Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine
The Riverside Firehouse
Have you ever wanted to own a fire station—some reassembly required?
If so, now’s your chance.
On Tuesday night, the Harrisburg City Council passed a resolution that the city hopes will result in the eventual sale of the historic Riverside Firehouse, which the close-knit Uptown neighborhood has long used for community events and as a polling station.
The site at 3201-03 N. 4th St. is actually comprised of two parcels. One is owned by the city and the other by Riverside Fire Co. No. 15, one of many inactive volunteer fire companies in Harrisburg.
Technically, the resolution transferred ownership of the city’s parcel to the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The fire company has agreed to also transfer its ownership to HRA, according to the city.
HRA then is supposed to consolidate the lots and try to sell the property, according to the resolution.
“By doing this, we would allow the Redevelopment Authority to obtain both of these deeds and tie these parcels together so they can be sold for development in the future,” said council member Ausha Green, chair of the public safety committee, before the unanimous vote in favor.
According to Green, Fire Bureau officials supported the resolution, as the building is in need of significant repair. The bureau would like to see the building restored, even if for another, private use, Green said.
Pat Waller, for one, believes the 3,300-square-foot building, built in 1923 and largely empty for decades, would make a great private residence.
“It’s very unique,” said Waller, president of the Riverside United Neighbors community group. “I’m looking forward to when the sales sign goes up.”
As selling points, she pointed to the tin ceilings and historic charm, but added that a buyer would need to undertake a major restoration.
“I’m quite pleased with the effort so far, but the building is in bad shape,” she said. “It needs a lot of work.”
For the story of a successfully restored Harrisburg fire station, please read our feature on the Allison Hook & Ladder Co. from the November magazine.
A residential street in Midtown Harrisburg
Harrisburg is revisiting an ordinance that would allow greater housing density in residentially zoned areas, the latest move by the administration to spur development in the city.
On Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council introduced an ordinance that would remove density restrictions for the city’s two main residential zones—dubbed “residential low-density” and “residential medium-density.” These two zones cover most of the city’s residential neighborhoods.
According to Mayor Eric Papenfuse, this change would make city neighborhoods more attractive to developers and offer a greater variety of housing to residents at a range of price points.
“We need more units of housing developed,” he said. “We don’t currently have a climate in which that is easy to do.”
Under existing law, the low-density residential zone allows four to eight dwelling units per acre, while the medium-density residential zone permits eight to 20 dwelling units per acre. This ordinance would remove those density restrictions.
The proposal also would repeal the current requirement in another zoning district, the “commercial neighborhood” zone, that mandates a minimum of 1,200 square feet per dwelling unit.
Last week, the city’s Planning Commission, by a 5-1 vote, recommended against this proposal, citing possible adverse consequences by removing density restrictions, as well as concerns over parking.
This is actually the second time that the administration has proposed the zoning change. Last year, council also introduced the ordinance, but ended up taking no further action on it.
Papenfuse said that he decided to reintroduce the changes now in light of a “companion” proposal to rezone a swath of Midtown Harrisburg–the Marketplace neighborhood just north of the Broad Street Market.
In that proposal, the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority hopes to sell dozens of building lots to Harrisburg-based Seven Bridges Development. The builder, however, has stated that it would develop a project only if the 14-block area is rezoned from “residential medium-density” to “commercial neighborhood,” which is better suited for mixed-use projects, according to Seven Bridges.
Papenfuse said that, together, the two proposals offer greater incentive for building on the city’s many empty lots.
“It’s the hope that people would see the effort as not just Midtown, per se, but attracting more housing throughout the city,” he said. “We need this development everywhere in Harrisburg.”
As a next step, council would need to hold a hearing on the ordinance before possibly taking any action on it.
Council also needs to hold a hearing on the amendment to rezone the Marketplace neighborhood. That hearing, originally expected for next week, has now been delayed until December, said council member Danielle Bowers.
Harrisburg school district receiver Dr. Janet Samuels and acting superintendent Dr. John George.
The Harrisburg school district issued a substantial budget revision late on Tuesday, stating that the previous administration mismanaged the district’s finances and drastically overstated revenue.
According to Acting Superintendent John George, the district’s 2019-20 budget has been revised downward to $152.1 million, nearly $6.7 million less than the approved budget, which was finalized in June.
The new budget yields a $2.6 million shortfall for the year.
“One of the first steps in returning educational prosperity to this school district is to stabilize our finances and ensure we are spending and accounting for funds appropriately,” George said, in a statement. “The amount of errors and mismanagement we have uncovered is egregious and truly unfair to the students, staff and taxpayers of this school district.”
Much of the shortfall—$5.1 million—is due to the prior administration overestimating state revenue that the district would receive, according to the district.
Soon after receivership began in June, the district’s new administrative team began to piece together the district’s finances. At the time George, appointed to his post by Receiver Janet Samuels, told TheBurg that the district’s finances were fragmented and in disarray.
The findings released on Tuesday are the result of four months of “painstakingly pouring through Harrisburg’s financial records and systems,” according to the district.
Other findings include a $1.9 million underestimation of tuition payments to charter schools and payments to “ineligible employees.”
The district also lost $2.8 million over the past two years in federal School Improvement Grant funding at John Harris High School, a program designed to help failing students get back on track. The district didn’t properly administer the program, and didn’t provide documentation to the government of how funds were spent, according to a school district statement.
George stated that the district is implementing “a number of financial strategies” to save money for the remainder of the school year. These include:
“Truly, every financial aspect of this school district will continue to be analyzed,” George said. “We will examine contracts with major service providers such as Aramark and our energy management providers. We’ll also be digging into the district’s outstanding legal matters that may have some major financial implications.”
George said that the district already has begun to put in place procedures and training to improve business practices, approval processes and other financial checks.
The district has also established a fraud reporting hotline. Tipsters should call 717-703-4135 or email [email protected].
A house for sale in Midtown Harrisburg
Inventory dropped and prices rose in the latest monthly accounting of Harrisburg-area home sales.
The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR) reported on Monday that, for October, home sales increased by 8.5 percent while the median sales price jumped by 8.1 percent for its three-county region, compared to the year-ago period.
For the area, listing inventory dropped by 10 percent, while the median cumulative days on the market also fell, according to GHAR.
In Dauphin County, sales totaled 302 units, up from 288, while the median price was $171,500, compared to $160,000 last October. Sales in Cumberland County also rose, totaling 324 units versus 290, with the median price increasing to $218,950 from $206,000, according to GHAR.
In Perry County, 37 units sold versus 33 a year ago, while the median price rose to $179,900 compared to $172,500 in October 2018.
As it has in recent months, GHAR primarily credited lower interest rates for the stronger home sales market. In October 2018, the average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.86 percent. Last month, the average was 3.78 percent, according to the economic research company Macrotrends.
Signs of Election Day sprouted up everywhere this past week.
Election Day came and went, with few surprises for Harrisburg-area voters. But we also highlighted many other non-election stories and features this past week. If you missed any of our coverage, now’s your chance to catch up.
An Allison Hill firehouse seemed all but gone until a Harrisburg firefighter took on a massive restoration project. The historic structure has now returned to its original glory, and the small volunteer company attached to it is also back in business. Check out our feature story from the November issue.
Election night was a bit of a snoozer in Harrisburg, as City Council and school board races had basically been decided during the May primary. Dauphin County, though, was competitive, as our online story explains.
Gamut Theatre is set to open its new season with a long-time family favorite, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” But, as Director Melissa Nicholson explains in our theater feature, expect the unexpected.
HACC will end its long-running “Live at Rose Lehrman” performing arts series. The college cited declining revenues and attendance for the decision. Read the details in our online story.
“Harriet” opened last week at Midtown Cinema, a powerful biopic of the abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The film continues throughout the weekend and is very worth seeing, according to our cinema writer.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline is a local boy who rose up through the ranks. A serious health scare, however, made him re-examine how he was leading his life. Read about his journey in our recent magazine feature.
Homeland Hospice marks its 10-year anniversary this month with a musical celebration at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Our feature story explains how you can attend and contribute.
Influencers are the new trusted marketers in the social media age. The Harrisburg area has its own crop of influencers who let people know what’s hot in fashion, restaurants and things to do. Read our magazine story to find out who to follow.
Neighbors & Smith is the newest contribution to retail along Camp Hill’s Market Street. Several shops and boutiques have opened or relocated there, making it a timely story for our November “Shop Local” section.
Paxtang Art Association holds it annual show and sale this weekend at the borough firehouse. There’s something for every taste, says our visual arts columnist.
Sara Bozich has your full slate of events for a very autumnal weekend. With this long list, you should stay well occupied until you return to work next week.
Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news, features and events? If not, subscribe here!
The entrance to HACC
HACC will discontinue its long-running Live at Rose Lehrman performing arts series following the conclusion of the current season.
In March, the community college will end the 45-year-old series, which brought world-class performing artists to the college campus in Harrisburg during the fall and spring semesters.
The main factors were lower revenues and lower attendance, according to a statement today by HACC President John “Ski” Sygielski.
“The decision to end Live at Rose Lehrman was not an easy one to make,” Sygielski said. “However, it is among the many necessary steps the college is taking to be fiscally responsible.”
According to HACC, from 2009 to 2019, total expenses to present the series were $3.9 million, while total revenue was just $1.7 million. During that 10-year period, HACC contributed $2.2 million out of its operating budget to offset these losses, an average of $221,000 annually.
Meanwhile, attendance has also declined, which HACC believes is mostly due to competition from other performing arts venues in and around Harrisburg.
Live at Rose Lehrman ticket sales declined from 4,120 in 2011-12 to 1,203 in 2018-19. Attendance by students has also dropped, from 37 percent of total attendance in 2011-12 to 14 percent of total attendance in 2018-19, according to HACC.
Two support positions will be reassigned within the college, while the director position, which has been vacant, will be eliminated, HACC said.
Sygielski stressed that this decision will not affect other arts programming at the college. The Rose Lehrman Art Gallery, HACC Theatre and HACC’s academic art programs will continue, he said.
“I want to emphasize HACC’s continued commitment to the arts, both at the college and in the community,” he said.
Campaign signs dot the entryway to Harrisburg city hall, which also served as the new Ward 4 polling station.
Harrisburg voters completed the replacement of the school board on Tuesday and returned three incumbents to City Council in a general election that held few surprises for city voters.
With no Republicans running, the Democratic nominees claimed all five school board seats with only nominal opposition. Douglas Thompson Leader, Gerald Welch, James Thompson, Jayne Buchwach and Steve Williams all will serve four-year terms on the board.
Ralph Rodriguez, who mounted a write-in campaign after coming up short in May’s crowded Democratic primary, failed to take a seat in Tuesday’s general election. All write-in candidates together received just 1 percent of the vote in the school board race.
Next month, the five victors will be sworn in as new school board directors. However, their ability to make policy will be limited due to the appointment in June of Dr. Janet Samuels as the district’s receiver.
Under the receivership, the elected school board has been stripped of power except for the ability to levy taxes. Since her appointment, Samuels has run the district largely by decree.
For City Council, Democratic incumbents Westburn Majors, Dave Madsen and Danielle Bowers all will return for four-year terms after facing no Republican opposition in the general election. Majors and Madsen were re-elected, while Bowers won her first competitive seat after appointment last year to fill an opening on council.
Incumbent Treasurer Dan Miller, running unopposed, was re-elected to his position.
Races in Dauphin County were more competitive.
Voters returned all three incumbent commissioners to office, but the race was close for much of the evening. In the end, Republicans Jeff Haste (28,080 votes) and Mike Pries (26,560 votes) and Democrat George Hartwick (25,928 votes) each were re-elected to four-year terms. Democratic challenger Diane Bowman came in fourth place with 22,026 votes.
As usual, Republican incumbents won all the row offices in Dauphin County, but several races proved to be competitive.
For clerk of courts, incumbent Dale Klein defeated challenger Brad Koplinski by a tally of 27,147 to 24,326.
For register of wills, Jean Marfizo King topped Democratic challenger Bridget Whitley by a margin of 27,725 to 23,733.
In the recorder of deeds race, Republican incumbent Jim Zugay won another term, defeating Democrat Cole Goodman by a vote of 27,869 to 23,506.
For county treasurer, incumbent Janis Creason prevailed over Democratic challenger Tim Butler by a 27,947 to 23,392 margin.
Several Republican incumbents ran unopposed and will return to office. These include District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti and Controller Timothy DeFoor.
The Paxtang Art Association’s show is ready for visitors.
The placards announcing an extravaganza of an event line the streets leading up to the “The Big Top” (I mean firehouse). Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up to the center ring for the main attraction.
As an arts columnist, I have a responsibility to get the word out on local art shows. Perhaps one of Harrisburg’s best-kept secrets is really no secret at all. On Friday, the Paxtang Art Association celebrates its 70th anniversary and, at the same time, opens its 30th annual “Art Show and Sale,” a three-day extravaganza at the Paxtang Firehouse. This is blockbuster of a show will feature over 100 artists and more than 3,000 paintings for sale. The sheer number of works requires it to be held in a building the size of a firehouse. All art is original, and the paintings include watercolors, oils, acrylics, pastels and pen and inks. With a selection like this, there is something for everyone’s taste and wallet.
Started in 1949, the Paxtang Art Association boasts an ever-growing group of members ages 8 to 80 and “draws” its artists from as far as Lewistown, Danville, Carlisle and territories beyond. The only requirement is a love to draw or paint, even if you have never touched a canvas with a brush.
The association has one instructor, Nick Feher, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts who also studied fine art in his travels throughout Europe. Feher instructs both youth and adults in art classes that encompass drawing and painting. Many have been lifelong members, and generations often follow right in line.
The elementary-age crowd, with few expectations, is the quickest study and most willing to explore their ideas. They are truly artists with no boundaries. The older generations appreciate the recuperative and relaxation measures that painting affords them. Everyone in between shares a mutual enthusiasm for creating new works and improving their skills. The association is such a close-knit community of artists that everyone is like family. Feher subscribes to the philosophy that one needs to paint and paint often—you need to get your work out there to be seen and appreciated.
Art can be found anywhere when we take the time to look. It doesn’t have to be in a gallery or a museum. Some of the best art in the world can be seen on the streets of Paris or it can be viewed inside a firehouse. And Paxtang is a lot closer than flying to France. Just a thought…
The Paxtang Art Association’s annual Art Show and Sale opens Friday, Nov. 8, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 10, at the Paxtang Firehouse, 3423 Derry St., Paxtang. A reception will be held Friday, 6 to 8 p.m. Youth and adult art classes begin in January, with registration taking place now. For more information, visit www.paxtangart.com.