Chalfont's Blight Fright

Chalfont had a Blight Committee meeting on Monday, September 21st at 7pm. One local resident was in attendance.
Sitting around the meeting table were: Martin Ghen, Sue Gelb (committee members), and Sandra Zadell, Chalfont Boro manager, and Amy Keller, secretary.
Sue and Sandra were very welcoming to the resident who was in attendance as it was the resident's first time attending.
Jeff Coddington was also in attendance, though he joined the meeting by phone/speaker.

The committee talked about the buildings around Chalfont that could benefit from a bit of loving.

It was quite clear that the committee tries to work privately with the owners of the properties and does not wish to 'shame' them in anyway. Their goal is to make Chalfont look as inviting as it truly is.

Of interesting note: The grassy area across from the Car Wash is owned by Penn Dot. The grass is getting a bit out of control. The committee noted it doesn't seem fair to hold the home - owners at a certain standard for lawn maintenance, yet not hold Penn Dot to the same standards. Manager Zadell stated she did contact Penn Dot, and they will mow the lawn. Every two years.
Coddington wondered if Chalfont could cite them as they would a business or home owner, and Zadell said it's "highly recommended" not to. There was talk about solutions to this problem which included the possibility of  Chalfont mowing it, adding a monument or town clock in the area. This is something that will continue to be discussed.

The committee discussed various other issues in Chalfont.

The resident in attendance stated it was an eye opening experience. "My neighbors and I have been talking about the buildings that stick out like sore thumbs in Chalfont. It seems like they've been that way for a long time. However, what I learned tonight was that, by law, a developer has up to 5 years after the plans have been approved, to complete the job. There are many state regulations and laws and the Blight Committee has to respect those guidelines."

Though the most challenging business to deal with, according to the resident, seemed to the be the old Chalfont School. It's often broken into and the developer seems to be shifting the responsibility to the boro, the residents, and the police.

The Blight Committee was formed in 2105 and has made great progress. They meet every other month and the next meeting will be in November on Monday the 16th at 7pm. Residents are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

You can find the past meetings minutes by going to the Chalfont Boro website (click here) and scrolling to the bottom of the page.