Home Builders Association of Chester and Delaware Counties

HBA Newswatch

May 6, 2008

ROAR AHEAD RAISES UPROAR NOW
By Diane Mastrull
Inquirer Staff Writer
Up on Blue Mountain, 1,500 feet above the commotion of the fast-developing Lehigh Valley, hikers ply the Appalachian Trail against a soundtrack of songbirds and the wind-rustled forest.
Soon, though, nature's symphony could be accompanied by a roar.
Less than a half-mile from the trail, a 4.2-mile road course for high-performance cars is planned for the north face of the mountain in Eldred Township, Monroe County, near Allentown. Once the $30 million Alpine Motorsports Club opens, forecast for summer 2009, Ferrari F430s and Porsche Carreras will race through hairpin turns and up steep inclines at more than 75 m.p.h., seven days a week from spring till winter.
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MORE HOUSES ON ROUTE 29
By Lynn Jusinski, Special to The Mercury
UPPER PROVIDENCE -- After a heated discussion that lasted over an hour, and amid angry cries from residents, the township Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a preliminary subdivision plan submitted by Toll Brothers.
The plan for land at 1080 S. Collegeville Road (Route 29) is for 34 single-family homes to be built on 62 acres.
Residents in attendance were mainly from Hasson Road, which will be the only access point for the proposed development. They protested that traffic will be a problem, and said road widening along Hasson Road will mean that residents there will have to relocate trees, mailboxes and lamp posts.
Residents also questioned the safety of the Route 29 and Hasson Road intersection.
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BANKS TOUGHEN TERMS ON LOANS
Both Consumers And Businesses Feel the Impact
By SUDEEP REDDY
May 6, 2008; Page A3
In a blow to an already wobbly U.S. economy, banks are imposing tougher lending terms for consumers and businesses across the board.
The Federal Reserve's survey of banks' senior loan officers, one of the most closely watched gauges of lending practices, found that the credit crunch is widening. The proportion of domestic banks tightening their standards was at or near historical highs for almost all loan categories, including credit cards and student loans.
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