Lower Pottsgrove doesn’t need municipal campus
Regarding the new Lower Pottsgrove Township land purchases, I feel it’s extremely unnecessary to build such a large new township building or campus for our small community. The houses that they have recently purchased, spending almost half a million dollars on already, are rental properties. There are families who have lived and rented these homes for a very long time who will soon be having to find and afford new places to live within the next year or two. We will just have an impending unknown deadline. The children who have grown up in this school district will soon have to try to find new homes within the school district boundaries, which will not be an easy task, if at all even possible.
The owners only sold due to the large offer the township gave them despite several of the houses not even being for sale at all. It’s not about giving us time or a head’s up, it’s about the fact that we rented these homes under the impression that we’d be living here for a long time. Some of us have rented these homes for over 30 years. I was supposed to raise my kids in this home. The township benefited, the owners benefited, but all of us tenants who live in these homes, get screwed over.
It’s not technically illegal what they are doing, it’s just very wrong. We are members of this community. We matter too. They should be compensating or helping find new homes in the area for all the families who rented these homes under the intention to live here long term. I know I spent a lot of money to be able to move into my home and I have no idea how I am going to come up with that kind of money to afford to move again into a new home. I understand we are just tenants but these are our homes and we wouldn’t be having to move otherwise. We should matter too.
In addition to the many families who will lose their homes, the historic value of these properties is also very important. These homes have been a part of the Sanatoga community for over 100 years. These houses were built in the early 1900s and preserving our community’s historic value is just as important as the community members’ livelihoods. These homes were also built with exterior asbestos and if they disturb the homes it will put all surrounding neighbors and the workers employed by the township at high health risks. It can be very dangerous and detrimental to tear down these homes for many reasons. This will affect us all.
Let’s not forget they are using our tax dollars to do all of this. We all will specifically be paying for this in our new 7.4 percent tax increase this year. I will be attending the next board of commissioners meeting and I suggest you all do too. What they are doing is unethical and preposterous. It blows my mind that this was even approved to happen.