Tag: Revitalization

Camden, ME: Unique economic development initiative

The article below and also found here describes an interesting attempt by Camden, Maine to bring new, high-paying jobs to their community; put a brownfield, riverfront site back in use; and get a tax-foreclosed property back on the tax roll. And citizens were involved all along the way.

Note that the town will still be on the hook for the clean-up costs when all is said and done. It would be interesting to see the overall fiscal analysis and how the added jobs & property/income/business taxes collected might offset that.

I’m not suggesting that this is directly related to any Pottstown property or situation, but merely wanted to bring it to readers’ attention and add it to the Revitalization Library. It’s an innovative approach to jobs growth and brownfield re-use that’s worth watching to see if there are any takers.

Copyright 2010 Bangor Daily News

Bangor Daily News (Maine)
September 16, 2010 Thursday
All Editions
Pg. A1
567 words

Waterfront land for free in Camden;
The catch: New owner must provide good jobs

HEATHER STEEVES OF THE NEWS STAFF
CAMDEN

Free land, anyone? In an effort to attract business, to bring well-paying jobs for residents and to collect taxes, Camden is giving away 3.5 acres of riverside land to anyone who wants it – with a few caveats.

The future owner of the land will have to pay $200,000 up front. Then, for every eight workers hired, the owner will get a third of the purchase price refunded. The company will have five years to hit the 24 employee mark and get the full rebate of $200,000 before the offer expires.

The jobs also have to pay more than the average wage for Knox County – $45,165 including benefits, to be exact.

The land also will be challenging to build on. The site sits beside the Megunticook River, and used to house Apollo Tannery, which allowed tanning solvents to run into some of the land’s soil.

“With brownfield properties, it’s not unusual to negotiate zero-cost deals,” said Mathew Eddy, the interim development director for Camden. “You have to work around the environmental issues, so it costs more to build the project.”

The town took ownership of the old tannery in 2003 after the previous owner didn’t pay his 2001 taxes. The town is still paying for the property – the tannery needed to be torn down and some chemicals had to removed – which set residents back $836,000. Camden bonded the issue and still has $683,000 to pay off.

Eddy said the property is commercially zoned, but in a residential neighborhood and consists of a paved lot, the tannery solvent-contaminated area and open space. A future owner can build on the property, but may have to tiptoe around the contaminated area; although Eddy said sometimes government agencies allow property owners to build on top of the contaminated soils.

Eddy said that trying to sell the abandoned industrial slot this way and making it work for Camden is exciting.

“You had a property that is empty, it was an eyesore, it was an environmental problem,” Eddy said. “[Camden] is taking a brownfield property, cleaning it up and putting it back into production. This is new development. At the same time, the community has been involved every stage of the way – that is pretty special. That is the community taking the bull by the horns.”

The idea was originally brought up by a citizen group and then voted on by the whole town sometime around 2008, Town Manager Roberta Smith said. But the recession hit, so Camden held out on selling. Marketing for the property just started up this month.

“It is a way to say ‘We are open to business and we are willing to make you a deal,'” Smith said. “We were trying to set the bar to attract year-round, sustainable, good-paying jobs. So that was a marker that we thought was a good goal to reach for.”

There are other examples in Maine of communities giving away brownfields, according to Eddy.

“It’s not a brand-new concept in economic development, but it’s very new for Camden and the midcoast and it could prove to be a great model,” said Dan Bookham, executive director of the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce. “I think it’s a great example of community citizens taking an active role in determining their own future.”

There have been some calls on the property, but nothing serious yet, Eddy said.

There is no deadline for business owners to contact the town, according to Smith.

“Let us know when you want to buy it.”

For information, visit freelandinmaine.org.
hsteeves@bangordailynews.com
338-9546
September 16, 2010

funky lil’ kitchen, funky lil’ life

I’d had a long day, arriving in town for a 9 a.m. meeting with another writer/blogger, and then it was on to Musikfest in Bethlehem with a contingent from Pottstown. By the time we got back into town, and I dropped someone off at their house and finally finished yakking (so much to talk about!), I was all talked out and needed a good, quiet meal to refresh me for the 90-minute drive back across the Delaware to New Jersey.

As I sat at the light at Penn and King Streets, there was practically an aura emanating from the Funky Lil’ Kitchen, and I figured the time was now: I was finally going to treat myself.

It was fairly early and there was just one couple there, sipping wine and chatting with the waiter. I got a table in the window, and the waiter must have sensed my hunger because he immediately brought over a small bowl of spicy peanuts, Funky Lil’ Kitchen’s own blend, and they took the edge off.

I took in the decor – decidedly Pottstown-chic, with Mrs. Smith pie tins on the walls, a very large utensil-clock on one wall, and a partial wall-sculpture of utensils that screens the kitchen from the dining room. I didn’t ask what music was coming through the speakers, but it was – absolutely – way funky cool. The waiter delivered my appetizer of white beans, celery, red onions and cherry tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar on bruschetta, and my strength started to come back. If only I were there with my husband and a crowd of friends!

When I looked out the window then, I finally focused on what was directly across the street – a phone booth. A man was using the phone in the phone booth. Remember those? I hadn’t seen one in years. Then I zeroed in on the building – Bell Telephone – and immediately had a flashback…

Old Bell Telephone, now Verizon

My best friend from high school, Karen Brennan, and I were working for A.S.K. Cleaning Service in the summer of 1981, after our freshman years at college. I’d had an offer to be a nanny for a family on Martha’s Vineyard, but in the end, I chickened out without even asking my parents, and came home instead. None of us really knew anything about Martha’s Vineyard, not really. I had vague notions of extremely wealthy, idle people, who would only make me uncomfortable anyway. Besides, who would want to play with kids on a beach all day and get paid a boatload of money, when they could safely scrape gum off the bottoms of desks all summer?

Okay, so Karen and I had been assigned to clean the offices in the Bell Tel building before people got to work. I think we had to be there at 5:00 a.m. On the particular day I have in mind, no sooner did we get into the building than we ensconced ourselves on a sofa in the employee lounge, which had a T.V. It was July 29, 1981, and Lady Di was about to become Princess Di over in London within the hour. Young, beautiful Diana – only a year or two older than we were – was marrying into the Royal Family, in a real, live, televised fairytale. We watched in awe as the pomp unfolded, two American Cinderellas holding out hope for our own Prince Charmings, while literally clutching mops and dust rags. By 6:20, they were married, we watched for a few more minutes, and then went to swab the floors of the dark, eerie, windowless cable room downstairs.

But I digress… flash forward almost three decades…

Across the street from that episode of “character-building,” I was very fortunate on a recent evening in August 2010 to be able to indulge in Chef Michael Falcone’s sautéed salmon cake with pineapple salsa on a bed of basmati rice. It was an exquisitely refreshing summer combination. I had no room for dessert, although I was impressed with the dessert menu, which was written on a large green bottle that the waiter held in front of me (chalk up another point in the “funk factor” column.) But you know I will be going back soon for “Mom’s Chocolate Cake.” I opted instead for a milky-smooth cappuccino, which gave me the final boost I needed to propel me on my way.

I am so glad I didn’t wait any longer to try out this fun and inventive restaurant in downtown Pottstown. You don’t have to be royalty for your culinary dreams to come true!

Notes:
1) I just Googled “Pottstown-chic” and the phrase doesn’t seem to exist, so I want credit for coining it.
2) Thank you KBM for the details and the trip down memory lane!

About Funky
Hours: Dinner (Tuesday-Saturday) 5:00-9:00
Address: 232 King Street, Pottstown, PA
Voice: 610.326.7400
Email: funkylilkitchen@email.com
Reservations: Highly Recommended
Dress: Smart Casual
Credit Cards: Visa, MC, AMEX & Discover
Parking: Public lot & on street (the lot across the street is now privately owned! Thanks for the heads-up from reader Jeff Leflar!)

Wellsboro, PA: A place to stop in

The article and photo below were submitted by award-winning writer, editor, and photographer Joe Zlomek, who is the Managing Editor of The Post Publications. A hearty “thank you!” to Joe for contributing. With this article, I’m starting a “Revitalization Library” subject category at Positively!Pottstown. In it, you will be able to find revitalization stories and examples mentioned not only by me but by you, the readers and commenters. Together, we can discover the broad range of possibilities and acquire a kind of revitalization “vocabulary,” so we’re all speaking the same language as we write Pottstown’s revitalization story. 🙂

Wellsboro, PA – A place to stop in
by Joe Zlomek

Like Pottstown, Wellsboro PA (in Tioga County along Route 6 of Pennsylvania’s northern tier) was built on, and because of, industry. Early in the 20th Century it served as a shipping point and trade center, with businesses that included fruit processing, flour and woolen mills, and much more. But as they did in Pottstown, eventually those industries moved out.

The departures forced the borough to change. Because it is only 10 miles from Pine Creek Gorge, the natural wonder known as “the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania,” two of Wellsboro’s thriving industries are now tourism and retailing.

Lights on in Wellsboro, PA

The length of its downtown is small in comparison to Pottstown’s but, also in comparison, far more robust. Shops are well kept, busy, and open late. The merchandise selection is diverse. Several excellent restaurants can be found within a two-block walk. And the lanterns that became a fixture of the boulevard-like Main Street coursing from east to west through Wellsboro add to its ambiance. They burn from mid-afternoon long into the night.

Is a proposal by Pottstown Main Street Manager Leighton Wildrick for the year-’round lighting of High Street the sole or best solution to attracting more consumers downtown? Not by a long shot. However, it and other changes can be keys in creating an environment that, as in Wellsboro, changes the perception of downtown from “a place to pass though” to “a place to stop in.” ~

Photo by Joe Zlomek: Simulated gaslight lanterns burning Saturday (Sept. 4, 2010) at 4 p.m. on the west end of downtown Wellsboro PA.

Additional resources:
Wellsboro on a map
Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce
PA State Laurel Festival
Vacation in Wellsboro
The local paper, The Wellsboro Gazette
City-data.com

Process in the public sphere: It matters.

Last night Council unanimously pledged support for a low-income rental housing tax credit application tied to a 55-unit senior housing development on Borough land near the riverfront. In a kind of post-game analysis, here I step back from the project itself to talk a bit about process.

1) Ideally, a town would have adopted land use and economic development plans that spell out what they want in each area of their town. Then, when any authorized municipal representative is talking to any developers about that area, they are on the same page with what the community planned and agreed to.

2) Ideally, if a town is looking to develop land that it owns, it would put out a Request for Proposals and seek competitive proposals/bids. The RFP and this process would all be public. There would be no private conversations with any developers during this process.

3) Opening the bids: here’s where it gets sticky. In most places, negotiations involving land transactions and real estate development by governmental entities are not subject to right-to-know laws. All parties need to know that they can work out the financial end of a deal without the press & the public breathing down their necks. Confidentiality is paramount. Here’s where you have to have faith in your elected officials to agree to what’s in the best interests of the community and select the top bidder(s) accordingly.

4) If there are no clear frontrunners, in an ideal world, the top 2-3 bids/plans would be publicly presented and community input would be sought at that point.

Four necessary components:
• community-approved land use & economic development plans
• a clear & transparent RFP process
• time and timelines
• community input on selected proposals

Obviously, none of this protocol was followed in this case, which really is not unusual in many small towns and even larger towns where no one’s paying attention. Or where there’s an entrenched way of doing things: This is how we’ve always done it. But it has the whiff of a back-room deal that was foisted on the public pretty late in the game. All I’m saying is, there’s another way to do things, where leaders and the community are engaged in more meaningful ways througout the entire process.

Imagine this: 55 units of low-income, senior rental housing in the middle of a comprehensive waterfront plan that includes a few hundred upscale condos, commercial development and recreational uses. Then the low-income housing is a mere blip in the middle of that; no big deal. You wouldn’t have heard a peep outta me!

Imagine this: There are multiple economic development initiatives underway across town that involve County funding, and this housing is a trade-off in some way in the context of a larger plan that may not even specifically include the waterfront. That could be fine too. Trade-offs – compromise – that’s how things get done.

It’s the fact that you’re leading the way, selling off your own land, with no vision or plan, for what? Low-income rentals? That doesn’t compute.

My frustration comes out of the Borough not being in charge of its own destiny in the first place – not having a clue what the community wants, not having an economic development leader on your team, not doing your due diligence, not making people answer your questions straight-up, not demanding a printed handout of the project proposal & parameters — basically, not asserting yourself. And then being forced to settle. Settle for whoever shows up. It doesn’t have to be that way. It doesn’t.

Unearth your vision – plan – strategize – set goals – implement with a vengeance.

Low- vs. Moderate-Income Housing: Know what you’re voting on (the short version)

A vote in favor of the income-restricted, rental housing project proposed by the Partnership for Income Restricted Housing Leadership (PIRHL) on Borough-owned land is a vote for additional low-income rental housing for Pottstown.

– There is only one tax credit program deadline coming up at the PA Housing Finance Agency and it is Nov. 5th for the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC), which spurs the development of LOW INCOME RENTAL HOUSING.

– Jeffrey Paxson, vice president of development for PIRHL, has confirmed to a third party that they are applying for tax credits from the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, which is administered by the PA Housing Finance Agency.

– Rents in the $500-800 range for 1 & 2-bedrooms in Montgomery County are considered low income NOT moderate income.

– Section 8 certificate holders can NOT be denied housing in a LIHTC project.

That is all.

Open Doors 2010: Pottstown Feels the Love

Jazzy tunes from the Middle School
I was kind of holding my breath as the commemorative service got underway in Smith Plaza yesterday morning. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, scanning the good-sized crowd, trying to gauge how many were there, and whether their numbers would swell or dwindle as the daylong community events, spearheaded by the Pottstown School District and the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance, played out.

After heartfelt speeches, memories of that fateful day in 2001, the honoring of service and rescue personnel, and a moving poem by Ron Downie, I headed up High Street with fellow blogger, Mo Gallant, who writes Pottstown’s Blog. I’d already set up my puzzle- and community-building activity at the Pottstown Regional Public Library and we were going to finish setting up on the sidewalk in front of The Gallery School.

Honor & remembrance

While School Board member Michele Pargeon coaxed passersby to check out the inside of The Gallery, a few determined puzzle-builders got busy with the first pass at puzzles of The Gallery, the Middle School, Borough Hall, Churchill’s and Smith Plaza. Bill Krause emerged from The Very Best next door and shot the breeze with us for a couple minutes. Council President Steve Toroney and his wife came by, so did Dave Kraybill, Executive Director of the Health and Wellness Foundation after picking up a free bike at Tri-County Bicycles through the Bike Pottstown program. Periodically, Mo and I would look up and down High Street and say, “They’re here. People are really here.”

That feeling of wonder only grew in strength as the day unfolded.

After putting some stuff in my car, which was parked for free all day in front of the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, Mo and I popped in for a quick hello to Executive Director Marta Kiesling. Then, at an outdoor table at Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine, we indulged in the sublime Mexican egg rolls with honey jalapeno dip and their spicy Mexican Caesar salad.

Penn Street skateboarders
Skateboarders from Bentley’s Boards Skate Shop kept us entertained on Penn Street. Mayor Bonnie Heath, her husband Mason Craig, Borough Manager Jason Bobst and Main Street Manager Leighton Wildrick were at a nearby table, and that outdoor spot was perfect for people-watching, saying “hi” and meeting new folks. As lunch was winding down, I realized that I was in the midst of a perfectly balanced, lively urban/small hometown experience. Great food, people of all ages on the street, full trolleys passing by, and outdoor dining in a place where “everybody knows your name.”

As it got closer to three o’clock, Mo and I bid farewell (Thanks, Mo! Thanks, Michele, for looking out for the puzzles!) Then I headed to the Library to make a quick stop and see how things had gone over there. On my way up High Street, I slowed down to take in the crowd and the thumping salsa beat in front of SwingKat and Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches. Music! Joy! Dancing in the streets! This was Pottstown on September 11, 2010. Mark it on your calendar. Imprint it on your souls.

The puzzle report from Mike Packard at the Pottstown Regional Public Library was thumbs-up. If you haven’t been to the library recently, it’s got a whole new look inside, with the fiction downstairs and popular and current fiction on display. Check out the way-cool teen room downstairs. And there was popcorn! In the library! The smell was heavenly. If they keep this up, they’re going to give the big bookstores a run for their money.

Library puzzlers

I made my way to the high school where school district volunteers and staff had lined the cafeteria and halls with tables for any community and school group that wanted to participate. I set up my puzzles and free book raffle in the cafeteria and never got a chance to see the hallways filled with people, including elected officials from both Borough Council and the School Board. In addition to all the families and young puzzle fanatics who stopped by, there was Erica Weekley of the Borough’s economic development staff, and Tim Phelps of Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce and his family.

John Armato, Director of Community Relations for the Pottstown School District and Superintendent Dr. Reed Lindley both stopped by to chat and thank me for being there. It wasn’t just me – they were talking to everyone. It’s obvious that these leaders are real people-persons and that they are “for real.”

In closing, I’d like to hearken back to my blog post of August 8 – The work of the community. From a community revitalization perspective, yesterday was a HUGE bump up to the next level. The community sees the positive and good things it’s capable of. You never know when that’s going to happen – that breakthrough – but once it has, in a lot of ways there’s no turning back.

While yesterday provided the community with a long moment of harmony, where the results of true teamwork were visible and palpable, every day isn’t going to be like this. But the more of these moments that you can string together, the better prepared you will be to get over the rough spots in between, together, with ultimate faith and trust in each other. Congratulations, Pottstown – you’re awesome!

Riverfront proposal: Tough decision

The post that follows was also submitted to The Mercury’s online comments for today’s article, “Senior housing proposed for Pottstown’s riverfront.” Some of the major parameters:
– the Borough would sell a 1.5 acre parcel on Industrial Highway to the developer at fair-market value
– the housing would be for seniors making no more than 62% of the area’s median income
– 55 rental units, all 1-2 bedrooms
– the developer would be getting tax credits to build the project
– the developer would pay property taxes

I sincerely hope Pottstown is in a transition toward becoming a community that works together, has public conversations about its future, and then acts on the vision that results from those conversations. This project proposal comes at a time when the town has not gotten its new system into place. This project is forcing the Borough into a corner because it has a fast-approaching deadline for tax credits. (How are tax credits not a government subsidy? Could anyone provide the name of the specific tax credit program the developer is applying to? Are they LIHTC?) Okay, though, sometimes that’s just the way the ball bounces… you gotta deal with what’s in front of you.

Let’s put this conversation into the context of other, very relevant issues that I heard/read were discussed at the same meeting.

(1) The Norfolk Southern line is not likely to disappear from the waterfront anytime soon. In fact, they will likely be increasing their usage of it. Now you’ve got a huge constraint on any waterfront planning. All the more reason to think through what you want at that gateway.

Typically, people with limited economic choices live on top of highways and railroad tracks. I hope that Council is engaging in dialogue with the railroad about its plans, or I fear for the future of the residential area that is being created in the vicinity. Will the current townhouses become investor-owned 10 years down the line? All the more reason to have an unhurried, public conversation about the future of that area and a plan & strategy to encourage more commercial uses.

For the past six months there’s been a lot of talk about the 44% rental housing stock in Pottstown. How does this project help reverse that particular bottom line? And how much new money will people at the projected income level inject into Pottstown’s economy? Property taxes are one part of the equation. Disposable income of the new residents is another. So is the perception that potential visitors, business and home owners have of Pottstown.

(2) A presentation was made by Main Street Manager Leighton Wildrick for the year-round lighting up of a few blocks of High Street. I wasn’t at the meeting but saw a preview of this when I happened to stop by Leighton’s office last week. This is a brilliant idea on so many levels. Relative to this housing proposal and all the naysayers who keep complaining about an empty High Street: if Leighton & the downtown property owners, arts organizations, a re-tooled Borough website & streamlined approvals are given half a chance, you will see High Street make a comeback. You haven’t even given yourselves a chance.

(3) “… and the PAID group was excited about it.” It would be nice if several members of PAID showed up at the next meeting to speak on the record in support of the project. And the School District, too, if that’s the case. Then, since the County Redevelopment Authority is already behind this proposal, the four entities of the new Pottstown Partnership would essentially be speaking with one voice, evidence of the new system of cooperation and unity in action.

I understand how $60-80K in taxes looks good. It would be nice to see some spreadsheets on the projected tax revenues. If the max. income is 60% of median, how many of those units will actually be rented in the lower end of that range? Would be nice to see a projected distribution of units by income/rent levels. How will property taxes be determined: based on final rent levels, building value, or a payment in lieu of taxes? I hope that’s covered in any sales agreement that might be drawn up.

Yes, you need to increase your tax base. On the other hand, I don’t think the Borough should be hasty in giving up even 1.5 acres because someone else is dragging them along their own timeline. I’ve got no problem with springing into action – based on previously-agreed upon strategies and plans – but rushed approval scenarios always raise a red flag for me. In this case, especially when the Pottstown Partnership is supposed to get started in just a few months, which makes me wonder: Will there be another round of funding for these particular tax credits? If so, when?

The Mayor was right – Council has a tough decision on its hands.

Sue Repko
Positively!Pottstown

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

Pottstown’s Riverfront: Creating a Place of Magic

There are several discussions taking place in the blogosphere around the possibilities for Pottstown’s riverfront, especially in the vicinity around the former Mrs. Smith’s site.

Save Pottstown! and The Pulse! brought to our attention a recent proposal that came before the Planning Commission for income-restricted, senior rental housing on some Borough-owned property on Industrial Highway. So far there’s a lot of concern about squandering a key asset (riverfront land) for such a use.

The conversation continues here and here.

A major highlight of these discussions was the comment of Dan Weand, Council member, quoted in part here:

“I do believe that whatever sets on South Hanover Street & Industrial Highway as our “Gateway to Pottstown” should be a ” W O W ” !!!

I would like to know what the other homeowners of Pottstown think the BEST USE for the riverfront land should be.

Perhaps Save Pottstown! would be cooperative with my question. Perhaps Save Pottstown! would conduct a survey and report the results to the Planning Commission and Borough Council.

Thank you in advance for your support,

Dan Weand
Borough Councilor”

I’ve been commenting at those sites and wanted to post my latest comment here, since all the links couldn’t get past the spam filter.

Posted at SP, today…

I agree with WhirledPeas, east1ender and BBQ Bill – there’s a new attitude and it’s really just getting warmed up.

kevins: point taken about the scale of the examples. The cities and their waterfronts are much bigger and so have more opportunities for really grand schemes.

Check out Paducah, KY. They have been the poster child for arts/economic revitalization for small to mid-sized downtowns. Here’s their Lower Town Artist Program.

Following up on that success, they have moved on to redeveloping their riverfront. A plan was approved in 2007, but I’m not sure of its status – whether it was a casualty of the 2008 downturn. Regardless, it can be really helpful to read through other towns’ plans, figure out the similarities or differences with Pottstown, see how they proposed to finance it, what roles were played by various non-profits, government & private sector partners. Can’t hurt to be well-versed in the possibilities.

I haven’t read through all this…it’s a lot of homework.

East1ender’s point about the flood plain is a good one. Before we go off in all directions on the riverfront, we should have an idea of the constraints: flood plain, wetlands, railroad tracks, streambanks, erosion, runoff, water quality, stormwater management. You’ll want these groups on your team: County Parks & Heritage, PA Dept. of Conservation and Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the folks from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

Check out this conference being held in Pottstown on Thurs. Sept. 23 by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. It’s called “Building a Business Vision for Trail Town Communities.” I’m going to try to go to that.

Any takers?

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