Penn commissioners consider commercial tax abatements
Penn Township commissioners are considering offering tax abatements for commercial-property improvements in the Bushy Run Corporate Park and along Route 130 and Pleasant Valley Road.
Doing so would expand the abatement program that covers the Westmoreland County Industrial Park III. Both the corporate and industrial parks are along Mellon Road.
Commissioners have told township Solicitor Les Mlakar to draw up proposed conditions for offering an abatement through the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act, or LERTA, which provides tax exemptions for improvements in “deteriorated” areas.
Before getting too ahead of themselves, though, commissioners are considering meeting with Penn-Trafford School Board members to inquire whether they also would be willing to approve an abatement program.
Because the school district's property-tax rate is higher, it would stand to lose more revenue from taxes on property improvements than the township would, Mlakar said.
“They're the keystones to it,” he said.
A tax abatement through the program would apply only to property improvements, not the overall real estate or land values, Mlakar said.
The township would have the ability to set the percentage of tax abatement. The maximum term is 10 years.
If the commissioners move forward with the LERTA, they would have to hold a public hearing on the conditions.
Proposed housing
RWS Development Co. is considering construction of a housing plan called Brook Haven that would include 85 to 90 homes in Penn and North Huntingdon townships off Durst Road.
Because of the steep hills in part of the proposed plan, Penn Township commissioners last week approved the company's request to modify the subdivision conditions so that the maximum street grade within 75 feet of an intersection would be 13 percent for a distance of 600 to 700 feet.
If the existing condition of 10 percent were required, RWS wouldn't have been able to develop 15 of the planned 41 lots in Penn Township. The loss of those lots “would probably kill the project,” said George Sofranko, an engineer for the project.
Portions of the Hampton Heights plan in North Huntingdon, which RWS also developed, have a grade of 13.5 percent, Sofranko added.
The township's planning and zoning commission previously recommended the approval of the modification, Mlakar said.
Park grant
With $450,000 of proposed improvements at Penn Township Municipal Park on a “wish list,” commissioners are applying for a grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to cover half of the cost.
Among the highlights, commissioners are interested in replacing the playground equipment at Warrior Wonderland and the swings near the batting cages and installing one basketball, one tennis and one sand volleyball court near the dog park.
Commissioners decided Monday night to increase the grant application from $300,000, which was the limit they set in February. Township officials estimate they have roughly $234,000 available to spend on park improvements.
Down to three
Commissioners plan to wrap up in-person interviews with the three finalists for the manager's job by the end of the month.
The board previously focused on six candidates from the 21 who applied by the Feb. 28 deadline.
Manager Bruce Light plans to retire in late May.
Chris Foreman is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-856-7400, ext. 8671, or cforeman@tribweb.com.
