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BCRDA Outline
SCOPE To inform all the Communities of the County of Bucks about the Redevelopment Authority's objectives, mission and vision and to clarify how the Authority is funded and the advantages available to these Communities through the special powers of the Authority in eliminating blighted properties and revitalizing these underused or vacant areas. GENERAL The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks strives to instill community development by establishing communities that shall become outstanding assets through comprehensive approaches that coordinate housing rehabilitation, economic development and the opportunity of family sustaining employment in the County of Bucks. HISTORY Since its creation in 1962, the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority has eliminated blight and provided affordable housing to County residents. We have improved more than 1700 homes for Bucks County homeowners and have improved hundreds of rental properties for the County's low and moderate-income residents. Additionally, the Authority has been instrumental in the rehabilitation and reuse of industrial and commercial abandoned sites all over Bucks County. Redevelopment Authority's operate in situations where the private sector and/or local governments cannot effectively perform. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks is empowered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through Act 385, more commonly known as the "Urban Redevelopment Law". The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Act on May 25, 1945. Although the Redevelopment Authority is an arm of our local Bucks County government, it is not funded directly by county tax dollars, but rather is funded through the administration of our projects and programs. The Redevelopment Authority serves all of Bucks County, which has a population of more than 600,000 persons living in 31 townships and 23 boroughs. The Authority operates very similar to a small business by obtaining funds for operation costs through the development and implementation of specific projects. The similarity ceases at that point as the Authority only operates on blighted, deteriorated or abandoned properties in cooperation with the local, county, state and federal governmental organization having jurisdiction or at the invitation of a Bucks County Property Owner. Many of the areas of Lower Bucks County have been in a state of extreme transition and the amount of job loss in Bucks County has been significant in the past. Some twelve to fourteen thousand jobs have been eliminated between the Naval Air Warfare Center, in Warminster Township closing and U.S. Steel downsizing and closing its hot end steel making in Falls Township, as well as numerous other industries that continued to be negatively affected by these conditions. Meanwhile, a substantial number of deteriorating buildings, both industrial and residential, have become vacant and blighted providing a need to be removed or rehabilitated. COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT It is now desirable to link housing rehabilitation with Economic Development initiatives in the same general areas, providing a strong base for home-ownership and proper maintenance of our existing housing stock. Clearly, one of the most significant problems facing our communities is the issue of employment, or providing meaningful, family sustaining jobs through the development of new and the expansion of existing businesses in the County of Bucks. This will entail cultivating businesses, ensuring they are properly funded with adequate managerial support in key positions, and that they are prepared for economic downturns with the ability to adjust to market changes. It is essential to recognize that continuing to provide employment is the major problem ahead for Bucks County. With corporations downsizing, laying off employees, restructuring by utilizing computers and robot technology, along with a strategy to avoid payment of benefits utilizing part-time help, employment opportunities that provide family sustaining wages are becoming scarce. The Authority endorses aggressive economic development programs that offer economic incentives for industry to remain in the County, to expand and to attract new businesses to our area. A mix of manufacturing, service and high-tech employment opportunities are imperative as are jobs, which encourage personal growth and advancement. The County, Townships, Boroughs and local governmental agencies must work hand in hand with the private sector to build incentives to keep existing business and attract new business. Also important are infrastructure improvements and variable interest rate financing during start up and initial operation. The private lending sector needs to be encouraged to join in this effort of supplying capital to existing and new businesses using methods that encourage job retention and employment growth. Public funds should be used to leverage private dollars to their greatest advantage by involving the participation of all segments of the community including political leadership, community groups, environmental groups, non-profit organizations, schools and institutions to revitalize the economy of Bucks County. COOPERATION Cooperation by local agencies and municipalities, including our own, is far too often hampered by regulations which, although well meaning, are inefficient and often require far too much of the project dollars to be spent on insignificant administration, engineering, consulting and legal costs. Act 385 "The Urban Redevelopment Law", section 9(c) lists cooperation as a power of the Authority. The dictionary defines cooperation as "an association for mutual benefit". A cooperative is the engagement of joint economic activity operated for the mutual benefit of those organizations involved. Before the municipality embarks on a project it should assure that the governing body as well as the local community is receptive. This ensures a timely conclusion to the project. The perfect project occurs when all parties included feel they benefited the most, an objective that can be reasonably attained. At the beginning of the project, a "COOPERATION AGREEMENT" is drawn up between the Municipality and the Redevelopment Authority by their respective solicitors and their governing bodies. It should be simple and to the point, containing a brief scope of the project and a direction for the project to follow, including where the funding will be obtained and how any project income will be handled. The Redevelopment Authority may also enter into a cooperation agreement with property owners or developers, providing the project or projects are being redeveloped in accordance with local and national codes. Before the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks becomes involved in a project, either a property owner or Municipality or the County of Bucks must invite us to assist on a project. Once invited a Cooperation Agreement must be drawn up in accordance with information contained herein above. Cooperation is needed at all levels, most importantly the cooperation of the local governmental body, the planning commission, the building code officials, developer, property owner, and the community need to be user friendly for the dedicated redevelopment area to be completed successfully and expeditiously. The Redevelopment Authority has enjoyed remarkable success developing partnerships between multi-jurisdictions, State and Federal Agencies including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Community and Economic Development as well as several foundation groups. These partnerships along with a strong position of support from the Bucks County Legislatures has provided millions of dollars in grants and loans for projects administered by the Authority for communities all over the County of Bucks. CONCLUSION A Redevelopment Authority operating within an established redevelopment project area has significant powers that are not available to municipality-operated entities. These relate to the ability to negotiate for the lowest cost of demolition or site improvements rather than to simply accept the low bid or to negotiate for the selection of a developer based on the merits of a proposal rather than the high bid for the property. These broad powers are especially important in project areas for contracting infrastructure and the anticipated acquisition of properties for the purpose of eliminating blight, remediating environmental problems and obtaining a redeveloper to work in accordance with an approved local Municipal plan. The Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks is an action-oriented agency with significant experience in acquiring property amicably or utilizing its powers of eminent domain and is ideally suited to manage properties on an interim basis. The Redevelopment Authority is ideally suited in administering a project with numerous RECENT PROJECTS OF THE AUTHORTY:
MISCELLANEOUS PROJECTS: There have been many projects completed by the Authority since it was established in 1962. The original use of the Authority occurred when the Commissioners of the County of Bucks needed to clean up a blighted housing project in Warminster Township and from there the Authority continued to be able to work in areas local government and private business could not. The Authority was instrumental in removing properties located in the flood plane in Bensalem Township along the Neshaminy Creek. Any Municipality of the County of Bucks is welcome to use the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks in any blighted project. The Authority is the conduit the Community may use to clear and rehabilitate improper developed, blighted, underused and possibly abandoned properties located in their Municipality. It all starts by a contact and Penndel Borough can attest to that. With several properties blighted, abandoned, tax delinquent, attractive hazards that affect the property values for those who are in the immediate vicinity, an invite brought the Authority and Act 385, "The Urban Redevelopment Law" of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Appointment of a "Vacant Blighted Property Review Committee" and with several months of meetings and negotiations, three of the Borough's concerns have been or are being rehabilitated by Private Business at very little cost to the Borough. Once the process begins, it is much like shining a bright light on a specific area. The present owner's do not want to have their property taken and therefore begin the process of bringing their properties up to code or find a buyer willing to bring the properties back to full use. POWERS OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BUCKS  TTo procure from the Bucks County Planning Commission the designation of areas in need of redevelopment and its recommendations for such redevelopment; To study the recommendations of the Planning Commission for redevelopment of any area and to make its own additional investigations and recommendations thereon; to initiate preliminary studies of possible redevelopment areas to make and assist in implementing (a) plans for carrying out a program of voluntary repair, rehabilitation and conservation of real property, buildings and improvements, (b) plans for the enforcement of laws, codes and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements, (c) plans for the relocation of persons (including families, business concerns and others) displaced by any other Government activities related to the purposes of this act or any activities of the Authority, (d) preliminary plans outlining redevelopment activities for neighborhoods to embrace two or more redevelopment areas, and (e) preliminary surveys to determine if the undertaking and carrying out of a redevelopment project are feasible; To cooperate with any government or municipality; To act as an agent of the State or Federal Government or any of its instrumentality's or agencies for the public purposes; To arrange or contract with any municipality located, in whole or in part, with the Authority's field of operation, or with the State or Federal Government for the furnishing, planning, replanning, constructing, installing, opening or closing of streets, roads, roadways, alleys, sidewalks or other places or facilities, or for the acquisition by such municipality or State or Federal Government of property options or property options or property rights or for the funding for the furnishing of property or services in connection with a redevelopment area; To arrange or contract with the Commonwealth, its agencies, any municipality to the extent that is within the scope of their respective functions (a) to cause the services customarily provided by each of them to be rendered for the benefits of such Authority or the occupants of any redevelopment area, (b) to provide and maintain parks, recreational centers, schools, sewerage, transportation, water and other municipal facilities adjacent to or in connection with redevelopment areas, and (c) to plan, replan, zone or rezone any part of the municipality in connection with any redevelopment proposal of the Authority; To enter upon any building or property in order to make surveys or soundings; To assemble, purchase, obtain options upon, acquire by gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise any real or personal property or any interest therein from any person, firm, corporation, municipality or government; To acquire by eminent domain any real property, including improvements and fixtures for the public purposes set forth in this act; To own, hold, clear, improve and manage real property; To sell, lease or otherwise transfer any real property located outside of a redevelopment area and, subject to approval by the local governing body, any real property in a redevelopment area: Provided, that with respect to a redevelopment area the Authority finds that the sale, lease or other transfer of any part will not be prejudicial to the sale or lease of the other parts of the redevelopment area, nor be in any other way prejudicial to the realization of the redevelopment proposal approved by the governing body; To conduct examinations and investigations and to hear testimony and take proof, under oath or affirmation at public or private hearings, on any matter material for its information. To issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the productions of books and papers pertinent to any hearing before the Authority, or before one or more members of the Authority appointed by it to conduct such hearing; To apply to any court having territorial jurisdiction of the offense to have punished for contempt any witness, who refuses to obey a subpoena, or who refuses to be sworn or affirmed, or to testify, or, who is guilty of any contempt after summons to appear; To make, directly or indirectly, secured or unsecured loans to any purchaser or owner of a residential housing or a commercial or an industrial project for the purpose of financing the purchase, construction, rehabilitation, demolition or equipping of a residential housing or a commercial and industrial redevelopment program;
WHAT CONSTITUTES BLIGHTED PROPERTY Any premises which because of physical condition or use is regarded as a public nuisance at common law or has been declared a public nuisance in accordance with the local housing, building, plumbing, fire and/or related codes.
Any premises which, because of physical condition, use or occupancy, is considered an attractive nuisance to children, including but not limited to abandoned wells, shafts, basements, excavations and unsafe fences or structures.
Any dwelling which, because it is dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe, vermin-infested or lacking in the facilities and equipment required by the housing code of the municipality, has been designated by the department responsible for enforcement of the code as unfit for human habitation.
Any structure which is a fire hazard, or is otherwise dangerous to the safety of persons or property.
Any structure from which the utilities, plumbing, heating, sewerage or other facilities have been disconnected, destroyed, removed or rendered ineffective so that the property is unfit for its intended use.
Any vacant or unimproved lot or parcel of ground in a predominately built-up neighborhood, which by reason of neglect or lack of maintenance, has become a place for accumulation of trash and debris, or a haven for rodents or other vermin. Any unoccupied property which has been tax delinquent for a period of two years. Any property which is vacant but not tax delinquent, which has not been rehabilitated within one year of the receipt of notice to rehabilitate from the appropriate code enforcement agency.
Previous Chairmen of the Board Executive Director ROBERT WHITE
Mr. White has managed development and construction within the commercial, industrial and residential housing fields, from initial land development and preparation, obtaining approvals and permits, installing the utilities and roadways, up to and including obtaining the Certificate of Occupancy.
Since his appointment as the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority in August 1994, Mr. White has been very instrumental in obtaining and administering millions of dollars of grant funds in an effort to link housing and economic development initiatives in Bucks County. Under the direction of Mr. White, the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks was awarded the Lower Bucks Chamber of Commerce “Economic Development Agency of the Year” Award for 1999, as a result of all the Economic Development Projects handled by the Authority along with the amount of grants awarded to the Authority to implement those projects.
Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Authority, Mr. White reports directly to the Authority’s Board of Directors. Mr. White is an active member of the Enterprise Zone of Bucks County and serves on the boards of the Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County, The Bucks County International Trade Council, the Bucks County Transportation Management Association, Rotary International where he is President Elect of Bristol Rotary, and Chair of the Bucks County Combined Agency Meetings.
As a self motivated individual Mr. White is resourceful and knowledgeable in project documentation, management and development and is looking forward to assisting the Townships and Boroughs of Bucks County in coordinating housing rehabilitation, reuse of abandoned industrial and commercial sites, along with expansion and the attraction of businesses that offer sustaining incomes to their employees.
Board of Directors appointed by the Bucks County Commissioners
THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY CAN:
THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WILL:
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