Category Archive: Legislative / Advocacy
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FOLLOW UP: VACANT BUILDING BILL OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGAGEMENT
by Preservation Action
October 17, 2007In last week’s legislative update, Preservation Action reported on the Neighborhood Reclamation and Revitalization Program Act of 2007 introduced by Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY) in the House of Representatives and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) in her chamber. The bill seeks to remedy the problems caused by vacant housing in depopulated urban areas, and grew from Representative Higgins’ experience in Buffalo, NY. Many of the bill’s initial cosponsors, including the former First Lady, are preservation advocates.
Preservation Action looked into the thinking and leadership behind the bill, and we’re now working with Representative Higgins’ office and other groups on development of the underlying pro-preservation idea: sorting out how to revitalize neighborhoods with extensive vacant housing stock. Our opportunity is huge: bill leadership wants to work with the preservation community to come up with legislation to solve the problem. And within our membership, we’ve got many groups already working with cities to revitalize urban neighborhoods by rehabilitating urban housing stock.
Now is a good time to pool our examples of effective pro-preservation vacant housing programs to aid in improving the vacant housing bill. It’s also a good time to work with your local press on publicizing success stories of vacant housing revitalization.
Who is considering the bill:
House cosponsors:
Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY), Rep. Michael Doyle (D-PA, and on the Historic Preservation Caucus), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY, HP Caucus member), Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH).
The bill is currently in the House and Senate committees that authorize HUD programs. That’s House Financial Services (Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee) and Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs (Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development).
House: (Barney Frank (D-MA) is chair of the Financial Services Committee)
Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN)
Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Rep. Al Green (D-TX)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ)
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Rep. Charles A. Wilson (D-OH)
Rep. Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT)
Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL)
Rep. Stevan Pearce (R-NM)
Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY)
Rep. John Campbell (R-CA)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI)Senate: Christopher Dodd (D-CT) is Chair of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development
Sen. Charles Schumer, Chair (D-NY)
Sen. Mike Crapo Ranking Member (R-ID)
Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) -
VACANT BUILDING DEMOLITION BILL INTRODUCED IN BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE
by Preservation Action
October 12, 2007On September 7, Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY) introduced the Neighborhood Reclamation and Revitalization Act of 2007 (H.R. 3498) that would authorize $100 million to be spent on the demolition of vacant housing over three years. On September 17, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) introduced a companion bill in her chamber (S. 2054). The House legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Financial services and has 12 cosponsors. These include: Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY), Rep. Michael Doyle (D-PA, and on the Historic Preservation Caucus), Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY, HP Caucus member), Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY), Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH).
The Senate bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
The bill’s language is similar to blight fighting urban renewal programs mostly discontinued by the mid 1980s. The bill begins “Congress finds that vacant residential properties are a scourge on communities, leading to lower property tax revenues for municipalities, higher municipal maintenance costs, and severe public health and environmental problems.”
The federal program would provide grants to local governments to either demolish vacant housing or demolish vacant housing and study of what might be done with the cleared land. To be eligible for the funds, the local government has to demonstrate continued population loss beginning with the 1980 decennial census, have a considerable amount of vacant housing, have “substantial urban decay and neighborhood degradation resulting from vacant housing” and have a coordinated plan for getting rid of vacant buildings.
Needless to say, this legislation presents a serious problem for those of us seeking to maintain and revitalize our historic residential building stock. Given the composition of the cosponsor list and Senator Clinton’s history of support for historic preservation (Save America’s Treasures was a First Lady initiative during the Clinton Administration), there may be opportunities to adjust thinking within the current base of support for the bill. Preservation Action is looking into how the negative impacts of this program have been considered during the legislation’s development. Once more is known about the evolution of the policy, Preservation Action will report back to you and lay out who you need to contact.
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Vote set next month on historic status for theater
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Pittsburgh Post GazetteThe city’s Historic Review Commission expects to vote next month on a proposal to designate the Garden Theater an historic landmark. It heard public support for it — with no objections — yesterday.
“It’s a no-brainer,” said Greg Mucha, a member of the Mexican War Streets Society, citing concurrent planning for new housing, a new branch of the Carnegie Library and development proposals in the pipeline for a dozen or so properties that form the Federal Street-North Avenue corridor.
“We would like to see all of North Avenue become a historic district, and this would be an important first step,” said Steve Paul, executive director of Preservation Pittsburgh.
Dan Holland, founder of the Young Preservationists Association, said the Garden was overlooked in his group’s report last year citing 130 properties that should be protected.
The 91-year old structure, one of the last nickelodeon-style theaters in the country, was a porn theater for decades until earlier this year, when the Urban Redevelopment Authority purchased it after a lengthy battle of court appeals.
First published on October 4, 2007 at 12:00 am
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HERITAGE AREAS AND NATIONAL PARKS BILLS CONSIDERED
by Preservation Action
September 27, 2007The Senate National Parks Subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resources committee met on Thursday, September 27, 2007 to hear testimony on eleven bills concerning specific National Parks and Heritage Areas. Subcommittee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D- HI) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) presided. Of the eleven, nine bills were considered “non-controversial,” and supported with little debate by the National Parks Service and the Subcommittee. These bills primarily dealt with technical issues, such as reauthorization of funds and boundary adjustments.
For a full list of the bills, parks and areas consider, visit:
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1657
The National Park Service objected to two bills: S. 148 that would establish Paterson Great Falls National Park and S. 697 that would create the Steel Industry National Historic Site were not supported by National Park Service. Daniel Wenk, NPS’s Deputy Director for Operations testified on behalf of the agency. He stated that the resource study conducted on Paterson Great Falls concluded that the area did not meet three of the four criteria for establishing a national park. The NPS believed that the current site management by the state of New Jersey was sufficient. Wenk met strong criticism, particularly from Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) who presented quotes from noted scholars claiming the historic study interpretation of Paterson was “severely flawed.”
The Steel Industry National Historic Site Act (S. 697) was also opposed by NPS. Wenk cited “feasibly of administration,” “lack of integrity,” and cost as reasons for the agency’s objection.
Representative Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) urged the passage of S. 148 in order to refurbish and maintain a unique piece of American history. Pascrell is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and is a cosponsor of H.R. 1043 that would improve the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) testified on behalf of S. 189, delving into Keweenaw, Michigan’s rich history and the benefits that the legislation would have on this economically depressed part of Michigan. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO) spoke on in favor of legislation affecting Cache La Poudre River Heritage Area because of the “rich history related to water law in the West.” Allard is one of seven Senators currently cosponsoring the Senate version of the tax credit improvements bill.
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Allegheny County Designates PHLF to Spearhead Main Street’s Program
Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato announced at a press conference in Swissvale yesterday the initiation of a large-scale Allegheny County Main Streets program. Four pilot communities will be involved: Swissvale, Elizabeth, Tarentum, and Stowe. Landmarks has been designated to operate the program in conjunction with the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development.
Landmarks has selected Town Center Associates of Beaver County to serve as sub-consultant with responsibility for communications with local officials and property and business owners, development of a website and a newsletter, and conduct demographic research.
Landmarks will analyze the historic buildings, prepare recommendations for restoration, develop a real estate strategy for improving retail offerings, conduct market research, assist the County with major facade grant and low-interest loan programs, all designed to help revitalize these Main Street communities.
Funding is coming from Allegheny County and private foundations in Pittsburgh.
Landmarks will field a team of staff members with a variety of experience that will be useful for a comprehensive program, including market research, real estate financial analyses, design, graphics, planned giving, construction and real estate development.
Work begins immediately.
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City approves tax break for new housing in 29 areas
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
By Mark Belko,
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteCity Council approved tax breaks yesterday designed to spur new housing Downtown even as it expressed misgivings about excluding some neighborhoods from the program.
The measure, approved 8-0, will waive the first $2,700 in city property taxes for 10 years on new housing units built Downtown and in 28 other city neighborhoods.
“It’s symbolic of our effort to prioritize and give incentives for people to move back Downtown and to create incentives for people to move back into neighborhoods that haven’t seen investment for some time,” Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said.
Approval came even though several council members complained about neighborhoods being excluded from the program, which based eligibility in part on a “vitality index” that factored in population losses, education levels, single-parent families, poverty, low home ownership, high vacancy, tax delinquency, violent crime and other factors.
In fact, several Fairywood residents made a last-ditch appeal to council to be added among the eligible neighborhoods, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
“We never get anything in our neighborhood. We’re always left out, except for things that don’t work,” Donna Washington, a member of the Fairywood Citizens Council, said afterwards.
Councilman William Peduto, who had proposed a competing tax break that would have applied to Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods, said the residents had a point.
“When you choose 29 neighborhoods to be the winner, you’re also choosing 60 neighborhoods to be the loser,” he said.
Several other council members, including Daniel Deasy, who represents Fairywood, also expressed disappointment about neighborhoods being left out but at the same time expressed hope that the program could be expanded in the future.
The Ravenstahl administration has said that going citywide would have cost the city $75 million over the life of the program. As structured, the abatement is designed to replace the new property tax revenue the city is giving up with gains in wage and other taxes.
Mr. Peduto said one possible avenue to explore in years ahead would be income-based property tax breaks as well as incentives built around green buildings, historic preservation and public art.
While the program isn’t perfect, it does lend assistance to efforts to bring more housing Downtown, he said.
Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate for Millcraft Industries, the Washington County developer bringing condominiums to the former Lazarus-Macy’s building and apartments to the old G.C. Murphy’s store Downtown, described the abatements as a “good start.”
“I think it’s definitely going to help us,” he said.
He said he was also hoping that Allegheny County and the city school district would adopt similar measures. He said abatements in Philadelphia have helped to revitalize that city.
Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato expects to have an announcement soon relating to a possible county tax abatement program, spokesman Kevin Evanto said. For the initiative to be successful, Mr. Onorato believes the city, county and school district all must participate, he said.
While Fairywood residents complained about being left out, representatives from several other neighborhood groups spoke in favor of the program before the vote.
Cindy Cassell, who heads up economic development and project management for Neighbors in the Strip, said the program could help to stimulate the redevelopment of about 100 vacant properties in the Strip District.
“It makes urban living in Pittsburgh more affordable for more people,” she said.
The city is still writing regulations for the program, a process that could take at least a month. Abatement applications will be accepted for five years.
(Rich Lord contributed to this story. Mark Belko can be reached at mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262. )
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City Council approves tax abatements
By Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 5, 2007Tax breaks designed to attract home builders to Downtown and 28 neighborhoods won City Council’s OK today but excluded some low-income neighborhoods, residents complained.
“It seems to me that the city is trying to upscale the city, and there’s no room for lower income people,” said Donna Washington, 51, a Fairywood resident who told council that her neighborhood should be eligible for the tax breaks.
“We are always left out,” said Washington, a member of the Fairywood Citizens Council. “There are a lot of people who would like to do work on their homes … and they can’t afford (the higher taxes).”
Beginning July 1, those who build new housing — or significantly improve existing residential property in the designated neighborhoods — would be exempt from the city’s 10.8-mill property tax for 10 years.
The tax break applies to the increase in value of new developments capped at $250,000. For example, the owner of a new apartment building worth $250,000 would not have to pay $2,700 a year in property taxes, creating $27,000 in savings over the decade.
The City Planning Department created a “vitality index” to determine which neighborhoods would be eligible for the program. The department assigned scores to neighborhoods based on data such as housing vacancy, violent crime, income, education levels and population decreases.
The bill, proposed by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, passed 8-0 today. Councilman Len Bodack was absent.
Nancy Noszka, director of real estate with the Northside Leadership Conference, likes the tax break program and said if it entices home builders to come to the city “the program will help stabilize our communities.”
Cindy Cassell, project manager for the Neighbors in the Strip community group, said the tax breaks could persuade developers to improve some of the estimated 100 vacant properties in the Strip District.
“The 10-year tax abatement will make the cost of rehabbing these old buildings more affordable,” she said.
Councilman Bill Peduto said the mayor’s office should have focused the tax breaks on Downtown because it has the greatest potential for new development that would eventually feed the tax base after the 10-year abatement.
He said the bill has “flaws” because the Planning Department’s vitality index should have been based solely on income, akin to federal Community Development Block Grant programs.
“This is not perfect legislation; it definitely has its flaws. But we definitely have an opportunity to move forward and see some development Downtown,” said Peduto. He said he voted for the legislation because he believes Pittsburgh lags behind other major U.S. cities in offering such tax breaks.
In addition to Downtown, eligible neighborhoods for the tax break are: Allentown, Arlington, Beltzhoover, California-Kirkbride, East Allegheny, Elliott, Esplen, Fineview, Hays, Hazelwood, Homewood North, Homewood South, Homewood West, Knoxville, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington/Belmar, Lower Lawrenceville, Manchester, Marshall-Shadeland, Mt. Oliver, Perry South/Perry Hilltop, Sheraden, Spring Garden, the Strip District, the Upper Hill District, Upper Lawrenceville, Uptown and the West End.
Jeremy Boren can be reached at jboren@tribweb.com or (412) 765-2312.
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Eminent domain clarified
By staff and wire reports
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Friday, May 5, 2006Gov. Ed Rendell signed into law a measure that generally protects property owners against the loss of their land for private development, unless it is declared a danger to public health and safety. The law allows Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Norristown, Delaware County and some other areas to seize land that already is designated as blighted until 2012 for development projects. Since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Kelo vs. City of New London case, saying local governments have the right to seize property for private development, 18 states, including Pennsylvania, have enacted eminent domain reform laws.