Weekly Update from HBA of Chester/Delaware Counties

July 10, 2008 "Building Better Communities Together"

HBA WEEKLY UPDATE

Attention Members

The HBA will be unable to update its website for the time being, due to a software change over. Please be advised the website will still be available for public use.
The HBA Board of Directors will be meeting Tuesday, July 15th, one of the Agenda items will be a vote on which Green Building Standard to endorse.
The upcoming issue of Connections will focus on Green Building, please be on the look out for an email from Kira Barbieri asking for your comments about how your business is "Going Green.

NEWS

Housing market not so bad in right places
By Alan J. Heavens
Inquirer Real Estate Writer
When all else seems to fail, the tried and true often succeeds.
So perhaps it's not surprising that even in this tough real estate market, what's selling new houses is what always sells them: Location.
At scattered spots in the Pennsylvania suburbs, there are new developments that prove the point, including:
Woodmont in Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery County, where 17 homes sold between Jan. 1 and the end of June at prices up to $900,000.
Athertyn, an over-55 community on the former Haverford State Hospital site. Pohlig Builders sold 16 of the 198 units planned between January and May.
The Estates at Garnet Valley in Glen Mills, Delaware County, where 47 single-family homes are planned with prices starting at $776,000. Four contracts were signed in the last month - though the first model home had not yet been completed. More...

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Confused about TMDLs?

Don Curley, P.C., will be attending the next Legislative Action Committee Meeting on Tuesday, August 12th at 8:00 AM to present on pollution trading and TMDLs. He will be providing an:

Overview of Market Mechanisms
Historical Perspectives for using Market
Mechanisms for Air and Water Pollution Control
Role of TMDL
Application to Runoff

HBA created legislation signed by Governor Rendell

Due to the efforts of the Legal Task Force, ACT 39 (HB 1329) and ACT 40 (HB 1330), which provide fixes to the Glen-Gery and Luke v. Cataldi decisions, were signed into law last week.

ACT 39 (HB 1329) Amends the MPC providing for optional notice of ordinance or decision and procedural validity challenges; further providing for ordinance provisions and for jurisdiction of the zoning hearing board and the court of common please in challenges to the validity of an ordinance for procedural defects in the process of enactment.

ACT 40 (HB 1330) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for appeals generally and for appeals from ordinances, resolutions, maps, ect.

Full text versions of these laws will be available on the HBA website.

EVENTS/PROGRAMS

2nd Annual Battle of the Bands

Its that time of year again, the HBA is gearing up for its 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands.

When: July 15th, 5:00pm-8:30pm

Where: Duffer's Tavern, Rt. 353

THE BANDS:

Value Engineering of Single Family Home Structural Systems: Guidelines to Maximizing Economy

Who Should Attend: