Tag Archives: 14th Street sinkhole

November News Digest

School Budget Revised

The Harrisburg school district issued a substantial budget revision last month, 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.

“The amount of errors and mismanagement we have uncovered is egregious and truly unfair to the students, staff and taxpayers of this school district,” George said, in a statement.

Much of the shortfall—$5.1 million—is due to the prior administration overestimating state revenue that would be received, 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 are the result of four months of “painstakingly pouring through Harrisburg’s financial records and systems,” according to the district.

Other results 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:

  • refinancing debt with lower-interest loans
  • reviewing medical benefits contracts
  • recommitting to the sale of dormant assets, such as William Penn High School and Woodward Elementary
  • pursuing new grants and other non-traditional revenue sources
  • lowering charter school costs

“Truly, every financial aspect of this school district will continue to be analyzed,” George said.

He 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 fraud@hbgsd.us.

 

Election Yields Few Surprises

Harrisburg voters completed the replacement of the school board last month 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.

This 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.

 


City Considers Zoning Changes

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.

Last month, 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, which mandates a minimum of 1,200 square feet per dwelling unit.

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 not voting on it.

 


Business Parking Program Proposed

Which comes first: the parking chicken or the parking egg?

Harrisburg City Council and the administration recently debated this question as they discussed whether to establish a business parking permit program in the city.

The idea would be similar to the current program for residential parking permits, said Richard Kotz, the city’s parking administrator. For a fee, city businesses could purchase annual permits for street parking in designated zones, which would be outside of residential parking zones and outside of any metered area controlled by Park Harrisburg/SP+.

The proposal is meant to be an economic development driver for the city, Kotz said. It might also reduce the need for surface parking lots for businesses, while raising some money for the city, he said.

“These districts would provide another economic tool that would attract new businesses into the city as well as retain existing ones that may be expanding,” Kotz said.

Almost immediately, council members pushed back on the proposal. They asked for greater detail, such as how many districts the administration would propose and where it would locate them.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the first step would be to establish the program, setting up its general structure. Specifics, such as where they districts would be established, would come after and would be subject to approval by council, just like residential districts currently are.

“Whatever proposals we have would come before council,” he said. “There would be a process where they would be vetted and discussed. This is merely allowing us to establish a business parking permit concept similar as what we have with the residential parking now.”

City Solicitor Neil Grover explained that Harrisburg’s residential parking zones have been established incrementally, over a series of many years.

“First, you create a program,” he said. “We’re really at a threshold question of should the city have a business parking permit program. It’s a long-term process.”

Several council members kept pressing the administration for additional detail. Council President Wanda Williams seemed skeptical that the administration didn’t have certain areas or businesses in mind.

“You must have an idea where you want to put particular districts,” she said. “I’m asking you: Where is that information?”

Council member Ben Allatt voiced concern that business districts could encroach on residential areas, creating more difficult parking for residents. He said that he’d like to see a “multi-pronged solution” that addressed both residential and business parking.

“We have multiple issues, and we’re only addressing part of that by this,” he said. “I’d like to see a comprehensive look at how we’re looking at parking also from a residential aspect.”

Papenfuse said that Kotz is “actively working with residents” to improve and change residential parking districts.

“That is going on simultaneously,” he said.

Several council members referred specifically to areas of Midtown, where parking is already difficult due to state workers parking on the street, with the possibility of even tougher parking after completion of the federal courthouse and the new state archives, both on N. 6th Street.

“It’s possible we need a new residential district,” Papenfuse said. “We could expand the existing one.”

Council member Westburn Majors said that he thought that the idea had merit and that the city should consider establishing the program on a trial basis.

“Usually, when you have an idea like this, there’s a pilot of a section or two,” he said. “In my mind, there are one or two areas of the city where an initial pilot like this would work well.”

Williams pushed back repeatedly on the proposal, insisting that she needed more information before casting a vote.

“Obviously, you were sitting around thinking about this,” she said. “Where is the map? Where is the zoning that you’re considering?”

 


City Plans Sale of Riverside Firehouse

Have you ever wanted to own a fire station—some reassembly required? If so, now’s your chance.

Last month, 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.”

 

Privatization Halted, Stormwater Fee Approved

Harrisburg is dropping the idea of potentially privatizing its water system, as Capital Region Water (CRW) has agreed to delay the start of a new stormwater fee for six months.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city would cease any effort to sell the municipal water/sewer system following discussions with, and changes by, CRW to its stormwater fee to implementation schedule and evident progress in finalizing a stormwater plan.

“Privatization is off the table,” he said.

Last month, CRW passed its 2020 rate schedule, which will implement a new stormwater fee, but not until July 1. Originally, CRW had planned to begin the fee on Jan. 1.

The delay, Papenfuse said, will give some property owners “a chance to work through the appeals process” for their stormwater assessments. It also gives CRW more time to get final approval from the federal government for its plan to cut the flow of pollutants into area waterways.

Rate-wise, most of CRW’s residential customers in Harrisburg will begin paying a $6.15 per month stormwater fee beginning on July 1. That amount equates to $74 per year ($37 for 2020). The non-residential rate will fluctuate based on the amount of impervious surface on the commercial properties.

Last month, CRW also approved an increase in its wastewater rate, which will go up 4.5 percent on Jan. 1, from $7.65 in 2019 to $7.99 in 2020 for 1,000 gallons of water.

Similarly, CRW approved a rate increase for the third component of its service—drinking water. For 2020, drinking water rates will increase by 2 percent from $9.65 to $9.84 per 1,000 gallons, plus a 2 percent increase in the “ready to serve” charge.

 

Sinkhole Street Becomes Park

Five years ago, a sinkhole began to swallow up the 1400-block of S. 14th Street in Harrisburg. Last month, the once-residential area began a new era as a community green space.

City, state and federal officials—and some former residents—gathered at the South 14th Street Open Space, a new, 2.4-acre city park, which, until recently, was occupied by rows of small, 1950s-era houses and a street.

“I just never saw so much open space over here,” said former S. 14th Street resident Rhonda Scott, who had lived in the neighborhood for 28 years. “It’s bittersweet; everybody was over here for a long time.”

In 2014, the disaster affected 53 homes, throwing some residents out of their houses and endangering others.

Roads, sidewalks and yards were damaged as well, making it a problem the city needed to solve. At the time, Harrisburg, just out of receivership, was in no financial condition to be tackling an issue this big, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

However, at the urging of state and local officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded much of the sinkhole mitigation project, supplying the city with $1.65 million for it. Never before had FEMA approved a sinkhole project.

“This project changed national policy,” said Steve Ward, a FEMA federal coordinating officer who attended the ceremony.

An additional $4.55 million came from HUD’s Department of Community and Economic Development and Dauphin County’s Community Development Block Grant.

Using these funds, the city was able to buy all of the 53 affected units for their assessed market values. Residents were assisted in finding and purchasing new housing elsewhere. After a tedious, multi-year process, the buildings were demolished last April.

The site was excavated 10 feet deep, backfilled and re-graded to help prevent future sinkholes caused by excessive rainfall, as copious rain from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011, passing through the porous ground in the area, likely caused the initial sinkhole outbreak. The area was zoned as a green space, meaning no future construction can occur there.

“This site will allow folks to reflect on local memories,” said Tom Hughes, state hazard mitigation officer for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

The new park includes a walking path, benches and newly planted trees. A permanent plaque will be installed to serve as a memorial to the neighborhood that once stood there.

Some neighbors do have concerns about how well the park will be taken care of.

“We know the community really appreciates it and because they appreciate it, they are going to treat it well,” said Rev. Roberta Thompson, associate pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church nearby. “We do have some concerns about how we are going to keep it up.”

Papenfuse assured community members that the city will maintain the green space as it does other parks in the city.

Although devastating to those who lived there, the sinkhole project showed Ward the potential of city, state and national organizations uniting on a job that once seemed impossible.

“This is a perfect example of the community coming together and helping those families,” he said.

 

Area Home Sales Strong

Inventory dropped and prices rose in the latest monthly accounting of Harrisburg-area home sales.

The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR) reported last month 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. In October 2018, the average was 3.78 percent, according to the economic research company Macrotrends.

 


So Noted

Doug Hill last month was appointed as a member of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA), the state-appointed body created to oversee Harrisburg’s five-year financial recovery plan. Hill replaces fellow city resident David Schankweiler, who left the ICA in September.

HACC will end its longstanding “Live at Rose Lehrman” performing arts series with the conclusion of the current season in March, it was announced last month. HACC stated that it could no longer offset the cost of the 35-year-old series, which brought many world-class acts to the college’s Harrisburg campus.

HACC Foundation, a nonprofit educational trust, last month named Robert J. Emrich Jr. to its board of directors. Emrich is president and CEO of Riskcop Advisory LLC and CEO of Gerson Lehrman Group.

Harris Family Brewing last month received a zoning variance to open a brewery at 1721 Holly St. in Harrisburg. The owners, Shaun Harris, JT Thomas and Tim White, expect to open next year, becoming one of the first black-owned craft breweries in Pennsylvania. The owners needed a variance to open the brewery in an area of Allison Hill not zoned for the industrial use. The site will produce beer only for wholesale as the owners continue a search for a retail taproom.

Jason Meckes has been named experience development director by Visit Hershey & Harrisburg. In this role, he will work to develop new products and experiences that enhance the visitor experience and attract new audiences to the area, according to the organization. Meckes previously served as the executive director of the Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society.

Lawrance Binda, co-founder, co-owner and editor-in-chief of TheBurg, has been named to the board of directors of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, the principal trade association for news organizations in the commonwealth. PNA seeks to advance the interests of Pennsylvania news media companies and protect the free and independent press, among other goals.

Seven Bridges Development has withdrawn its application to change the zoning for a swath of Midtown Harrisburg. The company now says it will engage in greater community outreach before submitting a more detailed development proposal next year. Seven Bridges wants to develop empty lots in the Marketplace neighborhood now owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, but has received some resistance from residents wanting more information on the company’s proposed projects.

Soul Burrito opened a standalone restaurant last month at 314 S. Progress Ave., Harrisburg, offering their unique take on the Mexican staple. Over a decade, the husband-and-wife team has built a following through several previous locations and their popular food truck. For more information, visit www.soulburrito.com.

TheBurg and Jeff Woodruff are the two recipients of the 2020 “Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region.” TheBurg was recognized for its support, promotion and furtherance of the arts in central PA and Woodruff for his long service as executive director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Theatre Harrisburg has given out the “Arts Award” each year since 1989, recognizing one organization/company and one individual annually for their contributions to the arts.

 

Changing Hands

Apricot St., 1713, 51 Balm St., 2012 Chestnut St., 2406 N. 4th St., 2334 N. 4th St., 1813 Susquehanna St. & 1522 Vernon St.: 1713 Apricot St LLC, SMKP Properties & 2012 Chestnut St. LLC to Three Bridges Holdings LLC, $328,000

Bellevue Rd., 2304: C. Marshall to K. Hurst & C. Reinhold, $314,900

Berryhill St., 2112: B. & B. Lambeth to C. Ankeny, $57,000

Berryhill St., 2146: J. McLaughlin & C. & A. Paveglio to J. Elias Holdings, $32,500

Berryhill St., 2314: R. Dorer to A. & J. Budzinski, $34,498

Boas St., 262: J. & S. Sempeles to A. Ulinfun, $165,000

Boas St., 302: M. Cantwell to R. Lowthert, $159,900

Briggs St., 1509: E. Nugroho & J. Juniana to C. Davis, $155,000

Briggs St., 2028: J. & D. Gravely to AUM Investments LP, $33,000

Calder St., 258: J. Destalo to J. Walters, $167,000

Chestnut St., 1722: J. Alverez to Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg Inc., $65,000

Crescent St., 321: D. & R. McLean to HBK Properties 1 LLC, $42,900

Cumberland St., 258: Z. Blackwell to S. Wood, $162,000

Delaware St., 268: WCI Partners to F. Hamid, $116,000

Derry St., 2457: PA Deals LLC to Two Three Two Investments LLC, $72,900

Dunkle St., 538: W. Birtle to E. Satterwaite, $57,900

Forster St., 1928: Dobson Family Partnership to M. Bair, $50,000

Grand St., 913: A. Harris to E. Dowlin, $90,000

Green St., 1116: J. & B. Rhen to B. Edwards, $205,000

Green St., 1522: G. Jordan to S. & C. Fox, $162,500

Green St., 1619: M. & L. Stednitz to G. Hoffner, $159,900

Green St., 2340: J. Clmens to S. & J. Ojageer, $214,900

Hale Ave., 418: M. Goodson to I. Yolov, $52,000

Hamilton St., 501½: Z. Yap to 88314 LLC, $40,000

Harris Terr., 2461: R. Dressler & E. Knuth to M. Collins, $64,500

Herr St., 1714: SL Realty to Y. Monegro & R. Sanchez, $32,000

Hummel St., 247: A. Jackson & M. Wade to Tri County HDC Ltd., $40,000

Jefferson St., 2512: G. & D. Ebeling to M. Wright, $35,000

Jefferson St., 2975 & 2980: Mitchell LLC to Arko Properties LLC, $725,000

Kelker St., 622: End Properties to C. Moon, $56,000

Kensington St., 2352: V. Nguyen to H. Akhtar, $60,000

Kensington St., 2367: D. Le & V. Tran to P. Webb, $58,000

Kensington St., 2410: J. Lara to DPM Development LLC, $65,000

Maclay St., 416: S. Van Brakle to K. Patterson, $88,900

Market St., 1916: J. Alvarado to E. Chisholm, $120,000

Mercer St., 2422: GCD Properties to Dowling Management Co. LLC, $53,900

Muench St., 232: WCI Partners LP to K. Boyce, $122,500

North St., 1932: J. Ward to Y. Abraham, $39,000

North St., 1938: M. Dunleavy to S. Smith & R. Walters, $32,000

N. 2nd St., 1107: JS Investments Inc. to Inoma Properties East Shore LLC, $178,000

N. 2nd St., 2405: M. & R. Lindquist to M. Kenworthy, $244,900

N. 2nd St., 2406: V. Jenkins to KMM Development LLC, $58,000

N. 2nd St., 2426: Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs to Pennsylvania DUI Association Inc., $115,000

N. 2nd St., 2957: D. Nikovits to Ideal Services Group LLC, $138,000

N. 3rd St., 2223: B. & L. Straub to D. Toro & S. Ortega, $179,900

N. 4th St., 2143: R. Joline to A. Nebbou, $35,000

N. 4th St., 3214: J. Stipe & T. Diaz to S. Roman, $99,000

N. 14th St., 1211: C. McKinney to F. Burgos, $58,900

N. 16th St., 1117: C. Irvin to A.. Anderson, $45,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 302: J. Jarosky to S. Schu, $227,939

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 306: J. Batz to G. Vanegas, $97,500

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 403: R. & R. Fried to D. Eberly, $130,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 507: S. Kolesar to C. Tomlinson, $116,000

Paxton St., 1723: T. Gilbreath to M. Maniari & Z. Roudi, $59,000

Peffer St., 214: M. Magaro, S. Bishop, R. Brabush & L. Van Swol to JPR Properties, $76,000

Penn St., 1503: J. Adams to C. Anderson, $146,500

Penn St., 1618: J. Tran to S. Martin, $134,000

Penn St., 1810: G. Neff & City Limits Realty to J. Rogers, $78,500

Putnam St., 1620: M. Miller Jr. to A. Adams, $55,000

Reel St., 2446: O. Rosado to E. Johnson, $64,900

Rolleston St. 1233: Chooker49 LLC to D&D Legacy LLC, $40,000

S. 13th St., 30: Round Rock Investments LLC to Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC, $80,000

S. 16th St., 1002: T. & S. Golesich to T. Scott, $119,900

S. 19th St., 1141: 1141 South 19th LLC to C. Dennis, $115,000

S. 20th St., 13: I. & G. Hymon to Scholars Inc., $45,000

S. 21st St., 1000: E. & K. Kohl to K. Roach, $544,500

S. 23rd St., 649: A. & T. Campion & J. Oldaker to Two Three Two Investments LLC, $35,000

S. 28th St., 726: P. & L. Brown to L. & S. Cassel, $108,000

State St., 231, Unit 606: LUX 1 LP to P. Ovide, $130,000

Susquehanna St., 1608: P. Klein to M. Fulton, $162,000

Susquehanna St., 1932: J. Gallant to D. & L. Taylor, $106,000

Swatara St., 2136: L. Geter to M. Camones & E. Salvador, $35,000

Waldo St., 2655: Penn Home LLC to Fowler Investments LLC, $36,000

Waldo St., 2707: M. Cook & E. Jones to S. & T. Johnson, $38,000

Woodbine St., 218: M&T Bank to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $44,500

Woodlawn St., 2609: R. Gross to C. Dell, $40,000

Harrisburg property sales for October 2019, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse speaks during the official opening of a new city park, which once was a sinkhole-marred street.

The news came at us from all sides last week—Harrisburg city council, the school district, arts, business, etc. Did you miss any of our coverage? Don’t fret, as we have it all recapped below in one convenient place.

Environmental awareness and action will be front and center next week during “A Call for Climate Action: A Community Conversation” to be held at the Dixon University Center in Uptown Harrisburg. Find out more about this important event from our November magazine story.

Gamut Theatre opens “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” this weekend, the first major production in Gamut’s new theater season. Read our recent feature to find out how they’re approaching this venerable fable.

HACC will end its long-running “Live at Rose Lehrman” performing arts series. HACC said that it plans to shut down the 35-year-old series in March, citing decreased attendance and revenue. Our online story has the details.

Harrisburg introduced an ordinance last week that would allow greater housing density in residential neighborhoods. The city’s mayor said that he was proposing the change to help attract more residential development. Click here to read the details.

Harrisburg area home sales and prices in October were up substantially compared to a year ago, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. Read the latest data and the county-by-county breakdown here.

Harrisburg school district has completed an analysis of the 2019-20 budget it inherited from the prior administration, discovering a revenue shortfall of about $6.7 million. Get all the unpleasant details by reading our online story.

Open Stage this weekend opens “Who’s Holiday,” the first play to be staged in the newly reconstructed theater in downtown Harrisburg. For a preview of this very non-traditional holiday comedy, check out our recent theater feature.

Riverside Firehouse is expected to hit the market after City Council transferred the century-old station to the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. The authority would put the firehouse up for sale after consolidating two separate parcels. Read the details in our online story.

Sara Bozich has your plans for the weekend, which could include theater openings, a new brewery at Sip @ Soma and 3rd in the Burg, among a hundred or so other things to do. Visit her “Weekend Roundup” for the most complete event list in Harrisburg.

Seven Bridges Development has decided to delay an effort to rezone a swath of Midtown. The company said that they plan to engage with the community and return next year with a more detailed building proposal. Click here to read our online story.

Sinkhole-plagued S. 14th Street has gotten new life as a city park. This week, Harrisburg officials unveiled the South 14th Street Open Space, the culmination of a years-long effort to buy out homeowners and turn the area into green space. Read the details here.

Writeface is a local program that uses the power of the pen to help veterans tell their stories. Naturally, it was our story selection for Veteran’s Day. Click here to read about this important program.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily email digest of news and events delivered right to your inbox? If not, subscribe here!

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Sinkhole to Park: City unveils new open space in South Harrisburg

Mayor Eric Papenfuse spoke on Thursday at the unveiling of the South 14th Street Open Space, a new city park.

Five years ago, a sinkhole began to swallow up the 1400-block of S. 14th Street in Harrisburg. On Thursday, the once-residential area began a new era as a community green space.

City, state and federal officials–and some former residents–gathered at the South 14th Street Open Space, a new, 2.4-acre city park, which, until recently, was occupied by rows of small, 1950s-era houses and a street.

“I just never saw so much open space over here,” said former S. 14th Street resident Rhonda Scott, who had lived in the neighborhood for 28 years. “It’s bittersweet; everybody was over here for a long time.”

In 2014, the disaster affected 53 homes, throwing some residents out of their houses and endangering others.

Roads, sidewalks and yards were damaged as well—making it a problem the city needed to solve. At the time, Harrisburg, just out of receivership, was in no financial condition to be tackling an issue this big, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

However, at the urging of state and local officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funded much of the sinkhole mitigation project, suppling the city with $1.65 million for it. Never before had FEMA approved a sinkhole project.

“This project changed national policy,” said Steve Ward, a FEMA federal coordinating officer who attended the ceremony.

An additional $4.55 million came from HUD’s Department of Community and Economic Development and Dauphin County’s Community Development Block Grant.

Using these funds, the city was able to buy all of the 53 affected units for their assessed market values. Residents were assisted in finding and purchasing new housing elsewhere. After a tedious, multi-year process, the buildings were demolished last April.

The site was excavated 10 feet deep, backfilled and regraded to help prevent future sinkholes caused by excessive rainfall, as copious rain from Tropical Storm Lee in 2011, passing through the porous ground in the area, likely caused the initial sinkhole outbreak. The area was zoned as a green space, meaning no future construction can occur there.

“This site will allow folks to reflect on local memories,” said Tom Hughes, state hazard mitigation officer for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

The new park includes a walking path, benches and newly planted trees. A permanent plaque will be installed to serve as a memorial to the neighborhood that once stood there.

Some neighbors do have concerns about how well the park will be taken care of.

“We know the community really appreciates it and because they appreciate it, they are going to treat it well,” said Rev. Roberta Thompson, associate pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church nearby. “We do have some concerns about how we are going to keep it up.”

Papenfuse assured community members that the city will maintain the green space as it does other parks in the city.

Although devastating to those who lived there, the sinkhole project showed Ward the potential of city, state and national organizations uniting on a job that once seemed impossible.

“This is a perfect example of the community coming together and helping those families,” he said.

The South 14th Street Open Space is located on the 1400-block of S. 14th St., Harrisburg.

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Burg Blog: Tax & Send

A dancer with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet

“Elections have consequences.”

So said a rather resigned Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse, speaking to a few reporters following Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

Papenfuse may have used an old political cliché, but his point was well taken. If the Trump administration gets its way on the federal budget, the city soon may run out of money to complete the remediation of a sinkhole-ravaged block of south Harrisburg, as those funds largely originate from federal programs targeted for cuts and elimination.

Papenfuse was making the point that the loss of federal funding locally is no longer theoretical—it’s real. So, a voter probably never thought about the sinkholes on S. 14th Street when casting a ballot for president last November. However, as the mayor said, elections have consequences, and an abandoned, half-done sinkhole project—leaving behind a street of empty, rotting houses that invite crime and blight—may be one of those consequences.

The Trump administration also has targeted for elimination the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Nearly every major arts organization in central PA receives funding that originates from these sources, including such regionally important groups as Jump Street, the Central PA Youth Ballet, the Harrisburg Symphony, Gamut Theatre, Open Stage, the Susquehanna Art Museum and the Susquehanna Folk Music Society. The area’s public broadcaster, WITF, would be especially hard hit, facing the loss of 10 percent of its annual budget, about $1 million.

But perhaps you’re no fan of high culture, folk music, youth programs or “Morning Edition.” Maybe you really don’t care about the people who live in houses on what turned out to be dangerously porous ground on Allison Hill. Then I’ll make another argument, an economic one.

The cuts would harm not just the people directly affected—the artists, the kids, the beleaguered residents of S. 14 Street. Each year, those federal funds set in motion a virtuous cycle that pulses through the local economy: the folks who sell tickets to shows, who run nearby restaurants, who build the stunning sets, who supply labor and materials, who do engineering and construction work for housing projects. They then take their pay and purchase groceries, get their hair done, have their cars serviced, fix their houses and buy a thousand other things in and around central PA.

If the Trump administration has its way, this money will still get spent—it’s not going for deficit reduction—but spent elsewhere, for other things. It will be sent far out of the area, to giant concrete and construction firms in Texas and California, for instance, or to the likes of enormous military contractors like Lockheed Martin or Northrup Grumman, both based outside of Washington, D.C. These are the administration’s priorities.

Money once used to help house people and enrich our civic lives may go instead to Bechtel (San Francisco) or Martin Marietta (Raleigh, N.C.) or even to Houston-based Cemex, ironically the U.S. subsidiary of a Mexican materials giant, to pay for a few square meters of a $21 billion border wall of questionable utility (Mexico, it seems, won’t be paying for it after all) or to help finance upper-class tax cuts, another Trump priority.

Due to gerrymandering by the state legislature, six Republican-controlled congressional districts sit within about 20 miles of Harrisburg, including two that run right through our small city. We call on those members—Reps. Scott Perry, Lou Barletta, Tom Marino, Ryan Costello, Charlie Dent and Lloyd Smucker—to choose the interests of our people, our cultural assets and our economy over those of corporate behemoths located hundreds or thousands of miles away, many foreign-owned.

Our tax money should stay in central Pennsylvania, dedicated to good and necessary causes, then recycled throughout the local economy, over and over again. A benefit would accrue to us all, even if you don’t know a sinkhole from a black hole, whether you own your own opera glasses or can’t tell an arabesque from a plié.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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Sinkhole Solution: City to receive more than $3 million in state funds

Sinkhole-damaged houses on the 1400 block of S. 14th Street will be sold to the city to demolish.

Harrisburg’s sinkhole saga is finally close to being over.

Soon, a little more than $3 million in state funding will flow to 53 residents whose S. 14th St. homes were damaged by sinkholes, after more than four years of the city trying to cobble together enough funding.

“It’s been a long time coming for the homeowners, but we are almost there,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

Both renters and homeowners will receive funds to relocate after the city purchases and demolishes the sinkhole-afflicted homes. The city expects to close on the houses in the spring, which is all per their timeline, Papenfuse said.

“The money will go toward the purchase [of the homes], relocating residents and demolishing the homes,” Papenfuse said.

Earlier this week, the state announced a $3,179,099 award part of a larger $92 million state-wide project to relocate residents and avoid future losses from flooding and sinkholes.

This grant may not cover “all eventual costs,” Papenfuse said, adding that, after demolition, the city would like to turn the area into a green space.

The state’s announcement on Tuesday, confirming award amounts, comes after a more than four-year journey for the city trying to secure funds.

The city first requested disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and was denied on a technicality: FEMA did not address sinkhole damage. In 2014, city officials pressed FEMA to address sinkhole damage with disaster relief funding, only to be denied funding in the next season for grant-giving.

In the next grant-giving season, the state selected Harrisburg as a priority to receive the sinkhole funds. That funding then was earmarked for Palmyra, and the state asked FEMA to reconsider. FEMA reversed the decision, and the city received $1.65 million last year for the sinkhole project.

“The most significant thing the city did was FEMA reversing the decision,” Papenfuse said.

Author: Danielle Roth

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September News Digest

Tax Hike Suggested
 
Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month proposed tripling the local services tax to help close an estimated $6 million budget gap for the year.

Papenfuse introduced the idea during the annual State of the City address, saying that the Harrisburg Strong financial recovery plan needed to be amended because some revenues, including parking revenues due to enforcement snags, have fallen short of projections.

Under this plan, the local services tax would increase from $1 to $3 per worker per week. The increase would generate about $4 million a year, according to the administration.

The increase must be passed by City Council and approved by the Commonwealth Court. Papenfuse later said that Fred Reddig, a state official and the city’s Act 47 coordinator, supports the idea.

During his speech, Papenfuse also urged Harrisburg-based businesses to help the city financially by ceasing to use private haulers for trash collection. In addition, he floated the idea that the city should consider Home Rule, which would allow it to have greater control in its own affairs.

Papenfuse said that Home Rule was the “only real way out” of Act 47 financial oversight. Many municipalities in Pennsylvania, including Carlisle, have Home Rule charters, but achieving Home Rule would take years.

 
Reed to Stand Trial
 
The criminal case against former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed will go to trial, a judge determined last month.

Following a daylong preliminary hearing, Senior Magisterial District Judge Richard Cashman said the state could proceed with a case against Reed on all 485 counts against him, covering a wide range of alleged corruption.

At the hearing, the prosecution presented evidence that Reed had violated numerous laws, including that he had kept in his possession hundreds of artifacts purchased with city money. Reed allegedly bought the artifacts for several museums that he had proposed building in the city.

The defense team, led by Henry Hockheimer of the Philadelphia-based firm of Ballard Spahr, refuted those charges, stating that the property rightfully belonged to Reed.

Separately, Reed’s attorneys last month filed a motion asking the court to dismiss more than 300 counts against him, claiming they were not valid because the statute of limitations had expired.

Sinkhole Application Favored
 
The state has ranked Harrisburg first in Pennsylvania to receive federal sinkhole mitigation funds, the city learned last month.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency sent a letter to Harrisburg saying its application for a federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant for sinkhole remediation had been ranked No. 1 in the state.

The city is seeking grants for sinkhole repair and home demolition and buyouts in a hard-hit area of S. 14th Street.

The state support, while positive, does not guarantee that Harrisburg will receive the award, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Only state emergency management agencies are eligible to apply for grants under the program, but awards are not allocated on a state-by-state basis.

 
 
 
LED Project Gets Green Light

Harrisburg’s plan to upgrade all of its streetlights with long-lasting LED lights is set to begin this month after the City Council approved funding for the project.

Council last month voted unanimously to borrow $3.2 million from M&T Bank for the LED conversion project, the city’s first major borrowing since the financial crisis shut it off from the credit markets. Council then voted unanimously to contract with The Efficiency Network, based in Pittsburgh, to perform the citywide installation of about 6,000 lights.

The administration estimates that the upgrade will save the city about $500,000 annually in energy costs, which should cover the cost of the financing. As part of its contract, The Efficiency Network guarantees the savings for a 10-year period.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said much of the work would be done this fall, but probably would not be completed until early next year.

Council also authorized the administration to apply for a $3.6 million grant from Impact Harrisburg, a nonprofit set up as part of the city’s financial recovery plan to assist its infrastructure and economic development efforts. Impact Harrisburg is in the process of hiring an executive director, which it must do before considering applications for grants.

If Harrisburg receives the money, the city would pay off the loan early and use the savings from reduced energy costs for other purposes, Papenfuse said. The loan carries a prepayment penalty of 3 percent.

The city already has received a grant of $500,000 to offset some of the cost of the LED project.

 
Campbell Gets Probation
 
Former Harrisburg Treasurer John Campbell last month was sentenced to three years of probation for stealing money from three nonprofit organizations.

As part of his sentence, Campbell turned over a restitution check for $26,230, which will repay Historic Harrisburg Association, the Capital Region Stonewall Democrats and Lighten Up Harrisburg for the thefts.

In all, Campbell pled guilty to one misdemeanor and two felony counts.

Campbell was executive director of Historic Harrisburg and a volunteer treasurer for both Lighten Up Harrisburg and the Stonewall Democrats when the thefts occurred. He was not charged with any crimes in his capacity as city treasurer.

Dauphin County Common Pleas Judge Scott A. Evans is allowing Campbell to serve his probation in the Washington, D.C., area, where he now lives.

 
Bar Loses Appeal

A Midtown Harrisburg bar targeted for closure by the city has lost its appeal, and now has taken its case to court.

The city’s License and Tax Appeal Review Board rejected the effort by the Third Street Café (formerly Club 1400) to retain its business license and continue operating from its building at the corner of N. 3rd and Calder streets.

The three-person appeals board unanimously sided with the city, which alleges that the bar attracts criminal behavior, especially drug activity.

“The owners and operators of the Third Street Café consented to or allowed behavior on and around the premises that constituted crimes under federal, state and local laws,” concluded the board in its Aug. 28 decision.

The city has tried for months to revoke the bar’s business license. In late March, it sent owner Tony Paliometros a letter stating it planned to revoke the license, giving him 30 days to cease operations. Paliometros appealed the revocation, and a one-day appeals hearing was held in late May.

After losing the appeal, Paliometros immediately appealed that decision to the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas and was granted a stay to remain open. The court appeal is scheduled for Oct. 9.
 
 
Housing Market Stable

Housing sales and prices were relatively stable in August, compared to the same period last year.

Throughout the region, 783 houses sold at a median sales price of $165,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors. In August 2014, 781 houses sold for a median price of $165,000.

In Dauphin County, 265 houses sold at a median price of $144,900. In Cumberland County, 268 houses sold for a median price of $179,900 and, in Perry County, 27 houses sold for a median price of $165,000.
 
 
So Noted

The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District and Recycle Bicycle last month launched a Downtown Bike Library, which allows people to borrow and then return a bike, a helmet and a lock at no cost from the HDID office at 22 N. 2nd St. This program is considered a pilot program to the Bike Share Harrisburg initiative that is in the works to bring a bike share program to the city.
 
The Millworks last month started a lunch service, which begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday to Friday. The Midtown Harrisburg restaurant and art space opened in March for dinner, Tuesday through Sunday. It then added weekend brunch hours.

Bricco halted its lunch service last month in favor of expanding its catering business with Ciao! Bakery, in an endeavor now called Bricco-Ciao! Catering. The menu consists of both Ciao’s sandwiches and Bricco’s Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Bricco, at the corner of S. 3rd and Chestnut streets, remains open for dinner.

The Kitchen at H*MAC last month announced new lunch and brunch hours. The restaurant, located at 1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, now is open for lunch on Monday to Friday beginning at 11 a.m. and for brunch on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 10 a.m.

Arepa City, which specialized in the Venezuelan sandwich called the arepa, closed last month after more than six years in downtown Harrisburg. Owner Daniel Farias said customers didn’t follow the restaurant after it moved into larger space further down N. 2nd Street. Farias said he plans to continue his catering business.

Frederic Loraschi Chocolate opened a retail location and production facility at 4615 Hillcrest St. in Colonial Park. For years, the chocolatier has made his high-end confections from a converted kitchen in the basement of his Hummelstown home. The new shop allows consumers to buy directly from him.

 
Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2101: R. Pickles to D. Maxwell, $96,500

Calder St., 116: M. DePhilip to D. Goldman, $150,000

Chestnut St., 2100: W. & K. Richards to H. Trauffer, $65,000

Curtin St., 543, 2135 N. 4th St., 1949 Berryhill St., 545 Benton St. & 2314 N. 4th St.: Susquehanna Bank to MBHH RE LLC, $107,000

Graham St., 118: B. & K. Elgart & Cartus Financial Corp. to P. Furlong, $219,900

Green St., 1924: D. Miller & R. Finley to G. O’Loughlin, $214,900

Hale Ave., 428: Metro Bank to T. & K. Vu, $42,500

Herr St., 409: W. & F. Moore to D. Jordan, $106,000

Industrial Rd., 3360: Conewago Contractors Inc. to Norfolk Southern Railway Co., $7,500,000

Kelker St., 319: K. Hancock to J. Marks, $60,000

N. 2nd St., 1311: J. Feldman to T. Gray, $78,700

N. 2nd St., 1406: F. Magaro to C. Albers, $149,000

N. 2nd St., 1520: E. Spaar to N. & R. Masterson, $94,000

N. 2nd St., 1708: D. Shreve to J. Seigle, $171,300

N. 2nd St., 1829: E. Stuckey to M. Nolt, $126,000

N. 2nd St., 3206: R. & P. Kotz to S. Margut, $178,000

N. 3rd St., 1606: Fannie Mae to Anselmo Brothers Partnership, $52,500

N. 3rd St., 2243: Kusic Financial Services LLC to A. & M. Collins, $58,000

N. Front St., 2609: Supreme Forest of Tall Cedars to A. Hartzler, $225,000

Penn St., 1820: Bayview Loan Servicing LLC to PA Deals LLC, $50,250

Penn St., 1917: S. Stauffer to S. Cline & J. Lemon, $118,500

Penn St., 1920: WCI Partners LP to C. Clabaugh, $159,900

Rudy Rd., 2141: A. McKenna to M. McNelis, $142,900

Rumson Dr., 2586: Beneficial Consumer Discount Co. to PA Deals LLC, $43,299

Schuykill St., 518 & 522: M. & A. Parsons to J. & B. Readinger, $37,500

S. 15th St., 347, 1529 Catherine St., 1615 Naudain St., 30 Balm St., 1822 Park St. & 22 Balm St.: I. Colon to C. Harp, $30,000

S. Front St., 555: Ashbury Foundation to D. Ogg, $82,500

State St., 115: Pennsylvania Bar Association to Commonwealth Strategic Solutions LLC, $172,000

State St., 231, Unit 504: LUX 1 LP to M. & K. Lastrina, $144,900

State St., 231, Unit 505: LUX 1 LP to M & K. Lastrina, $154,900

State St., 1336: D. Pinnock to D. Vining, $37,000

Susquehanna St., 1833: G. & K. Ender to J. Secrest, $42,500

Swatara St., 2416: M. Gaston et al to D. & E. Davenport, $129,600

Thompson St., 1257: Jamil Karim LLC to Harrisburg Housing Authority, $80,000

Woodbine St., 502: K. Bethea to C. Guerrier, $40,000

 

Harrisburg property sales for August 2015, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

 

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Sinkhole Report: Fractures Extend into Larger Area of South Harrisburg

A site plan from the most recent engineer's report on sinkhole activity in south Harrisburg, showing potential fracture lines and potential voids in the soil underneath the survey area.

A site plan from the most recent engineer’s report on sinkhole activity in south Harrisburg, showing potential fracture lines and potential voids in the soil underneath the survey area.

 

A second engineering report of sinkhole potential in south Harrisburg shows additional areas of concern, in a region that a city official described as “fragile, but not unstable.”

The report, prepared by Camp Hill-based engineering firm Gannett Fleming, is based on an expanded survey of the surrounding neighborhood, as opposed to the single city block that was studied in a prior report.

The prior report, released in August, showed evidence of five fractures in the limestone bedrock and several potential voids beneath the 1400-block of S. 14th Street, where a series of sinkholes opened in March.

For the latest report, engineers surveyed an expanded area bounded by S. 12th Street to the west, Scott Street to the east, Hanover Street to the north and Cloverly Terrace and S. 13th Street to the south, a neighborhood encompassing some 200 buildings, most of them single-family homes.

The latest report shows evidence that previously detected fractures extend across the larger area and also introduces evidence of possible additional fractures and voids throughout the neighborhood.

Limestone fractures can contribute to the formation of voids beneath the street surface, as soil subsides into openings in the rock. The voids can eventually migrate towards the surface, causing the street to collapse and sinkholes to open.

On Wednesday, city officials were quick to emphasize that the new report did not significantly change the status quo. “I don’t think the study changes the dynamics at all,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

City Engineer Wayne Martin said that the report showed the area was “fragile, but not unstable,” adding that the city had determined it was safe to keep roads in the neighborhood open.

City Council will hold a public meeting to discuss the new report at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, at the public works building at 1820 Paxton Street. Councilwoman Sandra Reid, who chairs council’s public works committee, will host the meeting, council members confirmed at their legislative session Tuesday night.

The August report concluded that the “potential for future sinkhole activity” was “high” in the affected block of S. 14th Street. The more recent study does not offer a conclusion about the likelihood of future sinkholes, although it does end with a handful of suggestions about ways to prevent them or to mitigate them if they occur.

The August report relied on site observations, drill samples and multi-channel analysis of surface waves, or MASW, a method of creating and measuring seismic waves to detect likely fractures and voids underground.

The latest report relied on site observations and an MASW survey, but did not include drilling for samples. Both reports also tapped historical records, including aerial photographs showing the development of the neighborhood over the years.

Meanwhile, the city has continued its efforts to address the more immediate problems facing residents of S. 14th Street, where sinkhole activity has continued. Since March, the city has declared 10 homes on the block unfit for human habitation, according to Dave Patton, the city’s codes administrator.

Martin said the city hopes to submit an application this week to the county for $1 million in disaster relief funds. The city has already sent in a notice of intent to apply for an additional $3 million in federal disaster relief funds, he said.

Together, those applications would seek to secure the $4 million it would take to mitigate the problem on S. 14th Street, according to an estimate provided in a third report by Gannett Fleming issued earlier this year.

The mitigation efforts will likely entail a combination of buying out certain homeowners and reconstructing the street, Martin said.

There was some question as to why Harrisburg officials did not publicize the report until Wednesday, two weeks after it was sent to the city, and only after the topic was raised during public comment at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

The mayor addressed this question Wednesday morning, saying there was “no decision to hold the report,” but that the city was simply “looking for a time to hold a public meeting.”

“It’s complicated,” the mayor said of the report, adding that the best way to inform the public was to have the document explained at a hearing by an engineer.

The choice of date for the hearing was left to the discretion of council’s public works chair, the mayor said. “We would have been happy to have met sooner,” he said.

You can download the complete Gannett Fleming report here: Expanded Sinkhole Investigation, 11/25/14. For the site plan of the neighborhood, click here: Sinkhole Report – Neighborhood Site Plan.

This story has been updated to provide a time and address for the public works committee meeting, which will take place Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at 1820 Paxton St.

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Capital Region Water To Share Costs of Next Sinkhole Study

Capital Region Water, Harrisburg’s water and sewer authority, will split with city government the costs of an expanded sinkhole survey in the area of S. 14th Street, following a 2-1 vote Wednesday morning that marked the first non-unanimous vote of the authority’s current three-member board.

Board members Bill Cluck and Westburn Majors, who voted in favor of the spending, said that, although they both wrestled with the decision, they ultimately came to view the expense as an investment to protect authority assets—namely, water and sewer pipes that could be damaged by further sinkhole activity.

“This is not the same as buying artifacts,” Cluck said, referring to the often-criticized expenditure of authority dollars on Civil War and other museum artifacts during the administration of former Mayor Stephen Reed. “I think this is a shared responsibility to address an unprecedented situation.”

So far, the authority has dedicated about $271,000 to help deal with the effects of the sinkhole that opened last March, displacing residents from at least nine homes and imperiling the homes and finances of several more. The money was directed towards street repair and towards repairing a water main that the authority says was crushed in the sinkhole collapse. It also paid for half the costs of an initial $38,200 study of the street’s sinkhole activity, board chairman Marc Kurowski said.

Kurowski cited the commitment of these funds in explaining what he described as his “tough” decision to vote against the measure.

“‘Tragic’ is not too strong a word for what folks are dealing with down there,” he said before casting his vote. But, he added, he felt a “little bit nervous” about spending any additional Capital Region Water funds, which ultimately come from ratepayers and are meant to be spent providing water and sewer services.

The study is expected to cost $43,700 and will cover a larger area than the original geologic investigation, completed last week by the Camp Hill-based engineering firm Gannett Fleming and unveiled at a City Council committee meeting last Thursday.

That investigation, which focused on the 1400-block of S. 14th Street between Magnolia Street and Cloverly Terrace in south Harrisburg, identified five potential fractures in the limestone and 11 potential voids in the soil beneath the surface of the street. It concluded there was a high probability of future sinkhole activity in the area, which city engineer Wayne Martin described Tuesday as having one of the worst sinkhole problems he has seen in his 20 years as an engineer.

Following the Gannett Fleming report, Mayor Eric Papenfuse indicated last week that his administration would seek state and federal aid to help cover the cost of mitigating the area’s sinkholes, which would far outstrip the city’s ability to pay. “This will take millions of dollars, and the city doesn’t have that,” he said. Martin has estimated the cost will be between $1 and $3 million, though he said the estimate was preliminary and could change substantially depending on the results of the expanded survey.

Where the city would find such outside assistance is not clear. Joyce Davis, the mayor’s spokeswoman, said Tuesday that Papenfuse meets routinely with both state and federal lawmakers with whom he is exploring possible routes to receiving aid. Among these lawmakers is state Sen. Rob Teplitz, who said by phone Tuesday that he had put in a $24 to $25 million capital request to address sinkholes across the city, although this did not include the recent development on 14th Street.

The state, however, has funding problems of its own, and Teplitz acknowledged that it might not want to set the precedent of helping Harrisburg when other local governments also face sinkhole-related problems. “I have the request in,” he said. “I’m not necessarily holding my breath waiting for it in the short-term.”

A governor can also petition the federal government for aid with natural disasters, though that prospect looks even less likely. To qualify for aid under federal law, a disaster must surpass the capacity of both state and local governments to address it, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, explained. He was unaware of any case of a sinkhole being declared a natural disaster, thus qualifying for federal aid, in the past four years.

The potential threat of sinkholes has led to increased interest recently in sinkhole insurance, according to Andrew Enders, a third-generation insurance professional at Enders Insurance Associates in Harrisburg.

Sinkholes have long been identified as an issue in the central Pennsylvania region, but the concern for insurers was traditionally focused on areas outside Harrisburg, including Palmyra, Hershey, Annville and Hummelstown, Enders said.

Sinkhole insurance is excluded from a typical homeowner’s insurance policy and must be “bought back” in an addendum to the policy, Enders said. In addition, coverage typically only applies in the event of structural damage to a home—and not in the case of a sinkhole simply opening on a property, which an owner may be required to remediate himself.

In the Harrisburg housing market, sinkhole insurance typically costs an additional $60 to $150 in premiums per year, Enders said. (Enders Insurance Associates is one of TheBurg’s community publishers.)

In addition to the expanded survey, the city has sought to fund a $16,900 preliminary-design study to come up with options for mitigating the area’s sinkhole problems. On Tuesday, the Capital Region Water board declined to vote on a motion to fund half of this third study, which Cluck described as “premature.”

“If we’re gonna do fact-finding, let’s do that first,” Cluck said, explaining his preference to see a completed second study before funding an additional inquiry into mitigation options.

The motion, initially tabled by the board, was ultimately removed from the agenda completely after a procedural question was raised by the board’s legal counsel.

Harrisburg City Council was expected to take up the question of spending on the sinkhole surveys at its legislative session Tuesday night, following a statement to that effect by council members at last week’s committee meeting. But, as of this writing, the relevant legislation had not been sent to the city clerk and would possibly not make the evening’s agenda, according to the clerk’s office.

 

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