No Offers for Wachovia Bank Property

After receiving no offers to buy, the Hatboro Borough Council is again putting out a for sale sign so to speak on the shuttered building.

During Monday’s meeting, CresaPartners' Managing Principal, Matthew J. Feeney, recommended that the borough extend the bid period, which had expired on May 1, by another 30 days after his firm received no formal proposals to buy the property, which is located at 212 S. York Road.

The council agreed informally Monday and intends to vote on the matter at its May 23 meeting. The new deadline for interested parties to submit proposals to buy the building would be June 15. If no offers are received at the end of that bid cycle, the borough’s attorney, Michael Savona, said the council could sell the building without the public bidding process.

“No proposals, that’s actually not necessarily a bad thing,” Savona said.

Feeney said it was a “little surprising” that no offers were received in light of all the activity on the property.  Moving forward, Feeney said he’d follow up with everyone who’s contacted CresaParners.

“I think one of the groups just needs a little more time,” Feeney said.

And while the Wachovia Bank building is still up for grabs, the council intends to move forward with improvements to a portion of the parking lot that the borough will continue to own even after the structure changes hands. Upgrades, which include curbing, landscaping and lighting, will be covered through an approximate $200,000 grant that must be used by year’s end.

The council took no action Monday. At its May 23 meeting, the governing body plans to award a $78,798 bid to Land-Tech Enterprises Inc., for work that borough engineer James Dougherty dubbed the first of three phases. Once the bid is awarded, Dougherty said the contractor would have 90 days to complete the work.

Because the bid came in much lower than anticipated, the council is also expected to authorize bidding for additional work, in an amount not to exceed the total grant, during the May 23 meeting as well.

In other business, the council agreed to keep the escrow amount the same for the ’s use of Miller Meadow for the annual Hatboro Carnival and Fun Festival, which is slated for May 27 through June 4. Officials also said the will be ready to open Memorial Day weekend.

Also, after brief discussion, the council opted to table an Internet and other electronic communications policy for borough employees. Savona said a red-lined draft copy which incorporated some of the council’s suggestions had not been circulated as planned.

Council President Marianne Reymer said that, once adopted, the policy would be an addendum to the existing employee manual, which she said was last updated in 1993.

“This will be the first step in bringing it current with modern technology and communication,” Reymer said.

Councilman Vincent LaSorsa said he was concerned that the policy would not be binding for non-union employees and would be “putting the borough at risk.”

Savona disagreed and said he was more concerned that the borough currently did not have an Internet and e-mail communication policy in place.

“You don’t have to give them consideration,” Savona said of non-union employees. “They’re not bound to stay and you’re not bound to keep them. You don’t have to give them consideration.”