Birdsboro Looks At Plans For A Grocery Store

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Birdsboro Market closed more than two years ago, Mayor Robert M. Myers knew it was a huge loss for the community.

“I was distraught,” Myers said. “A community of our size absolutely needs a food market of its own.”

Myers tried to drum up interest from other grocery stores and last winter began a petition, collecting nearly 2,000 signatures of residents interested in the project.  Now after months of hard work, the borough presented a plan at Monday’s council meeting to build a full-service Boyer’s Food Market as the centerpiece of a small strip mall in the center of the community.

“Now the residents of Birdsboro will have a place to shop and they don’t need to drive to Douglassville or Exeter,” Myers said.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article/20131210/NEWS/312109907#.UqeQBfRDsxI

Developer Of Old Armorcast Site Wants Big Tax Break From Daniel Boone School District

Now that the former Armorcast factory in Birdsboro is demolished, the property owner and developers are hoping to also clear the unpaid real estate taxes.

Steve Marshall, a lawyer for Meco Demolition Inc. of Bensalem, Bucks County, asked the Daniel Boone School Board this week to waive or reduce real estate taxes from 2007 to 2011 for the 91-acre property.  Unpaid taxes owed to the district total about $86,000.

Owner Gregory Flynn of Armorcast LP hired Meco to demolish the dilapidated factory, which produced steel for tanks during World War II.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=444662

Birdsboro Faces $114,000 Deficit As Tax Revenue Drops

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Police Chief Theodore R. Roth spent most of Monday night’s Birdsboro Borough Council meeting silently staring at a copy of the 2013 budget spreadsheet.

But after more than 90 minutes of listening to council discuss how to balance next year’s $1.85 million budget, Roth could no longer keep quiet about rumors that his department was going to be downsized.

“I hear you’re facing two options, both of which are not very palatable,” he told council. “I’m asking what are those options but it seems like no one is willing to say it in public.”

Roth said his officers had heard that council discussed cutting an officer during recent executive sessions.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=418218