Controller: Angle's Chrin Deal Has Produced $203k For Farmland Preservation

Ron Angle (right) with prominent Easton
barrister Gary Asteak

Back in 2010, Charlie Chrin wanted a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) for his 691-acre industrial park at the northern portion of Palmer Tp. That's a financing tool that would enable him to use the increase in property taxes to fund additional development. It must be approved by the local municipality, school district and county.

This TIF had already been approved by Palmer Tp and the Easton School Board. When it came to the county, the proposal had several powerful proponents. They included former State Rep Rich Grucela,  Easton Mayor Sal Panto and Dale Colver, Chair of  Palmer Tp's Board of Supervisors. It seemed like a slam dunk. But not to Ron Angle. He was bothered that the some of the best farm land in the county was going away. So he asked Council for permission to approach Chrin himself. They reluctantly agreed.

What Ron Angle knew, and the rest of council did not, is that Chrin considers himself at heart a farmer. He played on that, and got Chrin to agree to contribute 1.5% of the net sales price of all lots sold to the county until it had $2 million.

With that money, the county would be able to preserve nearly as much other farmland as it was giving up to Chrin.

So how much money has the county received?

Controller Steve Barron has just audited the 17 parcels involved. Three have been sold. Thus far, the County has received $204,000 from Chrin, and the money has been deposited in the Farmland Preservation Fund.

Fiscal Director Jim Hunter has agreed to keep annual tabs on these payments.

Ron Angle is no longer in office, but his deal has fattened county coffers bu $204,000.  

Angle's Chrin Deal Has Generated $204,000 For Farmland Preservation Since 2012

In October 2011, Charles Chrin sought a TIF from Northampton County for a 689-acre business park he was proposing at the northern end of Palmer Township. A TIF is a special arrangement which allows a developer to use the increase in real estate taxes to fund more infrastructure. It requires the approval of the municipality, school board and county.

Chrin had a good argument. For one thing, he was willing to pay for the cost of an Interchange along Route 33 near Tatamy. Even more importantly, it was expected to produce 3,500 jobs. But it gobbles up 689 acre of farmland.

The TIF had already been approved by Palmer Township and the Easton School District. But the County had to sign off as well.

Angle negotiated a commitment from Chrin to set aside 1.5 per cent of the gross sales price of each lot as sold for farmland preservation, capped at $2 million. According to then Executive Stoffa, this money would be used to get matching grants from the state, and thus enable the County to preserve 650 acres of farmland.

"Nobody else could have done it," Stoffa told the Farmland Preservation Board the following year.

"It's not easy dealing with Charlie Chrin," said Board member Bob Doerr.

"It's much harder dealing with me," wisecracked Angle.

It is now 2017. How much money has been generated as a result of this deal?

 Ken Kraft asked that question nearly two months ago. He finally got an answer of sorts at Thursday night's economic development committee meeting.

According to Department of Community and Economic Development Director Tim Herrlinger, the county has received $204,000 since 2012 from the sale of five lots. Of course, there are many more lots to be sold so I suspect that $2 million figure will be reached.

Herrlinger said his figure is "subject to audit." Translated, that means he's unsure.

Sure or not, there's $204,000 that belongs in farmland preservation instead of anywhere else. John Brown failed to include that sum in his budget for farmland preservation and needs to do so.

Lehigh Valley Farmland Disappearing

The Northampton County farmer

Lynn Prior, who is with the Greater LV Buy Fresh, Buy Local program, released the findings of an unsettling study concerning the are'a local agricultural industry. This report is based on 2007 census data, so it is a pre-recession report. But the basic conclusion is that not only is farmland disappearing, but so is the farmer.

According to her study, the Lehigh Valley lost 80% of its farms between 1930, when there were 5,032 farms, and 2007, when only 1,002 farms remained. The acres of land devoted to farmland has dropped 53%, from 323,000 acres in 1930 to 153,000 in 2007.

Since Americans require an average of one acre of farmland per person every year, 153,000 acres will only sustain about 25% the Lehigh Valley's population of 647,232.

In addition to the loss of farmland and farmers, the farmer is disappearing as well. The number of farmers under the age of 35 dropped by 37% between 1997 and 2007. Only 17% of farmers actually own the land they farm because land values are prohibitive.

To reverse this process, Prior's organization encourages (1) educating consumers about locally grown foods, including a farm to school program that introduces children to the farmers who grow their food; (2) marketing assistance to local farmers; (3) improving food access in low income neighborhoods; and (4) a Lehigh Valley Food Hub to increase the amount of local food sold in local restaurants and grocers.

NorCo Among Top 5 Counties in 2013 Farmland Preservation

According to the latest newsletter of the Northampton County Conservation District, Northampton County has set aside nearly five times the amount that Lehigh County will spend on farmland preservation this year. But don't get the idea Lehigh Country doesn't care about farmland preservation. Thanks to former Commissioner Sterling Raber, it has preserved 251 Lehigh County farms covering a total of 20,692 acres. That's more that twice the 124 farms preserved in Northampton County, consisting of 12,412 acres.

In 2013, 20 of 33 applying farms are qualified for preservation. The total fund available is $3,339,024. This includes a county commitment of $1,025,405, a township contribution of $200,000, and state funding of $2,113,619.

Northampton County ranked 5th in terms of county commitments, behind Chester, Lancaster, Bucks and Berks Counties.

The other 52 participating counties committed $350,000 or less to their farmland preservation programs for this year.

Lehigh County has committed approximately $220,000.

Pennsylvania is the nation's nation’s leading farmland preservation program. Over 25 years, the state has preserved 4,385 farms totaling 470,000 acres with $1.1 billion dollars..

Is Farmland Preservation On Way Out?

Northampton County usually has about thirty farms on a waiting list for farmland preservation dollars. But this year, farmers are actually reluctant to apply, according to Farmland Preservation Board member Ron Angle.

Low appraisals, a stagnant economy and Lower Mount Bethel Township 90-10 Ordinance are the reasons, according to Angle.

He predicts that next year, a state government looking to make cuts will eliminate the program completely. "It's luxury compared to human services," Angle told me.

First Sowing Seeds Bike Ride Tomorrow in Upper Milford

Although I think it's a tad tacky for Allentown to conduct a bike race on 9/11, you can actually ride in another bike event the following day in Upper Milford. It's the first ever Sowing Seeds Charity Bike Ride, and it will be staged from Jasper Park.

A 5-, 20- or 40-mile ride will benefit Lehigh County’s Seed Farm, a non-profit agricultural incubator that trains people to become farmers on 25-acres of land in Upper Milford.

Registration for any of the three bike routes is $25 in advance and $35 if you register the day of the event. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Start times for the three rides are staggered with the 40-mile group heading out at 8:30 a.m.

After the ride, bikers will be served a lunch of locally grown food at Jasper Park.

Lehigh County is a leader in farmland preservation, protecting more than 19,291 acres on 233 farms from urban sprawl and development. The agricultural incubator will help the county build a new era of farmers and agricultural professionals, said Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham.

“Agriculture and farming are a vital part of Lehigh County’s economy,” Cunningham said. “We have to approach economic development in that industry just as we would any other. Our goal is to allow prospective farmers to enter the business of agriculture without having to make huge investments in land and equipment.”

Participants are paired with mentor farmers in the program and given access to land, tractors and other equipment during their apprenticeship. Produce, such as lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes, and herbs and livestock raised on the Seed Farm are sold at local farmer’s markets.

If you'd like to become a Seed Farm apprentice, contact Jeff Zehr, Director of Farmland Preservation at 610-391-9583 ext. 15 or by email at jzehr@lehighconservation.org. The deadline is Nov. 1 and classes begin in February 2010.

Ron Angle: The Great Dissenter

Northampton County Council member Ron Angle is frequently on the wrong side of 8-1 votes. Wednesday night's "special meeting" was no exception. He was the sole legislator to vote against a $175 million bond financing plan that will enable St. Luke's Hospital to purchase and "improve" 500 acres of fecund farmland at the intersection of Route 33 and Freemansburg Avenue. He is also the only one who did the right thing.

Angle, often ridiculed for his poor grammar and lack of education, is arguably the most intelligent elected official in the Lehigh Valley, especially when it comes to financial matters. I am arguably the most stupid person in the Lehigh Valley when it comes to high finance, and proved it in my post complaining about 500 acres being removed from the tax rolls.

My opposition to the financing proposal for St. Luke's was based on the mistaken notion that the county would be removing 500 acres from the tax rolls. Actually, none of this 500 acres is tax exempt. St. Luke's pays real estate taxes on the 200 acres it already owns, and will have to pay taxes until it builds a medical facility and applies for an exemption. Moreover, if it decides to build a hotel or condos, the hospital is ineligible for an exemption, at least in those areas.

So why was Ron Angle out there, all by his lonesome, voting against this financing scheme? Let me sum it up.

First, even though the property itself is taxed, the bonds being sold to finance this purchase are tax free. That gives St. Luke's a leg up over any private investor. It may be legal for a nonprofit hospital to sell tax free bonds to finance a hotel or condo, but it's totally unfair.

Second, for a county that claims to support farmland preservation, we have a strange way of showing it. Not only will the county go along with the development of some of its best farmland, but it will actually make things easier for the developer by allowing the sale of tax exempt bonds.

Finally, there's an inherent unfairness in calling a "special meeting" with next to no notice. It would never happen for you or me. It's purely an accommodation to the movers and shakers. Council members are afraid to upset people who could easily field and finance an opponent.

Eight people may have voted against him, but Angle's dissent reveals intelligence, concern about over-development and an instinct for democracy. It is perhaps his finest moment on council.