CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Borough Council continued to take action on Thursday night to distance the borough from Impact Pennsylvania. Council also began looking at a replacement.
Impact Pennsylvania and Bob Yoder were notified in December 2010 they were in default of their developer’s agreement.
In 2007 the borough enlisted Yoder and Impact PA to develop riverfront property in the borough. In November 2008 Yoder said that he intended to build three duplexes on the Novey property that was offered as a gift to the borough.
Another project adjacent to that property was on the Rishel Contracting and Tool Shed properties. Yoder said he would like to build a three-story building. This building would contain commercial space as well as 16 two-bedroom apartments.
Across the river, Yoder was looking to purchase the former Uni-Mart building. Yoder also said he was in negotiations with the property owners of the buildings behind that building as well as the men’s shelter to obtain those properties as well. There he planned to build two more duplexes.
According to Yoder all of the duplexes would be on the borough’s tax roll.
However, since that announcement, very little happened. The Uni-Mart building is currently for sale, and none of the other properties changed hands.
Council rescinded a number of motions/actions they took in the past that gave Yoder access to grant funding.
As noted above, council began considering a replacement.
“We cannot do the development ourselves,” said Solicitor F. Cortez “Chip” Bell III. “The CCEDC (Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation) seems to be doing wonders.”
Bell said they’ve been in talks with the CCEDC about a possible agreement for development services. Bell said that Harrisburg is pressuring the borough because no actions have been taken with the RCAP funds the borough awarded. Bell indicated that borough needed to do something to show Harrisburg they were serious about moving forward with the project.
Bell recommended that council approve appointing the CCEDC as co-applicant/sub-applicant of the RCAP grant, subject to the two entities enter into a development agreement. Council approved the motion unanimously.