Luzerne County Council OKs tax break for former Valley Crest site

A tax break request for a retail/entertainment project at the former county Valley Crest nursing home site in Plains Township was approved by Luzerne County Council Tuesday — with conditions.

For the county real estate tax break to take effect, Plains Township Commissioners and the Wilkes-Barre Area School Board also must approve breaks for their taxes, council said. Plains Township also must designate the development site a deteriorated area as required by this type of tax break.

Council members said the caveats were necessary because the county is typically the last taxing body to grant approval but was asked to vote first in this instance.

The break is under the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program for blighted properties, which means the property owner pays real estate taxes on the land throughout the break and receives a discount on taxes for the new development.

Valley Crest Real Estate LP, which owns the property, is set to receive 90% forgiveness on new construction the first five years, 85% in the sixth year, 80% in the seventh, 75% in the eighth, 70% in the ninth and 60% in the final year.

Robert Tamburro, of Valley Crest Real Estate, told council the break is needed to help fund an estimated $18.7 million in off-site public highway upgrades required to address existing congestion and safely get motorists to his site off Route 315 on Valley Crest Boulevard, which is the same road serving the adjacent VA Medical Center.

Valley Crest Real Estate must provide funding and complete the public highway work because it needs Pennsylvania Department of Transportation approval for a high-volume driveway necessary for the proposed 400,000-square-foot retail/entertainment complex, Tamburro said.

The state has awarded $8.9 million in grants toward the off-site highway improvements, with most requiring privately-funded matches. County council also provided a $200,000 American Rescue Plan allocation for stormwater work.

Tamburro said his company invested and committed approximately $7 million on the project to date, including private funds for property acquisition, a traffic study, design of both the highway and on-site improvements and demolition of former nursing home structures.

He projects the new private development project will be valued at $72.5 million and generate $1.9 million in school, county and municipal real estate tax revenue when the LERTA expires. During the break, the company’s tax payments would range from $106,300 in the first year to $770,600 in the tenth year, his chart said.

All nine council members in attendance Tuesday supported the break: Carl Bienias III, LeeAnn McDermott, Tim McGinley, Matthew Mitchell, Chris Perry, Kendra Vough, Brian Thornton, Stephen J. Urban and Gregory S. Wolovich Jr. Council members Kevin Lescavage and John Lombardo were absent.

911 union contract

Council also unanimously approved a 911 union contract addendum aimed at recruiting and retaining workers and addressing “work-life balance issues” at the county’s emergency call center.

The primary change is a hybrid schedule that will switch new telecommunicators to 12-hour shifts and allow existing workers the option to change from eight to 12 hours based on their preference. Telecommunicators on the 12-hour shifts will work three days one week and four days the next week in each two-week pay period, allowing them to have a weekend off every other week, officials said.

County officials believe this will be a major selling point because new workers typically had to wait years to get weekends off as part of their regular schedule.

Under the proposed agreement, the starting salary for telecommunicator trainees will increase $2,000, to a new compensation of $39,750 per year, or $19.11 per hour.

The starting salary will rise to $40,000 in 2024 and $40,250 in 2025.

Existing 911 union workers will receive a $4,000 compensation increase, although the increase will be $2,000 for telecommunicator trainees hired after Sept. 1, 2023.

The lion’s share of 911’s expenses are covered by a state fee on land and wireless phone lines — not the county’s general fund operating budget, officials have noted.

While the number fluctuates, approximately 29 of the 64 budgeted telecommunicator positions are currently vacant.

County Acting 911 Executive Director Lucy Morgan thanked council members and others involved in the union addendum after Tuesday’s vote, saying it “means a lot to employees.” Morgan, the county’s Emergency Management Agency director, said she never understood what 911 workers “go through on a daily basis” until she started as interim overseer.

“We really are trying to make it a better place to work,” Morgan told council. “Thank you is really not enough.”

Council recently approved the administration-recommended merger of EMA and 911, saying the move will improve public safety and efficiency.