Tag: High St.

Open Doors = Open Eyes + Open Minds + Open Hearts

This Saturday, September 11th, Pottstown will commemorate the tragic events of that day, nine years ago.

After opening ceremonies and remembrances at Smith Family Plaza at 11 am, the School District, businesses, arts and community groups, The Hill School, Genesis Housing, Pottsgrove Manor and more are publicly opening their doors for the rest of the day to encourage people to spend time together, get further acquainted with their downtown, and to strengthen community bonds. The School District initiated the event, which has come to be known as “Open Doors.” It’s got a contagious, positive vibe that’s almost magical, judging from today’s Mercury.

Churchill Cafe puzzle
The Mercury is running articles all week. For news stories and a schedule, check out the District’s website here, and the Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance blog here.

In general, downtown locations will have special events going on from 11-3.

From 3-6 pm, the High School will hold an open house – with a gazillion activities! – followed by a home football game at 7 pm vs. Upper Moreland.

Building community, one piece at a time…
From 11-2:30, Positively!Pottstown is offering puzzle-building at tables at The Gallery on High and the Pottstown Regional Public Library. Puzzles of various Pottstown buildings will be available for anyone to piece together at these locations. They can then be broken up and started all over again. Fun for adults and kids!

At 3 pm, the puzzle-building will continue over at the High School. There, students can also put their name into a free drawing for a book; there will be books for all grade levels. Buildings… books… what else do you expect from a planner and writer? 🙂

Building community... one piece at a time

Big shout-outs!
Much thanks to Mr. Armato at the High School, Mike Packard at the Library, and Erika Hornburg-Cooper of The Gallery School for providing space for the puzzles.

The regulatory framework– Part 2: Walking a half-mile in a property owner’s shoes

I am so sorry for writing really long posts! Please try to get through this one. I feel it’s getting to the heart of the question: Why is High Street empty?

In previous posts, we’ve done an overview of the various documents, ordinances, and maps that dictate land use in Pottstown. We have a sense of the outside agencies and funding sources that are available to help make development happen. We know that the private sector prefers to know exactly what it’s getting into. In this post, we’re walking a half-mile in a property owner’s shoes
 into the Borough’s website.

Over the past nine months that I’ve gotten re-acquainted with my hometown, I’ve been to the Borough’s website hundreds of times (no exaggeration) to look at maps, regulations, etc. It’s taken me quite a while to even begin to figure out how the heck things work, and I admit I’m still unsure about a lot of things. It’s kind of a bummer to admit that I can’t get through the maze more easily. And it is a maze.

Being a writer/communicator, I’m really big on websites that serve their purpose. The Borough’s website is not only for current residents, it’s also the point of entry for outsiders who are considering becoming insiders, i.e., potential homeowners and the business community. The website, in and of itself, should be a user-friendly, logical “document.” The fact that it isn’t gives the first hint that the functioning of the government and the approval processes might not be user-friendly or logical either. If your land development systems can’t be communicated clearly for the average citizen, then there’s probably something wrong with your systems.

Let’s go to the Borough’s website now.

1. First thing, I want to know what this town is all about. I click “About Pottstown” and go to “History.” The town’s “story” stops in 1964. That’s a little scary right there, and stops me in my tracks. I want to know about Pottstown today, but I can’t really find it anywhere on the site. Also, it looks like there’s only one photo on the whole site. (Picture = 1,000 words.)

I here confess that I wrote a bunch of the web copy for the PACA website. On the home page, they come right out with their mission, give three sentences about history and then move into the vision of the arts community for the present & future of Pottstown. I like to think these words create an image, draw people in, and make them feel the potential old-school coolness of this place. The Borough can have more about its history on its website, but at some point it needs to bring visitors to the present day.

So now you’re thinking, “What does this have to do with land development?”

Everything the Borough does and how it presents itself to the larger world is part of its redevelopment efforts. Successful land development is all about telling the story, selling a dream, a vision. It’s about the Borough selling itself.

2. Again, we’re developers or potential home owners now. The Borough’s website is chock-full of information about its ordinances, maps, etc. There’s a lot there. But it’s not enough to say the information is all there. It has to be presented in chunks that help a user make sense of the land development process itself.

On the main navigation bar on the left of the home page, I click on “Departments,” to see if they have a planning or community development department. I’m drawn to “Inspections and Permits.” There’s a huge amount of useful information – what you need a permit for, which zoning & planning applications are relevant to specific kinds of projects, residential property transfer and rental registration/inspection requirements.

If you go in this order through the website, this is where you first run into mention of the Homeowners’ Initiative Program. I guess it’s under “Inspections & Permits” because it will involve an inspection and a permit. (Okay, but that seems kind of random.) “It” turns out to actually be two programs (homeowner loan and rental conversion loan). They are also mentioned on the Economic Development page.

Before we go there, though, click on the link to the “Redevelopment District Map” at the bottom of the “Inspections & Permits” page. If I’m a redeveloper or a business owner, my ears perk up: What is the “Redevelopment District”? What are the rules and incentives there? But, no, it’s just a link to a map, and I can’t find anything more about it. On the entire website.

(Out of the blue, in an email, someone recently mentioned a “Core District Redevelopment Plan” from 2003. Is this where the Redevelopment District Map came from? Why have I never seen this plan before? Is it still relevant to Borough land use policy and programs? I need to call someone at Borough Hall to get to the bottom of this.)

3.a. So, let’s jump over to the Economic Development “Information & Links” page. Scroll down under “Homeownership Initiative Program.” Click on “Click here for the Step-by-step application process and to view the Boundary Map” You end up here. Click on Homeownership Initiative Program – Boundary Map. You end up here. This Homeownership Initiative Program Boundary Map is not the same as the Redevelopment District Map.

So why is there a link to the Redevelopment District Map under the Homeownership Initiative information on the Inspection & Permits page?

Are you confused just reading that last sentence? Welcome to my world.

What I’m saying is that I really need the dots to be connected for me.

3.b. Go back to the Economic Development “Information & Links” page. At the very top – no heading, nothing to draw your eye to it – there’s a link to information for businesses in the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District. Up pops what is essentially a whole other website with its own logo. The text says it’s still part of the Borough
 a Main Street Program
 a special assessment district. I can’t find a map
 would my property be in this district?? There’s the Pottstown Downtown Foundation to support their activities. They have funding for their own façade programs
 or do they?

I start to wonder if this program is still operating
 Under the “Business Opportunities” link, I’ve been reading the same message for nine months. This may be the only place you can find the name of Pottstown’s Main Street Manager
 well, the former Main Street Manager. (The current Main Street Manager is Leighton Wildrick. Leighton & I had a great chat last week. I’m sure other people want to talk to him too!)

Eventually, I find the PDIDA map on the Borough Maps page, which is under “About Pottstown,” but not on the PDIDA pages
 Did I miss it there?


 From what I can tell by toggling back and forth between the two maps, the PDIDA district is not the Core Redevelopment District
 still curious about that


3.c. Go back to the Economic Development “Information & Links” page. Okay, so there’s an economic development plan. That will tell me what I need to know. Oh
 wait
 the link goes right to the document. It’s 145 pages. I have to read a 145-page report just to find out what their economic development strategy is? Forget it! I just want to know what programs they have to help me NOW!

3.d. Go back to the Economic Development “Information & Links” page. Click on “View the Maps.” Up pops a map from the Economic Development Strategic Plan. The first map is: “Development Areas and Opportunity Sites.” What do those red and blue boundaries mean? Is there special funding programs for those areas? They don’t seem to match up with the other maps I’ve seen. Geez, I guess I have to dig into that report.

Let’s review:
– Redevelopment District Map
– Homeowner Initiative Program Boundary Map
– PDIDA Map
– Development Areas and Opportunity Sites (from Economic Development Strategic Plan)

And add a couple more:
– Keystone Opportunity Zone (does a map exist?)
– Historic District
(We’ll talk about the Historic District and HARB in the next post.)

Why aren’t businesses coming to High Street?

I’m just trying to get a sense of what this town has to offer me and/or my business. I’m just trying to get my bearings. I didn’t even get to any of the actual development or building approval processes yet.

Look, who has time to do all this? Save staff time, residents’ time, business’ time by straightening out the message and getting it up on the website. The website is the entry point to your community and to your land development approval system. It has to be friendly, simple and clear to attract new people and businesses, not tearing their hair out and running in the opposite direction.

What is needed on the Borough website:
– A vision statement that inspires and tells potential homeowners and businesses what you’re all about and where you’re headed.
– Simple summaries of land use incentive programs and regulations, possibly sorted by specific user groups: current residents, potential home owners, potential business owners/landlords, potential developers.
– Examination of maps to see if they are all absolutely relevant. If they are, then there has to be some simple way to explain or graphically depict the overlaps. People purchasing real estate need to know what incentives they are eligible for and what regulations or special assessments apply to their property.
– Clear, logical visuals of the incentive programs, along with their funding sources, to show how they are related to each other.

For now, you could keep the same website design and just start consolidating and simplifying. (Simple is always better.) This could use the attention of a small, working committee of knowledgeable, local minds to sort this out. 🙂 I’d be glad to work on the writing and organization with them. This doesn’t have to take long. In the end, visitors to the Borough website should have a clear sense of what they have to do to become a home owner, business owner or developer in Pottstown and feel welcomed and inspired to check it out further.

Next up: The regulatory framework– Part 3: Walking another half-mile in a property owner’s shoes

The regulatory framework for land development – Part 1

Planning and land development take place within a regulatory framework. There are federal, state and local laws regulating a spectrum of issues, from environmental clean-up standards for a former industrial site to how high a fence can be in your front yard.

If there’s too little regulation, or not the right kind, consumers and communities suffer the consequences, most notably around issues of safety and the environment. If there’s too much regulation, the private sector goes elsewhere, or may selectively build where it can pass the additional costs of regulation onto well-to-do consumers who can afford it. For our purposes: the regulatory environment in any given state or locality plays a huge role in what kind of market activity happens there.

I’ve worked and volunteered largely in the public and not-for-profit sectors. However, I learned early on in my work in affordable housing that municipal and non-profit developers have to think and act like private sector developers if they want to achieve their mission. If a project fails, they may never get another chance. Also, they are not using their own money and have to carefully consider what level of risk is appropriate to assume on behalf of their public funders/taxpayers or private donors. But no matter what your end product, you have to be savvy if you’re getting in the game. Land development is not for the faint of heart.

When my kids were young and attending a small Montessori school in central New Jersey, I took a spot on the board as this 20-year-old organization was re-negotiating a lease and found itself with a healthy surplus. When faced with the question of how/if the school wanted to grow, we decided to consider all possibilities: renovate and continue to lease at the current location; purchase and renovate a building nearby; or look for land and build a new school. Within a 3-year period, I led the school – with a lot of help from staff and other parent volunteers! – through the analysis, planning and construction of a new 10,000 square foot facility just about a mile from the old location. It involved negotiations with the current landlord, working with a realtor, scouting properties and options, constantly running in-house financial analyses and income/expense projections, lining up an architect experienced in designing pre-schools, getting a land use lawyer, a builder, and securing construction financing and permanent tax-exempt bond financing through a local bank, with the services of a bond lawyer.

I tell you all this to establish some degree of “street cred” when I say: land development is a risky, expensive, gut-churning business, in which “time is money.”

Developers put money into escrow with a municipality when they put in an application for approval. The town’s engineers, codes staff and planners are all getting paid from that escrow account when they do their reviews of the application – all those nit-picky details that are supposed to ensure the “health, safety and welfare” of the eventual users of the buildings, roads, parking lots, etc. And every time a developer has to talk to his own lawyer, architect, planner or engineer, the meter is running.

Once the project starts, municipal inspections have to be timely; enforcement can’t be arbitrary. Because construction financing is typically at a higher interest rate than permanent financing, if a project’s timeline keeps getting extended, it could sink the project, or at least result in serious losses for the developer. A clear, streamlined set of regulations, consistently enforced in a timely manner, is critical for enticing the private sector to choose your town over another town for the location of their buildings and business.

The logic is similar for potential home buyers and small business owners, whose budgets have an even smaller margin for error. No one is going to put their hard-earned money into play – whether it’s for a home in the historic district or for retail space on High Street – if there’s a great deal of uncertainty and wasted time in the land use approval and enforcement processes. Who needs it, if things are likely to go smoother elsewhere?

Next up: The regulatory framework– Part 2: Walking a mile in a property owner’s shoes

Benefit Concert Tonight at Tri-PAC

If you’re looking to kick off your weekend with some pizazz and a gift from the heart, get to the Tri-County Performing Arts Center at 254 E. High Street tonight for SONGS THAT GO LIKE THIS . …. . A BROADWAY REVIEW. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the local Habit for Humanity and the Tri-PAC.

This musical performance is brought to you by Maggie & Mark Moliterno and Friends. Maggie is an award-winning dramatic coloratura soprano, Pottstown native and a versatile actress, who has appeared in principal roles in opera, operetta and musical theater in the U.S. and Europe. Mark, is a bass-baritone, who has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and the Far East, with numerous opera companies, symphony orchestras and festivals. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Voice at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ.

The “friends” part of the evening’s performance includes approximately 25 young vocalists from the area.

Photo courtesy of Village Productions
Tickets are $20 for children 12 & under and $30 for adults. A wine and cheese reception is included. The show starts at 8 pm. For more info, check out Tri-Pac’s Facebook page, their website, or call 610.970.1199.

The new Tri-County Performing Arts Center is the home of Village Productions. Village Productions is a dynamic nonprofit performing arts organization that seeks to strengthen community, inspire creative exploration, educate, and entertain, through the presentation of quality performing arts events and educational opportunities geared toward a diverse audience.

Name That Building (#2)

The first person to correctly guess the name/location of this building will get $20 in gift certificates for Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches.

Hint: It’s on High Street.

Operators are standing by to take your – uh – emails and Facebook posts. Don’t delay!

Incorrect Guesses coming in on Facebook:
St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church
St. Peter’s Church
old Police Station (was on King St., yes?)
Christ Episcopal Church
The Mercury
Grumpy’s (ANOTHER HINT: No, but you’re getting warm.)
Former senior center
Bridal Salon & bakery

ANOTHER HINT: It’s not a church.

WE HAVE A WINNER: DEBBY WEBER of Pottstown. She correctly guessed 311 E. High Street. There was a fierce competition between Debby and Becky Koniow-Marvel. I just realized that Debby was the winner of our last “Name that Building” contest , so I’m going to ask that she hang back on the next one, although I admire her enthusiasm for Pottstown’s buildings!

Here’s another photo of the Order of Independent Americans 1902 building at 309-313 E. High Street.

And another view from the photographer “road_less_trvld” on flickr.

I hope I have this right and this is what “O. of I. A.” stands for! The Order of Independent Americans was a fraternal organization from the 19th and 20th centuries. They seem to have had several councils in the region. Here’s a photo from one in Chester, and an article about a group in Hamburg. Does anyone know anything about the Pottstown council? Is the Order of Independent Americans still active today?

“Name That Building” postponed ’til tomorrow!

A photo of a building in downtown Pottstown will be posted tomorrow, here and on Facebook. The first person to correctly guess the building and its location will get $20 in gift certificates to Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches at 300 High Street. Tune in tomorrow for your chance to win!

Grumpy’s… anything but!

Pottstown's most charming grandpa?
Why did Sheila and Eugene Dugan pick a scowling, old guy to represent their new, hand-carved sandwich business in the Farmers’ Market building at 300 High Street?

“We were sitting around with our kids, trying to come up with a name and our oldest son Shane said, ‘Let’s name it after Dad and call it Grumpy’s.”

As it sunk in, the whole family cracked up. Eugene, who has been in the food industry practically his entire life and has a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, had been out of work for a while. So maybe he had been a little grumpy until embarking on this new venture. But that good-natured family vibe won out, and that’s what Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches is all about. And freshly-cooked and prepared sandwiches, of course.

My mom and I had the chance to sample their #2 Turkey Roseo with roasted red peppers, pesto mayo and sharp provolone cheese and found the creamy pesto mayo and hearty portions will leave you feeling satisfied for hours. They also offer many other chef-carved, all natural turkey, roast beef and pulled pork specialties. There’s even peanut butter & jelly, without the crust, for $1.50 for your little ones! Add to that homemade soups and sides, and you’ve got all the fixins for lunch, dinner, an office party, or any family or social gathering.

Grumpy’s offers catering and can customize a menu that works for any occasion and budget. They will be open whenever there are events downtown such as the Classic Car Shows and the Halloween Parade. They’re already dreaming up special hot chocolate drinks and s’mores for Halloween.

Their official grand opening will take place August 26-28, during which they will hold 3 raffles – no entry fee, just add your name & cross your fingers.
1. A catered party that includes sandwiches, sides and sodas for up to 5 people
2. Two meals & two sieds.
3. A Grumpy’s t-shirt & a meal

That t-shirt may become a collector’s item; people are already asking for them. Sheila’s brother, John McCafferty, of McCafferty & Company Advertising in Louisville, KY, designed the logo. Locally, Patrizi Designs made the sign. Leighton Wildrick, Pottstown’s Main Street Manager, helped smooth over some last-minute bumps in the road so they could open up in their storefront on High Street.

The Dugans are one of many families crossing my path these days, who have moved to Pottstown to be part of a walkable, small town community. They recently moved from a development home in Pottsgrove and bought an historic home on Hanover Street. “We’ve got 3,000 square feet, wonderful neighbors, and our kids can walk to school,” said Sheila. “We’re committed to Pottstown.”

Now, that’s what we like to hear!

Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches
300 High Street (Farmers’ Market, entrance on High Street)
Pottstown, PA 19464
610-323-1232
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm; open late for special events in town.
Some outdoor seating.

Visit Positively!Pottstown on Tuesday, when we’ll launch another “Name that Building” contest and give away two $10 gift certificates to Grumpy’s, donated by Grumpy’s.

Another fun First Saturday!

This past weekend, another First Saturday (brought to you by the Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance) brought the downtown to life with music, community-building and classic cars.

sweet!

This was the first time I set up a table, and I sure was grateful to get an iced mocha from Churchill and to get a spot under a canopy from Erica Hornburg-Cooper from The Gallery School. When kids stopped by to do art projects, they usually grabbed a bottle of bubbles and a Positively!Pottstown re-usable bag from my table.

It seemed like lots of people were getting great book bargains from the Pottstown Public Library sale. As they kept making their way to my table, it became obvious that I should just turn my bags over to the folks at the library so people could put their books directly into them there! Since the 4th of July, 250 Positively!Pottstown bags have infiltrated the community, bringing day-glo orange cheeriness to shopping carts throughout the region. Can a world dominated by positivity be far behind??

Another cool thing about hanging out at Smith Family Plaza on First Saturday is that the world comes to you, bringing ideas for future blog posts. I met Louis Rieger of High Street Music. And Ross Landy of WPAZ Preservation Association. And when lunchtime rolled around, my mom brought a delicious and filling sandwich from Grumpy’s, who will be featured in an article later this week.

Rounding out the music for the day was “Maggie Spike,” the duo of Eric and Peggy Gernerd. These Berks County natives play a very enjoyable, foot-tapping mix of acoustic folk, rock, jazz and reggae that has you humming along in no time.

Maggie Spike and Mike Holliday (courtesy of Maggie Spike)

And, finally, since I really had to get home, I could only glimpse the beginning of the Pottstown Classics Car Club Nostalgia Night and make plans to spend some more time there next month. The next First Saturday, which will be the final one for 2010, will take place on September 4th – hope to see you then!

Things to do this weekend

Lots going on for the first weekend in August!

Just added:
JAMES ENDERS POP ART GALLERY PRESENTS:THE ART PARTY
Friday, August 6 at 7:30pm
JAMES ENDERS POP ART GALLERY
217 E HIGH STREET

FIRST SATURDAY at Smith Plaza in downtown Pottstown
10 am-2 pm
Music, art, vendors
10 am: Pottstown Dance Theatre- African Dance
11 am: High Street Music Showcase
Noon: Maggie Spike

I’ll be there giving away Positively!Pottstown re-usable bags and bubbles for the kids, while supplies last. Stop by and say “hello!”

SUMMER MEMBER EXHIBIT
Gallery on High
254 E. High Street
610-326-2506
Reception on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 3-5 pm. Free & open to the public. Exhibit runs until Aug. 13.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK MUSIC SERIES
John Hain and the Mango Summers Band
Riverfront Park
College Drive, Pottstown, PA
Sunday, Aug. 8
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

LIVING HISTORY SUNDAYS at Pottstgrove Manor
100 W. King Street
610-326-4014
Sundays, Aug. 8, 15, 22, 29 from 1-4 pm
Costumed interpreters will live life the Colonial way with activities such as needlework, gunsmithing, butter churning, tape-loom weaving and more. Visitors can watch , learn & join in! Bring the kids! Call to find out which activity is slated for this Sunday. See a photos & more details at the Sanatoga Post.

Travis Wetzel Trio at Tri-PAC this Friday!

If you’re looking to kick off your weekend with outstanding bluegrass, rock, gospel, country and jazz, look no further than the incomparable Travis Wetzel Trio this Friday, July 30th at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center on High Street in downtown Pottstown. These musicians are at the top of their game and they’ve played with the best in the business.

Travis Wetzel is a dynamic musician, song writer, and vocalist. He’s been the lead fiddler/violinist on countless recording projects and has performed and recorded with the likes of Bill Monroe, Del McCoury, Mac Wiseman, David Frizzell and jazz legend Stephane Grappelli.

Travis has worked for charitable organizations such as HALTER Therapeutic Riding Program with Wynonna Judd, The Parent Project with Charles Osgood of CBS’s Sunday Morning, and the VSA Arts of NJ. He can be seen and heard almost every week on the Grand Ole Opry with legendary instrumentalist and singer Jesse McReynolds.

Bass player Ron Greenstein has toured Europe and the US with the Lewis Brothers and currently plays bass for folk icons Tom Paxton and The Chad Mitchell Trio.

Acoustic guitarist Bob Harris has performed, produced and recorded nearly 1000 albums and sessions with some of the industry’s top acoustic and country musicians. A member of fiddle legend Vassar Clements’ band for 15 years, Bob was also the first place winner of Guitar Player International’s “Ultimate Guitar Competition” in 1992.

So, order your tickets now and decide where you want to have dinner (check out the list of dining options at the Pottstown Arts & Cultural Alliance website!) Then get to Tri-PAC before the 8 pm start time. You won’t want to miss a minute!

Tri-PAC’s Summer Concert Series
TRAVIS WETZEL TRIO
Friday, July 30th – 8:00 pm
Adult: $17; Student/Senior (65+): $15; Child (12 & under): $13

Tri-PAC
245 E. High Street
Pottstown, PA 19464

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