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Week of February 18, 2008
Painting the new American house green
By Alan J. Heavens, Philadelphia Inquirer
If any one word applies to the 2008 New American Home, it's green.
So green "St. Patrick himself should be cutting the ribbon," says Philadelphia-born Bill Nolan, vice chair of the committee that conceived the show house for this year's International Builders Show, which ends tomorrow.
A bit of the blarney? Perhaps. Though houses built over the last 24 years for this event were designed to showcase products and construction innovations, the "greenness" of this year's 6,725-square-foot entry was designed to coincide with yesterday's launch of the National Green Building program, aimed at bringing environmentally conscious practices into the industry's mainstream, and the Certified Green professional designation.
The list of eco-sensitive innovations featured in the New American Home is lengthy. They range from pine needles used as mulch for the gardens of native plants to R-20 Icynene spray-foam insulation, used to turn an unvented attic into conditioned space only six degrees warmer than the house on the hottest day, instead of 150.
Green is also the color of the money needed to purchase this New American Home, which carries an asking price of $4.8 million. But though Florida is mired in a housing bust right now, the builder, Charlie Robertson, isn't worried about it selling.
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Manion faces priamary fight
By: Brian Scheid, The Intelligencer
Many political insiders are predicting that a November showdown between Congressman Patrick Murphy and Republican challenger Tom Manion of Doylestown Township will be yet another fierce, nasty battle for the 8th District seat.
Murphy is the only Iraq war veteran in Congress, but his military credentials could be neutralized by Manion, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and father of Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed in April by sniper fire during his second tour in Iraq.
Manion, who had the backing of the national Republican Party and former Republican Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, was unanimously endorsed by the Bucks County Republican Committee earlier this month and all set to take on Murphy in a nine-month congressional campaign.
However, last week, Joe Montone of Falls became the dark horse candidate for the Republican nomination to run against Murphy. Montone and Manion now will battle each other in the April 22 primary.
“My intention is not to hurt the party, but to offer the people an alternative candidate who has a lot of passion, zeal and enthusiasm for what he’s doing,” Montone said. “In life, to some extent, we’re all underdogs.”
Big boost for development plan expected
By:Christopher Ruvo, The Intelligencer
A controversial plan for a big shopping center and hundreds of new homes in Milford could take a major step to being built Tuesday.
Supervisors in the Upper Bucks township could vote to approve a zoning measure that would clear the way for Milford Village, a development some estimates say could feature more than 600 residential units plus 450,000 square feet of stores, offices and restaurants.
The supervisors have been discussing the zoning measure – known as an overlay district – for more than a year with the development partnership that wants to build the complex and residents, many of whom oppose it.
Supervisors wouldn’t go so far as to say approving the zoning measure is a given, but approval appears likely.
“I’m pretty sure we’ve probably got it by now. Everything is ready to go and I don’t expect any major changes,” said Supervisor Charlie Strunk.
The Markward Group of Allentown and LifeQuest Nursing Center of Milford plan to build Milford Village on about 200 acres on Route 663 between Portzer and Mill Hill roads. LifeQuest’s facility sits on the land.
Township seeks to appeal subdivision ruling
By: Riley Yates, The Intelligencer
Buckingham wants to appeal a court decision throwing out the denial of an 89-home development in Mechanicsville village.
The township has asked a Bucks County Court judge to allow the appeal, which would come after a January order sent plans for the embattled Toll Brothers development back to Buckingham for review.
Earlier this month, township solicitor Craig Smith filed a procedural motion that asks Judge Albert Cepparulo to permit his order, which under procedural rules cannot be immediately appealed, to be fought in Commonwealth Court.
Neighbors of the development at Route 413 and Mechanicsville Road made a similar legal request.
The proposed 95-acre subdivision has long been at the center of bitter feuds in the township.
The parcel was part of a complicated set of land deals supervisors were considering last year, but abandoned after lengthy protests by neighbors.
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Homebuilders' pledge confounds K Street
By: Jessica Holzer
Lobbyists are shaking their heads over an apparent ploy by the homebuilders’ lobby to freeze its political action committee (PAC) contributions to lawmakers until they come to the aid of the troubled housing sector.
The move, which the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced last week, has prompted dismay on K Street, in part because it buttressed the popular image of lobbyists tying contributions to votes.
“A lot of lawmakers are going to get uncomfortable at this point dealing with Build-PAC,” said Craig Holman, the campaign finance lobbyist for ethics watchdog Public Citizen.
Some lobbyists, perhaps concerned about the strong whiff of quid pro quo with which the NAHB’s action seemed to taint all of K Street, downplayed the effectiveness of the move.
“It’s not going to make a damn bit of difference,” said one senior business lobbyist, who said that the $10,000 limits on contributions to candidates’ campaigns were too low for such a threat to have any bite.
Pa. legislative primary challenges down by half from '06
By: Mark Scolforo, The Associated Press
Thirty-two Pennsylvania lawmakers have opponents in the April primary, down from the 61 incumbents who had intraparty challenges two years ago, suggesting the 2005 pay raise's potency in state politics may be on the wane.
Challenges in state legislative races, much less successful ones, were a rarity until the May 2006 primary, when 17 incumbents lost. The results rattled the political establishment and forced the Legislature to embrace some reform measures.
The changes haven't been swift enough for 58-year-old Tamaqua businessman John Schickram, who is running in the primary against Rep. David Argall, R-Schuylkill.
"I'm just disgusted with government," Schickram said. "I think our legislators lost contact of the outside world, I really do."
Freshman Rep. RoseMarie Swanger, R-Lebanon, is facing primary opponent Jason F. Kern, a member of the Jonestown Borough Council who hopes to use her relative inexperience against her.
Driving toward a solution
By: Annie Tasker, The Intelligencer
A study of Route 263 and Route 611 aims to make the major roadways through eastern Montgomery County a little more user-friendly.
The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is working with five municipalities, including Hatboro, Upper Moreland and Abington, on a study of the heavily-traveled corridor that runs through Montgomery County from Philadelphia to Bucks County.
Now in the first year of its expected two-year run, the study looks to find the best ways to address transportation concerns and economic development along the route by improving traffic flow, public transportation access, walkability and streetscaping. The $200,000 project is also bringing the municipalities together to determine how their individual plans for the future might come together as bigger-picture improvements.
The regional organization is in charge of the study, but it will be up to the townships and boroughs to decide what to do with its recommendations once the study is finished in the summer of 2009, said DVRPC project manager David Anderson.
Two offers on table for sewer system
By: Chris English, Bucks County Courier Times
The average annual Lower Makefield sewer rate will go up about $158, to $481, by 2014 if the township holds on to the system, a consultant estimated at Wednesday night's supervisors' meeting.
That same projected rate would actually be about $20 lower by 2014 if the township accepts an offer by Aqua Pennsylvania to buy the system, added Howard Woods Jr. of Newtown Township. He was hired by the township to do a study on the system as the supervisors consider whether to sell it.
Lower Makefield has two offers from Aqua, a $15.4 million lump sum payment with a one-year rate freeze, or a $17 million offer that would be paid off in three years and would include a two-year rate freeze.
No decision on whether to sell will be made until at least after the March 19 meeting, which will be devoted entirely to the issue, said board chairman Greg Caiola. Aqua's offer is good until May 9, Woods said.
Saying that rates would stay relatively the same whether the system is sold or not was one argument Woods presented for selling it.
“This is a real offer, not a speculative one, and should be considered seriously,” he said.
Area housing prices continue decline
By: Brian McCullough, Daily Local
Trend, the multiple listing service for more than 32,000 real estate agents in the Philadelphia region, on Tuesday released its fourth-quarter report that found house prices and sales volume continue to fall in the region, albeit not as dramatically as in other areas of the country.
In Chester County, the average price for a house sold in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $361,300, down 6.3 percent from the $385,700 average sales price in the third quarter.
The number of houses sold also was down 31.6 percent, from 1,715 in the third quarter to 1,172 in the fourth quarter.
Even with the declines, “the Philadelphia market is faring well as compared to what is going on in the rest of the country,” said Vernon Jones of Trend.
