Year: 2016

About Town

Some recent pics about town . . .
 Another vandalized bench plaque at Columbia River Park

Many birds high on a wire

 Many dollars deep in a hole.
The trolley was a grand experiment, but outlays and revenues didn’t match – by far – despite the presence of the affable Andre Underhill (foreground), owner, driver and tour guide. Andre’s wife, Kelly (far left), is co-owner of Rivertowne Trolley Co., LLC.

 But no worries, Andre will return with the trolley this coming Saturday, October 8, for Albatwitch Day in Columbia. Funding will be provided exclusively by passengers.

 Some big trees were cut down at Mount Bethel Cemetery – and needed to be – due to falling branches. 

 The Weeping Angel is safe once again.
(Note the wing that was reportedly damaged by a falling branch.)

 Decorative tombstone at Holy Trinity Cemetery

 Baby possum on Heritage Drive

 “Can’t we all just get along?”
 Another condemned building, this one at 337 Cherry Street

 “Dog feces in several of the rooms” –  yuck!
 It’s beginning to look a lot like . . .  Halloween – on Bethel Street
 “After the game” snacks at Columbia First Church of God, 7th and Walnut.
 Abandoned pickup?

The owner lives in Lancaster.

  The truck’s been sitting on North 7th for a while.

 It even has a bed full of . . . water.

 This property on North 7th is on the blighted list but should probably be taken off, since the owner is taking steps to bring it up to par.
Painting by L Weber & Son Painting
 A unique way to mark parking spaces.

 On Avenue F
 Parking lot grillin’ on North 4th
 The Grinch is back to his abnormal self, after changing into Trump and then Hillary.

 He might actually be the best candidate of all.
 Do what now?
A few of those letters aren’t even in the alphabet.
 This one’s for sale, too.
 These signs seem to be getting close.

There’s nothing like togetherness.

Columbia High School Principal sought

The following ad for a high school principal in the Columbia Borough School District was recently posted on monster.com.

At its September 15 meeting, the board accepted the resignation of high school principal Maura Hobson, effective September 14, 2016. Hobson will remain in the position for up to 60 days, pending a replacement.

The link to the job posting is HERE.

The Land Bank: A new way to tackle troubled properties

 Matthew Sternberg, executive director of Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities at last Monday’s meeting
There’s a new way for Columbia to confront vacant, abandoned and blighted properties: the Lancaster County Land Bank.
Matthew Sternberg, executive director of Lancaster County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities, gave an “information only” presentation about the Land Bank last Monday night at a joint meeting of the Columbia Borough Council and the Columbia Borough School Board.

Sternberg described the concept as a collaboration of the borough, the school district, and the Land Bank, providing a means for remediation of blighted and other troubled properties. The entity does not have eminent domain powers (as a redevelopment authority does), but it can assemble funding for blight remediation and site upgrades, and can acquire, develop, demolish, or otherwise dispose of real property. A land bank also has the ability to buy a property prior to a tax sale to properly revitalize it and can even extinguish outstanding liens. According to Sternberg, the objective of the land bank process is to rehabilitate a property and get it back on the tax rolls at a much higher level.

Columbia Borough currently has 26 properties in various stages of blight.

Sternberg said that no other municipalities have finished the process of joining the Land Bank yet, which entails a one-time membership fee of $5,000 and an annual fee of $1,000. 

Council interviews three for market house

Borough council heard proposals from three market manager candidates at a special meeting Monday, September 26. Renee Sears, Beth Troxell, and Chris Vera answered questions from council and borough consultant Rebecca Denlinger about their respective plans for the Columbia Historic Market House, if hired. Troxell previously submitted a written proposal to council, which is published with this article. Vera gave a power point proposal at the meeting. His proposal was also posted on Columbia Spy HERE. Both Sears and Troxell managed the market house previously. Vera is president of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society. Teresa Allen has managed the market house since Troxell’s resignation earlier this year.

At the conclusion of the interviews, Borough Manager Greg Sahd announced that council would not make a decision that evening. Instead, a decision will be made later at a public forum. If council does not choose one of the three candidates, the opening could be reposted to invite other applicants.

 Renee Sears

 Beth Troxell

Chris Vera

Beth Troxell’s proposal to council: