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Lansdale council committee advances vacancy and foreclosure ordinance changes, drops vacancy registration fee
Summary
Code Enforcement committee moved a revised vacancy/foreclosure ordinance toward full council that removes the planned vacancy registration fee, retains a semiannual fee for foreclosed properties and directs further legal drafting and public review.
LANSDALE, Pa. — The Lansdale Borough Code Enforcement and Land Planning Committee on March 5 agreed to send a revised vacancy and foreclosure ordinance to the full borough council after removing a proposed fee for vacant properties.
Committee members said the ordinance will keep a semiannual registration fee for foreclosed properties but that the vacancy portion will require registration after 90 days of vacancy without charging a registration fee. The committee directed staff and the borough solicitor to revise the draft for legal advertising and potential adoption at the next business meeting if the revised draft is ready.
The change came after committee discussion about how a vacancy registry would be used. Supporters said a registry would create a single list of contact information for vacant properties that could be used by prospective investors, economic development staff and emergency personnel, and could help the borough act on health and safety concerns at unoccupied buildings. HERA — the organization the borough expects to contract with for foreclosed properties — will handle foreclosed-property management and receive a portion of the foreclosure registration fee, the committee said.
Council members and staff clarified how the fees would be allocated: a recommended $300 semiannual registration fee for foreclosed properties, with $125 to HERA and the remainder to cover borough administration. The vacancy portion will require property owners to register after 90 days of vacancy; the committee removed the proposed fee for that registration. Committee members said HERA will be paid by banks for the foreclosed-property work and that the vacancy list is valuable even without a fee because it provides contact and safety information and supports economic development outreach.
Committee members said public comment at the committee meeting was broadly supportive of the revised approach; one attendee who had previously opposed the ordinance indicated satisfaction with the revisions. Several council members urged that the revised draft be circulated to all council members with adequate time for review and voiced willingness to delay adoption if the final draft was not ready.
The committee instructed the solicitor to incorporate the discussed changes and, if the draft can be legally advertised in time, to place a motion for adoption on the next business meeting agenda. No final adoption occurred at the March 5 work session.
Less central committee items included a report that the borough issued 51 permits in February and a reminder to pet owners to clean up after animals in public spaces.
The ordinance drafting will continue; council members asked that the final draft be distributed for review before any vote.
