This property on Brown's Drive, which used to be a day camp called Camptown, is undevelopable. When Glovas bought it, he developed the only land he could to build his mansion. It would cost too much to develop the rest.
I doubt Council was provided with a copy of the appraisal. That was done contrary to the state's requirements for a valuation on a conservation easement. State law requires the County to select the appraiser, but Williams Township did instead. State law also requires the appraiser to "take into account any increase in the value of the subdivided acreage because of the placement of the easement on the remaining farmland." In the case of the Glovas mansion, for example, the appraiser was required to go back to the mansion and surrounding land that Glovas has carved out of the proposed conservation easement and determine how much that parcel would increase in value as a result of the easement preserving the land around him. This is something the appraiser failed to do, most likely because it would decrease the value of the appraisal. In fact, I've never seen it done.
But if the county ignores state law and reviews the appraisal, it should know from the appraisal that this is a bad deal.
* Part of it is in Flood Zone X. This is a minimal at-risk area, but is pretty strange for a project presented to NorCo Council as "steep slopes."
* Zoning is Low Density Residential, which requires a 2-acre minimum for building lots on his 68 acres.
* The potential for development is nonexistent. This is because most of the property is considered too full of granite and gneiss boulders. If you go down just 60 inches, you hit a lithic bedrock. Anyone who wanted to develop here would need lots of dynamite.
* According to the appraisal, the foundation of any home would need to be seven feet below the surface.because of the rocky terrain, that would be cost prohibitive.
* The potential for basements on 56.9 acres of this property is "very limited" with 8-55% slopes that are "very bouldery."
* The ability to construct sand mounds for septic on this "very bouldery" 56.9 acres is "very limited."
* The same 56.9 acres would be lousy for farming as well.
Glovas is a sophisticated real estate speculator who has bought and sold properties throughout the county for years. He purchased this property knowing full well that most of it can never be developed. He is no environmentalist, but is simply trying to get the government to hand him $319,970 for development he knows will never occur.
Even though it was done improperly, the appraisal makes clear that this is a waste of public money that is sorely needed elsewhere.
Noon Update: - This has thankfully been removed from tonight's agenda.
16 comments:
Bernie
The research you must have done to prepare this blog is remarkable. If only the public would attend this meeting and demand accountability. People scream at their rising taxes but do they attend council meetings to demand accountability? You could not have done more to help us understand what is going on here.
Call the bar in Wind Gap and get our top councilman Scott "Barney Rumble" Parsons on it... he likes to waste our money
Your best expose' to date.
Ah, those wonderful government programs! If Wayne Grube was still with us, he'd probably call Glovas's deal, "nice." It wouldn't be surprising to see Peg Ferraro offer Glovas an extra 30%.
Now that prom season is over and we know who makes the best hot dog and cheese steak, will the E-T dodge the gunfire between Mulligan's building and Sal's clean and safe West Ward to cover any of this? Inquiring minds .... don't really give a shit.
What a disaster that paper has become. It is sad.
Regarding the post by 10:36, It is a reflection of our culture Bernie.
Sad.
I heard you found your car today.
As far as the E-T goes, the only ones that really leave the office are the photographers and sportswriters. The rest just sit there and write up police and scanner reports.
They would never bother to cover a meeting, or a court case or anything that would force them to leave the office.
Bernie,
I am amazed at your reading of documents that I and others should have read, especially regarding the Glovas appraisal. My mistake. Like the Smejkal appraisal a few years ago, the Williams Township Board of Supervisors must pay better attention to detail. In both cases, the appraisal should have been enough to end the process. George Washburn voted against the Smejkal preservation because of that very reason. I am not proud of my vote in the Glovas case. I hope you can convince the County. I am now aware of why the BOS gets things last minute from our LPB and Heritage Conservancy and told that we have deadlines to meet. I voted for this preservation and now regret that vote because of what you have disclosed. I hope we get a chance to make corrections as the County and DCNR do their review. I will forward a copy of the Heritage Conservancy power point so you see how we were informed by "trusted folks." We all have to do better. I will read the documents more carefully and we need to restore trust. Thanks for your reporting.
Vince Foglia
Vince Foglia
Good job Bernie... Thanks to yet again for exposing the underhanded deals that get passed through.
Vince, if not for you and Halden Ballek, this would be a done deal. You both have done a great public service.
2:94, the car has been located, thanks to the vigilance of the Sheriff's department. I will have a story at midnight.
In Lower Saucon Sandra Yerger who is running for council and is on our EAC works for heritage conservancy. Her job is community outreach. Lower Saucon does business with heritage all the time. Tell me that's not a conflict of interest. This is the same person supported by a super Pac that IESI Bethlehem landfill has given $40,000 to get her voted in. She did donate her property to open space I do not know all the details but I know there is some kind of tax break in there. I agree these purchases get pushed through way to fast half the time when you ask council for the breakdown in numbers houses,taxes,appraisals they look at you and have no clue. At least do the damn math and some research yourself vs relying on people that all make money off the deal. The whole deal act 319, open space, and the way these developers hold a gun to the rest of the taxpayers head with threat of massive developments is bullshit. In Williams they changed zoning for Charie so let's change it where all of these developers are looking for handouts to one house per twenty acres. It is what people want and it is no cost to the taxpayers who have funded these ridiculous purchases for years.
Thank you Bernie for continuing the research and pressure on this topic. Many of us in Williams have tried to fight against this for years and are lucky to have Vince Foglia and Halden Ballek on our side.
While preserving quality land could and should be done - the Glovas property is the epitome of why these programs are nothing but free money for some and ripe with corruption. Voting at the polls last year when we voted down the Open Space tax in Williams, I was yelled at by a proponent of the tax that I wanted "dirty water" for my children to drink.
These people are despicable....
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