Harrisburg releases “Vision Zero” plan, with a goal to eliminate pedestrian fatalities

March 20, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

City Engineer Wayne Martin spoke at today’s introduction of Harrisburg’s “Vision Zero” action plan.

Harrisburg has one of highest rates of pedestrian fatalities and injuries in the nation, a ranking that the city hopes to reverse with its new “Vision Zero” action plan.

Surrounded by public officials, Mayor Eric Papenfuse today introduced the city’s approach to improving road safety, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The plan’s action items are wide-ranging and long-term, with the ultimate goal of eliminating vehicle-related deaths in the city by 2030.

“This is a fundamental commitment to safety for all street users,” Papenfuse said. “It really is a transformative document.”

Harrisburg has a long way to go to reach its goal of zero fatalities.

Over the past five years, 19 pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists have died on city streets, and another 105 have suffered serious injury, according to the report. In central Pennsylvania as a whole, pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed over the past 20 years, from eight in 1998 to 23 last year.

Vision Zero is a nationwide road safety effort that has been adopted by many cities. Harrisburg initiated its own program last year, following a rash of pedestrian deaths on a short stretch of State Street in Allison Hill.

The “action plan” released today offers a look at why the city opted to create a Vision Zero plan, the process leading up to it and the steps it expects to take to implement it.

The report particularly focuses on the plan for the first year, listing numerous steps and action items for evaluation, education, engineering and enforcement.

Several projects are already in the works.

Last year, the city began its “rapid response” project along State Street, upgrading lighting and traffic signals, among other actions.

Going forward, in conjunction with PennDOT, the city plans more extensive changes to the wide, state-owned road, which, at times, stretches to seven lanes. These include reducing the number of travel lanes, adding a sheltered bicycle lane and redesigning crosswalks.

When the changes to State Street are done, commuters likely will experience “a few extra minutes” of travel time, but the result will be a much safer road for non-motorists, Papenfuse said.

“This is the epitome of rebalancing roadway use,” said city Engineer Wayne Martin.

The project is intended to serve as a pilot, so that changes can be measured and evaluated.

“We’re going to real-time test these concepts and measure these concepts before we make them permanent,” Papenfuse said.

The process of converting much of N. 2^nd Street, from Forster to Division street, back to two-way traffic also is underway.

Last year, the city held a public meeting to explain broad concepts and get resident input, a meeting attended by more than 100 people. The project is currently in the design phase, and another meeting will be held this spring or summer to update residents on the project, Papenfuse said.

Other major road projects, which will incorporate pedestrian safety concepts under Vision Zero, include constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Mulberry and Derry streets at MulDer Square (construction in 2020) and reconstructing N. 7^th Street from Herr to Reily streets, adding a roundabout, a cycle track and two mid-block pedestrian crossings, among other changes (construction from summer 2019 to fall 2020).

The city also would like to reconstruct two other high-accident intersections, one at Forster and Front streets and another at Cameron and Maclay streets. In both cases, concepts were developed last year, and the city currently is seeking funding for final design and construction.

“Fundamentally, what we’re talking about here is a guiding document for the city of Harrisburg,” Papenfuse said. “This is correcting a failed auto-centric approach to urban planning.”

For more information on Vision Zero and to read Harrisburg’s action plan, visit www.visionzerohbg.org.

Citing population shifts, Dauphin County urges Harrisburg to adopt new ward, voting maps

March 19, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

The Ward 4 polling station in Harrisburg

A Dauphin County official made a pitch on Tuesday night to change and streamline Harrisburg’s ward map, a plan that would slash the number of wards in the city by two-thirds.

Jerry Feaser, the county’s director of the Bureau of Registration and Elections, briefed City Council on a proposal to cut the number of city wards from 15 to five.

He cited several factors for the proposed change, including population shifts that have created uneven voter distributions in the city and an effort to ensure that polling places are compliant with the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act.

“I am here to respectfully ask that the city and the Dauphin County Bureau of Registration and Elections work together on a plan to make improvements to the voting districts that comprise the City of Harrisburg,” he said.

Under the county’s plan, cutting the number of wards also would reduce the number of voting precincts in the city, which now stands at 28. Instead, each of the five wards would have five precincts, for a total of 25.

Over four decades, Feaser said, 42 election districts were whittled down to the current 28, as populations kept changing and shifting.

“We have arrived at a situation where some of the district lines just don’t make sense,” he said.

For examples, Feaser cited the fact that busy State Street bisects Ward 8 and that Hall Manor sits in two different wards.

He further said that the five new wards then could be used by the Court of Common Pleas to create new magisterial district judge boundaries.

The current Harrisburg precinct map (left) and Dauphin County’s proposed map (right)

Feaser’s presentation was one step in what could be a drawn-out process.

City Council would need to approve the appointment of a five-member commission, which would firm up a new map that may or may not comport with the county’s current proposal. Both council and the county commissioners then would need to approve the map. Lastly, it would go before voters for their approval.

Feaser emphasized that his plan was just “a starting point.”

“The creation of ward lines is totally within the authority of the city,” he said.

Feaser said that a plan probably would not finalized and ready for a vote by residents until the November 2021 general election. It made sense, he said, to wait for the results of next year’s U.S. census, which could significantly alter the population count and the distribution of residents within the city. Therefore, the first use of the new ward map wouldn’t take place until 2022, at the earliest.

“There really is time to absorb this and think about it,” said city Solicitor Neil Grover.

Even if the ward map isn’t changed, Feaser told council that his office will need to reconsider where some residents cast their votes, as a number current polling stations cannot be made ADA compliant and/or because several buildings may not be available any longer for voting.

Tensions mount at Harrisburg school board meeting, as debate over solicitor gets heated

March 18, 2019 | by Maddie Crocenzi

The Harrisburg school district’s administration building

A Harrisburg school board meeting devolved into a shouting match on Monday night, marked by a disagreement over the hiring of an in-house solicitor for the district.

During a discussion on fiscal matters, board President Danielle Robinson brought up the board’s desire to hire an in-house solicitor, framing the issue as a way to save money.

According to Robinson, the district currently works with some four different law firms and pays $800,000 to $1 million a year in legal fees.

“In the next three years, we’re going to be broke as a district,” Robinson said. “We’re going to be bankrupt as a district. This is a way for us to possibly save some money.”

The move was not, she said, a criticism of the board’s current Solicitor Samuel Cooper, who works for an outside firm, Philadelphia-based Dilworth Paxon.

Robinson said the district had two applicants and that she worked with Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney, as well as the district’s business manager and HR director, to have an initial discussion with the two candidates. The board then met with the two applicants and asked questions of them.

Although Robinson did not publicly confirm who the candidates were, she was questioned if one was Harrisburg attorney James Ellison, a former school board solicitor and long-time political player in the city.

“However anyone on the outside feels about these two applicants does not matter to me,” Robinson said. “The decision lies with this board. We have to become a strong board to make our own decisions.”

The district’s state-appointed Chief Recovery Officer Janet Samuels then expressed her frustration that the process the board used — a request for qualifications advertised in a local newspaper— was not adequate. She said that the district needed to seek out candidates from other firms experienced in representing school districts.

Robinson then accused Samuels of trying to slander a candidate.

“As the chief recovery officer, your job is to make sure we’re in line with the recovery plan, not to tell these board members what to do and who to vote for,” Robinson said.

After a verbal sparring match between Robinson and Samuels, Cooper appeal for calm. Cooper, who would likely need to stay involved to finish up ongoing legal work, asked everyone to maintain respect and civility.

“Conduct yourself with decorum and do the business at hand,” he said. “If you want respect from our citizens sitting here who spend their time coming here thanklessly that aren’t getting paid for it either, show them some respect too.”

Eventually, the board decided to table the vote. The issue was tabled with no specific date, meaning, Robinson said, that it could come up during the next public voting meeting or at the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting in April. If board members decide to accept new bids for solicitors, they can look at other candidates. If not, they will move forward with the two candidates they have, Robinson said.

For her part, Samuels said she was not surprised by Robinson’s reaction. She said that she gave the board information on possible solicitors in the Harrisburg area who were well-versed in education law, as well as information on how to appropriately select a solicitor. She said she wants to focus on the “great things” that can happen with the district instead of any “baggage” that comes with hiring a particular firm.

“There should be a standard of excellence in place in this district, whether it’s educating children or selecting a board solicitor,” she said.

HU sets July ground-breaking for new academic tower, hotel

March 18, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg University expects to break ground on its new academic tower and hotel in midsummer, the university confirmed today.

Spokesman Steven Infanti projected a late July start date for the 17-story, $135 million project at the corner of Chestnut and S. 3^rd streets.

Infanti said that university expects a two-year construction period, with a grand opening slated for summer 2021, in time for the 2021-22 academic year.

Two weeks ago, the Harrisburg Planning Commission unanimously approved the project (rendering above), which had been scaled down from 19 to 17 floors, about half the height of the original plan. The land use plan still must be approved by City Council.

Infanti expects the building to house at least 1,000 new students and a health science education center for nursing, pharmaceutical sciences and other health-related programs. It also will have classrooms and training space for advanced manufacturing and interactive media programs, he said.

The 386,200-square-foot building consists of two other portions: a hotel and a restaurant. Owners and operators for these have not yet been announced.

Four parcels make up the building site: 222 Chestnut St. and 24, 26 and 28 S. 3^rd St. Currently, 222 Chestnut St., the largest parcel, is a surface parking lot, while the 3^rd Street parcels all house 19^th-century commercial buildings, which would be demolished during the site-clearing process.

Alex Wing of Stantec is the lead architect for the project, supported by Harrisburg-based Reynolds Enterprises Inc. and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., based in Baltimore.

For more information about Harrisburg University, visit www.harrisburgu.edu.

Burg Review: Boxer Charles Feathers opens knock-out exhibit at HMAC

March 17, 2019 | by Robert MacGinnes

It was only fitting that the old Police Athletic League (PAL) building was the backdrop for bantamweight Charles Feathers’ art show at the House of Music, Arts and Culture (HMAC) for 3rd in the Burg on Friday.

Feathers (pictured left) shook the very foundation with his show, which defied description. Everything from stylized ray guns to an apocalyptic wedding dress–including his signature “Bootleg” creations, presented in a no-holds-barred, knock ’em to the canvas style–made for a singular art exhibit.

Before venturing to the upstairs gallery, a laid back jazz duo put down an extra chill vibe on slide trombone and keyboards. The duo, Jim McFalls and Steve Rudolph, respectively, set the tone for a Mardi Gras ambiance in the downstairs bar and restaurant. As a visual backdrop behind them, hand-painted boxing gloves in a nod to the old PAL were on display.

A decade ago, the PAL building was reincarnated as HMAC and, preceding that, it housed the Jewish Community Center. Just off the elevator upstairs, an oversized, multi-colored yarn llama, replete with a cobalt blue saddle and gold suede harness, set off alarms for the riot of color alone. The police, one felt, could have been called in to save “the jumper,” an outsized plaster zebra (10 feet tall) as it perched precariously atop a questionable ledge while hanging onto a wedding veil in one hoof. Behind it was the aforementioned wedding dress with “burnout” patterns from a futuristic nuptial scene.

Otherworldly creations from Feathers included a metal-winged motorcycle jacket fit for a biker angel emblazoned with the “Bootleg” stamp. In a different vein, suspended from the ceiling, was a twisted metal sculpture hoop festooned with peacock feathers. In promoting the “feather fantasy,” Feathers made metal viewing glasses (sans lenses) adorned with peacock plumes outrageously placed across the frames or spinning out of control, extending the temples well beyond the wearer’s head. All the better to view “Planet Charlie” up close.

Artist and HMAC co-owner Gary Bartlett added three installations on the upstairs stage that complemented the avant garde work of Mr. Feathers. One installation spanned across either end of the stage, comprised of air duct vent tubes lit inside with multi-colored bulbs, giving the effect of an underground happening entitled, “American Dream/American Nightmare,” depending on the viewer’s point of view. Bartlett added two separate mannequin forms—one featured pieces from a shredded red Japanese lantern and gauzy material, and the companion piece was a torso adorned with scrabble letters.

What Feathers references in his “Bootleg Creations” is the imprimatur shark, which, in large part, is a tribute to the long-time collaboration with his dearly departed friend and co-creator, Dan Kalbach. Feathers carries on his legacy through the many iterations of “Bootleg,” an artistic genre in its own right.

What makes the body of work represented in Feathers’ oeuvre is the skill presented in diverse media—a potter, a sculptor, a photographer and, most of all, a visionary from another realm. His art is best seen and appreciated up close with clear eyes and an open mind. Whimsy is a large part of Feathers’ lexicon but so is romance and fantasy. All of this together makes Feathers a knockout artist. The evening was a TKO.

Be sure to view Feathers and Bartlett’s works at HMAC through April 17, before it leaves its orbit headed to another solar system.

The House of Music, Arts and Culture is located at 1110 N. 3^rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.harrisburgarts.com.

Burg Blog: 2 Lives, 2 Streets

March 15, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council in session this week

Not every Harrisburg City Council meeting has fireworks.

This past week, for instance, the legislative session lasted less than a half-hour, as the agenda was small, and the few items on it were non-controversial or sent into committee for later discussion.

However, there were two resolutions, passed unanimously, that I feel should be noted. Both memorialized a community member, recently deceased, whose lives now will be recognized on the streets where they lived.

They led very different lives, and, as well, had very different fates.

The first resolution honored Dennis Green, who, as a child, lived with his family on the 1100-block of Walnut Street. He would go on to star as a halfback at the University of Iowa.

Green never played in the NFL, but later worked his way up the football coaching ranks, first on the college then the professional level. In 1992, he became the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings, becoming just the second African American head coach in the league. He coached the Vikings for an impressive 10 years, then spent several more with the Arizona Cardinals and as an ESPN analyst.

He died last July, more than a decade after retiring from football.

“Mr. Green was a phenomenal resident of the city of Harrisburg,” said Councilman Westburn Majors. “Mr. Green would come back to Harrisburg and helped to guide our athletes.”

The second resolution honored a woman whose impact remained more local to Harrisburg but was profound nonetheless.

Jacqueline Black was a lifelong city resident, spending some four decades in her house on the 300-block of Emerald Street, where she raised a family. Then, last June, tragedy struck.

Her house caught fire, and she died in the blaze, but not before helping three of her grandchildren escape out of a second-floor window. Without her action, those children may have perished, as well.

“Ms. Black was my friend, and she made an impact as a strong matriarch,” said Council President Wanda Williams. “She was a special angel.”

To honor Green, council passed a resolution recognizing the 1100 to 1300 blocks of Walnut Street as “Dennis Green Way.”

To honor Black, council passed a resolution recognizing the 300-block of Emerald Street as “Jacqueline Black Way.”

The streets will retain their official, existing names, but also will be designated by their new names.

Green and Black were two Harrisburg natives who impacted many over the course of their lives, whether on the national stage or the local one. They now will be honored on the streets where they lived.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

March 14, 2019 | by Sara Bozich

Happy Weekend! It is a wild weekend ahead (for you guys, though I am thinking about putting some Irish Cream in my coffee on Sunday) with 3rd in the Burg, sip @ soma, and St. Patrick’s Day, which apparently is celebrated ad nauseum. I’m getting a massage today for the first time in well over a year, and tonight it’s a meeting + sip. Saturday, we’re going to see Tig Notaro at Whitaker Center!

What are you doing this weekend?

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Harrisburg Democrats to weigh crowded primary field for city council, school board

March 12, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

This year’s municipal primary looks to be a hot one in Harrisburg, as Democratic voters face a crowded field for both City Council and school board.

Tuesday was the deadline for handing in nomination petitions, and numerous candidates filed, according to the Dauphin County Bureau of Elections & Voter Registration.

For council, three, four-year seats are up for grabs.

Three sitting council members have turned in nomination petitions: Danielle Bowers, Dave Madsen and Westburn Majors. This is the first contested race for Bowers, who was appointed last year to fill an open seat following the departure of former Councilman Cornelius Johnson.

The Democratic incumbents will face three challengers in the primary: Christina Kostelecky of Midtown, Brianna Smith of Midtown and Dionna Reeves of North Allison Hill.

No Republican candidates filed to run for council.

In the very crowded primary race for Harrisburg school board, 12 Democratic candidates will vie for five, four-year seats. These include current school board directors Lionel Gonzalez, Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy and Patricia Whitehead-Myers, and eight challengers: Jayne Buchwach, Lewis Butts Jr., Ralph Rodriguez, James Thompson, Doug Thompson Leader, Gerald Welch, Cory X. Williams and Steven Williams.

No one filed to run in the Republican primary.

In the only other city race, incumbent Treasurer Dan Miller is seeking re-election for a four-year term. He is unchallenged in the Democratic primary, and no candidate filed to run in the Republican primary.

On the county level, incumbents Jeff Haste and Mike Pries are running for re-election unopposed in the Republican primary for commissioner. On the Democratic side, incumbent George Hartwick and challengers Diane Bowman and Tom Connolly are running for the two Democratic slots.

For other county offices, all of the Republican incumbents have no competition in the primary: District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein, Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay, Treasurer Janis Creason, Controller Timothy DeFoor and Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Jean Marfizo King.

On the Democratic side, Cole Goodman has filed for Recorder of Deeds, Tim Butler is running for Treasurer, Brad Koplinski is running for Clerk of Courts and Bridget Whitley has filed for Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court. All are unopposed in the primary.

This list is regarded as preliminary pending possible challenges to nomination petitions, which sometimes knocks candidates off of the ballot.

The primary election is on May 21. The winners will continue on to the general election, which is Nov. 5.

Harrisburg, Dauphin County municipal primary field begins to take shape

March 8, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

There are still a few days to go before final nomination petitions are due, but the Harrisburg and Dauphin County municipal primary races are already beginning to take shape.

The county Bureau of Elections & Voter Registration has posted the names of candidates who have handed in petitions as of end-of-day on Thursday for the primary.

In Harrisburg, three, four-year seats for City Council are up for grabs.

So far, all three sitting council members have turned in nomination petitions: Danielle Bowers, Dave Madsen and Westburn Majors. This is the first contested race for Bowers, who was appointed last year to fill an open seat following the departure of former Councilman Cornelius Johnson.

Midtown resident Christina Kostelecky is the only challenger thus far to turn in a nomination petition for a City Council seat.

In the closely watched race for five, four-year seats on the Harrisburg school board, incumbents Lionel Gonzalez and Ellis R. Roy have turned in petitions, as have challengers Jayne Buchwach and Steven Williams.

In the only other city race, incumbent Treasurer Dan Miller is seeking re-election for a four-year term. So far, he is unchallenged.

On the county level, Republican incumbents Jeff Haste and Mike Pries have turned in nomination petitions, as have incumbent Democrat George Hartwick and Democratic challenger Diane Bowman.

So far, only Republican incumbents have turned in petitions for county row offices. These include District Attorney Fran Chardo, Sheriff Nick Chimienti, Clerk of Courts Dale Klein, Recorder of Deeds Jim Zugay, Treasurer Janis Creason and Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans’ Court Jean Marfizo King. As of last night, no candidate had submitted petitions for county controller.

Candidates have until this Tuesday, March 12, to turn in nomination petitions with sufficient valid signatures to the county Bureau of Elections. The primary election is on May 21. The general election is on Nov. 5.

HBG Planning Commission approves Harrisburg University tower, now cut down to 17 floors

March 8, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Architects from the firm Stantec show Harrisburg Planning Commission members street views of their latest design for Harrisburg University’s proposed downtown high-rise.

The Harrisburg Planning Commission this week gave its blessing to a new downtown high-rise for Harrisburg University, a building design that knocks another two floors off of the project.

The land development plan, approved unanimously by the commission on Wednesday night, envisions a 17-story building totaling 386,200 square feet of space at the corner of Chestnut and S. 3^rd streets.

“I think this is a very good project,” said commission Chairman Joe Alsberry, before casting his vote in favor.

Last year, HU floated a concept for a building exceeding 30 floors, which would have made it the tallest building in the city. Last fall, the height was cut back to 19 floors and now has been approved at 17.

With Planning Commission approval, the land development plan now must be approved by City Council before HU can break ground.

The building (rendering left) consists of three parts: an academic portion that would house mainly health sciences programs, a separately owned hotel and a restaurant. The university envisions a two-year construction period.

In its vote on Wednesday, the city Planning Commission approved the consolidation of the four parcels that make up the building site: 222 Chestnut St. and 24, 26 and 28 S. 3^rd St. Currently, 222 Chestnut St., the largest parcel, is a surface parking lot, while the 3^rd Street parcels all house 19^th-century commercial buildings, which would be demolished during the site-clearing process.

HU’s attorney and architects, who attended the meeting, were satisfied with the approval, with one exception.

As a condition for approval, the city’s Planning Bureau suggested that HU make changes to the building façade so that it would have a more “consistent” design, with less visible concrete.

City Planning Director Geoffrey Knight also noted how much the building looks like HU’s existing, 15-year-old tower on Market Street.

“We’d like architecture that is a bit more aspirational than the design indicates,” he said.

Knight emphasized that the city supports the project, but would prefer certain façade improvements for the sake of the city streetscape and skyline.

“We want to make sure it’s something that will age well,” he said.

HU attorney Diane Tokarsky of McNees Wallace & Nurick pushed back hard on the suggestion that design changes were needed.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” she said. “There would be a significant cost to the university to begin redesigning the façade of the building.”

City Solicitor Neil Grover clarified that the city can’t force the university to change its design.

Nonetheless, Tokarsky strongly objected to the condition placed on the approval. She said that she wanted an all-clear from the city, stating that any conditions not explicitly met could negatively affect the university’s next steps, including finalizing financing and putting construction work out for bid.

“We need to be able to say, ‘This is our building. This is the cost of our building,’” she said.

Planning Commission members discussed stripping out the condition that suggested the façade changes, but, in the end, opted to leave it in as part of its approval.

“I’m excited about this project overall,” said commissioner Anne Marek. “The only sticking point goes back to this façade conversation.”

In the end, HU representatives said they’d willingly continue the conversation with the city, but within limits.

“We would be happy to have further dialogue,” Tokarsky said. “But we need finality. We’re not redesigning this building.”

A Harrisburg University spokesman yesterday declined further comment for this story.

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