Borough of Perkasie. Photo by James Short.
Council also continued its discussion of a new special events ordinance and there has been a community garden appraisal.
The Perkasie Borough Council advanced an ordinance to establish numerous traffic calming measures on West Blooming Glen Drive.
The ordinance comes on the heels of the planned resurfacing of Blooming Glen Drive, set to begin next week. Changes include the relocation of the North 7th Street crosswalk to the upper school driveway and the establishment of no parking zones above the lower school driveway. Township engineer Doug Rossino added that the lower driveway’s left turning lane will be reduced to provide more street parking.
The ordinance will be presented at the next council meeting.
Special events ordinance
Council continued its discussion of a new special events ordinance. The ordinance would regulate special events on public and private property that interfere with normal traffic flow, including definitions of special events and block parties, exceptions to permit requirements, contents of a special event permit application and review process and standards for permit issuance or denial.
Council said that the ordinance is aimed at formalizing the special event permit application and approval process.
“At this point, we have nothing in writing. If you are an outside entity wanting to come in, the only thing we have is a permit, and it really doesn’t explain what the borough expects the organization to do,” said council member Chuck Brooks. “This affords a clear, concise understanding for what we expect as a borough from those seeking to hold a function.”
Council members Kelly Laustsen and Robin Schilling suggested some revisions to the draft ordinance, including representation of borough council members during the application review process, disclosure of fees and the elimination of some block party restrictions, such as the one party per day limit.
After some discussion, council agreed to table the ordinance for further revisions.
Community garden appraisal
Council approved an appraisal of the Perkasie Community Garden property. The move follows an offer by the current owner, Kenneth Kratz Real Estate Company, to either lease or sell the property to the borough. According to Bucks County, the property’s estimated market value is $122,980. Brooks said that the borough could potentially convert a section of the property into a park to recoup some of the purchase costs.
Council approved the advertisement of an ordinance to ease permit requirements for transient retail businesses, namely food trucks. Currently, such businesses most obtain a permit for each individual staff member, a particularly onerous requirement for food trucks. The new ordinance would require one permit per vendor, rather than operator.
Covered Timber Bridge project
Council rejected an engineering and design consultation services bid from Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. for the rehabilitation of the Covered Timber Bridge, which sustained significant damage during Hurricane Ida in September 2021. Council member Scott Bomboy said that the bid amount exceeded the borough’s available funding for such services. Borough manager Andrea Coaxum noted that a second engineering and design bid has been issued for the project.
Council approved a partnership with the Perkasie Town Improvement Association (PTIA) to create a mural on the SEPTA freight car at the train station. Coaxum expressed hope that the mural will be completed this year.
New chiropractic center
Assistant Borough Manager Linda Reid announced the opening of Cannon Chiropractic on the corner of Market Street and 7th Street. She also reported that Mystic Ways Brewing has been issued a certificate of occupancy for a new rear deck.
Youth councilor Logan Wilcox reported that the Pennridge School Board approved a $159 million 2024-2025 budget with no tax increases for the eighth consecutive year. He added that district schools will continue offering free breakfast, first provided by the state’s 2022-2023 budget, and that the first day of the 2024-2025 school year is on August 26.
National Night Out
Mayor Jeff Hollenbach proclaimed August 6 as “National Night Out,” a national campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. The event will be held in Shelly’s Design Center’s parking lot in downtown Perkasie.
Council also approved a School of Rock Movie Night in Lenape Park on July 26 and the annual Under the Stars car show on August 17 from 5 to 9 p.m.
The next Perkasie borough council meeting is on August 5 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit perkasieborough.org.
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