[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6114761,"mediaKeyId","2741788-8cfc4ceeb54a5bc48e920b64574da55f","parentId",2741788,"title","Council delays final sign-off on Ladera/Cardinal Ridge submission over stormwater, HOA and plan completeness","audioSeconds",1161,"startMs",1304000,"endMs",2465000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741788-8cfc4ceeb54a5bc48e920b64574da55f&start=1304&end=2465","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741788-8cfc4ceeb54a5bc48e920b64574da55f/thumbnail_1304000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114761/Franklin-Park/Allegheny-County/Pennsylvania/Council-delays-final-sign-off-on-LaderaCardinal-Ridge-submission-over-stormwater-HOA-and-plan-completeness","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114761-b62e0e4b5b11d5da8db854c731af0c37/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161879&Signature=igiuXj~m8~l92YF2vbrZDHKsM3gmnECiUufWl~vCZM2ZQyY9ZmBRlWKjIofyTda8hDJaVZ5j~jzF4R3VpRL4EzIauOJ75OwO-HWWAWILkPZPISwonu7x-6N3rRTHYDGrM-5dYNe7CnRK2ZdxZC-r8wi3zUeuOYNlxG~qffA6fI4px6UnKia7sn5egkyQMSfOahTHfjpFm5bk-yxx-qJCL6m~f0CtR4CIV7zUAwugPT2s1RsaOAvnDYQ0CHB2Y7xl0xOc2qrNzJcjtecG3auEtYSvcu1nMRRP~drapKmkzvIyGpPLJ5H0UEqFBgPQWqFEwW0nOkHkzV-8wX1UkuKs9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Franklin Park Borough, PA","date","2025-03-23T14:03:11.717Z","article","Franklin Park councilors and staff discussed the Ladera/Cardinal Ridge development at length on March 19 after the borough received a signed development agreement and financial security from the developer. Staff and council members said the documents delivered to the borough reflect an earlier design with an underground stormwater facility; the council and staff are not prepared to finalize acceptance until updated plans and clarifications are filed.

Tim, the borough staff member who manages development reviews, told councilors he and other reviewers found inconsistencies between the newly recorded/posted materials and the developer’s pending revision. Council members stressed that conditions of approval should be captured in the staff reports and attached to any resolution so obligations are enforceable rather than residing only in meeting minutes. Councilors also raised multiple practical questions they want answered before final acceptance, including who will maintain stormwater facilities after dedication, whether an HOA will exist for townhomes that will affect long-term maintenance, and whether streets will be dedicated and accepted by the borough.

Council members said the developer had filed to obtain grading permits so site work could begin, but noted the council remains within a 90-day window for formal action or to request an extension. Tim said he had emailed the developer asking for the designer or engineer to attend the meeting; several councilors asked that the developer supply revised drawings and responses at least 14 days before the next agenda or to request an extension of time if they cannot meet that schedule.

The council discussed typical development safeguards: bonds and inspection during construction, an 18-month maintenance period and release schedules, and language in development agreements that allow the borough to enforce maintenance in the event an HOA or private entity fails to perform. Council members asked that staff include stormwater maintenance obligations, HOA documents or a timeline for HOA formation, and any dedication/acceptance criteria in an updated staff report. One councilor suggested tabling the item until the updated materials are provided; staff said that option remained available and that Tim could update the staff report based on the developer’s responses.

No final acceptance vote, dedication, or transfer was recorded. Council members instructed staff to return with an updated staff report incorporating the items discussed and to ask the developer for clarified plans and HOA/declaration documents before the next agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Borough Council Premeeting March 19 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Councilors paused final acceptance of the Ladera/Cardinal Ridge submission after staff found the signed development agreement and recorded plan reflected an earlier underground stormwater design and outstanding questions about maintenance and ownership.","taxTitle","Franklin Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania","taxId",71360,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6114767,"Franklin Park officials discuss home-rule option to expand non-property-tax revenue; public hearing planned",305,6000,311000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2741788-8cfc4ceeb54a5bc48e920b64574da55f&start=6&end=311","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2741788-8cfc4ceeb54a5bc48e920b64574da55f/thumbnail_6000.jpg","/articles/6114767/Franklin-Park/Allegheny-County/Pennsylvania/Franklin-Park-officials-discuss-home-rule-option-to-expand-non-property-tax-revenue-public-hearing-planned","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114767-402cef733211ebb29bffe27e0a47fa96/orig.mp4?Expires=1771161879&Signature=KG6uNCYGP3p5mTwWqePNdYLQ6DyJbtfA-EmkHce1e3~k4Bfv5RlUPsPH2Frd5ODHmsQxt-bT65ndVndM8UHlbRK3P5G6SDZVhVCbdSjMoN1O7iL48CbM~HtIz4qqjG388E-afU~7UUKJC5jF7ncTz~rtrHhe57BYpUg~rmIoQh7SoQfqBD8LZQiZmsrWnOFSi7CO5tP76c~mfGFgJ2sv2DYbTfm8iHXhk22QgAUsPqKV7z3oe~gmLAOJRt1J9RcLUGkwm~WbCZSBmklCIykm-OQHgwk-lgWEl-h1NUPU-dc~No7ElDvq5uAWooeVrmSMX5BMXzjxCP8qcaNDVYLtWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Franklin Park borough officials discussed pursuing home-rule authority or a similar municipal structure as a way to generate revenue without raising property taxes and to gain more control over local services. The discussion at the March 19 work session centered on the costs and nonfinancial benefits of a governance change, legal limits on local fees, and next steps including a public hearing(s) and ordinance introduction in June.

Supporters said home-rule or creating new authorities could allow the borough to access new revenue streams and give more operational flexibility than the current state-governed structure. Staff and council members said they have so far emphasized the financial upside but want to better document nonmonetary benefits—such as streamlined operations—before broader outreach. Councilmembers directed staff to begin drafting outreach materials and to include nonfinancial talking points in newsletters and at public meetings.

Officials identified two specific recurring costs that feed the conversation: maintenance and replacement of stormwater pipes and catch basins on roads under state jurisdiction, and the expense of state roads that functionally fall to the borough. Council members said Pembroke required the borough to replace failing pipes and catch basins installed on a state road, and that PennDOT sometimes inspects or requires work to PennDOT specifications. Participants asked staff to quantify how many miles of borough roads are PennDOT-owned and what deferred costs the borough currently absorbs.

Legal limits and recent court rulings were a key part of the discussion. Staff said a Commonwealth Court decision and related litigation have treated some stormwater charges as taxes rather than user fees when applied to tax-immune entities; that finding undercuts the borough’s ability to impose certain stormwater fees on tax-exempt institutions. Council members noted the difference between a borough’s existing authority (property tax, earned income tax, local services tax, real-estate transfer tax) and what a home-rule municipality could enact. They also discussed statutory caps on some local levies and the potential for fee challenges in court.

Officials acknowledged up-front costs to any governance change, including consultant and legal fees and volunteer time for writing and outreach; one councilmember estimated consulting costs would likely be well under $100,000 in some scenarios but advised giving residents a range of low/medium/high estimates. Staff said the borough would need to advertise meetings, hold at least one public hearing and provide 13- and 2-day advance materials if the council introduces an ordinance at a regular meeting in June for enactment in July.

Council members asked staff to prepare a factsheet for outreach that quantifies recurring costs the borough now pays to PennDOT, outlines the limits on stormwater fees following recent court decisions, estimates likely consultant and legal costs, and summarizes the voter-referral process required for some charter amendments. Staff said they will prepare questions for outreach, try to reach officials from municipalities that recently changed governance, and include answers to commonly raised resident questions about who would pay and what might change in future tax or fee responsibilities.

The work session did not include a final vote on changing the form of government. Councilmembers set a procedural timeline: staff will prepare outreach materials and draft ordinance language for introduction at the June regular meeting, with an associated public hearing and additional explanatory sessions (open houses or HOA visits) planned in advance.","Council members and staff discussed pursuing home-rule status or municipal authorities to raise revenue without increasing property taxes, potential impacts on stormwater fees and state-road maintenance costs, and plans for a public hearing in June.","actionData","errors"]

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Council delays final sign-off on Ladera/Cardinal Ridge submission over stormwater, HOA and plan completeness

Franklin Park officials discuss home-rule option to expand non-property-tax revenue; public hearing planned