Local Government TV

Monday, October 14, 2024

NorCo General Purpose Authority Approves Wilson Borough Transfer For Dixie Cup Development


In May, Skyline Investment Group representatives were at the NorCo's General Purpose Authority (GPA) meeting. Wilson Borough actually owns a small triangular piece shown on the tax map you see above as 1C-1. It is 0.35 acres located along the eastern side of 25th Street and is actually the beginning of a bike path that extends from the Palmer Bike path and hooks up with the Tatamy Trail. According to Claudia Robinson, who is actually a tax credit maven employed by an outfit called AreaProbe, Skyline plans to move the giant Dixie Cup currently on top of the vacant factory and plant it next to the bike path, where people could ooh and ahh at its wonder. 

But there's a problem. Wilson Borough is unable to convey directly to Skyline unless it first conducts an auction at which anyone could bid to buy the tract. This could complicate Robinson in her quest to attract private equity with promises of an historic tax credit. 

To foreclose the possibility that someone other than Skyline gets this tract, the Borough could convey to the county GPA, which in turn would munificently turn it over to Skyline. That way the law against this kind of insider dealing would be followed even though the spirit of the law would clearly be ignored. 

At their October 8 meeting, NorCo's GPA approved the land transfer by a 5-2 vote and without discussion. Voting Yes were Charles Dertinger, Paul Anthony, Ken Kraft, Ronald Donchez and Pamela Pearson. Voting No were Lori Vargo Heffner and Lance Colondo. 

Vargo Heffner is President of NorCo Council and Colondo is Nazareth's Mayor.

17 comments:

  1. You can see why MacClure demanded Paul Anthony be on county council. He will be part of the McClure ticket next year. You can also see why the three McClure County council puppets were so stubborn in their demand that Anthony be appointed. Don't hate the game just change the players. That is your boy McClure.

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  2. Dirty dirty dirty. It's a third of an acre in a prime spot. I want a fair opportunity to purchase that piece.

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  3. Lori Vargo Hefner’s vote is not surprising in that she hates the Building Trades. This project will create 150 good paying construction jobs.

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    1. 6:27, Those jobs will be temporary, but that explains the support by Anthony and Kraft. They are trade union guys. I do not know why LVH or Colondo voted the way they did, but doubt it has anything to do with trade unions. This transfer is an artifice used to avoid an auction of the property in which it might end up owned by someone other than Skyline. It could very well be their vote reflects a disdain for the crony capitalism evident in this transfer.

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  4. This project will bring $200,000,000.00 in new investment to Wilson Borough. What a great win for the people of Wilson !

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    1. Oh you just wait and see! Remember when Bethlehem residents were told their taxes would decrease tremendously when Sands had built the casino? I hear they're still waiting.

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  5. Mayor Barrett will be leaving a tremendous legacy. When the project is built and occupied, Wilson will get $500,000.00 more per year in EIT and LST taxes. That’s huge for a cash-strapped Borough.

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  6. Lori will NEVER win her reelection next year. Between tallying up all her NO votes that would've benefitted her constituents and her betrayal of the building trades, she has nothing to run on and very few who will help her.

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  7. Crony capitalism and political patronage. Wilson will wind up with a low income rental housing project. Can't wait to vote out my school board members next year.

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  8. Ken Kraft served our nation honorably in the USMC. Ken Kraft should be County Council President.

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    1. That’s a good reason to be Council President-NOT!

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  9. service in the military shouldn't automatically qualify anyone for any position. service should be respected & it could be a factor in some cases, but that's all.

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    1. Why are you denigrating Ken’s service ?

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  10. Kraft does not have the votes for President next year. It will be Hefner unless there is a compromise President.

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  11. When Ol’ Kraft was Prez, stuff got done. Now, Lazy Lori Vargo Heffner & Co. aren’t even working this week.

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  12. This is underhanded backroom politics at its worse. Shame on the so-called public officials involved in this charade. McClure should be condemning this activity instead of orchestrating it.

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  13. I would like to bid and possibly purchase that land. Their shady way around the law could be contested.

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