Pottstown Economic Development Leader Hired

In an effort to grow Pottstown into a vibrant, successful borough, a new economic development leader has been hired.

Pottstown Area Industrial Development, Inc. several weeks ago advertised for the new employee and nearly 40 people applied for the job, Pottstown Manager Jason Bobst said on Tuesday.

The new employee could be announced as early as Thursday and will be hired directly by PAID, a non-profit group, Bobst said. 

The economic development leader is expected to help grow the borough's tax base and meet with developers. 

Background:

A new economic development leader, zoning ordinance change and refined plan review process are set to boost Pottstown's revitalization effort, borough manager Jason Bobst said.

• By 
• June 22, 2011

Pottstown covers roughly 5.5 square miles, includes about 23,000 people and has immeasurable potential for success, the borough's manager Jason Bobst said in a recent interview. 

To craft that concept into reality, Pottstown Area Industrial Development, Inc. advertised for a new employee to lead the effort. 

 Bobst said 37 people applied for the job.

"I was pleasantly surprised," he said of the many "very qualified individuals from across the region and across the country." 

The list of applicants will be reduced to about 10 later this month, he said. From that short list, three or four candidates in late July to early August will go through final interviews for the job.

The successful candidate will be hired directly by PAID, a non-profit group, Bobst said. 

The right person for the job can make a "huge" difference in the borough's prosperity, he said. 

"This person will be the leader of economic development in the borough," Bobst said. "We need someone to grow the tax base . . . meet with developers." 

Growing Pottstown's business base will require support from surrounding municipalities. That means restaurants, entertainment and specialty shops will be needed downtown to attract folks from areas including Coventry and Pottsgrove townships along with Douglassville, he said. 

Another important aspect necessary to attract business to Pottstown lies in the municipality's zoning ordinance, Bobst said. 

A committee, formed to review the borough's zoning laws, next month is expected to release its findings on ways to streamline the ordinance, he said.

Additionally, Bobst is working on a new method to make the borough's plan review process more efficient. In the past, Pottstown's planning commission was typically the first body to review a plan, which meant a proposal could be held up for months -- even a year -- while details were ironed out and questions answered. Under  Bobst's new system, which he hopes to implement next month, key borough staffers including finance, codes, fire, water and sewer officials will meet informally with an applicant to resolve basic requirements before a proposal goes to the planning commission, he said. 

"I'm trying to refine the process . . . open up the communication sooner rather than later," Bobst said and added that the new process will create a cleaner plan for the commission to review, and act as an early sounding board for the developer. "I truly believe it will help answer a lot of questions."