Lehigh Valley Main Streets

Moving over!

2009-02-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone,

The LVMS blog is moving! One of the things we started noticing is that many of the stories we would post here (on urban revitalization, business trends, etc) also fit on the Chamber blog. Thus, in an effort to combine forces and readership, as well as give our readers more content, we are combining the Lehigh Valley Main Street blog with The Chamber's blog.

The new URL is http://lehighvalleychamber.blogspot.com. You will still be able to find the same great content and more.

See you over there!

Comprehensive Plans

2009-02-18T12:23:00.003-05:00

What, exactly, is a comprehensive plan?

This is a question that comes up quite a bit. I'm a big believer in the importance of planning. Without proper planning, a community will have absolutely no common vision or course of action. simple put, a municipal plan gives a community an idea of what they want to be and how they are going to get there. It is a long-range document that is meant to guide a community for many years.

Plans are crafted over a long period of time, often a year or more. The most critical component of any comprehensive plan is that they have appropriate community feedback. Public outreach is critical; otherwise, a plan will not be reflective of a community's will, and thus bound for failure.

These plans are expensive, depending on the size of the community and the scope of the plan, they can often run into six figures. Fortunately, an ample amount of state and local grant sources are available to help municipalities deal with the costs of these plans. Larger cities, like Allentown and Bethlehem, also have their own planning department that helps to create these plans. For example, Allentown's comp plan is on the internet.

Smaller communities often band together to form a regional comprehensive plan. For example, Alburtis, Emmaus, Lower Macungie, Lower Milford, Macungie and Upper Milford banded together in 2004 to form the Southwestern Lehigh Comprehensive Plan. Hellertown, Lower Saucon and the Saucon Valley School Board have formed the Saucon Valley Partnership and are looking to have their comprehensive plan approved in the next few months.

Mainstreet Grants

2009-02-12T10:56:00.001-05:00

The Borough Business Revitalization Program (BBRP), in conjunction with the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Lehigh County and Northampton County, is pleased to announce the funding they have acquired over the past three years. As can be seen from the table, the BBRP has helped acquire over $692,000 for their various initiatives dealing with urban revitalization. The total cost of these various initiatives is expected to cost over $2 million dollars. This number is reflective of the strength of the various projects that the BBRP is working on in each community. It also reflects the high level of confidence that the various participating private and public agencies have placed in the BBRP.

BBRP Wide:
- Keep PA beautiful, think green grant- Five communities provided with 22 trash receptacals.
Total award: $10,000 (out of project cost $10,000)
- Keep PA Beautiful- Twelve Benches
Total award: $4,500 (out of project cost $4,500)

Alburtis:
- Lehigh County Main Street Planning Grant- Streetscape Planning Grant for Alburtis Streetscape plan
Total award: $11,212 (out of project cost $16,212)
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Senator Pat Brown)- Implementation of Streetscape Plan for Alburtis
Total award: $10,000 (out of project cost $800,000)

Bangor:
- PA DCED Downtown Reinvestment Grant- Downtown Sidewalks and Street Lighting
Total award: $488,000 (out of project cost $976,000)
- State Farm Good Neighbors Grant- Façade Program
Total award: $5,000 (out of project cost $18,500)
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Senator Lisa Boscola), Northampton County Streetscape Amenities Grant- Improvements of pocket park
Total award: $10,000, $5,000 respectively (out of project cost $15,000)
- Northampton County Economic Development Planning Fund, GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant- Professionally developed Vision & Action Plan
Total award: $8,506, $3,000 respectively (out of project cost $11,506)

Bath:
-GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant, Northampton County Streetscape Amenities Grant- Funding of new gateway signage
Total award: $2,000, $5,000 respectively (out of project cost $10,000)
-Northampton County Economic Development Planning Grant- Professionally developed Vision & Action plan
Total award: $7,500 (out of possible $11,506)

Catasauqua:
- Lehigh County Housing Authority, Lehigh County Main Street Amenities Grant, GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant- Streetscape & Borough Hall beautification
Total award: $4,500, $8,000, $1,000 respectively (out of possible $20,000)
- Lehigh County Main Street Planning Grant- Downtown Master Plan
Total award: $24,000 (out of project cost $32,000)

Coopersburg:
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Representative Lisa Boscola)- Façade Program
Total award: $5,000 (out of project cost $13,500)
- GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant, Lehigh County Main Street Planning Grant, Lehigh County CDBG, PA DCED LUPTAP- Grant to fund Comprehensive Plan
Total award: $2,000 (downtown), $5,086.00, $7,914.00, $15,000 respectively (out of project cost $30,000)

Hellertown:
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Senator Lisa Boscola)- Façade Program
Total award: $5,000 (out of project cost $13,500)
- Lutron Foundation- Streetscape Planning
Total award: $2,500 (out of project cost $20,000)
- GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant- Parking Study
Total award: $2,000 (out of project cost $4,000)
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Representative Bob Freeman)- Streetscape Amenities project
Total award: $5,000 (out of project cost $7,500)

Macungie:
-Lehigh County Main Street Planning Grant- Streetscape Planning Grant for Macungie Streetscape plan
Total award: $24,000 (out of project cost $32,000)
- GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant- Historical lighting in downtown
Total award: $2,000 (out of project cost $17,000)
- PA DCED Community Revitalization Grant (Representative Doug Reichley), Lehigh County Main Street Planning Grant- Downtown Master Plan
Total award: $5,000, $7,500 respectively (out of project cost $30,000)
- Lehigh County Main Street Streetscape Amenities Fund- Historic lighting
Total award: $8,000 (out of project cost $16,000)

N. Catasauqua:
Northampton County Streetscape Amenities Fund, GLVCC Foundation Special Opportunities Grant- Sidewalk and lighting project for park
Total award: $5,000, $1,000 respectively (out of project cost $20,000)

Wilson:
Northampton County Economic Development Planning Grant- Professionally Developed Economic Revitalization Strategy
Total award : $19,000 (out of project cost $30,000)

TOTAL:
$692,218 in funding for $2,272,724 of project costs

Lehigh Valley Crime Map

2009-02-11T14:45:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone,

The Morning Call has a relatively new feature that I wanted to share. It is their Lehigh Valley Crime Map. The map lists where crimes were reported and also has a link to a Morning Call story on that crime, if applicable.

This is one of the many ways that technology can be used to keep local residents better informed of the happenings in their local municipality. In the long-run, wouldn't it be great if local governments could utilize their intern websites to have more than just contact information? Things like forms, a calendar of events, information about criminal activity, garbage pick-up, ability to pay taxes online, etc.

Governments in the 21st century have to stop limiting themselves to 20th century methods of government. A great example of this is Macungie's website. The website contains a large variety of information, including permits & zoning forms, a business directory, calendar of events and information on parks and recreation, among other things. It even has a link to their comprehensive plan!

The internet has proven massively effective in increasing democracy by opening up government and making it more accessible to the masses. I would love to see more governments have website's like Macungie's. I am also very curious to see how governments can take advantage of social networking in the future.

Legislative Alert

2009-02-09T11:01:00.001-05:00

This message comes from Geoff Brace with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, regarding the Governor's proposed budget and how it will affect the Main and Elm Street programs:

Legislative Alert
Governor’s Proposed Budget
What it means for Main Street and Elm Street and What YOU can do today!

On February 4, 2009, Governor Rendell released his budget proposal for FY 2009-2010. There was a build up in anticipation over this budget after several cuts were made to the FY 2008-2009 budget in December of 2008. Amongst the cuts in the mid-year review of the 2008-2009 budget were freezes in New Communities’ spending and a total cut of approximately $2.3 million (13.29% cut). This dropped the line item for New Communities from $18 million to $15.4 million for the FY 2008-2009 budget.

The FY 2009-2010 budget includes additional spending cuts, though not as drastic as had been feared. This budget projects $15 million in spending for FY 2009-2010, a cut of approximately $400,000 over the revised projections from FY 2008-2009. In total, from FY 2007-2008, this represents a total of $3 million in cuts to the New Communities budget, a total of 15% cut. It should be worth noting that several other community development line items, including the Community Revitalization Program, Urban Development Program, Community and Business Assistance Program, Community and Municipal Facilities Program, Local Government Resources and Development Program and Regional Development Initiative Program were all cut completely, representing a total elimination of $101 million. The Community Action Team, Community Conservation and Employment, Economic Advancement and Community and Regional Development budgets were also significantly reduced. In other words, Community Development, as a whole in this budget, has taken significant cuts in budgeted spending for 2009-2010.

PDC is already making arrangements to provide budget testimony in attempts to either restore funding to the 2008-2009 budget projections or at a minimum ensure that the cuts to funding do not exceed the Governor’s proposal. While other programs throughout the budget were eliminated completely, PDC staff is comfortable in saying that the Governor continues to show his commitment to Pennsylvania’s Core Communities when he reduced rather than eliminated funding for Main Street and Elm Street. In today’s economic climate, simply said, this could have been worse.

What Can You Do Today
The budget presented yesterday was Governor Rendell’s proposal. It is not law until approved by both chambers of the General Assembly. If the last several years are any indication, this will be a long process until approval. Expect both chambers to debate this vigorously. While the budget is supposed to be passed and signed into law by the end of June, expect this to drag out through the summer. This means you will have several opportunities to advocate to your legislators on this matter. Effective advocacy, however, starts early and is a constant relationship with your legislators. PDC has prepared the following action steps to get you started in your advocacy efforts TODAY:

1. Make sure your 2008 quarterly reports are completed and submitted to PDC. PDC anticipates having to provide testimony on the impact of Main Street and Elm Street across the commonwealth. In order to do that, we are relying on YOUR reports. There are several communities that have outstanding reports that need to be submitted through the online reporting system ASAP. Not only do your reports tell the story of what is happening in your community, but they also help to create a statewide picture that tells of the true economic and community impact of Main Street and Elm Street. To help you tell this story, PDC has attached the State of the Downtown and State of the Neighborhood Summaries for 2008.

2. Contact your state representative and state senator to make an appointment (see the link below to find your elected officials). Do this now! Do not delay this step. The purpose of that appointment is to educate your representative and senator about progress being made in your community. The most important part of advocacy is education and your initial visit should be to educate about your community revitalization efforts. Use the PDC assessment to provide data and your quarterly reports to paint a picture of change in your community. Provide narrative stories of business owners and home owners who received assistance and were able to make investments as a result of Main Street and Elm Street. Main Street and Elm Street certainly do make an impact on the Pennsylvania economy. As more communities update their reports, PDC will provide updated aggregates for both the State of the Downtown Report and State of the Elm Street Report. At the latest, expect this to be provided at the manager’s meetings in March.

3. As you are finishing your appointment, your state legislator will likely ask what he or she can do to help you. In addition to any other specific needs you might have for your community, ask your state representative to preserve the budget for the New Communities Programs. Ask specifically that the funding to be preserved at the level of $17.7 million from FY 2008-2009.

4. Email geoffbrace@padowntown.org with the date of your appointment with your state representative and state senator. This will allow PDC to track which members need to be targeted most specifically.

5. Send a thank you letter to your state legislator with a reminder of the need to preserve the
budget for the New Communities Programs. Offer both yourself and PDC as a resource to help your legislator make informed decisions on this matter. Provide your contact information and contact information for Bill Fontana (billfontana@padowntown.org) or Geoff Brace (geoffbrace@padowntown.org) and the Harrisburg office (717-233-4675).
To find your legislator
Visit http://www.legis.state.pa.us/ and type your zip code in the box found in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Governor's Proposed Cuts

2009-02-05T13:40:00.002-05:00

The Governor gave his budget address to the Pennsylvania legislature yesterday, and as expected, the news isn't good. In order to close a yawing $2.3 billion budget hole, the Governor has proposed a massive amount of cuts, totaling $400,000,000. For the whole list, click here.

The plurality of the cuts, as expected, fell on the Department of Community & Economic Development. Quite a few programs were slashed. As far as I can tell, the New Communities Program (under which Main Street funding is housed) is safe, but many many other programs were not so lucky. Below is a list of what was cut. The number next to the program indicates the amount, in thousands. All of these programs have been totally eliminated.

18 Cultural Exhibitions and Expositions $6,300
19 Base Realignment and Closure 272
20 Workforce Leadership Grants 3,010
21 Emergency Responders Resources and Training 5,500
22 Family Savings Accounts 987
23 Local Government Resources and Development 10,000
24 Tourism - Accredited Zoos 2,228
25 Community Revitalization 40,200
26 Urban Development 20,500
27 Community and Business Assistance 2,500
28 Economic Growth & Development Assistance 6,800
29 Community & Municipal Facilities Assistance 5,500
30 Market Development 100
31 Super Computer Center 900
32 Infrastructure Technical Assistance 3,926
33 Minority Business Development 3,000
34 Fay Penn 600
35 Tourist Product Development 1,974
36 Manufacturing and Business Assistance 1,000
37 PENNTAP 75
38 Agile Manufacturing 675
39 Powdered Metals 200
40 Regional Development Initiatives 13,484
41 Digital & Robotic Technology 2,000
42 Cultural Activities 3,832

Recession hits big boxes, too

2009-02-03T03:00:00.000-05:00

Interesting article that originally appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It deals with what some have called the "second wave" of the foreclosure/recession crisis that the U.S. is currently experiencing - the retail crash. The article deals with the fact that the U.S. has been building retail space at a rate that far exceeds consumer spending. The rest, even prior to the recession, was a massive amount of empty retail space, often concentrated in central cities. Rather than attempt to rehabilitate these cities, big-box retailers and developers often found it cheaper and easier to build new, shinier strip malls and big box stores. The model had always been profitable.

Well, that is definitely about to change. This country was "overstorred" with retail space in 2003 - and now, with consumer spending hitting declining for the 6th month in a row, development slowing and available credit shrinking, big-box stores and strip malls are about to get hit. Hard. Check out the article to learn more.

Small business tips....

2009-02-02T11:48:00.000-05:00

Our friends at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center have put out another version of their "Managers' Market Memo." This issue contains a variety of tips and suggestions for small businesses, and I thought it was worth putting up. See below for more:

During tough times, retailers and business owners hope that customers will long for the comfort of hometown shopping among people they know and trust. Customers like to feel important and valued. With this in mind, here are some things you can do to enhance that feeling and build sales during this trying economic period:
· Address customers by their names (when you know them). If you don't know their names, try something like "We haven't seen you in awhile, welcome back!" In short, let customers know you recognize them.
· Listen to your customers’ wants, ideas and criticisms.
· During staff meetings and focus groups, ask for new business building ideas and new services that can be offered.
· Remind your employees to focus on the positive. Customers don’t want to come in and hear doom and gloom or they may not return.
· Many customers may plan to scale back on their purchases, so offer more services to build on the perceived value.
· Learn customers’ preferences and respond to them. For example, ask "Do you still prefer .......?" in order to let the customer know that you remember them, and in turn help you fine tune your merchandise selection.
· Get to know your customers and potential customers as individuals. Learn something about their families, professions, interests, etc.
· Compliment and reassure customers on their purchases.
· Keep in touch with your customers via newsletters, e-mail, phone calls, events, and local paper advertisements. Now is the time to clean-up and build your contacts database. Remember, monthly e-mail newsletters don't cost a thing to distribute. Make such publications informative, and be sure to include your special events, added services, new merchandise, etc. Don't forget to include your complete contact information somewhere in the publication, including your website, complete phone number, and your business address with the city, state, and zip code.
· Get to know your local newspaper editor and help him/her work on a human interest story about you and your business. This is far better and cheaper than advertising.
· Take customers' pictures. For example, if you own a pet supply store, take photos of your customers in the store with their pets and post them on a bulletin board or on your website (with permission).

Small businesses are struggling with...

2009-01-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

Of course, this is a difficult environment for small businesses, and the goal of the BBRP and numerous other Main and Elm Street programs across the state is to assist businesses to succeed and thrive. But, how exactly can we do that?

It's a good question, and a difficult one to answer. That being said, in order to determine how we can help small businesses, we must first figure out what specifically what is causing them problems.

Well, we are starting to try to answer that question. Thanks to some research conducted by the BBRP's new intern, Dave, as well as conversation with some of our small business owners, we are starting to get some answers. Here is what we know so far.

A survey was conducted in 2001 to answer this very question. The data is a little old, but I'd venture that many of these problems are still the same (if not exacerbated). The top ten problems are:
1) The Cost of Health Insurance
2) Federal taxes on business income
3) Locating qualified employees
4) Unreasonable government regulations
5) FICA (Social Security) taxes
6) State taxes on business income
7) Workers' Compensation Costs
8) Federal Paperwork
9) Cash Flow
10) Cost of natural gas, fuel and oil

I would also guess that properly utilizing technology (such as the internet and social networking) has become a big issues lately as well.

Allentown Modernizes Codes

2009-01-21T14:48:00.000-05:00

The City of Allentown is in the process of modernizing their zoning and code ordinances. I am a huge fan of what they have done.

To summarize (and I'll do my best, because it is a pretty extensive document), the city is attempting to update zoning and codes because the ordinances were outdated and didn't reflect modern urban planning efforts. They had a series of community meetings to get public feedback and ensure that whatever changes they made were reflective of the community will. They also had a relatively extensive and diverse task force oversee the process. Here are some of the changes:

The creation of three new special overlay districts that allow for more customized and practical zoning, including regulations on setbacks, parking and design guidelines.
A series of use changes that have to deal with a variety of areas, including limiting uses within residential zones, encouragement of mixed use, requirements related to street trees, reduction of parking requirements in certain situations, etc.
Very importantly for Allentown, this ordinance further limits the conversion of dwelling unites into apartments in most residential zones.
Zoning map changes to be more reflective of community will.

I do believe that every community should reexamine their zoning and codes on a relatively regular basis. Like parking requirements, this is an often forgotten area that is vitally important to the quality of life and business recruitment of any community.

It's raining money?

2009-01-16T14:03:00.000-05:00

Like everywhere else, Main Street is clearly hurting - it's something I am starting to notice in my communities and in downtowns across the Valley - businesses are closing and companies are laying off workers.

Obviously, the Government is attempting to stop the bleeding. They are doing this in a variety of ways, and President-Elect Obama is considering a massive spending bill. The House Democrats have also unveiled their own spending bill. The price: $825 billion, with $550 billion in spending and aid to states. Specifics in spending include $50 billion in alternative energy spending, $90 billion in infrastructure spending and $140 billion in school construction and modernization. The hope is that the bill will create or save 3-4 million jobs.

This bill, if it passes, will have massive ramifications on the continuing governance of the United States. Without making a value judgement, I think it is safe to say that this is a truly historical point for the U.S.

Now, that being said, here is an interesting question: how will this affect Main Street and downtowns. The infrastructure spending is desperately needed, especially in Pennsylvania, which has some of the oldest and most structurally deficient bridges in America. The jobs, if created, would obviously help get money flowing again. Of course, the consequences of the long-term debt could be astounding.

Clearly, time will tell how this affects Main Street. But it is something that all aspects of the United States government, especially urban communities, have to be aware of.

PA Promoting Energy Efficiency

2009-01-15T07:57:00.001-05:00

I received this press release courtesy of Senator Rob Wonderling's office. Pennsylvania is trying to increase energy efficiency among small businesses, which is particularly critical, given that these businesses often lack the resources to become more energy efficient. Check out the press release below:

Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program Now Open
Department of Environmental Protection acting Secretary John Hanger is proud to announce an opportunity for Pennsylvania’s small businesses to improve their energy efficiency and manage higher energy prices.
The new Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program provides a 25 percent match, up to $25,000, for equipment or processes that significantly improve energy efficiency. The program is the first available through the Alternative Energy Investment Fund, part of Governor Edward G. Rendell's Energy Independence Strategy.

Grants will apply to energy efficiency improvements on systems such as lighting, heating, cooling, refrigeration and process machinery, as well as building insulation and weatherization improvement projects.

An eligible applicant must be an independent, for-profit business with 100 employees or fewer, located in Pennsylvania. The project must save at least 20 percent annually in energy-related expenses, with a minimum savings of $1,000 per year. Examples of eligible small businesses include manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining businesses and agricultural operations.

The grant application and guidelines are available online at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant, or by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, 15th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, P. O. Box 8772, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772, or by e-mail at ra-sbgrants@state.pa.us.

Applications will be accepted through May 1, 2008. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. A total of $3 million is available for this grant round.

In addition to the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, the state will unveil a number of new energy conservation programs and alternative energy investment programs in the next couple of months that will benefit the state’s power consumers at work and at home and protect the environment.

Ten things Main Street can do right now

2009-01-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

I found this link in the E-Newsletter distributed by the Pensylvania Downtown Center and thought it was worth sharing. This story discusses ten things that revitalization groups can do, right now, in order to assist Main Streets and Downtowns weather this economic storm.

I also think that this is worth discussing because it brings up something that has become more and more prevelant in discussions that the BBRP has had lately, both at a staff and volunteer level: groups like ours have to be able to pivot and assist our businesses more now than ever before. There has, of course, never been a question that one of the most primary purposes of Main Street organizations is to assist local businesses and help the local economy grow. Of course, even before the recession, businesses were facing incredible challenges: rising expenses, increased technological innovation and competittion from big-box stores. Our current financial condition only serves to strain small businesses even more. Now, more than ever, revitalization organizations have to develop ways to help their small businesses.

More on that to come from our end!

The Importance of History

2009-01-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

A story appeared in the Morning Call today on some of the historical buildings and historical structures that are located in Easton's West Ward. A more detailed story on the same topic appeared in the Express Times. Included in this area is one of Pennsylvania's first power plants.

That got me thinking - why do we preserve? Why should we care?

Frankly, the reasons are too numerous to get into in a short blog entry, so I'll try to keep it to bullet points.

Historical preservation increases property values.
Historically preserved buildings are often more energy/heat efficient than their modern counterparts.
Districts with historical components often become tourism locations.
Historically preserved properties provide a regionally distinctive flavor that differentiates one area of the country from the next.
It is often less expensive to preserve and rehabilitate already existing structures than to build new ones.
It is more environmentally sensitive to rehabilitate than to demolish and rebuild.
Historical preservation is a value statement. It demonstrates that a community cares about its past, and if it cares about the past, then it almost certainly cares about the future.

Sources:

http://news.ufl.edu/2006/12/20/preservation/
http://www.preservationnation.org/
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=512&mode=2&objID=1426

Light Rail expands

2008-12-29T09:40:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

As I've argued in the past, I am a big advocate for light rail in the Lehigh Valley. Based on the data currently available, I think light rail is vital to the long-term sustainability of the region, to controlling our taxes, our rate of development and to revitalizing our urban cores.

Well, it looks like light rail is expanding: A light rail system just opened in Phoenix, now the nation's fifth largest city. The system, which cost $1.4 billion, is twenty miles long and has been in the works since the 1980s. It also is a metropolitan system, as it crosses into neighboring cities. Phoenix also has an additional obstacle to contend with when it comes to light rail: in the summer, passengers must wait in an average of 106 degree weather. Phoenix had been the largest city in America without a public rail system, and other western cities have also opened a rail system recently.

I suspect that this is initiative will continue to gain steam across the country. Yes, gas prices are down (to a five year low), but that decline is largely a result of a collapse in demand due to the global recession. When we come out of this recession, gas prices will likely climb again and drivers will, once again, be squeezed at the pump. My biggest arguement for light rail (and, indeed, for urban living) is simply that I believe we are rapidly reaching the point where our current system of transportation (almost total reliance on automobiles) will be untenable, unaffordable and unsustainable. We have to look at alternative forms of transportation now if we want to plan for the future.

What is a Community Benefit District?

2008-12-23T14:11:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

The Express-Times featured a story on the possibility of a Community Benefit District coming to Bethlehem and Easton. Perfect timing, then, to explain what exactly a CBD is.

A Community Benefit District (also known as a Business Improvement District, or BID) is basically a funding mechanism that allows for revitalization programs to support themselves. The CBD is governed by a board (made up of local business and property owners, not the government) that would collect funding based on a fee that would be assessed to all properties (excluding non-profits) within the district. The board would then use the money to hire staff and manage programs. Of course, the funding could be enhanced by government, business and non-profit contributions. The fee is mandatory - after a certain percentage of property owners within the district agreed to started the CBD, all properties would have to pay the fee (the amount varies). CBDs have been used across Pennsylvania - they are a great way of revitalizing downtowns, particularly after state-funding for a Main or Elm Street program has ended. Of course, since they involve assessing another fee. In the long-run, the benefits to the district (enhanced business, reduced crime, better physical appearance, higher property values, etc) are supposed to outweigh the assessment of the fee itself. However, the assessment of the fee (often seen by property owners as another tax) can be highly controversial. The process of determining how to spread the costs and the amount of the fee is determined by the community.

Really, at the end of the day, community engagement and input is the only way that any bid district will succeed. The community has to be committed to paying the fee, managing the board and determining the priorities and goals of the CBD - otherwise, it is doomed to failure.

Happy Holidays to all!

Alburtis Completes Calendar

2008-12-23T10:57:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

I'm very happy to announce the completion of a project that we had been working on for months in Alburtis. Please see the information below for more!

---

NEWS RELEASE

Alburtis completes calendar

Alburtis, PA (Dec 23) – Mike Schlossberg, Alburtis Business Revitalization Coordinator, announced today that the Alburtis Business Revitalization Program (ABRP) has completed a calendar that contains pictures of Alburtis. The calendar, which was developed by the ABRP and designed by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, is now for sale at Alburtis Borough Hall and First Star Bank of Alburtis. It can be purchased for $15.

“This calendar serves two purposes,” said Schlossberg. “First, it allows us to raise money so that we can continue our work in reinvigorating Alburtis’ historical downtown. Second, the pictures in this calendar showcase some of the most beautiful locations in the Borough. Alburtis is an absolutely gorgeous community and we want to help advertise those strengths.

For other questions on how to obtain a calendar, please contact Mike Schlossberg at 484-809-1796 or MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Well, at least its not just us

2008-12-17T10:54:00.001-05:00

As the article I posted yesterday indicated, Main Streets are struggling in the current economic times. That being said, it isn't just us! Check out this article that appeared on CNN's website.

Malls are hurting too - in fact, vacancies increased 7% this year, the highest since 2001, and the future forecasts are no better.

That being said, it seemed that this was bound to happen, and that the long-term effects could be good for our urban areas. Quoting directly from the article:

"Our country has six times more retail space per capita than any other county," said Ellen Dunham-Jones, director of the architecture program at Georgia Institute of Technology.

"We're just cannibalizing our existing stores by building more stores even when sales aren't increasing," she said. "We were long due for a retail correction and we're going through it now."

So, it seems that there is a large amount of available retail and commercial space available already. Gee, I wonder where that space is largely concentrated....

How is Main Street doing?

2008-12-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

I came across this USA Today story regarding Main Street and the recession. USA Today went to five different Main Streets to see how they were faring in the challenging economic times of the day. This first city was Pheonix, and the prospects appeared daunting - development has stopped, credit has dried up, the housing market has burst and consumer spending is in decline.

The recession will be felt on Main Street and in our downtowns for reasons similar to why it is being felt nation-wide. Financing is harder to obtain for urban projects, and this obviously will make it tougher for redevelopment to take place - this is particularly painful for larger projects that need more funding. Consumer spending is declining and consumers are saving more to make up for dwindling revenue and a loss in their retirement accounts

For more information, check out these articles:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008812100438
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=9871
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081207/BUSINESS/812070374/1003/ARCHIVES

Treevitalize update

2008-12-11T11:40:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone - good news about Treevitalize. Revoting yesterday, the Lehigh County Commissioners revoted on Treevitalize yesterday, and this time the program passed 7-2. Thank you to the Commissioners who voted in favor of this important project!

Everybody loves Main Street!

2008-12-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

In the course of looking for some information about a project I am working on, I got a random idea. I typed "Main Street" into Google to see what I would come up with. As you might expect, I got a lot of results related to Main Street programs. That makes sense. What surprised me, and what I got a big laugh out of, was the amount of businesses that have "Main Street" in their name even if it has absolutely nothing directly to do with a traditional downtown.

It makes sense, too, when you think about it. For example, how many times this year did you hear that a politician running for office wanted to make sure that government represented "Main Street, not Wall Street"? The image and symbolism of Main Street has a near sacred place in the American ethos. Main Street conjures up images of home, of the corner drug store, of a safe place and a simpler time.

Such an explanation would certainly help explain why so many businesses have Main Street in their name! They are trying to tap into the American soul. For example, there is the Main Street Casino (http://www.mainstreetcasino.com). I don't think any of my downtowns have one of those. There is also Main Street Homes (http://www.mainstreethomes.com), which, judging by the front picture displayed, is probably located far far away from Main Street. How about http://www.mainstreet.com? That's got financial advice. Alright. Then there is http://www.mainstreetlighting.com/, which at least has lighting that is appropriate to Main Street. My favorite, though, is (http://www.certainteed.com/CertainTeed/Pro/Builder/Siding/Prodindex/CertainTeed/MainStreet.htm). They sell siding. That's just ironic.

My point is that Main Street remains a popular and desired brand in America. This is one of the biggest strengths that our downtowns have - they represent a way of life that millions seek and desire. We have to learn to tap into that desire in order to get those people back.

How can we help?

2008-12-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

Well, unless you are living underneath a rock, you know that the economy isn't doing so well at the moment and we appear to be entering a recession, the likes of which has not been seen since the Great Depression. Let me first just say that I don't believe that this will be an actual depression. A recession has varying definitions, but a good rule of thumb is to define a recession as the time from when business activity reaches it's peak to when business activity bottoms out. It usually lasts about a year. An alternative definition is when the GDP (gross domestic product) declines two quarters in a row. A depression, however, is best defined as a decline of the GDP by more than 10%. Most forecasts I have heard have not been that severe.

That being said, there is no question that we are currently in a recession. With public funds limited, the pressure is on Main & Elm Street programs like the BBRP to produce economic results, and I think that's fair. When it comes to economic development, I believe that the expendature in public funding, in the long-run, should result in an enhancement of the economy in whatever area the funding is targetted. Accordingly, if public funds are being used for this program, we must be able to make an improvement on the economy. Given the current economic climate, this need becomes more important than ever.

How, then, can we best improve the economy? This is a question that is being discussed in great detail by program coordinators and one which we must answer. Training, business enhancement programs, Facade Programs and promotional/marketing assistance are some of the things we are currently discussing, but there are absolutely more answers.

What are your thoughts?

More revitalization in Allentown

2008-12-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

Congrats and best of luck to the newly formed Allentown Neighborhood Development Alliance. Good to see that more revitalization efforts are taking shape in Allentown, especially in an area that is as important and historic to the city as this one.

Treevitalize Program in Jeopardy

2008-12-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

Well, this isn't the happiest blog entry I've had to make.

At their last meeting, Lehigh County Commissioners voted down the Treevitalize program. This involved voting no to accepting the funding for the program from the state, no to an intergovernmental agreement to run this program with Northampton County and no to the allocation of grant money via the Streetscape Amenities program. Even more unfortunately, the County also voted no to a $7,500 Master Plan grant that Macungie had applied for and been awarded. Commissioners voted 3-3 against accepting the funding for the program (Commissioners Jones, Eckhart and Leiner voted yes, Dougherty, Roman and Browning voted no and Hamm, McCarthy and Raber were absent). Commissioner Eckhart then voted no on the intergovernmental agreement and the allocation of the grant funding.

The rationalle for declining this free state money, according to a statement made by Commissioner Browning on Lehigh Valley Ramblings, is that "The funding priorities of the State need to be readjusted." Commissioner Browning notes that the state has made severe reductions in human services funding and expects the County to pick up the costs. I think we can all sympathize with his concerns - there is no question that Counties are suffering with recent state funding cuts.

That being said, I don't see how voting no to accepting funding to Quality of Life grant funding will force the state to adjust its funding stream. Will funding in other areas because Lehigh County voted down this grant? Of course not. Instead, it will just result in Lehigh and Northampton losing funding and other areas gaining it. Voting no to one source of funding will not increase it in others.

The failure to accept this funding affects every municipality in Lehigh and Northampton counties that were planning on applying for this grant. In Alburtis and Coopersburg, public meetings have been held on where to put these trees and what types of trees should be placed. In many municipalities, expenditures have already been made under the assumption that the costs would be reimbursed by the County. Should these municipalities now be left out in the cold?

Fortunately, since three Commissioners were absent, there will be a revote on this issue. The next Commissioner meeting will be December 10, 7:30pm at the Lehigh County Government Center (7 S. 17th Street in Allentown). If you are able, I encourage you to attend the meeting and let your thoughts be heard. I also encourage you to contact the Commissioners office at 610-782-3050 for the same reason.

This program is very important to enhancing the quality of life throughout the Lehigh Valley. I hope you will join me in ensuring that this decision does hurt the efforts of the many revitalization programs that are in progress as we speak.

Economic Statistics

2008-12-02T10:30:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone,

I recently gave a presentation to the Hellertown-Lower Saucon Chamber of Commerce. For the presentation, I gathered some information about the current economy. It's depressing, but everyone should know the shape of our economy. Here is where we are at right now:

Consumer confidence is the lowest it has been since the measure first started in 1985.
The NYSE is at its lowest point in five years, while the S&P 500 is at it’s lowest in eleven years.
Consumer spending has decreased and the planned increase in consumer spending is at it’s lowest since 2002. This isn't the case for everyone though...Walmart grew about 10% in the 3rd quarter of 2008.
Home sales in the Northeast are down 10% from last year. In a rapidly growing area like the Lehigh Valley, this bound to hurt the local economy. While this trend won't damage cities as much (since they are already built-out), it is still bound to hurt to some extent, as urban economies depend, in part, on revenues generated from out-of-town shoppers and employees.
Local governments are feeling the strain, with at least eight local municipalities facing likely tax hikes (in one case as high as 62%). Pennsylvania may have to raise taxes next year as well.

Allentown and Reading are getting safer

2008-11-25T07:43:00.000-05:00

This story is pretty important and I thought it deserved it's own heading.

As reported by WFMZ, a news release by CQ Press has dropped Allentown and Reading from the list of the most dangerous cities.

Now, here's the million dollar question: what caused this change? Any thoughts?

Bangor to announce more than $1 million in revitalization grants

2008-11-24T09:26:00.001-05:00

Looks like the volunteers and staff in Bangor are doing an outstanding job! Congrats to everyone for their hard work over there.

UPDATE: Wow, Bangor is really busy! Way to go!!

The Chamber enters the blogging world...

2008-11-23T21:46:00.001-05:00

I've written a few entries on the importance of the internet when it comes to urban revitalization and promoting small businesses. Of course, the internet can be incredibly useful when it comes to capturing market information, getting new customers, dispensing information and hearing the voice of the citizenry (a critical component to any urban revitalization effort).

Well, I'm now pleased to note that the company I work for is moving one step further when it comes to internet usage. Of course, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce already has a website. However, websites aren't always enough these days, and the Chamber has recognized that. Accordingly, it has launched a series of new internet initiatives: pages on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and a blog. All of these are components of what some refer to as "Web 2.0" and designed to help promote the organization and its various initiatives, as well as reach a whole new segment of the population.

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it again and again: the internet is getting more and more popular (and thus more and more necessary) every day. These websites are worth checking out.

Proof of the "Broken Window" theory

2008-11-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

A study reported on MSNBC in the journal "Science" shows that grafitti in a neighborhood triggers crime and littering. To quote from the story:

"The theory suggests that signs of disorder, such as broken windows, graffiti and litter, can open the door to individuals breaking other social norms and rules. In New York's 'Quality of Life Campaign,' adopted in the mid-1990s, city filth, including graffiti, street litter and signs of vandalism, were removed. And petty crime rates did drop. "

This is the theory behind numerous anti-crime effort, including the community policing initative recently begun in Allentown. Looking at it from a reverse perspective, it is also the theory behind programs like Properties of Merit and Facade Programs (similiar to the ones run by the BBRP).

At the same time, the study demonstrated that policing itself is not enough. Instead, you have to "make a link between a sanction and the norm" while making people "feel part of their community."

Easier said than done.

Keep American Beautiful

2008-11-19T10:37:00.001-05:00

From Left to Right: Julia Marano (Keep PA Beautiful), Vince Smith (Catasauqua Borough Council President), Sharon Davis (BBRP Coordinator), Gene Goldfeder (Catasauqua Borough Council Manager), Virginia Savage (Lehigh County)

Lehigh County receives $10,000.00 for trash receptacles placed in five Borough Business Revitalization Communities

Lehigh County has received a $10,000 Waste Management Think Green Grant through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for trash cans placed in five communities. The recipients, Alburtis, Coopersburg, Catasauqua, Hellertown and Wilson are members of the Borough Business Revitalization Program.

Out of 85 Keep America Beautiful affiliates who submitted proposals for projects that promoted environmental and community stewardship, only 18 were awarded grant money, including Lehigh County.

“Creating safe, clean and inviting environments for residents and visitors of our downtowns is a critical component to the revitalization of our communities,” said Virginia Savage, Lehigh County Manager of Main Street Initiatives. “Several of our municipalities have identified litter receptacles as a priority in order to reduce the amount of trash currently found in their streets and on their sidewalk, and we’re delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Keep PA Beautiful to assist our communities in their efforts.”

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful was pleased to work with Virginia Savage in obtaining a Think Green Grant from Keep America Beautiful, funded by Waste Management Inc.,” said Julia Marano, Keep PA Beautiful Executive Director. “These grants are made available to communities who are part of the Keep America Beautiful affiliate network and maintain their status as ‘affiliates in good standing.’ In addition, the participating communities used the Keep America Beautiful litter index tool to measure the effectiveness of placing the trash containers. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful looks forward to working with Virginia and the local Lehigh Valley communities in the future.”

Easton Main Street

2008-11-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

The Express Times has an update on the Easton Main Street Initative. The group is reaching out to other local merchants, property owners and residents in its Main Street area, something all revitalization efforts must do. They are an incredibly successful program, and congrats to all of the staff and volunteers over there for a job well done.

I'll have an entry later today on a press conference that we held yesterday.

To the dogs....

2008-11-18T09:33:00.000-05:00

One of the more popular trends in parks of late are dog parks. The rise of dog parks have occured as urban areas have seen an increase in their pet population - current estimates are that 58% of American households have some sort of a pet, and 38% of households have dogs.

Dog parks are great because they allow for animals to have a chance to play, exercise and socialize with each other. However, it is important that those who are striving to get a dog park in their community chiefly stress the benefits to people, not pets. With dog parks, individuals get a chance to socialize, get outdoors and increase their overall quality of life and recreational opportunities.

There are problems, of course - who should pay for this park (expenses include bags for waste, trash installation and removal, fences, lighting and water for the dogs)? What happens when one dog hurts another, or hurts another human? And where should these parks go?

Bethlehem and Nazareth have installed dog parks recently and had success with them. This is a trend that is growing and something that may be worth examining some communities.

BID to Bethlehem?

2008-11-17T11:42:00.001-05:00

The Morning Call has a story on the potential of a Business Improvement District (BID) in Bethlehem.

BIDs are an often used component to revitalize urban cores. They involve assessing a fee (usually based on the square footage of a store or jobs created) on properties within the district. That money is then used to pay staff and provide for services, including increase security, physical improvements, clean-ups, etc. Of course, all of those services are outstanding and can be a huge boost to downtowns, who often suffer from insufficient resources or attention from local governments. The problem, of course, is that merchants or property owners often don't want or can't afford another fee from the government. This is why BIDs are often controversial subjects.

That being said, they are certainly proving to be more popular lately. There seems to be a growing realization among downtowns that special attention must be paid to older, urban cores in order to continue with a successful revitalization effort.

As always, the trick lies in generation community consensus behind the BID. Without public consensus, a BID will always fail.

Macungie Completes Business Directory

2008-11-14T09:40:00.001-05:00

Congrats to the Macungie volunteers for their hard work on this project. The purpose of Business Directory's, of course, is to promote businesses however possible. I think that this is something that revitalization programs are going to have to focus on more and more, particularly as the economy gets tougher. For more information, see below:

Macungie completes Business Directory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Michael Schlossberg
November 13, 2008 484-809-1796

(November 13) Macungie, PA – Mike Schlossberg, coordinator for the Macungie Business Revitalization Program, announced today that the Macungie Business Directory has been completed and is now available.

The Directory contains a variety of information over eighty businesses, including contact information, hours of operation, a description of services and coupons to selected businesses.

“Our efforts are designed to improve businesses in Macungie,” said Schlossberg. “With this guide, we will hopefully increase awareness of the diversity of businesses in the Borough and encourage residents to shop here.” Schlossberg also noted that similar projects in other local Boroughs, such as Hellertown and Emmaus, have resulted in an increase in customers to local businesses.

The guide is available at Macungie Borough Hall, the Macungie Institute and at the Borough of Macungie’s website (http://www.macungie.pa.us). It can also be obtained by contacting Mike Schlossberg at 484-809-1796 or MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.

In the news....

2008-11-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Two interesting stories in the news to report today. The first is an outstanding story about giving back to the community. Alvin H. Butz, Inc., is donating $250,000 to Valley Vision 2015, the urban revitalization effort by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. In this economic climate, that is an incredibly difficult thing to do and Butz should be commended for their commitment to the community. It is too easy for construction companies and developers to ignore cities in the name of making the quick and easy profit, but Butz is proof that you can redevelop urban cores and still be extremely successful.

The second is more good news about our local economy, at least in the short-term. As reported in the Express Times, for the first time in years, gas prices have fallen below $2.00 in some New Jersey gas stations. If this trend continues, Lehigh Valley gas may soon see the same decline. This makes for an interesting question - what will the effect of this gas decline be on our urban cores?

Alburtis Tree Lighting

2008-11-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

Alburtis to hold Tree Lighting event - Choir, Santa, Tree Lighting to mark celebration of holiday season

Alburtis, PA (November 11) – The Alburtis Business Revitalization Program will hold a special Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony to celebrate the holiday season.

The event will feature the lighting of Alburtis’ Christmas Tree, speeches from local dignitaries, a visit from Santa, refreshments and a performance by the Choir of St. Joseph the Worker R.C. Church.

The event will be held at the intersection of Main and Franklin Streets on Sunday, November 30, 5:00pm.

The event is being sponsored by First Star Bank.

Thank You, First Star Bank

2008-11-10T16:14:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

I'm pleased to report that First Star Bank is sponsoring a couple of initiatives in Alburtis; see the press release below. I know these press releases tend to sound a little flowery, but I really do mean it when I say that First Star Bank has been an outstanding partner to work with. I am so grateful for their continued support throughout the community.

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First Star Bank to sponsor upcoming Alburtis events: Community bank to sponsor upcoming Alburtis calendar, tree lighting for $400

Alburtis, PA – First Star Bank and the Alburtis Business Revitalization Program (ABRP) announced today that First Star will be sponsoring two events in Alburtis (the sale of a calendar and tree lighting) for $400. The sponsorship will go towards the continued funding of the Alburtis Business Revitalization Program.

“First Star Bank is proud to be able to continue our support to the Alburtis Community. This is an example of what ‘Community Banking’ is all about. I want to wish everyone in Alburtis a very Merry Christmas,” said Joseph T Svetik, President/CEO First Star Bank.

“No urban revitalization effort goes anywhere without assistance from the community,” said Mike Schlossberg, Alburtis Business Revitalization Coordinator. “First Star is an outstanding business partner. They are involved in the community and actively concerned with the welfare and future of Alburtis. We could not ask for more.”

This sponsorship will go towards two initiatives: A Christmas Tree lighting that will be held on Sunday, November 30 at 5:00pm (at the intersection of Main and Franklin Street in Alburtis) and the sale of an Alburtis Calendar that will feature pictures of the community.

This is the second ABRP program in which First Star Bank is involved. In addition to serving on the ABRP’s Steering Committee, First Star has a reduced interest Façade Loan Program that provides property owners with a reduced interest rate loan to pursue the renovations to their properties. This program operates in conjunction with the Alburtis Façade Grant program, but can be used separately from the program. Its goal is to encourage continued improvements to the physical appearance of Alburtis.

The Borough Business Revitalization Program is a regional Main Street Program. It is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Lehigh & Northampton counties, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the eight Boroughs: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie and Wilson. The goal of the program is to revitalize the urban cores of the participating communities.

By six votes

2008-11-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

After initially being reported as having failed, a measure in Upper Saucon Township that would raise the income tax by .25% to make land purchases and protect open space has passed by six votes. And who says that one vote doesn't matter?

No other initatives like this were on the ballot this year, but other similiar measures have passed in previous years. Currently, Lehigh County ranks third in Pennsylvania counties in terms of open space preserved.

As far as I am concerned, measures like this are outstanding and necessary in order to protect open space. Not only do they make sense in terms of protecting urban space and revitalizing cities, but they will ultimately reduce the need for property tax increase, since the proptection of open space and park/farm lands lead to an increase in property values (and thus property tax revenues).

Protecting open space does make sense financially, and short-term tax increase equate to long-term tax decreases.

Crime in your area

2008-11-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

This website will take you to the Pennsylvania State Police's online crime database. It is actually fascinating to look at - you can view crime in your hometown.

Out of curiosity, I ran the stats for Alburits, Coopersburg, Hellertown and Macungie. In 2007, here's what I got:

Alburtis - one burglary, two larcenies, two vandalism, one DUI and two disorderly conducts.
Coopersburg - two larcenies, 26 vandalism, one weapons charge, three DUIs, one liquor law violation, one case of public drunkenness, one disorderly conduct and three miscellaneous offenses.
Hellertown - two assaults, eight larcenies, one forgery, five frauds, 25 vandalism, four drug possessions, five DUIs, two public drunkenness, two disorderly conduct and three miscellaneous offenses.
Macungie - two larcenies, two drug possessions, seven DUIs, three disorderly conducts and four miscellaneous offenses.

Clearly, and thankfully, none of our communities are exactly criminal hotbeds.

Holiday sales projections

2008-10-30T08:19:00.000-04:00

An interesting (and pretty depressing) article from Reuters today. According to a recent survey, Americans are expected to increase their holiday spending from last year, but the percentage of that increase will be the smallest since the company conducting the poll first began surveying in 2002. The article goes on to note that many large-retailers, such as Saks, Abercrombie & Fitch and Target missed their sales projections in September, another indication of the problems facing the American economy. Indeed, retailers (particularly luxury retailers) have been hit particularly hard by the current economic climate.

All of these figures raise a particularly troubling question from an urban revitalization prospective. Urban retailers often have enough trouble competing with mall and big-box counter-parts. How will they fare in a depressed economic climate?

UPDATE: More bad news. The economy shrank .3% in the third quarter.

The importance of the internet

2008-10-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm writing this entry based on some of my recent conversations with the Chamber about the importance of the internet.

Let me start with this: no small business should be without a website. Over 215 million Americans use the internet on a regular basis - that's more than 2/3 of the Country. Further, 163 million Americans have made purchases on the internet. Depending on the procuct, over 40-60% of Americans check the internet first to do research on the product and find nearby locations to make a purchase. Not having a website means that small business owners lose these customers. The internet is no longer the trend of the future: it is the trend of right now, and it is vital to the success of small business that they establish a website as fast as possible. Put another way, are there any Fortune 500 companies, major political campaigns or celebraties that no longer have an internet website? Of course not - not having a website means cutting yourself off to one of the most popular and well travelled methods of acquiring information.

That being said, having a website is not necessarily enough for small businesses anymore. As the internet has continued to grow and expand, so has the methods by which small businesses can reach out to customers. Blogs (like this one) are a great example - one recent estimate noted that there are over 70 million blogs on the internet now. Over 100 million Americans are members of social networking groups like Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn. These networks provide another method for individuals and small businesses to share information about themselves or their businesses/products. In this fast-paced world, businesses have to do everything they can to capture the increasingly shrinking attention of their customer. This means being active and advertising in every avenue possible. An internet website is no longer enough.

I hope to have more on this subject in the coming days.

Why we need rail in the Lehigh Valley

2008-10-23T10:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of appearing as a guest on Business Matters, arguing in favor of bringing rail to the Lehigh Valley. It was an incredibly lively show that will air on November 24, 7:30 on WFMZ-TV.

I do strongly favor light rail, as long as its light rail done right. Right now, a transportation study is in the works to determine the feasibility of linking the NJ-Transit line to the Lehigh Valley and how much that would cost to construct. As proposed, the study would cost $250,000 - Lehigh and Northampton Counties are budgeting $75,000 each, with LVEDC picking up the remaining $100,000. Thus far, the study has been endorsed by Renew Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors, among others.

There are many reasons as to why we need rail. First, it will control development and reduce (if not eliminate) the need to widen Route 22. Where roads go, development and suburban sprawl follows. If you reduce the amount of roads built, you reduce the amount of suburban sprawl. This will create more incentives to redevelop our urban cores, not further develop and destroy our greenspace. Further, if rail stations are placed throughout a city (not just in the affluent areas, but downtown near office, retail and major tourist attractions like Coca Cola Stadium), you create more incentive for offices, retail and restaurants to move near those stations. If you do rail the right way, you can create major incentives for businesses to move to cities.

Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Lancaster are just some of the major regional areas that already have rail networks in the area. The United States is the only major developed country that does not have a rail system, and we are at risk of being left behind. The national average for gas is currently just under $3.00 per gallon, and that is going to rise once this economic crises ends. The cost of building new roads and the materials related to those roads has skyrocketed, with the cost of some items (such as asphalt) doubling. Pennsylvania is one of the national leaders in structurally deficient bridges. Pennsylvania needs an estimated $1.6 billion to repair our roads and bridges. Nationwide, that need is over $1.6 trillion in the next five years. We can, quite literally, no longer afford our current transportation system.

Rail will help more than just urban residents. Ron Angle asked a very good question on our show: what will this do for the retired couple that lives in Pen Argyl, Hellertown or Lower Macungie? How will rail help them?

Well, does this retired couple pay taxes? Because they will benefit from reduced taxes thanks to controlled sprawl and less funding for road and bridge construction and maintenance. They will benefit from the improved quality of life that comes with more open space. And they will be able to travel anywhere in the East Coast via rail, thanks to being connected to the regional rail network.

As far as I can tell, rail is the future of the Lehigh Valley. It is best for our cities, suburbs and the entire region. Of course, what we need more than anything else is the data to back up the theory. I am eagerly awaiting the results of the upcoming transportation study.

For more information on bringing rail to the Valley, visit Lehigh Valley Trains.

PLEASE NOTE: I am speaking here only in my capacity as someone who works with urban communities, not on behalf of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. The GLVCC has not taken an official position on bringing rail to the Valley.

Facade Loan Program

2008-10-20T13:05:00.001-04:00

We just sent out this press release on our new Facade Loan Programs. In eight of our nine communities (with the last one, Macungie, expected to be up shortly), we have established low-interest rate loan programs. The goal of these programs, of course, is to create incentives so that people can better afford improvements to their home. In this economic climate, it is more vital than ever that teh public and private sector work together on urban revitalization.
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Borough Business Revitalization Program announces creation of Façade Loan Program in partnership with community banks

Program will make it easier for residents and business owners to improve their properties

Lehigh Valley, PA – The Borough Business Revitalization Program today announced the creation of reduced interest-rate Façade Loan programs in six Lehigh Valley communities. These programs, effective in the Boroughs of Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, North Catasauqua and Wilson, will give property and business owners reduced interest rates for improvements to their facades.

“The purpose of these programs is to act as an incentive,” said Michael Schlossberg, one of the Borough Business Revitalization Coordinators. “We understand that property and business owners want to improve their properties pproperties but may not have the financial means to do so. Accordingly, we partnered with community banks to create reduced interest-rate programs that will make it less expensive for property and business owners to make their desired improvements. This will benefit both the property owner and the community at large.” He went on to note that these programs are for residential or business properties that are located anywhere in the six participating Boroughs.

“Urban revitalization is all about creating viable community partnerships,” said Sharon Davis, Borough Business Revitalization Coordinator. “We want to do whatever we can in order to improve the physical appearance of our traditional downtowns. Fortunately, these banks were more than willing to partner with us to help improve their communities. These reduced interest-rate programs have the potential to allow for physical improvements throughout all of our communities, and we are incredibly grateful to the participating banks for their support.”

This program is also designed to work in conjunction with the Façade Program that is ongoing in these six boroughs as well as Catasauqua, Macungie and North Catasauqua. The Façade Program is a 1-1 matching grant program (up to $5,000) whereby property and business owners can apply to make exterior improvements to their property. The program is eligible to properties within the downtown districts of participating communities. Accordingly, interested participants can use these loans to cover their payment for the Façade Program. They can also use this reduced interest-rate program independently of the Façade Program.

The specific information on each community is as follows:
· Alburtis & Bath: First Star Bank
· Bangor: Merchants National Bank
· Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, North Catasauqua and Wilson: KNBT

For more information on these programs in Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, North Catasauqua and Wilson, contact Sharon Davis at 610-793-4404841-5840 or SharonD@lehighvalleychamber.org. For more information in Alburtis, Coopersburg, Hellertown or Macungie, contact Michael Schlossberg at 484-809-1796 or MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.

The Borough Business Revitalization Program is a regional Main Street Program. It is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Lehigh & Northampton counties, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the eight Boroughs: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie and Wilson. The goal of the program is to revitalize the urban cores of the participating communities.

# # #

Do McCain and Obama have an urban agenda?

2008-10-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting article from the Philadelphia Daily News regarding the Presidential candidates and their urban agendas. Of late, the economy has clearly been getting the bulk of the coverage and attention from the Presidential candidates and the media, and while there is no doubt that this is an incredibly pressing issue, little attention has been given to how the candidates would address crime, poverty, public housing or a plethora of other important issues that affect urban areas. This article sheds some light on some of these questions.

New DCED Secretary

2008-10-20T09:13:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

The Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development is John Blake. According to the press release from DCED, Blake has served as the executive deputy secretary of the department since 2007. Incidentally, Blake has apparently done some work with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the organization which assists in the operation of the Main and Elm Street programs, so I feel pretty good about this pick!

---------

Governor Rendell Names John Blake Acting DCED Secretary

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today named John Blake as acting secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development following the resignation of Secretary Dennis Yablonsky, effective later this month.

Blake has served as DCED’s executive deputy secretary since February 2007 where he has been responsible for the daily administration and operational oversight of the department. He has more than 25 years of experience in housing, community, and economic development in the public and private sectors.

Prior to his DCED appointment, Blake was the director of Governor Rendell’s Northeast Regional Office where, for four years, he served as the primary liaison to local government and to the business and economic development community in 15 counties of Northeast PA.

“John’s portfolio of experience, achievement and practical savvy that he brings to the position will serve Pennsylvania’s business and communities well as we face challenging economic times,” said Governor Rendell. “I am confident John will help us to build upon the track record of outstanding achievements of DCED.”

Prior to joining the administration, Blake worked as vice president and senior development advisor for PNC Bank’s northeast and central Pennsylvania markets, where he helped manage and grow a $35 million portfolio of community development loans and investments; served as the primary community development advisor; and served on the PNC Foundation’s allocation committees in both markets.

In 1998 Blake was selected from among 9,000 applicants nationwide to serve a two-year Community Builders Fellowship with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Philadelphia. In that capacity, he represented HUD to 17 eastern Pennsylvania counties marketing HUD programs and monitoring contracts for compliance and performance.
He also served as executive director for the Lackawanna County Redevelopment Authority where he secured and leveraged more than $50 million in federal, state and private investment for housing, public works and infrastructure improvement projects to support business and job growth over the course of 15 years.

He holds a number of professional affiliations, including service with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, the Advocacy Alliance, the Great Valley Technology Alliance, and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.

Blake, a lifelong resident of Archbald, is a graduate of Villanova University and holds master’s degrees from Marywood College and the University of Scranton. He is married with two children.

Secretary Yablosnky resigns

2008-10-16T11:53:00.000-04:00

According to the Morning Call, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development Dennis Yablonsky has resigned. As the head of DCED, Secretary Yablonsky oversaw a variety of programs, including Main and Elm Street. The official press release from DCED is as follows:

Governor Rendell Announces Resignation of DCED Secretary Dennis Yablonsky

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Yablonsky will resign, effective Oct. 23, to return to the private sector.

The Governor lauded Yablonsky’s service to Pennsylvania’s working men and women, which drove economic growth throughout the commonwealth.

“It is hard to imagine any secretary of DCED or Commerce had a greater impact in creating a stronger Pennsylvania economy than Dennis Yablonsky,” Governor Rendell said. “He was at the forefront in attracting billions in new capital investments that have enabled us to create thousands of new jobs, revitalize our communities, diversify our economy and put Pennsylvania in a better position than most states.

“Dennis and I worked hand-in-hand with the General Assembly to get my economic stimulus package passed that invested more than $3 billion to support more than 2,600 projects statewide. This state investment has been able to leverage more than $8.8 billion in additional investments—far more than our original projection of $5 billion.

The Governor cited figures showing that the commonwealth has more than 200,000 more people working today than in 2003. Pennsylvania’s gross domestic product has jumped more than 20 percent – from $423 billion in 2002 to $531 billion in 2007 – and exports have nearly doubled from $15.8 billion to almost $30 billion. Venture capital investments in Pennsylvania have also skyrocketed from $455 million to $835 million during that same time period.

“It’s been an honor and privilege to work for Governor Rendell in advancing his community and economic development agenda,” Yablonsky said. “We are at the very beginning of seeing the full impact of the Governor’s economic stimulus package.”

During his tenure, DCED has focused on helping existing Pennsylvania businesses expand and attract out-of-state businesses. The Governor’s Action Team has successfully completed 1,030 projects with 109,627 committed new jobs and $12.5 billion of private investment since January 2003. Additionally, through the Governor’s World Trade PA initiative, Pennsylvania has emerged as a major player in the global marketplace with foreign companies investing $406 million here over the past three years with plans to create 4,200 jobs.

“Dennis and his team were also instrumental in working with legislators to pass the extension of Keystone Opportunity Zones and our $650 million Alternative Energy package to expand renewable energy investments in the commonwealth. This legislation will further enhance the set of tools that the commonwealth has at its disposal to continue to drive economic growth.”

Yablonsky also worked to improve Pennsylvania’s economic competitiveness by strongly advocating a reduction in the number of earned income tax collectors from 560 to 69, which the Governor signed into law this summer. The consolidation has eliminated a fragmented system that cost municipalities and school districts $237 million each year – enough to hire 3,000 teachers and 3,000 more police officers.

Leading industry groups and publications have noticed Pennsylvania’s growth. IBM Plant Location International ranked Pennsylvania first in the U.S and Canada for cross border investments and number one for manufacturing projects. Global Insight and the National Venture Capital Association ranked Pennsylvania first among all 50 states in the rate of new job creation by venture-backed firms. Business Facilities magazine has ranked Pennsylvania’s biotechnology sector first in the country.

The Governor also praised the secretary’s work to revitalize Pennsylvania’s core communities, citing 80 revitalization projects through the Community Action Team Program. He also noted the progress Pittsburgh has made under Act 47.

“I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention how far Pittsburgh has come in just under four years after DCED designated our second largest city as financially distressed in 2004,” the Governor said. “Pittsburgh has gone from projected deficits exceeding $100 million to surpluses in each of the past three years, due, in part, to the assistance provided by DCED and the Act 47 Recovery Team.”

For information on DCED programs and initiatives, visit http://www.newpa.com/ or call 1-866-466-3972.

Welcome to Coopersburg

2008-10-14T09:13:00.001-04:00

It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Coopersburg Business Revitalization Program, to announce that our gateway sign program is virtually complete! The first sign has been placed and the second sign should be up by the end of the day. This is what vehicles and pedestrians will see when they first enter Coopersburg from Main Street.

Congrats to the hard working volunteers of the CBRP for completing this project!

Thanks, Lehigh County

2008-10-13T14:23:00.000-04:00

One of the things I have talked about over and over again, including in my recent Morning Call op-ed, is that increased regionalization efforts are critical towards helping to enhance urban areas and keeping all local governments afloat from a financial perspective. One of the state leaders in that effort has been Lehigh County. Here are just some of their recent initatives to promote urban revitalization and regionalization efforts:

* Safe Streets Inititiative: Lehigh County County provide $1 million in matching grant money for community police officers in downtowns and boroughs
*$3 million in county funding to link the back office data centers of the all 17 Lehigh County police departments to enable creation of a regional Crime Data Center
* Main Street improvements & planning: More than $100,000 in county grant money for Main Street improvements and to fund any cross municipal planning
* Commitment of two county positions to work with cities and borough and township leaders on downtown improvements and regional efforts
* The creation of the Congress of Governments, which is thriving and getting full participation from all 25 local governments
* Record investment during the last 3 years in farmland preservation, making Lehigh County the third ranking county in preserved farms.

Trouble for Local Governments

2008-10-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

As if local governments didn't already have enough burdens; their troubles are about to grow. Check out this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The summary is that local governments are also in real trouble with the current state of the economy - prices continue to rise while revenues decrease. The revenue decrease is for a couple of reasons: primarily, it is because the real estate transfer tax (tax due to governments when homes are sold) is dramatically decreasing due to a slow real estate market. Furthermore, as homes are forecloused, people do not pay their property taxes.

Local governments are under seige from a variety of different sources - increasing expenses, inflation, decreasing revenue and an increasing demand on their services. To balance the books, look for governments to cut back on services, increase taxes, or both, and this at a time when services and low taxes are needed most.

This is unquestionably one of the major crises facing America today, and it is one of the quieter ones as well. It will be interesting to see how local governments respond.

Morning Call Coverage

2008-10-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

The Morning Call was kind enough to our program and urban revitalization efforts some great coverage on Sunday. First, they published an op-ed that I wrote. Second, they covered our upcoming zip code survey.

This was a good Sunday!!

Valley Vision 2015

2008-10-09T09:26:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Please see the card below for a message from Valley Vision 2015, or click here visit their website. This is an amazing initative being run through the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Coopersburg to unveil two new gateway signs

2008-10-09T09:12:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I am VERY pleased to report our two new gateway signs are going to be unveiled shortly in Coopersburg! These signs were designed, ordered and paid for completely by the volunteers of the Coopersburg Business Revitalization Program.

The official unveiling of the signs will be at 2:00pm on Sunday, October 12 at 615 S. Main Street in Coopersburg. This is a public event, and we encourage you to attend!

Watch Walmart Spread!

2008-10-08T09:36:00.000-04:00

One of the favorite targets of those involved in urban revitalization are national chains and big box stores like Walmart or Home Depot. The main crux of the argument against these places is that they destroy Main Streets by creating an all-in-one shopping area that sucks the life, vitality and civic pride out of traditional downtowns.

This website provides a graphical demonstration of Walmart's spread across America. You can watch new stores pop-up across the country.

Scary, huh?

Zip Code Survey

2008-10-07T10:30:00.000-04:00

Here is a press release we just sent out. I spent yesterday sending out over 150 letters to businesses, asking them to participate (yeah, yesterday was a lot of fun). This is the first in a series of efforts designed to take the BBRP in a more economic direction.

Enjoy!

NEWS RELEASE
Borough Business Revitalization Program to begin zip code study
----------------------------------------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Schlossberg
October 6, 2008 484-809-1796

Lehigh Valley, PA (October 6) – Michael Schlossberg and Sharon Davis, Borough Business Revitalization Coordinators for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, have announced that the Borough Business Revitalization Program (BBRP) will be conducting a zip code study designed to assist small businesses get more customers and better understand their market.

“In this economic climate, small businesses need all the help they can get,” said Schlossberg, coordinator for Alburtis, Coopersburg, Hellertown and Macungie. “We are conducting this study, at no charge to the business, in an effort to help them succeed as much as possible.”

“All we are asking is that merchants ask their customers what zip code they are from,” said Davis, coordinator for Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua and Wilson. “We will not track how much they spent or what merchandise they bought, and we will not ask for personal information.”

The zip codes will be analyzed by the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. From there, a profile will be built of the customers that shop in these Boroughs. The information delivered to the participating businesses will include:
The demographic information and location of their customer base, thus allowing them to better promote and advertise their business.
The psycho-demographics of their communities’ customer base, thus allowing you to have a better idea of who you are marketing to and what those customers are looking for.
The specific needs and demands of the customers who frequent their Borough, thus allowing then to better serve your customers.

“Main Street is in constant competition with big-box stores and malls. All chains will ask for zip code information or phone numbers so that they can constantly be conducting surveys like these,” said Schlossberg. “This study will help our communities better understand their customers and compete with the Walmarts of the Lehigh Valley.”

Sharon Davis noted that, “We want to do everything we can to help our small businesses. They are the backbone of the American economy, and without them, the face of our country and our community will change forever. We want to do everything we can to help these businesses thrive, and this project is such a great example. For barely doing any work, our businesses can learn a great deal about their customers.

This service is provided jointly by the Borough Business Revitalization Program and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Lehigh and Northampton counties have purchased memberships for the eight participating Boroughs with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, this qualifying them for these surveys.

Letters asking businesses to participate will be sent out at the beginning of October. The survey itself will take place from November 2 – November 15.

For general questions or questions related to Alburtis, Coopersburg, Hellertown and Macungie, please contact Mike Schlossberg at 484-809-1796. For questions related to Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua or Wilson, please contact Sharon Davis at 610-841-5840.

The Borough Business Revitalization Program is a regional Main Street Program. It is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Lehigh & Northampton counties, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the eight Boroughs: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie and Wilson. The goal of the program is to revitalize the urban cores of the participating communities.

# # #

Don't Build Parking and They'll Come--Without Cars

2008-10-07T10:23:00.000-04:00

This article comes to us courtesy of Robin Spilner, a volunteer with North by Northwest in Bethlehem.

The article makes a point that affects all urban areas, big and small: Parking is not as big of a problem as some may think. Many cities, in an attempt to accommodate the automobile or slow down development, have enacted stringent minimum parking requirements. The unintentional result of these requirements, however, is that businesses are driven away from urban areas since meeting these parking requirements is often too expensive or logistically not possible. Furthermore, one of the biggest strengths of cities is that they are walkable - accordingly, parking often goes unused because people walk or use mass transit to arrive at a location.

Locally, Alburits and Hellertown are in the midst of implementing parking changes that result from studies pursued by the BBRP. It will be interesting to see what changes we can enact.

Business Loan Rates Reduced by State

2008-10-06T13:47:00.001-04:00

I just got this press release from Virginia. As you may know, Pennsylvania is very much involved with community and economic development efforts around the state. In an effort to keep Pennsylvania competititve in the current economic climate, the Commonwealth has reduced business loans through three of their business loan programs: The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority, Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund and Small Business First loan program.

See the press release below for more info.
-------------------------
Governor Rendell Says Interest Rates on Business Loan Programs Reduced; Change Will Keep PA’s Business Climate Competitive
Industrial Development Authority Cuts Rates to Two Points Below Prime

HARRISBURG – Continuing efforts to stave off the effects of the national economic downturn, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that the Commonwealth has reduced interest rates on three of its key business loan programs to position Pennsylvania for continued economic growth.

“Pennsylvania is feeling the effects of recent events on Wall Street and a stagnant national economy,” said Governor Rendell. “While Pennsylvania is well-positioned to deal with this situation, we must continue to be proactive and provide incentives for businesses to invest, grow and create jobs.”

The Governor said the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority voted today to reduce the interest rate on its loans to 3 percent for all future projects. The commonwealth will also set interest rates to 3 percent for projects approved through the Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund and Small Business First loan programs.

Today’s cuts continue the practice of holding rates on these commonwealth loan programs to two points below prime.

The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority provides capital for infrastructure acquisition, creation and renovation projects primarily for manufacturers, industrial developers, research and development firms, agricultural processors and employers looking to establish national or regional headquarters in Pennsylvania.

“While we have fared better than many other states up to this point, recent declines in jobs and revenues flowing into the state show that we cannot stand by and wait for Washington to act,” said the Governor. “Now is the time to invest in our businesses and workers by providing the resources they need to weather this economic downturn.”

Governor Rendell also announced the PIDA board approved the first two loans with the reduced rate that will create more than 45 jobs and leverage more than $3.6 million in private commitments:

Clearfield County

Paris Cleaners Inc. will receive a $2.1 million PIDA loan to construct a new, state-of-the art automated laundry facility adjacent to its existing plant in the Dubois Industrial Park. The $5.3 million project is expected to create 40 jobs. The Clearfield County Economic Development Corp. is the sponsoring economic development agency.

Philadelphia County

The Forman Sign Co. will receive an $850,000 PIDA loan to acquire and renovate an existing building at Red Lion South Industrial Park in Philadelphia. The $1.9 million project is expected to create eight jobs. The PIDC Financing Corp. is the sponsoring agency.

Since 2003, PIDA has funded more than 400 projects with more than $385 million in loans, creating more than 9,500 new jobs and retaining more than 35,000 existing positions.

For information on any of the above programs and others administered through the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit www.NewPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

###
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: www.governor.state.pa.us.

More funding for Macungie

2008-10-06T11:08:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I received (more) great news from Lehigh County today. Our application for a Master Plan for $7,500 has been approved! The approval is contingent upon receiving $15,000 in funding from the State's LUPTAP (Land Use Planning and Technical Assistance Program) funding source, but indications from the State are very positive that we will be awarded the funding. This funding is in addition to the $5,000 we were already awarded from Representative Doug Reichley. Assuming that we do secure the $15,000 from the State, this means that we will only have an estimated $2,500 funding gap that will hopefully be filled by the Borough.

This is really great news for Macungie!

Great news from Lehigh County!

2008-10-06T10:57:00.000-04:00

Well, great news from Lehigh County! The proposed funding and position cuts were all defeated! Our Main Street program and the funding and grants that support it remain fully in tact! See the E-mail from the County Executive for more information:

Dear Friend,
Earlier this week, I wrote you to make you aware of proposed funding cuts for my 2009 budget that would have affected your organization and/or initiatives in which we are partnered or you are interested.

We had tremendous response to that outreach and many of you showed up for Thursday night’s Board of Commissioner budget hearing. Instead of being voted on in relative darkness, with you being there it created an open discussion in clear light Thursday night. I am happy to report that because of that response – and the strong support of a majority of the Commissioners – all of those proposed cuts were defeated.

Therefore, the 2009 Lehigh County budget will contain the funding levels that I proposed for:

Quality of Life grants to more than 20 cultural arts and community organizations
Farmland preservation
Open space preservation
Borough revitalization funding
Community partnership grants for townships
Community police matching grants
Urban parks funding
Brownfield/industrial land economic development
Regional economic development funding
Passenger rail study/mass transit funding

Remember, the 2009 budget is a modest 1.1 percent higher than this year’s budget. It contains NO tax increase and continues a balanced investment in the operations of Lehigh County government while supporting our community partnerships, our downtowns, public safety, our cultural arts institutions and community events, regional efforts across municipalities, mass transit and passenger rail development, preservation of open space and farmland and the development of urban parks.

I honor those partnerships with our municipal governments, our community and cultural arts organizations and our various partners, like LVEDC and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. Together, we make Lehigh County and the Lehigh Valley a very special place. Thanks for your help.

For more information on the 2009 budget, please contact the County Executive Office at 610-782-3001.

Sincerely,

Don Cunningham

Treevitalize article

2008-10-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

The Morning Call ran an article on our upcoming meetings in Alburtis and Coopersburg for Treevitalize. Check it out.

Cities facing credit crunch

2008-10-02T10:57:00.000-04:00

Everyone in America is being affected by the credit crunch and economic crisis that is sweeping our nation. Unfortunately, municipal governments are no exception. Check out this story from CBS news. With decreasing revenues and a massive spike in borrowing/credit costs, governments across the country are starting to feel the pinch, with major municipal governments in danger of going bankrupt. Locally, Pennsylvania state revenues have been down three months in a row and major cities, including Easton, are suffering from revenue decreases that will cause a tax increase.

This is something we should all be concerned about.

Coopersburg Bridge Contest

2008-10-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Coopersburg is in the middle of a very interesting project. They have a bridge on their Main Street, just next to Borough Hall, that is badly in need of a new paint job. Here's what the bridge looks like right now:

We'd like to repaint it, but we don't know what color to repaint it! Accordingly, the CBRP Steering Committee Chair, Mark McCormick, designed renderings of what the bridges would look like in maroon, green and black. Here are those pictures:

So, it's a vote (for Coopersburg residents only, of course). To make your selection, check out the pictures and E-mail me at MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org. Please provide your street address so we can confirm you are a Coopersburg resident (we do not sell or give away E-mails, so no worries there). The deadline is 11/5, so please vote before then!

Thanks for participating!

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Proposed Funding Cuts at Lehigh County for Revitalization Funding

2008-10-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

Friends,

I have some disturbing news from our Lehigh County Executive, Don Cunningham. It would seem that at least one Lehigh County Commissioner is attempting to reduce or eliminate funding for Lehigh County’s Department of Community & Economic Development. As you can see from the County Executive’s E-mail below, this elimination would have a dramatic negative effect on our program, as it would eliminate vital grant funding that has been of significant assistance to urban communities. Alburtis, Coopersburg and Macungie have all received either Streetscape or Planning grants as part of the BBRP program. Without county support, many BBRP initiatives would be reduced or completely eliminated.

If possible, please attend the meeting tomorrow (10/2, 6:pm in the County Government Center (17 S. 7th Street, Allentown) and speak about how seriously eliminating this funding would affect your community. I also encourage you to contact the Commissioners office (610-782-7050) and inform them directly about how this would affect our efforts to revitalize urban communities in Lehigh County. Please do this; it is VERY important that the Commissioners are made aware of just how significantly this would affect our efforts.

Thank you for your time and your consideration. Please see the E-mail from Executive Cunningham below.
------------
Dear Friend,
I am writing to notify you that some or all of the funding
proposed in my 2009 budget related to your organization and/or the
initiative in which we are partnered or you have expressed interest has
been targeted for reduction or elimination in a motion introduced by a
county commissioner.

This Thursday (10/2), the Lehigh County Board of
Commissioners will hold its final 2009 budget hearing at 6 p.m. in the
County Government Center at 7th and Hamilton Streets in Allentown. The
board will consider millions of dollars of proposed funding cuts to the
following areas:

* Quality of Life grants to more than 20 cultural arts and
community organizations
* Farmland preservation
* Open space preservation
* Borough revitalization funding
* Community partnership grants for townships
* Community police matching grants
* Urban parks funding
* Brownfield/industrial land economic development
* Regional economic development funding
* Passenger rail study/mass transit funding

My proposed 2009 budget is a modest 1.1 percent higher than
this year's budget. It contains NO tax increase and continues a balanced
investment in the operations of Lehigh County government while
supporting our community partnerships, our downtowns, public safety, our
cultural arts institutions and community events, regional efforts across
municipalities, mass transit and passenger rail development,
preservation of open space and farmland and the development of urban
parks.

Proposals will be considered and voted upon Thursday that would
alter that agenda and affect our partnerships and/or funding for your
organization or municipal government. That should not occur without you
having a voice in the matter. You may want to attend this important
meeting to represent the interests of your group or initiative.

For more information on the proposed funding cuts, please
contact the County Executive Office at 610-782-3001 or the County
Commissioner Office at 610-782-3050.

Don Cunningham
Lehigh County Executive
Government Center
17 S. 7th St.
Allentown, PA 18101
610-782-3001

Tips on running an efficient meeting

2008-09-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

One of the four-points of the Main Street & Elm Street approach is organization. This area largely pertains to the internal committee functions, like board governance, fundraising and training.

To that end, I wanted to share a file sent to me by my co-worker, Danielle Josephs. Danielle is the Vice President of Mission Councils at the Chamber (specifically, Danielle works with the Executive Women's Council and Small Business Council). As anyone who has ever been to a Chamber event or taken part in one of our councils can tell you, we have LOTS of meetings. Lots of them. The same absolutely goes for Main Street and BBRP communities. Accordingly, running an efficient and effective meeting is absolutely critical to our success. A good meeting allows people to discuss ideas but is efficient and uses a volunteer's time in the best way possible.

Accordingly, below is a document titled "Tips on running an efficient meeting." Take a look and enjoy!

TIPS FOR RUNNING AN EFFICIENT MEETING

Every meeting should be enjoyable, efficiently run, and build organizations morale. Efficient meetings respect people’s time as their most valuable resource.

1. Circulate an agenda and stick to it: An agenda should have the planned steps that get the meeting from “here” to “there”. Open discussion can be healthy, but you cannot let it dominate the meeting. Groups have a tendency to wander far from the original agenda. When you hear the discussion wandering off, ring it to the group’s attention. You can say, “That’s an interesting issue, but perhaps we should get back to the original matter of discussion.” Also, avoid repeating information for those who haven’t arrived on time or haven’t read the information sent to them prior to the meeting. If important items are brought up that aren’t relevant for the current discussion, record them in a “parking lot’ top be addressed later.

2. Start the Meeting Promptly: Do not penalize those who did come on time by starting a meeting late. However, for very large meetings, plan to start within 10-15 minutes of the official start time. For smaller meetings, particularly regular organizations committee meetings, start exactly on time.

3. Stay on Target: Any item that can be resolved between a couple people offline or that does not require the knowledge, consent, or input of the majority of the group should be scotched immediately. As soon as the needed permission, notification or task assignment is completed, just move on to the next item.

4. Avoid overly-detailed decision making: Frequently It is easier for a group to discus the color of napkins that it is the real issues it is facing. Avoid getting immersed in details, suggesting instead that the committee make the decisions, resolve the issue.

5. Move to Action: Meetings should not only provide an opportunity for people to talk, but should also challenge them to take action. Meetings should plan effective actions to build the event.

6. Seek Commitments: Getting commitments for future involvement is usually a goal of most meetings. Make sure that adequate time is allocated to seeking commitment. For small meetings, write people’s names next to the task they agreed to undertake. The chairperson may want to ask each person directly how he or she wants to help. One rule of thumb, especially for meetings with less than ten people, is that everyone should leave the meeting with something to do.

7. Bring closure to discussions. Most groups will discuss items much longer than needed. The facilitator is responsible for recognizing when a group is basically in agreement and move the discussion forward.

Presidential Politics & Urban Issues

2008-09-26T10:58:00.000-04:00

Friends,

The upcoming election has certainly generated a lot of heat lately, and as someone who is interested in both politics and urban revitalization, I've been thinking heavily about the role of the presiency in terms of politics that specifically concern our cities and boroughs. Accordingly, I found some links on each of the major Presidential candidates websites that particularly deal with cities. Both candidates have significant plans dedicated to the challenges facing energy in America: Here is Senator McCain's, and here is Senator Obama's. Furthermore, Senator Obama has a specific section on his website dedicated towards urban policy, while Senator McCain has a specific section devoted towards crime. I couldn't find similar components on Senator Obama's website on crime or Senator McCain's website on urban reviatlization. Normally, I would try to summarize the platforms of the candidates; however, given the importance of this election, I definately think its worth reading the material yourself, as opposed to reading a summary from my (biased) opinion. I also found an interesting article from the New York times on urban policy in the Presidential race (this was back during the primary in February) and how little attention the issue was getting.

I would be HAPPY to add any additional information.

The philosophy of Main Street

2008-09-22T10:28:00.001-04:00

Well, let me first say that this blog is going really well! We are starting to reach the point where people are yelling at me for my entries!

Yes, I do actually mean that. It doesn't take a genius to tell you that debate on any issue is good and absolutely necessary in order to ensure that your position is correct and your arguments are sound. I welcome anyone disagreeing with me and making their disagreement heard.

Anyways, a recent comment is the inspiration to this entry. The comment was: "Is this the job of the Chamber of Commerce....to force people and businesses back to the cities?"

It is a fair question, actually, though I don't think its fair to entirely apply to it to the Chamber. What is the job of an urban revitalization and smart growth effort? Is it government trying to force people to live in cities? Are the Chamber and other Main Street organizations trying to tell people where they can live?

The answer is a resounding NO. NO NO NO. I cannot stress that enough. Since when does improving a city mean that we are trying to force people to live in them? Nothing could be further from the truth.

My job, and the job of others like me, is to make cities better places to live, work, shop and play. We believe that cities are outstanding places and deserving of the resources provided to them. Throughout history, urban centers have served as the very cradle of civilization. They are centers of government, business, commerce, education and culture. Regardless of their size, urban areas have a mix of uses and a density that establishes a sense of community. When planned properly, cities are also environmentally friendly, have multiple modalities of transportation and are capable of sustainable living.

And, just as cities have always thrived, so too have other types of communities. Personally, I'm a fan of cities. I love the sense of community, that everything is close together, the professionalized government services, the vibrancy and the culture. I believe that the good far outweighs the bad and I want to dedicate my life towards ensuring that my community continues to improve. I love in Allentown and cannot wait to become a homeowner and raise a family there.

That being said, the Main Street approach fully understands that urban life is not for everyone. If someone prefers to live in a suburban or rural community, okay. No one who works in urban redevelopment would ever dream of stopping someone or forcing them to live in a community that they did not wish to be a part of.

That being said, it is the goal of those countless community organizers involved in urban revitalization to ensure that our cities are the best place imaginable. We want cities to be viable living and working options for people from all walks of life, and that is our goal: to make cities better places. Not to force anyone to live there.

News Release on Treevitalize

2008-09-19T09:46:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

Below is a news release I just sent out on public meetings we will be having for the Treevitalize in Alburtis and Coopersburg. The goal here is to determine where in the Borough we should apply for the Treevitalize program and attempt to get public support behind their requests.
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NEWS RELEASE
Up to $25,000 in grant funding for trees available in Alburtis and Coopersburg
840 Hamilton Street, Suite 205 – Allentown, PA 18101

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Michael Schlossberg
September 19, 2008 484-809-1796

Residents opinions sought for determination of tree locations

Lehigh Valley, PA (September 19) – Michael Schlossberg, Borough Business Revitalization Coordinator for Alburtis and Coopersburg, has announced the opening of the Treevitalize Grant Program for these two communities. This program, administered by Lehigh and Northampton counties and funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will provide up to $25,000 in matching grant money to any community that is interested in planting trees in their municipality.

“Research has shown that trees can enhance property values, protect against flooding, improve the environment and increase the quality of life in a community. This program represents an opportunity to greatly enhance Alburtis and Coopersburg, and we want to take advantage of it anyway we can,” said Schlossberg.

In order to determine where the trees will go within each Borough, two public meetings will be held. The purpose of these meetings will be to determine the where trees should go and what types of trees should be purchased by each community. This will ensure that the location and types of trees purchased have public support.

The date, time and location of these meetings are as follows:
· Alburtis: October 2 & November 6 (7:00pm, Alburtis Borough Hall)
· Coopersburg: October 15 & November 17 (6:00pm, Coopersburg Borough Hall)

Media coverage is strongly encouraged at each meeting.

The Borough Business Revitalization Program is a regional Main Street Program. It is a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Lehigh & Northampton counties, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the nine Boroughs: Alburtis, Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Hellertown, Macungie, North Catasauqua and Wilson. The goal of the program is to revitalize the urban cores of the participating communities.

Is smart growth having a political impact?

2008-09-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

An article on Smartgrowth.org discusses the recent electoral success of a Delaware Smart Growth candidate. In Delaware, State Treasurer Jack Markell scored a stunning (albiet narrow) upset victory over Lieutenant Governor John Carney Jr, defeating the establishment candidate by 2.4%. Carney was endorsed by Democratic Governor Ruth Minner and many other local political leaders. According to the article, Markell came forward with a strong smart growth plan. It noted that, "His course is clearly set out in ''A Plan for Enhancing Our Quality of Life in Delaware,'' based on research and guidelines by the Smart Growth Leadership Institute, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Urban Land Institute and key New Urbanism and mass transit champions, and posted on his campaign web site. "

One has to wonder about whether or not smart growth is starting to have an effect in political campaigns. I'd be curious to see polling data that indicated why Markell was able to defeat Carney. For now, lets just hope that our neighboring state is able to impliment a smart growth agenda.

Treevitalize

2008-09-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

There is a program that boroughs of both Lehigh and Northampton counties are working on and I wanted to take a second to describe it. The program is called Treevitalize and it will soon be operating state wide. Basically, the aim of the program is to lead to the planting of approximately one million trees across the Commonwealth. More specifically (taken from the Treevitalize website): "Treevitalize seeks an $8 million investment in tree planting and care over a four year period. Goals include planting 20,000 shade trees; restoring 1,000 acres of forests along streams and water protection areas; and training 2,000 citizens to plant and care for trees."

Indeed, trees are incredibly important to the the health and quality of life in a community. Studies have demonstrated that trees have numerous positive effects on a community, including the reducing electric bills, increasing property values and a reduction in flooding.

Locally, both Lehigh and Northampton counties have been selected to take part of a pilot program that would expand the Treevitalize program. Local municipalities in both counties can apply for up to $25,000 in grant money (or 50% of the cost of a project) to help cover the cost of these trees. For more information in Lehigh, contact Virginia Savage. In Northampton, contact Lori Sywensky.

Lehigh Valley Hosuing Market Update

2008-09-12T08:12:00.000-04:00

Here's some information regarding the latest statistcs on the Lehigh Valley Housing Market. This info comes to us courtesy of Marilyn deMendoza-Conte of Coldwell Banker Hearthside Realtors. Marilyn is an active member in the Hellertown Business Revitalization Program and that Coldwell Banker Branch has numerous members who are very involved in our revitalization efforts. Thank you, Marilyn!

As for the information below, it examines the activity in the housing market between August 2007 and August 2008 and pertains to the Lehigh Valley area.

Overall home sales decreased 23.4% (679 - 520)
Average sales price decreased 5.8% ($242,000 - $228,000)
Median sales price decreased 5% ($210,000 - $200,000)
Average market time increased (68 days - 49 days)

It also listed the median sale price by school district in Lehigh and Northampton Counties:

Allentown: $133,000
Bangor Area: $213,000
Bethlehem Area: $209,000
Catasauqua: $139,000
Easton Area: $244,000
East Penn: $211,000
Nazareth Area: $268,000
Northampton Area: $207,000
Northern Lehigh: $235,000
Northwestern Lehigh: $215,000
Parkland: $255,000
Pen Argyl: $199,000
Salisbury: $192,000
Saucon Valley: $221,000
Southern Lehigh: $580,000
Whitehall-Coplay: $195,000
Wilson Area: $142,000

This is a summary provided by Marilyn: "Although sales are down in the Lehigh Valley, our average price continues to remain stable and our housing market is healthier by far than most of the major markets in the U.S."

Interesting food for thought...

Stop building new roads!

2008-09-11T13:51:00.000-04:00

I was just handed some information on transportation by Renew Lehigh Valley. I found some really fascinating statistics on transportation in the Lehigh Valley. The information points out the relatively dire circumstances that roads are facing in Pennsylvania.

For starters, nearly 25% of Pennsylvania's bridges are structurally deficient, compared with just 12% in the U.S. This does not mean that a bridge is unsafe, but it does mean that a bridge needs to be closely watched and that repairs will be needed in the near future.

Repairs and new bridges are not inexpensive. Like everything else, materials used in road building have increased significantly. Since 2003, the cost of concrete has increased 53%, hot mix asphalt has increased 88% and fabricated structural steel has increased an astounding 156%. During this time period, gasoline increased 185% and diesel increased 215%. 18% of an average houshold budget has been spent on transportation, and in auto dominated regions (suburbia), that figure can exceed 30%. And here's an even more interesting fact: Gas prices today are actually equal to gas prices in Europe five years ago.

Future land use in Pennsylvania absolutely MUST be tied to transportation issues. We are already paying dearly (quite literally) for land use and planning decisions that have not kept the transportation network in mind. The best way to do this, as far as I can tell, is to build denser and more mixed-use - in other words, to build traditional urban areas.

Walking and driving

2008-09-09T14:59:00.000-04:00

As I've said before and as recent entries have indicated, creating viable transportation networks is absolutely critical towards continued urban revitalization efforts. Interestingly, the most common and oldest method of transportation is often the most overlooked: walking.

Here's an interesting statistic: 40% of all driving destinations are within two miles. 18% of all destinations are within just one mile. Of course, these statistics will increase when someone actually lives within a city as opposed to a suburb. Why don't more people walk then?

Well, pedestrian safety is one factor. According to statistics from the Federal Highway Administration, 4,749 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes during 2003, while another 70,000 were injured. 622 cyclists were killed and 43,000 were injured during the same period.

Interestingly enough, however, is that the amount of fatalities from car accidents FAR exceeds those killed or injured in pedestrian related accidents. In 2002, there were 42,815 people killed in car accidents and 2.9 million injuries.

Clearly, pedestrians are important part of any transportation network. For more information, visit http://www.walkinginfo.org.

Pics for Alburtis

2008-09-08T15:55:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, As a fundraiser, the Alburtis Business Revitalization Program will be selling a calendar. Each month will have a picture of Alburtis. Thanks to Dave Kutzor, chair of the Alburtis Business Revitalization Program, who took most of the pictures. I think they accurately capture what a beautiful place Alburtis is. This is what we have selected as the 12 pictures (the first five are published here, the remaining seven are coming). Comments are appreciated!

Light Rail in the Valley?

2008-09-08T14:28:00.000-04:00

Enhancing the transportation network of the Lehigh Valley is unquestionably one of the most important issues facing our community. Transportation dramatically effects the economy (did you know that traffic cost the United States an estimated 78,136,000 in 2005?) construction/movement patterns and the overall quality of life for a community (the same study noted that traffic congestion wasted an estimated 4,188,716 hours in the United States in 2005 - this is the equivilant of 174,530 days, or 478 years!!!).

What are the solutions, and how can we incorporate those solutions into the Lehigh Valley? Well, one such solution just moved forward one step. On August 29, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission gave their support to a $250,000 study that would "study what it would take to extend the existing NJ Transit commuter line into the heart of the Valley." According to the article, funding would come from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation ($100,000) and the remainder would be split by Lehigh and Northampton counties. Ideally, any rail system in the Valley would connect with already existing networks in Harrisburg, the Poconos, Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey.

The construction of the transportation system in America has historically damaged our urban cores. Among other things, the building of our highway system opened new lands for new construction (aka suburbia), thus giving residents of cities other living options. This drained cities of valuable population and fiscal resources and is a large contributor to the state of cities today.

The question of specifically how light rail would help our urban cores remains to be seen, but it is a question that is absolutely worth answering.

Funding for Hellertown

2008-09-04T14:42:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

I have more good news to report! Representative Bob Freeman has committed to a $5,000 grant to go towards Hellertown's revitalization efforts. Specifically, this grant will help fund banners on Main Street.

As the author of the Elm Street program, Representative Freeman is one of Pennsylvania's leading advocates for urban revitalization. Thank you, Representative, for your continued dedication and for fighting the good fight!

Quality of Life

2008-09-04T09:59:00.001-04:00

A new ordinance passed in Allentown caught my eye today and got me thinking. The ordinance, sponsored by Allentown Councilman Peter Schweyer, would ban residents from having more than four yard sales a year. This is a law that is geared at improving the quality of life by stopping them from "running a cottage industry out of their front yards," according to Council President Mike D'Amore. Ideally, it will also help enhance the image of Allentown by helping to correct the perception that some have of Allentown as a great place to sell junk.

I asked Councilman Schweyer to elaborate a little on the goal of this ordinance. Here's what he said: “Think about it: if you live next door to a person running yard sales every week, you will have more traffic, more noise and less parking. This is simply a quality of life issue, and is the first of several initiatives that Council is looking at to curtail nuisances throughout the City.”

This got me thinking. One of the chief efforts of any downtown revitalization program needs to be an attempt to improve the quality of life and the perception of an urban area. Any special events that take place in a community need to ensure that they help to improve on that community's perception. This is also a big part of the reason why physical improvements are so vital to a community - they help to create a positive image of a place, which thus spurs more business and residential growth.

Here's my question: what else can we do to improve the quality of life and perception of urban areas?

Regionalization - The Future for Urban Areas?

2008-09-03T12:33:00.001-04:00

Pennsylvania has a rather dubious distinction: it has the third most governments in the entire United States. When you factor in governments at every level (state, county, municipality & school district), Pennsylvania has 3,135 governments. That is the 2nd highest rate of governments per capita in the entire United States, behind only Illinois. Wow.

So why is this a bad thing? Don't small governments ensure that elected officials are close to their citizens and government is responsive? Of course. That is absolutely an outstanding benefit of living in Pennsylvania. By living in this Commonwealth, you are virtually guaranteed that an elected official lives somewhere nearby. This gives the average resident access to their governments at all time.

The problem, unfortunately, is that this massive level of governments creates an environment whereby tax payer money is often wasted. This occurs in many ways. Separate municipalities make separate purchases, thereby denying them the opportunity to make larger purchases together at lower prices. Staff in separate municipalities could easily be merged at a savings to tax payers. A lack of regionalization at a zoning and planning level often leads to inefficient use of land, damaging the wallets of residents, the urban areas that we many call home and the environment that we all share. A lack of regionalization also prevents government from acting in regards to areas of vital importance, including public safety and health.

Why is regionalization such a good thing for urban areas? Urban areas (cities and boroughs alike) often have very similar functions - police, fire, community & economic development, maintenance, etc. - that townships and rural areas don't have. Given their comparatively condensed nature, urban areas can have a much easier time meshing departments (like police and fire) together. State policy specifically encourages this type of regionalization through grants, like with the Regional Police Assistance Grant Program and Shared Municipal Services Program. Furthermore, urban areas are often in tougher financial positions than their rural/suburban counterparts. Accordingly, the need to save money is particularly important.

One important caveat: no one is talking about merging two municipalities together. Such a proposal is usually overly ambitious and will go against the will of the people that elected officials have to represent. What is talked about more often is a regionalization of services, like police and fire. Doing so will likely save taxpayers money, while still allowing each municipality to maintain a joint identity.

Money for Alburtis and Macungie!

2008-09-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Earlier this morning, I had a meeting with State Representative Doug Reichley (R-134). Representative Reichley is the State Representative for three Main Street communities: Alburtis, Macungie and Emmaus. Of course, Alburits and Macungie are both part of the BBRP.

I'm pleased to report that Representative Reichley has committed to a $10,000 grant - $5,000 for Alburtis and $5,000 for Macungie. In Alburtis, the money will fund our gateway signage, historical marker and town clock projects. In Macungie, it will fund our proposed downtown Master Plan, and with any left over funding, a parking study and a traffic study.

Thank you, Representative Reichley!

Facade Program application

2008-08-27T15:45:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Real quick, I just wanted to let you all know that the full Facade Program application is now available on the internet. Just click on the above link to access it.

Thanks to David Novak, Borough Councilman in Coopersburg, for putting the application up!

Op-Ed

2008-08-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

The Morning Call was kind enough to print an op-ed that I wrote on the improving state of our local cities. Click here to read it or scroll down. Thanks to the Morning Call for publishing my piece and for their continued support of urban revitalization!

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Lehigh Valley Town Square
Modern cities are changing, and the change is for the better
By Michael Schlossberg
August 27, 2008
How many of you have stories that sound something like this: You grew up in a city. The streets were safe, the schools were first-rate and people looked after each other. But somewhere along the way, things changed. Your favorite hang-outs were knocked down and nothing was ever rebuilt. The school district declined. You became afraid to walk the streets at night. Wanting better for your children, you moved to a suburban community.

Does this sound familiar? But, our urban centers have changed.

Consider crime. In Allentown, thanks to additional police officers and better technology, violent crime has dropped dramatically -- about 25 percent in the past two years. This is not to say that the city's crime problems are fixed, but the city is absolutely moving in the right direction. In Bethlehem, many violent crimes dropped 11 percent in the past year. Meanwhile, our boroughs, places like Macungie, Nazareth and Emmaus, have virtually no serious crimes. Some haven't seen a murder in decades.

What about taxes? Suburban areas may have lower taxes, but not for long. Taxes were kept low there by rapid development. But as the economy slows, development slows with it. A great example is Bethlehem Township. For the first time in 15 years, it may have to raise taxes, possibly by 10 percent. The tax disparity between urban and suburban communities will not exist for much longer.

The benefits to urban areas are innumerable. Residents have access to full-time and professional police and fire protection, as well as nearby medical facilities. Everything is closer together; residents don't have to drive everywhere or they don't have to go far. Urban residents have access to mass transit. Allentown has one of the best parks systems in the state. Boroughs like Macungie (which has three parks within one square mile) offer recreational opportunities that are within walking distance for virtually every residents. And, with parks, playgrounds, schools, clubs and other kids, urban living creates an place that allows children to be with each other, as opposed to playing video games.

Our urban cores also have a sense of community that suburban communities can never hope to duplicate. Urban areas are a hotbed for political activism and neighborhood involvement. They are also the home of other organizations, everything from garden and book clubs to community facilities that are the home for dozens of local sports teams. These groups often make dramatic improvements to their hometown.

Americans of all races and socioeconomic sectors are moving back into cities. Statistics show that the rate of wealthy residents leaving cities is rapidly slowing and in many cases, richer people are finally moving back into cities. This does not mean the end of the diversity in urban centers, far from it. What it means is that large portions of the populace have realized that urban environments are not places to fear, but are places to thrive. Places where you can raise a family.

Proof of this renaissance can be seen by just reading the news. It is virtually impossible to do so now without hearing a story about activism dedicated towards improving our urban cores. Be it the Hamilton Street Visioning, Seventh Street Revitalization, North by Northwest in Bethlehem, Greater Easton Development Partnership, Borough Business Revitalization Program or other groups, governments and citizens alike realize that the key is a long-term revitalization effort.

I'm not saying all cities and boroughs are paradise. There is still much work to be done. But cities are on the rise because neighbors have learned that they do not have to sit back and let their homes be lost to crime and neglect. Indeed, that is the worst thing they can do. For urban communities to come back, they require community leadership and an active citizenry. Thankfully, in the Lehigh Valley, we have no shortage of either quality.

Michael Schlossberg is a borough business revitalization coordinator for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Stay Warm PA

2008-08-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

There are few items that put as much of a drain on someone's personal budget as much as fuel - be it for heating your home or driving your car. As I've said countless times in the past, I truly believe that energy conservation and urban revitalization are two thigns which go hand in hand.

Accordingly, I was pointed to this website by our friends at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. It is called Stay Warm PA. From the front page of the website:

We want Pennsylvanians to stay warm this winter and we are working to make sure that those who are most vulnerable and need our help have the resources they need to cope with the cold months and days ahead.

Home heating is a significant expense. We want consumers to know what resources and assistance are available - whether to help pay home heating bills or for weatherizing home. This Web site will help people learn where to turn when they need help.

My goal is to make sure all Pennsylvanians are warm and safe and are prepared for the months to come. This site is one way we’re doing just that.

Edward G. Rendell, Governor

Facade Program Update

2008-08-18T15:33:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Well, for Alburtis, Coopersburg, Hellertown and Macungie, I have the latest information on our Facade Program. Right now, for those who received the Design Assistance, we will be holding meetings on August 26 and 28 to review the architectural renderings. Anyone who wants revisions will get them no more than two weeks after the meeting. At these meetings, we will also be giving out the formal application and all of the related information.

We have also set a deadline for this portion of the Facade Program: October 14. The allocations will be made shortly after that.

UPDATE: I now have the dates and other information for the other five participating communities. They are:

Bangor: Final application due date is 10/15.
Bath: September 30.
Catasauqua & North Catasauqua: Late October.
Wilson: The Facade Workshop will be on 9/30.

Two Great Articles

2008-08-12T10:45:00.001-04:00

Two great articles for you today, brought to my attention by our friends at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center.

The first, titled "Eight is Enough," discusses the eight good aspects that all good downtowns should have, highlighting the experience of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The article notes some of the cornerstones of urban revitalization, like ensuring a mix of uses and marketing cities towards the appropriate demographics.

The second article, "Trading Places," discusses the recent switch in the demographics of our cities. In traditional American cities, the more affluent lived on the cities outskirts while the poorer were relegated to the inner city. In the past thirty years, however, many cities have seen a switch in this demographic trend. The article goes on to discuss the reasons why. It's a long one, but definitely worth reading.

Plans for the Year

2008-08-11T11:43:00.000-04:00

We've just finalized our Strategic Plan for the year, and I wanted to share with you all the results. Below is a list of our planned activities for 6/2008 - 6/2009. Keep in mind this is just initatives that we are undertaking at a program-wide level and that this is certainly NOT the only things we will be doing this year. Comments, as always, are very much appreciated!

Design:
- Complete the 2007 Facade Program
- Complete the 2008 Facade Program
- Complete a parking inventory in interested communities.
- Complete property inventories.

Organizational
- Complete visioning/strategic planning in all communities.
- Develop a budget in each community.
- Assemble a volunteer orientation packet.
- Complete bylaws in all interested communities.

Promotional
- Assemble a residential welcome packet.
- Hold at least one fundraising/promotional event in each community.
- Continue to add content to the BBRP website.

Economic Restructuring
- Complete "Working with the Borough" guide in every community.
- Complete zip code survey.
- Meet with real estate agents/developers and discuss our program/available properties.
- Produce a Business Enhancement Brochure in conjunction with the SBDC.
- Assemble a business recruitment packet.

Small businesses in America

2008-08-08T09:29:00.000-04:00

In the course of doing some research for a project, I came across some really interesting statistics.

All to often, we hear about how small businesses are dying in America. There is no doubt that small businesses are facing a particularly difficult time. Between big box stores & malls, rising fuel costs, increasing inflation and plummeting consumer confidence, small businesses are in difficult shape. Some people even ask why they are worth saving.

That answer is easy. According to statistics provided by the United States Census Bureau, there are over four million small businesses (firms that employee under 19 employees) in the United States. These firms provided over twenty million jobs and have an estimated payroll of nearly two trillion dollars annually.

Small businesses are VITAL to the continued development of the American economy, and our political and community leaders must do everything they can do ensure that small businesses can continue to thrive in these changing times.

America's Fastest Dying Cities

2008-08-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

As an urban revitalization coordinator, I always try to act as a cheerleader for cities. I don't do this because of my job, I do this because it is what I truly feel. Cities and urban revitalization are two things I care deeply about and I will do whatever I can, both within my job and outside of it, to try to promote them both.

That being said, we have to be realistic about the challenges that we face. A report on forbes.com perfectly illustrates that challenges. The report is called "America's Fastest-Dying Cities" and the title basically explains the article. These cities are marked by decreasing population, rampant unemployment and stagnant economies. Four of those cities are in Ohio - two are in Michigan. This is a pretty good illustration of the challenge that urban areas face. And it's not just limited to the rust belt. The report goes on to note that some of the most thriving cities, such as Miami, Las Vegas and Phoenix (which recently passed Philadelphia in population growth) have seen massive declines in their housing value - sometimes by as much as 30%.

There's no doubt that there are huge challenges for those who care about urban revitalization. But history has proven that a coordinated, long-term, private-public partnership can revive even the most dying city. I'll be curious to see what sort of efforts these cities are putting (or will shortly be putting) into urban revitalization.

Preserving Open Space

2008-08-06T16:26:00.000-04:00

During my job interview for this position, the first question I was asked was why I wanted this job. My answer was that I firmly believed in open space protection and that land use changes were needed through the Commonwealth. However, I also believed that the public and private sector had to do more than limit land development, they had to make more livable communities. It was that belief that first made me interested in urban revitalization.

An article in the Morning Call somewhat touches on the connection between land use preservation and urban revitalization. The article discusses Upper Saucon's efforts to preserve open space. To do so, Upper Saucon is encouraging developers (and potentially changing ordinances) to encourage a more clustered form of development. The proposal works like this: developers promise to preserve half of the land they are developing. As a result, Upper Saucon lets developers increase the density of the properties that they will build. There is something in this proposal for everyone: developers get more houses (and thus make more of a profit) while more open space is protected.

According to the article, 32 communities throughout the state have this type of land use protection. 14 of them are local.

For more information on this type of zoning and a variety of other tools that can be used to protect open space, visit the National Land Trust's website.

LVMS in the Morning Call

2008-08-05T09:23:00.000-04:00

Hi to our regular and new readers,

Thanks to the Morning Call for publicizing a blog entry I made last week on fuel prices and urban revitalization.

For those of you who are new and interested about this blog and the program behind it, click here to read about our program and here to read about some of our accomplishments.

Any questions, do NOT hesitate to contact me at MikeS@lehighvalleychamber.org.

Allentown Comprehensive Plan

2008-07-30T12:44:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone,

Well, more interesting tidbits for those of you who love zoning and planning (yes, we are clearly a large group). Allentown has released a draft of their Comprehensive Plan. I attended a breakfast today on the subject, and it was really very interesting. It lays out the benefits and goals of a Comprehensive Plan, sets general principles for the future development and redevelopment of Allentown, and targets eight neighborhoods for specific initiatives.

Click on the link above to get more info about this comp plan. The next steps in the planning process are as follows. This draft is open to public comment, after which the city will revise the plan, as necessary, to reflect the input. From there, the Planning Commission approves the plan, and the plan is then ratified by Allentown City Council.

In terms of public comment, the city is using the internet to accept comments on hte plan. Click on the link above to learn more.

Americans driving even less...again....

2008-07-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened again. According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the amount of Americans driving in May 2008 (compared to May 2007) dropped 3.7%, or roughly 9.6 billion miles. This figure will likely increase again in June, a month that saw the national gas average hit around $4.10.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: nothing will help urban revitalization more than the increase in gasoline prices. The suburban model of development is predicated around cheap energy so you can drive large distances from one aspect of life (such as housing) to another (office, malls, etc). Cheap energy is a thing of the past. People want, and need, to live in areas that are close to each other.

How walkable is your neighborhood?

2008-07-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

I recieved this link courtesy of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. It is an amazing website called walkscore. You can have a lot of fun with this one.

Here is how it works. Basically, the website calculates a "walk score," which serves to tell you just how walkable your neighborhood is. It calculates this score by locating nearby uses which are necessary for every-day living, such as stores, restaurants, schools, religious institutions, nearby government centers, parks, etc. It then ranks your community on a scale of 0 - 100. The methodology is obviously more detailed then that, but the website does provide an in-depth explination about how the score is calculated.

This website is an outstanding tool. Not only can it help you determine a good neighborhood to live in, but it can also help you evaluate your community in terms of nearby amenities and what your community is missing. The biggest problem with this site, as you can see below, is that it is very dependant upon size. A smaller community will rank lower than a larger one; this, however, is largely a result of the lack of businesses that a smaller commmunity has. Unforunately, this score does not necessarily capture the fact that, in all four of my communities, you actually CAN walk from one destination to another. The website also doesn't necessarily make distinctions that make sense within a category (for example, in Bath, Condoms Galore is listed as a bookstore...can't say I agree with that categorization...).

The first thing I did on this website is calculate the walk scores for my four communities. Using Borough Hall as the address, here are the results:

Alburtis: 22 out of 100. I think this low score is largely a result of the fact that the Borough is relatively small (only about 2,100 people and a dozen or so businesses).
Coopersburg: 37 out of 100. The fact that Route 309 is nearby helps boost the score here, but again, the relatively small size of the Borough makes a higher score difficult.
Hellertown: 74 out of 100. A large Main Street with a good business mix helps boost Hellertown's score.
Macungie: 66 out of 100. Again, a good business mix helps increase the score.

I also calculated our other four communities: Bangor, Bath, Catasauqua and Wilson, also using their Borough Halls. The results:

Bangor: 63 of 100.
Bath: 52 of 100.
Catasauqua: 82 of 100.
Wilson: 72 of 100.

Form-based codes

2008-07-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

So, since I am a geek, I found this really interesting.

http://www.formbasedcodes.org/definition.html

This is a link to an article on an entirely different way to approach zoning and codes. As anyone who lives in a city and works with these areas can tell you, zoning and codes is often incredibly frustrating. Despite being designed with the best of intentions, for a variety of reasons, businesses are often unwilling or unable to be started in a city because of a variety of zoning and code restrictions. Thus, zoning and codes often act as a deterrant to business recruitment and enhancement.

Form Based Codes is a different approach to this important area. Instead of specifically defining what a new building cannot do, Form Based Codes list general principles of what a building actually can do. Specifically, they concentrate on the relationship of a building to the rest of the street and public realm.

This is a creative approach to zoning that obviously has its positives and negatives. Click on the link to learn more.

Updated Coopersburg Website

2008-07-21T08:50:00.000-04:00

As is blatantly apparent to anyone who reads this blog, I am a big believer that the internet MUST be incorporated into any downtown revitalization effort. It's 2008, and the time where any serious organization can be without a website has passed. In Hellertown and Alburtis, we will shortly be undertaking work to update their websites. Macungie and Coopersburg have two outstanding websites (in fact, Coopersburg has two).

What I wanted to write this entry about was a recent update to the Coopersburg website. This site, put together by Bob in Coopersburg, has an update of our entire efforts their, our accomplishments and the Facade Program. In short, it looks outstanding. Bob, thank you so much for putting this together, and a special thanks to all of the volunteers in Coopersburg who make this website happen.

Click here to view the site.

Small Shop Saves Town

2008-07-18T13:54:00.001-04:00

This is an interesting photo gallery/store about how one shop, started by residents, helped to save a vacant town in Powell, Wyoming. Yes, Wyoming.

Click here for the story.

Treevitalize

2008-07-18T07:43:00.000-04:00

The Lehigh Valley has been selected as a pilot region for a new state program, Treevitalize.
The goal of the program is simple: plant 1,000,000 trees throughout Pennsylvania in the next five years. It will do this by giving grants to help municipalities pay for trees. There are a variety of components to this plan, including educational seminars and trainings, but the jist of it is that the state, in conjunction with Lehigh and Northampton County, wants to help bring greenery to the Lehigh Valley.

This is great news. Studies have demonstrated that trees can help enhance property values, reduce electric and gas bills and even improve business for a commercial district.

Interested municipalities will be expected to contribute some of the costs of planting these trees, but the good news here is that the public works department's work on planting and maintaining the trees can count towards that match.

More information on this project is available through Virginia Savage, Lehigh County Manager of Main Street Initiatives. Virginia can be reached at virginiasavage@lehighcounty.org.

This program is good for property values, commercial districts, community pride and the environment...so basically, you can't go wrong!

Properties of Merit

2008-07-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to talk about a great program for Main Street communities, Properties of Merit. PoM is based on the philosophy that well-kept properties will help encourage more well-kept properties. To summarize it briefly, Properties of Merit engages neighbors and volunteers to award properties that are kept in outstanding condition. The theory here is that it will encourage other properties to be well-kept as well - its basically the "broken window" theory in reverse. Awards are given by volunteers and ultimately given at a banquet reception.

This is a great program that is expanding by the month. It started in Allentown and has since grown to numerous localities across the Lehigh Valley and the entire Commonwealth. Other local communities involved include Bethlehem, Coplay and Northern Lehigh. It also just expanded into Catasauqua and Macungie, two BBRP communities.

We need as much help as possible to encourage communities to keep their properties in outstanding physical condition. Properties of Merit does just that, and I think that any community interested in pursuing this worthy goal should check out this program.

Update on the 2008 Facade Program

2008-07-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Below is some information that will shortly be going out to all potential applicants in this year's Facade Program. I'm pleased to say that the program is actually moving faster than we originally anticipated this year.

As of this writing, Design Assistance is in progress. It should be completed by July 23. The renderings should be ready no later than two weeks from that date (August 6) and another two weeks will be needed for potential revisions. If you did not receive Design Assistance, then this section has no effect on you.

Regardless, we believe that we will be ready to mail out the formal application at some point in the beginning or middle of August. At that time, you will be asked to get two bids on any items that you are looking to complete for your property. Formal applications will be due somewhere around the beginning of October, with formal awards made no more than two weeks after that. Once you have received your formal notification, you will be ready to proceed with your project.

If your project requires warm weather and must wait until the Spring of 2009 to proceed, that is absolutely fine with this program. We understand the time constraints of contractors, and if it easier for you to wait until 2009 to begin your construction, that is allowed and will not affect your eligibility for the program or funding that you are awarded.

This is a tentative schedule; however, if anything changes in the future, we will inform you of the new calendar. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Macungie Business Directory

2008-07-08T09:40:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

In a project that has been completely spearheaded by volunteers, Macungie is nearing completion on a Business Directory. Here's the story:

http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-companynews0708.6493261jul08,0,793367.story

MACUNGIE DIRECTORY TO LIST BUSINESSES

The Macungie Business Revitalization Program is seeking to compile a business directory of every business in Macungie.''Macungie has a very large variety of retail and service shops, everything from gift basket and flower shops to hair salons and a bed and breakfast,'' said John Albright, a volunteer with the Macungie Business Revitalization Program.''We have over 100 businesses in our small community. We think that compiling a directory of those businesses and then publishing that directory will really help to promote Macungie as a whole.''

The directory will contain a variety of information on all businesses in Macungie, including contact information, a description of the business, payment methods accepted and an option for businesses to place a coupon in the guide.''The volunteers have worked very hard to complete this project,'' said Michael Schlossberg, Borough Business Revitalization coordinator. ''I have no doubt that this project will result in an increase in customers for Macungie businesses.'

'To be included in the directory, please contact Michael Schlossberg at 484-809-1796 or mikes@lehighvalleychamber.org. The deadline to be included is July 21.

Regional Advisory Council

2008-07-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

I have a message below from Virginia Savage, Manager of Main Street Initatives at Lehigh County. She has information on an important regional upcoming meeting. See the E-mail below for details!
--------------------
Hello Friends,

On behalf of the Borough Business Revitalization Program, I would like to invite you to join our Regional Advisory Council for the Borough Business Revitalization Program (BBRP) and Lehigh Valley’s Main and Elm Street Programs.

With this Council, we hope to work together on projects that will benefit all of the Valley’s Main Street and Elm Street programs while offering you the opportunity to also network with your peers to share ideas and experiences.

Our first meeting will be held Thursday, July 17 from 6:30-8:00p.m. at Northampton Area Community College’s Southside Campus (Fowler Family Center) on 511 East Third Avenue, Room 605.

The agenda thus far will include:
1) Objective for Council and your thoughts
2) Update on the BBRP program extension
3) Chamber Foundation
4) Treevitalize-FYI, DCNR selected the Lehigh Valley as a pilot region and we have the opportunity to request up to $200,000 for tree planting. Come out and here how we can work together to plant trees in the Lehigh Valley
5) Potential projects
6) Façade program update
7) Report from Sara Hailstone, DCED
8) Future meeting dates

A light dinner (sandwiches and/or pizza) will be served.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing ideas!
Kindly RSVP to me by Monday, July 14 so that we may plan accordingly.

Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!

Virginia M. Savage
virginiasavage@lehighcounty.org
Manager of Main Street Initiatives
County of Lehigh
Government Center
17 South Seventh St.
Room 519
Allentown, PA 18101

Phone: 610-782-3809
Mobile: 484-764-8085
Fax: 610-820-8257

Slate Belt Heritage Days

2008-07-07T11:49:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone,

Our friends in Bangor are putting together this outstanding event. Check it out:

BBRP webpage

2008-06-20T13:19:00.001-04:00

Well, the BBRP now has its own page on the Chamber's website! Please check it out and let us know what you think!