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The best places to live, work, and visit are those places that are willing to uphold their standards in the face of pressure to allow lowest common denominator development… Successful communities understand that when they say no to development that is contrary to the long-term health of their community, they will almost always get better development in its place.
~Ed McMahon, Conservation Fund
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Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to BMPA.
Just click on the Amazon button, it's that easy.
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Update: 3/16/2013 Blue Mountain Preservation sponsors Earth Day Clean Up
Saturday April 6th at 8am
Join blue Mountain Preservation Association in their annual Earth Day Clean Up. Last year volunteers picked up 30 bags of recyclables, 20 bags of garbage and two tires.
Meet us at the intersection of Chestnut Ridge and Upper Smith Gap Road, on the bridge 8AM on April 6th. Vests bags and gloves will be provided. All volunteers will receive an Earth Day T-Shirt and water-bottle provided by member Todd Kluska, owner of Serene Scene Landscaping.
If you can't make it on the 6th, but would still like to help, the Aquashicola Pohopoco Watershed Conservancy will be holding their clean up on Saturday, April 20th at 9 am.
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“We have become great because of the lavish use of our resources ... But the time has come to inquire seriously what will happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil and the gas are exhausted.” — Theodore Roosevelt
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If a development plan has enough profit potential to be developed without TIF, then there seems little reason that a local government should give up many years of future property tax revenues to pay for a portion of the development.
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Living with NJ Motorsports Park
This short video will give you an idea of what the Smith Gap area of Eldred Township can expect once Alpine Motorsports is up and running.
Life for the residents of the Smith Gap area will never be the same!
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Update: March 8, 2013
Alpine Rose still on track
Friday, March 8, 2013
By LINDA KOEHLER lkoehler@tnonline.com
Paul Matinho said Wednesday night that they plan to move forward with the project just as soon as they have all their finances together. "We're close," he said.
When asked if they were counting on the Tax Increment Funding loan they applied for through the Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation last year, Paul Matinho said, "It would be nice to have, but if we don't get it, it won't affect us from moving forward."
TIF is a public financing method that is used for subsidizing redevelopment, infrastructure and other community-improvement projects. The amount of the loan would be somewhere between $10-15 million for the infrastructure, which would not include the cost of the buildings or the track.
Read the entire article
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Update: March 7, 2013
Tax-increment financing poses big risks in Pennsylvania
By Jeremy Boren PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
“It's a financing tool, and it's appropriate for certain kinds of projects, but it's not the only financing tool for all projects,” she said.
Money backed by public subsidies can be lost if the developer pulls out — as in Longvue's case — or can fail to generate enough tax revenue to cover principal and interest on loans, as in the case of two TIF deals that built The Mall at Robinson. (read the entire article)
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Update: January 25th 2013
The letter to the editor and photos of Archibald Mountain Falls are a perfect example of the environmental destruction that takes place even though "BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES" are used!
to read the article and see the photos click on Archibald Mountain Falls.
For those of you not familiar with the Susquehanna Roseland Powerline please watch this video by the Delaware RiverKeepers
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UPDATE: JANUARY 21, 2013 from the Morning Call
Groundbreaking set for Route 33 interchange
Construction of a $40 million Route 33 interchange long sought by Charles Chrin Companies and Northampton County will formally begin Jan. 31, according to the company.
Most of the tax revenue over the next 20 years will go toward paying for the development. Easton Area School District, Palmer Township and Northampton County agreed to a tax incremental financing zone, ceding the majority of new tax dollars now in exchange for greater payoffs in two decades. read the entire article
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UPDATE: JANUARY 18, 2013
"Protecting Public Education from Tax Giveaways to Corporations"
This study aims to help education advocates protect public schools and public services from the effects of certain types of economic development subsidies. These subsidies—which state and local governments often dispense in response to corporate lobbying for a good “business climate”— include cutting companies’ property taxes and granting long-term diversions of certain districts’ property taxes to corporations undertaking investments in those districts (the latter is called tax increment financing, TIF)
Entire article can be found on our News & Information page
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UPDATE: JANUARY 16TH 2013
"KALAHARI WANTS TO DEFER 24.6 MILLION IN TAX PAYMENTS"
"Right now the property pays $8,931 in school taxes, Hogan said. If the TIF is granted, the school district will collect that amount through the life of the project." in other words the amount of tax available to the school district remains static.... no increase due to increased property value
"A TIF can be requested for up to 20 years. However, the increase in taxes that comes with an improved property is put into a fund property owners can use to pay for infrastructure improvements." without the TIF increases in property taxes would go to the school district and other taxing bodies....
UPDATE: JANUARY 15, 2013
Pleasant Valley School District is being faced with decreased enrollment, closure and sale of existing schools, can they afford to finance a racetrack for wealthy automobile enthusiasts by foregoing future tax revenue?
*UPDATE* PLEASANT VALLEY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Brodheadsville, Pa
January 14th, 2013
The Pleasant Valley School Board headed by District Superintendent Dr. Doug Arnold held their 'Buildings and Grounds' meeting on Monday January 14th, 2013 at the Administration Building located at The Pleasant Valley Middle School on Rt. 115 in Brodheadsville. The following is a recap of what was discussed:
- Perhaps a district first, the Alpine Rose Auto Club proposed for Eldred Township has requested a committee to consider their eligibility for the Tax Incremented Financing (TIF Zone) Program. The program allows a company to defer a portion of it's school and property taxes which would then be used to help offset infrastructure cost. Although unique to Pleasant Valley School District, Pocono Mountain School District has been faced with these requests in the past, most recently by Kalahari Waterpark.
- Polk Elementary School enrollment is declining and the board discussed the possibility of closing the school, perhaps even as early as next school year. If the school is closed, students would attend the larger 'Pleasant Valley Elementary School' which is 1.2 miles away.
- The board discussed the possibility of selling Eldred Elementary School in Kunkletown which closed after the 2009-2010 school year, citing districts in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area that have also sold buildings no longer in use.
- Preliminary discussions were held regarding a Soup Kitchen at either Chestnuthill Elementary or John C. Mills. The height of discussion revolved around when the kitchen would operate and security.
- Mr. Chris Fisher discussed security of all the buildings in great detail with fellow board members. Pleasant Valley School District already has nearly 100% of the security measures in place that were suggested by the Pennsylvania School Board Association following last months tragedy in Connecticut. Additional security measures are being implemented regularly. Immediate plans include a substantial camera upgrade and additional armed security.
Oct. 6, 2012
TIF: What if it's not about money, what if it's about your home?
Citizens Fighting Eminent Domain Abuse:
Oct. 5, 2012
News Update: Eldred Township car club opponents denounce tax incentive read article
From the Sharon Pa, Herald : Director, officials must justify TIF..........
“If it’s just a way of enriching the developer, you’ve got to think about whether you want to do it,”
"A city runs the risk when it undertakes a TIF project since the basis for commercial activity increases is an estimate,” the report said. “If the activity does not occur, the city will have no recourse but to fall back on its general funds.”
“The developer wants them to feel desperate,” she said. “The developer doesn’t want the public involved. They don’t want the public to know about TIFs.” read the article
Oct. 4, 2012
News Update: Eldred sports car resort seeks tax incentive, encounters opposition read the article
Update Oct. 3, 2012: News and Information
Update Oct. 2, 2012: 2 new pages added to our site
Newsletter, read the Echo the voice of Blue Mountain
Natures Bounty: nature tells her tale in stories from the web.
Share this one with your children!
Update Oct. 1, 2012: News and Information
Update: Sept. 30, 2012: added to Noise Still an Issue page
Noise impacts on health "The threshold judged to have a harmful impact on children's learning is 55 dB during night or day"
Update: Sept. 29, 2012: added to our Noise, Still and Issue page
Update: Sept. 28, 2012: added to our News & Information page
Update: Sept. 27, 2012: added to our News & Information page
"Attract environmentally friendly economic enterprises to Monroe County"
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