Philadelphia’s Queen Village, A Neighborhood Of Reinvention

English: Map of Philadelphia County highlighting planning districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Way back when, Queen Village was the place to buy a house if you couldn’t afford Society Hill.

Joseph P. Fanelli Jr., who moved from the suburbs in 1985, readily acknowledges that Queen Village was his second choice.

“But looking at it today,” says Fanelli, president and CEO of Quaker City Manufacturing Co., the new townhouse in the 100 block of Catharine Street he bought 28 years ago for $175,000 “was a great buy.”

It was a lot of money in 1985, especially when you could buy what veteran real estate agent and Queen Village native Kathy Conway calls “a grandmom house” for $50,000.

Twenty years later, Fanelli sold the townhouse and its two secure parking spaces for $575,000. (He moved to a house on Bainbridge Street that his new wife, Katie, an IBM executive, bought when she transferred to Philadelphia.)

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/classifieds/real_estate/town-by-town/20130421_Town_By_Town___Queen_Village__By_the_Numbers.html

An Open Letter From Ronald C. Downie To Pottstown Residents And Leadership

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Pox On Our Town

A plague has descended on Pottstown.  Its symptoms can be tracked by “For Sale” signs whose lettering is fading from being posted so very long.  This type of a malady take a long time to become a full blown plague which has or will touch all property owners in the town.

For example: Up my street an elderly widow recently passed away and her estate just put her house up for sale.  They listed the well appointed house with a new roof, a large rear sunroom, three bedrooms, on a pleasant lot in the North End for $129,900.00.  I imagine that’s close to the appraised value.  But, when the sales agent was asked by me, “What would this house be listed for if it were situated in Limerick or Collegeville?”  His reply was, “Up to, maybe, $100,000.00 more.”  “Why?” I asked.

He gave me that puzzled look while telling me about the ills of properties with Pottstown addresses.  School tax was the biggest factor, then the reputation of the town, on and he went with negatives even though he is an investor in rental properties here himself.  The only way to make out owning a property in Pottstown, he advised, was to be a landlord.

We have lived in our home since 1974 which is 38 years.  We’ve raised three children here.  I had hoped to die while still living here.  One time our house was worth upwards to $200,000.00 but is now less than three quarters that, probably much less.  It’s not the weight of the bales of straw which broke the camel’s back but it was the weight of the final strand of straw which did the camel in when added to the load.

It is impossible to be on a limited retirement income and still own a home in Pottstown.  The power to tax property is the virus propelling the plague which has demeaned our town.

Kind of like the feelings those in the 1940′s European ghettos had when they were afraid to speak out as the Gestapo rounded up certain groups to be shipped off to concentration camps.  Finally, then, they came for those who had remained silent and as they were being herded away they looked around for someone to speak on their behalf and, low and behold, no one else was left to speak for them.

Our State Legislators have, in my mind, failed us.  As a whole, they slop at the trough of special interests pandering to the desires of those who profit from inaction, the status quo. For too long, we, including me, have been silent while those who did speak out were marginalized and silenced. The field of grain is planted that will grow the stalks which could be that last straw which could break your back just like mine is fractured.

Who speaks for us now?  Best you raise your voices loudly and clearly while you still can.  Next they will be coming for you!

Ronald C. Downie

Pottstown Sixth Ward Councilor Jody Rhoads Votes NO For Tax Increase

Image via Wikipedia

A prepared statement was read by Councilor Rhoads at Monday night’s Pottstown Borough Council meeting outlining why he can not support any tax increase for Pottstown Borough property owners.

Jody writes:

“We all know our staff has been working hard on the budget, and have done a good job.  I keep hearing there are a lot of positive things happening in Pottstown.  A tax hike whether $10 or $100 is not one of them, especially when it involves a 2% raise for management*.

Apparently there are some who are happy about giving out tax dollars away for raises, when in fact a good portion of the taxpayers:

1. Are jobless
2. Can’t find work
3. Had their pay and hours cut
4. Are on a fixed income
5. Are losing or lost their house to Sheriff Sale
6. Cannot pay their bills
7. Cannot afford health insurance

Well, I’m not happy about it.”

End of prepared statement.

*The 2% increase is for staff not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.  This amounts to $25,145.53. 

Councilor Rhoads suggested to President Toroney (via email) that the $5,335.61 allotted to the General Fund for raises in 2012 should be removed from the budget.

In an email response to Councilor Rhoads, President Toroney stated “Management salary is an easy target for cuts, while union workers get their increase for next year, making the disparity between rank and file and management even closer, that, management will soon be making less than rank and file.  Freezes need to be across the board for fairness which I would support.”

This year’s budget will include a 1.68% property tax increase, which translates into a $14.35 per year increase for a home assessed at $85,000.