE FEET.
DOW HAS, UH, ABOUT 800,000 SQUARE FEET.
PFIZER HAS ABOUT 6 75, AND THEN KELLER WILLIAMS HAS A FOUR BUILDING A AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS, IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR, FOR THOSE CASES NOW? ARE YOU, WE'RE HOPING THAT, THAT BY CREATING MORE OF A DESTINATION, A LITTLE MORE ACTIVITY, UM, AND THAT'S REALLY THE RETAIL.
UM, IF WE HAD SOME QUICK SERVICE RETAIL, WE THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN PEOPLE GETTING IN THEIR CARS AND COMING OVER TO WEGMAN'S ACROSS THE WAY, WHICH I DO EVERY TIME I COME FOR LUNCH.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL DRIVE SOME MORE LEASING ACTIVITY AT, AT THE BUILDINGS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST AN OFFICE PARK IN THE MIDDLE OF KIND OF A FIELDS AROUND US, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST CHIME IN, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN BETTER THAN WE DO.
IF THERE'S A USE THAT YOU FEEL COULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, WE'RE ALL EARS.
I MEAN, IT'S, UH, WE, WE HAVE THE REAL ESTATE, IT'S JUST, WE DON'T YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY HEAD WAS AT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR OPENNESS WITH THAT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
WE, WE ALSO HAVE AN OLD FARMHOUSE THAT, UH, IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
UH, IT'S IN REALLY GOOD, IT'S REALLY GOOD SHAPE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T USE IT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
WHERE, WHERE IS IT ON? WHERE IS IT ON? OH, IS IT, SO OUR, OUR OLD BARN, WHICH IS THE CONFERENCE CENTER IS RIGHT HERE.
AND THEN THE FARMHOUSE IS, UH, IS RIGHT THERE.
IT WAS CONVERTED TO A THREE, UH, PERSON HOTEL, UM, WITH THREE SUITES, BUT NOBODY USES IT ANYMORE.
UM, SO, AND WE DON'T KNOW WITH THAT
[01:45:01]
IN LIKE WAS IT THE PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRE LIKE COUPLE A YEAR AGO? IT COULD HAVE BEEN TWO YEARS AGO AT THIS POINT ABOUT, UM, THIS LIKE LIFE SCIENCE CAMPUS THAT WAS INTERVIEW WITH YOU.SHORTLY AFTER WE CLOSED, THAT WAS OUR IDEA IS, UH, LIFE SCIENCES.
UM, UH, THAT MARKET DRIED UP SIGNIFI SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY AFTER WE CLOSED.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DRAW PEOPLE OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S TOUGH TO GET, UH, PAST, GET THEM PAST KIND OF KING OF PRUSSIA AREA.
UM, AND ALL THE TENANTS THAT WORK, THE LIFE SCIENCE TENANTS THAT ARE LOOKING, THEY'RE NOT JUST LOOKING IN PHILADELPHIA.
THEY'RE REALLY COMPARING PHILADELPHIA VERSUS BOSTON AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LIKE RESEARCH TRIANGLE IN NORTH CAROLINA CENTER.
YOU ALL THE, LIKE, THE PUSH TO MOVE MANUFACTURING HERE.
LIKE, I HOPE THAT COMES, I HOPE THAT COMES, WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, BUT I HOPE IT COMES.
THAT'S WHY THE GMP FACILITY UP THERE, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK, WE JUST HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE ACTUALLY DO IT YET.
AND WE'RE NOT ADVERSE TO TEARING DOWN SOME OF OUR VACANCY FOR THE RIGHT TENANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH VACANCY WE HAVE, BUT RIGHT NOW I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, WE HAVE AT CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION SQUARE FEET.
SO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT ANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT, UH, PRESENT ITSELF.
WELL, I APPRECIATE HIM STARTING THE CONVERSATION.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE.
I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND PRESENTING THIS.
THIS WOULD REQUIRES A ZONING CHANGE, RIGHT.
SO YEAH, MY THOUGHTS ON IT, JUST INITIAL THOUGHTS IS A COMPLETELY HUGE ZONING DISTRICT.
I DON'T WANT TO ADD THIS IN AS, AS IO YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL DISS RESIDENTIAL THAT WE HAVE, WE OTHER SUBGROUPS.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING I THINK THAT WE, WE LOOK AT JUST A COMPLETE NEW ZONING DISTRICT OF MIXED F AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT, THAT ENCAPSULATED ALL OF WHAT WE CONCLUDED FOR IT.
AND, UH, YOU'RE STILL GONNA LEAVE THOUGH ALL THE EXISTING BUILDINGS AND AN EXISTING PART.
YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR JUST, YOU DON'T WANNA KNOCK THEM DOWN.
YOU DON'T WANT THAT WITH MIND.
WELL, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY BUILT IN.
WE, WE, WE MISJUDGED THE LIFE SCIENCE, YOU KNOW, CYCLE.
UM, SO IT WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT THE PROJECT AND, AND THE PROPERTY TO, TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AND, AND PUT EVERYTHING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN THAT THAT WORKS FOR YOU GUYS INTO THE ZONING AS PERMITTED USES OR CONDITIONAL USES, DEPENDING UPON HOW YOU WANT TO STRUCTURE IT.
UM, LIFE SCIENCES MAY COME BACK THE NEXT CYCLE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT IS REALLY, UM, WE DON'T PLAN ON THAT RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE THE MARKET DOESN'T EXIST.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW IT DOESN'T.
WELL, WHAT WOULD WORK ME A LITTLE, A LITTLE BIT IS, UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE REDEVELOPING ALL AROUND THE EDGES OF THIS AND YOU'VE STILL GOT THIS CORE OF BUILDING AS A PARKING LOT IN THE MIDDLE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT MAKE A COMEBACK BASED ON WHAT YOU DO AROUND IT.
SO THEN WHAT? IT'S JUST THIS DEAD CORE OF INDUSTRIAL LOADINGS.
YEAH, I I, I, I WISH I HAD AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
UH, IT IS OUR HOPE, AND IT'S ACTUALLY OUR BUSINESS PLAN, IS THAT THROUGH, UM, ADDING THESE ULTIMATE USES, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF WE DO GET A HOSPITAL, THERE'S THOSE PERIPHERAL MEDICAL OFFICES THAT FOLLOW HOSPITALS.
AND THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FILL SOME OF THE VACANCY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU GIVE THIS, THIS, THIS, I'LL CALL IT A LIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT, UH, THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS THAT WOULD COME HERE 'CAUSE THEIR EMPLOYEES HAVE, UM, GOOD HOUSING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IN TOWN AS WELL.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO TEAR 'EM DOWN YET.
UM, COULD WE BE BACK HERE IN, IN, IN FIVE YEARS AND 10 YEARS AND TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING DOWN THAT CORE PFIZER AND DOW WILL BE THERE.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE SAME SQUARE FOOTAGES, BUT THEY WILL BE THERE AND THEY KIND OF BOOK IN THAT, THAT PROPERTY TO A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE THOSE, UH, FOUR BUILDINGS IN SORT OF THE SEMICIRCLE CONFIGURATION.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT MAY BE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
IF OUR BUSINESS PLAN DOESN'T WORK OUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH THAT CORE AREA.
I THINK THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE ZONING FOR, THIS WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 1970.
I MEAN, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THAT TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL OR THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS CAMPUS THAT REALLY DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
YOU CAN SEE CAMPUSES UP AND DOWN THE, THE CORRIDOR THAT, THAT HAVE GONE A DIFFERENT WAY AND, AND, AND BEEN COMPLETELY, YOU KNOW, REMODELED OR RE REDEVELOPED.
I, YOU KNOW, THE PARKING STANDARD FOR THIS IS PROBABLY MUCH HIGHER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.
I MEAN, I THINK AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION THEY MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE THERE THREE DAYS A WEEK, SO OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE A PARKING.
[01:50:01]
UM, MAYBE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT CAN GO ON TO WHERE THE EXISTING PARKING IS, NOT TO THE LEVEL MAYBE THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS HOPING.BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE IDEAS THAT WE CAN TAKE WITH US AND, AND SORT OF MOVE FORWARD TO SEE HOW WE CAN ADAPT THIS FROM THE 1970S ZONING AND THE 1970S DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS TO SOMETHING THAT REFLECTS MORE OF THE WAY THE SOCIETY IS NOW.
AND THE MORE, AS I SAID, A LIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT THAT IS MUCH MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THE TOWNSHIP IF WE ARE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO, UM, WE'LL LEAVE YOU WITH OUR MATERIALS AND WE'LL LOOK TO HEAR BACK.
WE'LL WORK THROUGH YOUR STAFF WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME DIALOGUE.
BUT THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
CHRIS, I HAVE A THOUSAND OF THESE.
OUR NEXT ITEM WAS TO DISCUSS ADDING SEWER BUILDING TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX BILL.
BUT, UH, IN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION WE FOUND THAT WE QUITE DIDN'T HAVE THINGS LINED UP.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TABLE THAT ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE, OR I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE AGENDA NUMBER EIGHT THIS EVENING RELATIVE TO ADDING SUITABILITY INTO THE REAL ESTATE TAX BASE.
AND SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, NEXT WE'RE GONNA CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE ADVERTISEMENT AND SALE OF TOWNSHIP OWNED PROPERTY.
IT IS TO REITERATE, THIS IS PERSONAL PROPERTY OF THE TOWNSHIP RECOMMENDATION TO EQUIPMENT.
NOW, GENERALLY TWICE A YEAR STAFF, UH, UH, PUTS TOGETHER A LIST OF, UH, SURPLUS EQUIPMENT THAT IS AT THE END OF IT FOR LIFE.
MOST OF IT IS, UM, UH, I THINK MOST OF, MOST ALL OF US HAS BEEN REPLACED THROUGH THE TOWNSHIP'S, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET.
UH, SO WE'RE SEEKING BOARDS AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE AND SELL A 2004 CATERPILLAR SKIDSTEER, A THREE POINT AUGER SALT SPREADERS, A 2018 DODGE CHARGER WITH 88,000 MILES, A 2018 DODGE RAM 1500 WITH 112,000 MILES, A 2005 LOAD WRIGHT BOAT TRAILER WITHOUT THE BOAT.
44 SECTIONS OF FIRE HOSE, MULTIPLE BOXES, UH, HIGH VEIN RADIOS, OTHER VARIOUS EQUIPMENT, UH, OF MINIMAL VALUE AS WE GET DOWN THE LIST.
WE'LL BE BACK TO YOU AGAIN IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY WITH THE SIMILAR LIST.
ARE WE GONNA, IT WAS ON MUNICIPAL BID.
THAT DODGE CHARGER IS THAT GOT THE, IS THAT A POLICE, A FOREIGN POLICE CAR? YES, IT WAS INTERCEPT IDENTITY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THE SALE OF TOWNSHIP OWNED PROPERTY AS THE STUDENT.
ALRIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
AND UH, NEXT IS MOTION TO ENACT ORDINANCE 6 1 6 REGARDING THE PURPOSE OF DUTIES OF THE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE BOARD CODE APPEALS.
THE TOWNSHIP, UH, HAS HAD A UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE BOARD OF APPEALS IN PLACE SINCE 2004.
UH, WHEN THE PENNSYLVANIA UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE WAS, UH, ENACTED STATEWIDE IN MY 10 YEARS OF THE TOWNSHIP, I THINK WE'VE HAD THREE MEETINGS OF THAT BOARD WHERE THEY, UH, SOUGHT A VARIANCE OR, OR APPEALED THE, THE BUILDING CODE OFFICIALS INTERPRETATION OF THE CODE.
UH, AND THE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE ESTABLISHES A VERY, VERY ROUGH FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT THAT BOARD IS SUPPOSED TO DO AND HOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO ACT.
ORDINANCE SIX 16, IT WAS REPAIRED BY, UH, THE SOLICITOR, UH, DEVELOPED SOME PROCEDURES AND RULES THAT THEY'RE TO FOLLOW AS THEY CONDUCT MEETINGS OR HEARINGS THAT'S BEEN PROPERLY ADVERTISED OR ASKED TO THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ENACTING THE ORDINANCE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ENACT ORDINANCE SIX 16 REGARDING THE PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF THE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION FIRE CODE BOARD OF APPEALS.
[01:55:01]
NEXT RESOLUTION ON YOUR AGENDA IS RELATED TO THE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE BOARD OF APPEALS.IT AMENDS THE TOWNSHIP'S FEE SCHEDULED TO ESTABLISH A FEE FOR OF A $500 FOR A MEETING OR $1,000 FOR A HEARING BEFORE THE BOARD OF APPEALS.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025 DASH 29 AMENDING THE FEE SCHEDULE TO INCLUDE FEES FOR THE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE CODE BOARD OF APPEALS.
I'LL SECOND I MOTION A SECOND.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT PENSION FUNDS, RIGHT? AM I RIGHT MR. CHAIRMAN? THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY SEPTEMBER.
UH, WE GET THE ACTUARIAL NUMBERS FROM OUR, UH, TWO ACTUARIES FROM MOCK AND HOPIN AND JOE DO THEM FOR ALL OF OUR DEFINED CONTRIBUTION AND DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS.
SO THE REQUIRED BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, NOVEMBER YEAR TO PROVIDE WITH THE ACTUAL MMO, THAT'S THE REQUIRED MINIMUM, MINIMUM MUNICIPAL OBLIGATION THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, UM, PROVIDE TO BRING, MAKE PITCH FUNDS WHOLE.
AND THESE NUMBERS WILL BE REFLECTED THE 2026 BUDGET.
DID THEY GO UP A LITTLE FROM LAST YEAR? THE PERCENTAGE? JOE, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? THEY WERE HERE A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT I HAD FORGOTTEN.
YEAH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THIS OBLIGATORY.
I'LL MAKE A MOTIONS WITHOUT RESOLUTION.
2025 DASH 30 OUTLINING THE 2026 MINIMUM MUNICIPAL OBLIGATIONS NMOS FOR THE TOWNSHIP PENSION PLANS.
AND MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 2025 OR CONSIDER ADOPTING, UH, RESOLUTION 2025 DASH THREE ONE AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FOR A RAPC GRANT, UH, PROGRAM FOR THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS OUR ONGOING, UH, GRANT STACKING STRATEGY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET MONIES FOR THE NEW FACILITY.
IT'S A LONG TERM PROJECT WRAP.
THE, UH, GRANT ROUND JUST WAS ANNOUNCED, UM, VERY RECENTLY AND THERE'S A VERY SHORT TURNAROUND TIME.
SO, UM, DELTA'S PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.
THIS WILL BE DISCUSSED AT OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
YEAH, I WE'VE GOT LIKE 10 DAYS, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THIS IS JUST TO HELP US PAY FOR THE NEW BUILDING.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DO RESOLUTION 2025 DASH 31 AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION TO THE RACP GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
[MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS]
MANAGER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS.SUE HAS A, SHE'S HERE AN ACTUAL VIDEO.
IS THAT AN ACTUAL VIDEO? NO, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ONE THOUGH.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HAD TO PRESS PLUG.
UM, WELL WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PARKS TODAY, SO I'M GONNA SHOW THE OTHER SIDE OF MY DEPARTMENT AND SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF RECREATION.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF OUR PAST.
UM, WE RAN THROUGH SUMMER CAMPS THIS YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE STATS.
WE HAD 15 CAMPS OVERALL THIS SUMMER, 10 HALF DAY, THE REST FULL DAY.
UM, WITH THE HARD WORK FROM BOB, OUR RECREATION AND CAMP COORDINATOR, AS WELL AS MELISSA, OUR PROGRAM COORDINATOR IN OUR NEW CANVA PRO.
UM, ALL THEIR EFFORTS PAID OFF 'CAUSE 95% OF OUR CAMPS WERE FULL OR AT MAX CAPACITY.
MANY OF THEM ALSO HAD A WAIT LIST, WHICH WAS VERY ENCOURAGING FOR OUR UPCOMING SEASON.
UM, SO WE STARTED OUR SUMMER CAMP OFF WITH OUR CAMP BLACKROCK AND A COUPLE OF OUR SPECIALTY CAMPS AND THEN ENDED OUR SEASON OUT WITH OUR EMERGENCY SERVICE ACADEMY.
WE HAD OUR BROAD BELT CLASSIC.
UM, THE RAIN REALLY HIT US HARD THIS SPRING AND SUMMER.
UM, MAJORITY OF OUR THINGS WERE RAINED.
UM, WE SO CAME OUT HARD THAT DAY.
WE HAD 50 PLUS CARS, OVER 150 TO 200 SPECTATORS, OUR FOOD TRUCKS, AND WE HAD SOME RAFFLE BASKETS.
EVERYONE THAT WAS THERE HAD A GREAT TIME AND HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR WE CAN HAVE SOME SUNNY DAYS.
[02:00:03]
SUMMER CONCERTS ALSO TOOK A PRETTY HARD HIT WITH THE RAIN.UM, IT SEEMED EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY WHEN WE HAD A CONCERT, IT RAINED OR THUNDER STORMED.
UM, BUT LUCKILY WITH THE USE OF THE GYMNASIUM OVER AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WE HAD MAJORITY OF OUR CONCERTS INSIDE.
WE STILL HAD A GOOD TURNOUT BETWEEN 75 AND A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
GIVEN THAT WE MADE THAT DECISION IN THE AFTERNOON OF THE CONCERT.
UM, WE DID HAVE A COUPLE OF OUR CONCERTS OUTSIDE.
UM, WE HAD SWIFTY IN THE MIDNIGHTS THAT ENDED OUR SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AND WE HAD OVER A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE THERE THAT NIGHT.
UM, WE FILLED UP THE ENTIRE PARKING AREA OVER AT ANDERSON.
WE CANCELED ALL ACTIVITIES THAT NIGHT.
UM, SO WE HAD A VERY NICE TURNOUT TO END OUT THE SEASON.
UM, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MUSIC FEST IN MAY AND WE CANCELED THAT AND MOVED IT TO AUGUST.
UM, AUGUST PROVED TO BE A MUCH BETTER DATE.
UM, WE HAD EIGHT BANDS THAT LASTED THE ENTIRE DAY.
WE HAD A WATER SLIDE THERE THAT DAY WITH THE SHARE OF COMPLICATIONS, BUT IT WORKED OUT VERY NICELY AND KIDS WERE SUPER EXCITED AND THE PARENTS ACTUALLY, WE NOTICED MORE PEOPLE STAYING LONGER AT THIS MUSIC FEST THAN THEY HAVE BEFORE.
I HAVE TO THANK TIM WILLIAMS. HE'S A LOCAL RESIDENT THAT HELPS GAIN ALL THE BANDS AND THEY'RE ALL LOCAL.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE MUSIC FEST IN JUNE NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH AWAY FROM THE SPRING MONTHS.
APRIL MAY TEND NOT TO BE THAT GREAT FOR US, SO MOVE TO JUNE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT LOGO LOOKS SO FUNNY, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE PRESENT.
SO THIS WEEKEND IS FALL FEST ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL.
UM, LAST YEAR WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 6,500 PEOPLE ATTEND OUR FALL FEST.
SO OVER THE FIVE HOUR SPAN, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE, A LOT OF ACTION.
WE ANTICIPATE THE SAME THING FOR THIS YEAR'S FALL FEST.
UM, GIVEN THAT THIS IS OUR LAST YEAR WITH THE USE OF THE LARGE PARKING LOT, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO TREND AT THIS LOCATION OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVISE PARKING MOVING FORWARD.
WE ARE PARTNERED WITH VALLEY FORGE BAPTIST CHURCH, A RAIDER FARM FOR THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE PARKING AND SHUTTLES.
THERE WILL BE BUS SHUTTLES AVAILABLE, UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE USING QUEST THIS YEAR WITH GOLF CART SHUTTLES TO GET PEOPLE OVER TO LOCATION.
BUT WE ARE OPENING SOME PARKING ON SITE.
WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THIS WORKS THIS YEAR AS A NEW LAYOUT.
SO WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW IT GOES.
UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX TO GET 6,000 PEOPLE ON THIS PROPERTY THAT DAY.
SO IF ANYBODY IS AROUND, WE ARE HERE, UM, THIS SATURDAY FROM 12 TO FIVE.
AND THEN MOVING INTO OUR FUTURE, WE HAVE SOME THINGS COMING UP IN THE FALL.
WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED CHILDREN THAT TAKE THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE A FULL ON DANCE RECITAL FOR 'EM AT THE END.
UM, WE ARE GOING FORWARD WITH A COMMUNITY CENTER OPEN HOUSE ON OCTOBER 3RD THAT IS GOING TO BE HALLOWEEN THEMED.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMING, WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES CENTRALIZED AROUND HALLOWEEN.
SO IF YOU HAVE A COSTUME, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR IT.
UM, GIVEN OUR SUCCESSIVE SUMMER CAMP THIS YEAR, WE ARE GOING TO START DOING A SCHOOLS OUT CAMP.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO START WITH SKYHAWKS IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO OUR NORMAL STAFF RUNNING SOME OF THE CAMPS IN OCTOBER.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE, UM, OUR BUSY WINTER AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE OUR EDS TRIP IN DECEMBER, OUR WINTER WONDERLAND.
UM, OUR LIGHT SHOW STARTS, UM, THE DAY AFTER, AFTER THANKSGIVING.
UM, WE HAVE SWOOPED THE EAGLE COMING TO A RAIDER FARM THAT NIGHT.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE SANTA VISITING THE FIREHOUSE IN DECEMBER AND THAT PERHAPS UP OUR YEAR SO FAR.
[CONSULTANT REPORTS]
ANYTHING FROM, UH, ANY ENGINEERING CAPITAL GROUP? UM, IF YOU WERE DOWN IN MONTCLAIR IN THE PAST COUPLE DAYS, THEY'RE DOING SOME MORE STABILIZATION DOWN THERE ON THE FEMA PROPERTIES, SO TRYING TO BRING THOSE TO THE END.UM, OKAY, NOW WE NEED TO, UH, APPROVE THE MONTHLY DEVELOPER IMPROVEMENT GUARANTEE REDUCTION LIST.
WE JUST HAVE ONE ITEM, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MONTHLY DEVELOPER IMPROVEMENT GUARANTEE REDUCTION LIST AS FOLLOWS.
ITEM A HARFIELD RELEASE NUMBER TWO IN THE AMOUNT OF
[02:05:01]
$3,345,069 AND 67 CENTS.ALRIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
UH, SOLICITOR REPORT, ANYTHING MR. SCH? SOLICITOR? I HAVE NO REPORT THIS EVENING.
[SUPERVISORS COMMENTS]
COMMENTS? ANYBODY WANT MAKE TO COMMENT? ALRIGHT, SLOW DOWN.[UPCOMING EVENTS]
I'LL GO OVER THIS UPCOMING SCHEDULE BOARD SUPERVISORS MEETING SCHEDULE.SEPTEMBER 25TH AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
WE HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP, SEPTEMBER 30TH, ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP.
AND OCTOBER 7TH, OUR THIRD AND FINAL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER 20TH AT 7:00 PM AND THEN AGAIN NOVEMBER 17TH AT 7:00 PM UH, PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MEET SEPTEMBER 17TH AT 7:00 PM THIS WEDNESDAY.
AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACTION ITEMS, TRAFFIC SAFETY, UH, OCTOBER 1ST THEY MEET AT 7:00 PM THE AGENDA ITEM WILL BE 5 92 SOUTH MENNONITE ROAD.
UH, SPOTLESS CAR WASH 1 8 18 51 EAST RIDGE PIKE.
THE HASSAN ROAD SUBDIVISION OCTOBER 15TH, UH, MEETING IS CANCELED.
THE REASON THAT'S CANCELED IS BECAUSE OF THE OPEN SPACE DISCUSSION THAT'S SCHEDULED FOR THAT NIGHT.
OKAY, SO IT SAYS CANCELED HERE, BUT THERE'S STILL A MEETING THAT NIGHT.
UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY OR ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, MEETING ON THE 17TH IS ALSO CANCELED FOR THE SAME REASON I ASSUME, TO HAVE THE OPEN MEETING, THE OPEN SPACE, UH, REFERENDUM DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE EAC TO THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE INVOLVED WITH THIS PROCESS.
PARKS AND REC COMMITTEE MEETS, UH, OCTOBER 8TH AND 6:00 PM MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY MEETS, UH, OCTOBER 2ND AT 7:00 PM ZONING HEARING BOARD, UH, HAS NO PENDING APPLICATIONS AND NO UPCOMING MEETINGS SCHEDULED.
WE DID JUST GET ONE TODAY JUST FOR FULL DISCLOSURE.
SO WE HAVE, THEY NO, WE HAVE NOTHING.
SO WE, WE DID GET AN APPLICATION TODAY.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, KEEP YOUR EYES ON, ON THE, UH, WEBSITE OPEN SPACE RENDER REFER REFERENDUM INFORMATION SESSION OCTOBER 15TH AT 7:00 PM AND THIS WEEKEND, SATURDAY COMMUNITY FALL FEST.
UH, 12 TO FIVE RIGHT HERE ON THIS CAMPUS.
UH, SO EVERYBODY COME OUT FOR THAT AND, UH, WE'RE DONE.
AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SECOND, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND FOR ADJOURN?