Middletown Council, Monday, unanimously gave the green light to preliminary land development plan of Simon Property Group for expansion and enhancement of Granite Run Mall, provided the applicant meets 13 conditions of approval. Council also approved an ordinance amendment that allows the mall owners to provide 4.25 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of building. The Simon Group had asked for approval of 4.5 spaces instead of the required 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet.In the works for a number of months, the expansion/enhancement plan calls for a 30,000 square foot bookstore addition on the lower level of the mall fronting Baltimore Pike. There would be a restaurant on either side, with provisions for outdoor dining. The upper level would have a 12-screen movie theater with a total 2,400 seats.

Franklin Township is almost ready to finalize the details of an open space transaction, which will result in an additional 60 acres of preserved land in the community.The land, known as the Goodwin property, is located west of SR. 841 and extends over the township line into London Grove Township. In addition to additional acreage that will be preserved in London Grove, the transaction would include preservation of several thousand linear feet of the Middle Branch of the White Clay Creek, as well as a trail running near the creek.

When will housing's sickening slide stop?
According to economists at the semi-annual National Association of Home Builders forecast conference, not soon-though the end is in sight. The consensus: Home prices will bottom out as early as the middle of next year.
I've been attending these conferences for years, and last spring's was the gloomiest I'd ever attended. The latest conference, held last week, was also downbeat, but with a glimmer of hope-many of the economists seemed optimistic that the government's bailout plan, which includes buying toxic mortgage debt, will lead to housing's recovery. More affordable prices, pent-up demand, incentives on new homes, fewer housing starts and expected declines in interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages also should help ease the crisis, said David Seiders, chief economist of the trade group.
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