The most intractable issue in the Allentown Parking Authority controversy is alley parking. Although the Authority itself offered a compromise on that issue, at least two members of council, Candida Affa and Daryl Hendricks, won't budge. They see the topic as a slippy slope. They find the 12 ft. proposal too unenforceable... one person may perceive the width as 11ft., and another 13ft.
As a lifelong resident, I know that all alleys are not created equal. An alley in center city with houses actually fronting on it is a very different animal than the alleys farther west.
Past 17th Street, there are no houses in the alleys. Past Ott Street, there's not even many garages in the alleys. In the deep west end, many former alleys no longer exist. While the city accommodated some owners by vacating certain ones, others were just appropriated. People put private driveway signs and gates up...others were absorbed into lawns.
Leaving the alley ordinance as is leaves the issue up to the discretion of the parking authority. That discretion, or lack thereof, is what brought this current controversy to the front burner in the first place.
Show above was a "private" alley with gate. Before the gate, it was a public alley. Farther downtown the same alley has a street name and even houses. The gate has since been removed, and it's now a garage driveway.
above reprinted for May 1, 2023
Cost soar as the quality of life plummets.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing.
The American Dream has ended for our grandchildren.
ReplyDeletePrices don't go up, the purchasing power of the dollar goes down.
ReplyDeleteI would call it an affirmation of the current demand for building lots and housing in the region more so than any livability factors in the West End. I like to say that due to the ever increasing regional demand for warehouses and apartment buildings, even Allentown is getting its fair share. So if you are not putting children in ASD, I could see some people with money buying a new single family dwelling in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile LMTwp. has become the Valley’s third largest municipality and the children of West Enders are flocking there to nest and raise their children. It’s the center of huge shopping, dining and medical services.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders how much of a premium is paid for a home in Allentown’s W. End that is located in the Parkland School District.
The homes in the city west of Cedar Crest (in Parkland SD) don’t turn over often but when they do there is almost always multiple offers. If you drive around this area you will often see these homes being renovated or added onto. People tend to stick around.
DeleteI think you’re getting a West End home at a discount.
DeleteWhile the Valley real estate market might trend up over time, Allentown’s home values lag behind the increase in homes outside the city.
Bad school district for many, and even those in Allentown city but Parkland SD have their home values lower than similar sized homes in the rest of the Valley.
Why? City Hall policies, including tax policy. In addition to higher property taxes, Allentown City imposes an additional 1% earned income tax on its residents. So a husband and wife earning $100k each will pay an extra $2k a year just to live in Allentown.
That adds up. They can save all or most of it (depending on where they want to live) if they locate a mile or two in any direction across the city line.
Plus they don’t have to worry about the idiots running the city imposing new taxes (like the storm water tax) on them, dwindling city services, or lack of response to quality of life issues.
There was once an advantage to living in the city that ADDED to home values. That advantage has long since gone to the suburbs, and the city is being lapped again.
Another commenter noted that it’s not prices going up, it’s just the purchasing power of your dollar decreasing, and that’s correct. It’s decreasing even more in Allentown.
Many excellent points. Don't forget that Allentown used to do 1 thing better than the suburbs: affordable water and sewer rates. With LCA's constant rate increases, City residents are now paying much higher suburban water and sewer rates. Unless you place a high value on non-material factors such as walkability, transit and proximity to urban destinations, its hard to think of any reason to buy a home in Allentown.
DeleteI beg to differ on the areas of Allentown in the Parkland School district. The area is highly sought after and people line up to buy these homes. I’m not sure if is Trexler Park, Wegmans, or access to the interstates but people don’t care too much about the city EIT (maybe they should). Many residents are from out of state so it may not be a big deal to them. There are no HOA fees in most of these developments. The city seems to do a good job with trash and street cleaning so people don’t worry too much about local politics.
Delete“The large lots in the deep west end were suitable for sub-division and additions, and numerous owners have done so in the last few years.”
ReplyDeleteI actually know several homeowners in the West End who purchased adjoining properties and leveled them, consolidating the lots into one. That is a sign of hope, not dividing properties.
Sub-dividing existing large lots only downgrades the character of the West End and begins the race to the bottom. Once you allow one homeowner to reduce the lot size in a neighborhood designed for large lots, you degrade the property values of that home’s neighbors. City leaders need to realize the long-term harm this will cause to the city’s tax base.
Allentown has an abundance of people living below the poverty line, while the wealthy are in short supply. The wealthy can (and will) move across the city line to places where they are welcomed.
It’s not just their earned income and other taxes that the city will lose, it’s their vested interest in city institutions and financial contributions that will leave with them.
The wealthy are in short supply because the productive class has voted with moving vans to live in far better areas than Allentown.
DeleteAllentown offers crime, horrible schools, a lack of any real opportunity. high taxes and a deteriorating city.
WAHS' Open Air Classroom is in the alley, North Cable St., east of the school, directly across from it, between West St and 17th St. It is populated regularly by students who congregate listening to loud music, lounging on the furniture they have acquired for their comfort, making a lot of noise, enjoying their snacks, leaving significant trash in their wake, and trespassing. Residents need to clean the garbage daily—neither WAHS nor the city cares. (Litter issues do not exist in the summer) Disrespect of property and residents is predominant. It is a shame that many students are impacted by the negative impression left by a small percentage of these offending students. Many in the city of Allentown avoid this area as much as possible due to these conditions. It is sad when a group of students seem to control the streets, and no one is willing or able to do anything about it. Is it a surprise that overall academic performance is so bad?
ReplyDelete