Residents Before Rehabs, Mayoral Candidate Says

It's a mistake for Easton to to potentially enhance the redevelopment value of two long-vacant properties across the street, Easton Mayoral candidate Mike Krill said at a press conference Tuesday.

Standing in front of 118 and 120 Northampton Street, Krill said the city's focus should be on attracting and keeping residents, while curbing spending.

He added the city should aim to raise its cash reserves, instead of spending taxpayers' money on commercial redevelopment projects whose return is not guaranteed.

Krill, a Republican, is hoping to unseat Mayor Sal Panto in the November election.

He's made the the centerpiece of his campaign, arguing that the city has focused too much energy on large downtown projects.

Panto has argued that his administration has supported the neighbohoods through things such as the .

In the case of 118 Northampton St., the building has been through several Easton Redevelopment Authority sales for potentially being rehabbed, but was ultimately sold back to the agency when the buyer failed to follow through with the plans, he said. The building was declared blighted in 2009.

"That says people are having trouble getting funding to rehab these buildings," Krill said, that they have been flooded during major Delaware River floods.

The building was declared blighted by the city earlier this year.

Loaning the Easton Redevelopment Authority the funds to purchase the parking lot at 129 Northampton St. with $65,000 from the city's capital reserve fund won't enhance the two properties, he said, noting they suffer from extensive interior damage due to roof collapse.

Additionally, Krill said he thinks the city's capital reserves should be grown to about 15 to 20 percent of the city's holdings. This could be done through a two-year municipal spending freeze, where only expenses necessary to running the city and emergencies would be budgeted for, he said.

"That would leave money for emergencies. I do not consider buying a parking lot an emergency," Krill said.

Of 118 and 120 Northampton St., Krill said enough money has been spent on trying to rehab them, and the city should have them torn down for parking.

If the buildings were torn down instead of being revitalized, the city could save the expenses of , he said, adding that significant architectural details could be saved from demolition, with an eye towards reusing them on either a future modern building that might be built on the site with the flood conditions kept in mind, or used on some other city project.

"I believe there's going to be a substantial problem in finding private investment to take over these problems. We need to cut our losses...I've heard for 20 years that we're going to get a developer in here," he said. "We need to start looking at our neighborhoods."