[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6504814,"mediaKeyId","5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d","parentId",5548505,"title","Borough staff preview housing, land‑development and parks items for Monday meeting; LSA grant sought for Burr Garage site","audioSeconds",175,"startMs",1221000,"endMs",1396000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d&start=1221&end=1396","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d/thumbnail_1221000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6504814/Pottstown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Borough-staff-preview-housing-landdevelopment-and-parks-items-for-Monday-meeting-LSA-grant-sought-for-Burr-Garage-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504814-227679ad36331c5f54cd5d92461fe163/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147094&Signature=DDQsEGyhByieew1J2xzjbBWxabkzV5gmAq6U-xImVylXbQ9sv0VAqzV8wmaI3hLqfeM5mjszaSsI~f1s7my6veQ~RaLPRcteQmexpaHMvOOrvVvRzq1we2wkOvsoHOWTukQ9CzMhdQqQ-Fo8-TPw6fdew8xEO9IiqF9v0NSz7ckfsH19w7nK1HCQRYlU39nIHQN42Km6KEEjQfe05t9ySnq~XTJCDGkyz0njOOqxvxfcfLhBgW5EmtfC-aIzaNrwYeOCPWkHBXH4Wl1u3nDvYkpM9WZ-TJssf~9hUlfTtAF2hvZuhS6hh3HIntsSv~gOE4-SfbX~VKpUcLQonw57eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pottstown, PA","date","2025-08-07T14:36:50.187Z","article","Borough staff and planning officials briefed the Committee of the Whole Thursday on a suite of land‑use, housing and parks projects to be listed on the Monday council agenda.

Planning staff recommended conditional, preliminary/final land development approval for work at 301 Keystone Boulevard after reviewing stormwater and other site issues; the recommendation includes granting several waivers related to environmental study and tree/landscaping requirements, subject to payment of applicable ordinance fees and satisfaction of review‑letter conditions.

Zoning staff announced a zoning hearing board application for 204 East High Street, scheduled for Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. The owner proposes converting commercial space on the second floor into a third residential unit; the applicant seeks a variance to reduce the minimum required residential unit size from 800 square feet to 706 square feet. Staff said council may choose to support, oppose or remain neutral on the application.

Staff also described a planned Local Share Account (LSA) grant application tied to the property at 657 Beach Street (the former Burr Garage). The borough seeks $1,000,000 in partnership with Habitat for Humanity to reroute an underground stormwater arch so the lot can be redeveloped. Staff provided an initial full‑project estimate of about $1.5 million including engineering; the borough’s match for engineering is estimated at $160,000 to come from capital reserves. The proposed redevelopment would enable Habitat for Humanity to construct roughly 10 units (five twin structures) for low‑ and moderate‑income households, though staff said additional funding and approvals are required before demolition or construction could begin. Staff noted the project would require relocating a CCLU mural on the building if demolition proceeds; staff said they have already begun talking with mural stakeholders about potential relocation sites.

On parks, the borough manager announced US Soccer Foundation approval of a grant for a mini soccer pitch at Pollock Park and thanked partners and Parks & Recreation staff. The manager said remediation work is underway at the nearby BASF brownfield site at 860 Cross Street and that park improvements (paving, new basketball stanchions) are near completion; those improvements are part of a longer agreement requiring DEP clearance of groundwater remediation before final property transfer. The manager said an alternate location for the mini pitch (Maple Street Park) is available if remediation or installation timelines change.

Public‑works and authority updates noted completion of the authority’s 2025 water and sewer main replacement project and phase 2 of a lead‑line replacement project; contractors are preparing test pits near Rupert Elementary and will move into replacements in that area soon. PECO utility work in the North Evans Street corridor will cause intermittent traffic interruptions through October, staff said.

Several of the items — the Keystone Boulevard land‑development approval and the LSA grant resolution — were listed for Monday’s council meeting for formal action. The zoning variance, the LSA funding request and budget/midyear adjustments were presented for council consideration next week; no final votes on those items occurred at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pottstown Committee of The Whole August 6th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Borough staff told the Committee of the Whole that a conditional land‑development recommendation, a zoning hearing for a reduced‑size apartment unit, and a proposed $1 million LSA grant for the Burr Garage site will be listed for council action Monday.","taxTitle","Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania","taxId",4189,"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},6504819,"Organizers ask borough to license college parking lot after insurer won’t underwrite new assault coverage",778,3374000,4152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d&start=3374&end=4152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d/thumbnail_3374000.jpg","/articles/6504819/Pottstown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Organizers-ask-borough-to-license-college-parking-lot-after-insurer-wont-underwrite-new-assault-coverage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504819-9ee3a229f2d90908bb7ee84217658b8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147094&Signature=ZiwCH0aAjfbhZ1qqEAYtaHCwt~TOjJnmS8hU3N5niVRf40L~ka6irtXC7kv--HdMNHBLp0OA~cnjNigRoyg~4gGO48JUjkXKMdCOHJuRUH~XxYNbElTToBXpkDAI67eZ5gdTVk71ZdAMQCNIkg5SCmtu~hzWglsFs0pca0kOrQkCbIB2BoRcATGzuiDx5quulPFSJeV1pUKKuxi9C0VQM5GdaJKUeV0RgFd2T6MI18eTp7MqovdiaU~bsjev46hXP0rsT2MFM3eyEcrvPuThfbGNvaZMG1HyFqPSH9k-g9qvJtP9fA4GFG8ArkXuV0mfhfCc0a~Ope1Dti5U~~exwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Organizers of the Low Show told the Committee of the Whole on Thursday they need Pottstown Borough to license a Montgomery County Community College parking lot for event parking because the college now requires an insurance rider — sexual‑abuse and molestation coverage — that event insurers will not underwrite for an open, unstaffed parking lot.

Jamie, a show organizer, said the lot has been used for Low Show parking in past years and that event liability insurance naming the college was arranged previously. This year the college’s contract added a rider the organizer’s broker could not find on the market. The organizer and the borough’s insurance agent, Weidner Insurance, reported they queried multiple underwriters and were unable to secure the requested rider for an open lot.

Borough staff and legal counsel explained a potential workaround: if the borough formally licenses the lot and makes it available as a borough‑sponsored location for the event, the county college’s general liability policy that covers municipal uses of its facilities would apply and the borough would be covered under the college’s policy for that use. Staff said the borough would require the organizer to sign a hold‑harmless/indemnity agreement for the event.

College policy changes and a recent administrative reorganization were cited by a former college employee who appeared and described how previously separate facilities and parking‑lot permissions were consolidated; that consolidation, she said, has led to the current requirement and the impasse. A borough risk‑management speaker with experience in insurance and event risk assessment told council that to obtain the college’s requested rider the organizer would effectively need to insure its entire event operations to the same standard, which would be expensive and impractical.

Council members listed the item for formal consideration on Monday’s council agenda to allow time for staff to draft a licensing agreement and indemnity form. Staff said licensing the lot for the event would not require an increase to borough insurance but would require the organizer to execute a hold‑harmless agreement and to incorporate the parking lot into the organizer’s event policy naming the borough as an additional insured.

No vote was taken at this meeting. Organizers and borough staff said they will pursue a licensing route and return to council with draft paperwork on Monday.","Organizers of the Low Show sought borough help to license a Montgomery County Community College parking lot for event parking after the college began requiring an uncommon sexual‑abuse/molestation rider that underwriters will not issue for an open lot; council was briefed and the item was listed for the Monday council meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6504824,"Pottstown council approves lease to host county drone housing on Burrow Hall with indemnity requirement",1917,1427000,3344000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d&start=1427&end=3344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548505-315c861c119d8001f9a0f3f8938b636d/thumbnail_1427000.jpg","/articles/6504824/Pottstown/Montgomery-County/Pennsylvania/Pottstown-council-approves-lease-to-host-county-drone-housing-on-Burrow-Hall-with-indemnity-requirement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6504824-b326aa884576a5cdb61cef9374ba9715/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147094&Signature=I~d-enscoug0hj9cLZVK8K1eMKtfKMKxcoD3vVVUsJExugCESIkHEW7iQdUVJDxLq0~xA0dAbJBQJLE3nlDz6ljMcTgxq8uOB9eWol2rY3Wlz4gdKw50KTElOxGHE1ECbH41hdyljx7ZzX3YwodJJIFzDyY2xmZ7pLW2YdgcX8hSKu5Su2~JnHQk8zK1xhzG-Bip-T2pqp9mfhip-1cNf1ct8YVAcJvTj6vPTKyQ-v~v0wO3wj4gozmZiOCjJHFF7tBfW~K8ntabop5kK-daK~yY2JWX9tjkTALnr0SpTwQs9LTRJ7B0IVqJyQske6wdGZqpMxU96VJYvn54VYPiYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Pottstown Borough Council’s Committee of the Whole voted Thursday to move forward with a lease that would allow Montgomery County’s drone housing — described in the meeting as a drone “nest” tied to the county’s sharpshooter program — to be installed on the roof of Burrow Hall, provided the final agreement includes indemnification protecting the borough.

The action directs borough staff to prepare and execute a standard lease agreement and to proceed “as soon as possible” even if some technical and privacy questions from councilors remain unanswered. Councilors voted 4 in favor and 2 opposed during a roll-call vote; the chair declared the motion carried.

Councilors, the borough solicitor and police staff debated whether the council should wait for detailed technical answers from the district attorney’s office and the drone vendor (referred to in the meeting as Brink) about security, data handling and privacy before authorizing a lease. Councilor Proxell made the motion to revert to the previously proposed authorization; a second was recorded and discussion followed.

Councilor Levandowski and Councilor Procter voted aye. Councilor Lindsey and Councilor Vandy voted no. Councilor Monastra and President Wien voted yes; the chair announced “4 yeses” and the motion passed. The motion as described in the meeting directs staff to return a standard lease in a final form acceptable to the borough solicitor, borough manager and police chief and to include indemnity protections for the borough.

Supporters cited public-safety benefits and the desire to make the system available quickly after two recent shootings in the borough. Opponents and several councilors pressed for written answers to privacy and liability questions — for example, how footage would be stored, who may access it, whether third-party vendors would be involved in processing, and what safeguards would prevent unintended dissemination. The borough solicitor said those issues could be addressed through contractual indemnities and security provisions.

Police staff and the borough solicitor said the county would operate the drone; the borough would only allow the housing to be placed on its roof. Council members asked that any lease require Montgomery County and its partners to carry appropriate insurance and indemnify the borough against claims arising from operation, hacking, or other misuse of the system.

The council also discussed the timeline and installation scope. Staff and county representatives indicated mounting the nest would require minor rooftop bracket work and possibly a short electrical run; officials estimated installation could take roughly a month after agreement execution.

The council’s action tonight authorized staff and three designated borough representatives to conclude negotiations and sign the standard lease; council members said the three designees would share details with the full council and accept written input from other members and constituents during the finalize-and-sign phase.

No operational policy or procedural details about how the drone would be deployed or how footage would be used were adopted during the meeting; councilors said operational issues remain subject to county protocols and future review. The lease authorization is limited to permitting the device to be housed on borough property.","The Committee of the Whole approved a motion directing staff to prepare and execute a standard lease allowing Montgomery County to place a drone \"nest\" on Burrow Hall, with the borough to require indemnification; the motion passed 4-2 in roll call.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Borough staff preview housing, land‑development and parks items for Monday meeting; LSA grant sought for Burr Garage site

Organizers ask borough to license college parking lot after insurer won’t underwrite new assault coverage

Pottstown council approves lease to host county drone housing on Burrow Hall with indemnity requirement