Tag Archives: Westburn Majors

Harrisburg’s Walnut Street will receive additional name to honor Black historical figure

October 13, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

Walnut Street

A downtown Harrisburg street will get a new name to recognize Black history in the city.

At a legislative session on Tuesday night, City Council unanimously approved a resolution to designate a section of Walnut Street as T. Morris Chester Way.

“I think it’s important that we recognize and highlight the contributions of African Americans in the city of Harrisburg and what we’ve done to improve Harrisburg despite the odds,” council member Westburn Majors said.

The idea was brought to council by the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, which is responsible for the recent installation of the Commonwealth Monument on 4^th and Walnut streets.

According to the Commonwealth Monument Project, Chester was a prominent figure in Harrisburg history during the 1860s. He was a lawyer, soldier and the only Black war correspondent during the Civil War.

Chester is also recognized as one of the bronze figures in the Commonwealth Monument.

Walnut Street will keep its name, but, from Commonwealth Avenue to Front Street, it will gain T. Morris Chester Way as a second name. This will allow addresses to remain the same and avoid confusion, city Engineer Wayne Martin explained to council at a previous meeting.

Lenwood Sloan of the Peace Promenade and executive director of the Monument Project said that the name “would concretize our designation as a national heritage site.” It will help create a pathway that connects several of the group’s African American history memorial sites, which include the Commonwealth Monument and the Bethel Heritage Trail, which commemorates the Bethel AME church in Harrisburg, he said.

Sloan also emphasized the partnership between the Peace Promenade and the Dauphin County Library System. Recently, McCormick Riverfront Library officials announced a building expansion project that includes creating a T. Morris Chester Welcome Center. Sloan said that the library also provided space for the organization to utilize as its meeting place.

The naming of T. Morris Chester Way, he said, will bring all of these sites together.

Harrisburg has given city streets surnames in the past, explained Martin, naming Mary Sachs Way, on N. 3^rd Street, and Dennis Green Way, the 1100 through 1300 blocks of Walnut Street, as examples.

He added that the renaming comes just as the city is moving forward with its East-West Multimodal Connection Project, which will include construction and resurfacing on Walnut Street, from 5^th to Front streets. Martin expects construction to begin next year.

“I think it’d be a perfect opportunity to tie all of these projects together,” he said.

For more information on the Commonwealth Monument Project, visit their website.

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January News Digest

December 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Harrisburg Approves 2021 Budget

Harrisburg approved a 2021 budget last month, but not before making amendments to Police Bureau spending and personnel.

During a virtual legislative session, City Council unanimously approved a $136.5 million budget, which does not include a property tax hike.

The aggregate budget includes a $79.2 million general fund, a $17.9 million neighborhood services fund, a $15.3 million capital projects fund and a $12.5 million debt service fund.

The budget utilizes about $15 million of the city’s large reserve fund balance, which will draw down that account to $10.2 million by the end of 2021. The money will be used to add a number of positions and to pay down debt.

Included in the budget is funding for seven new civilian positions within the community services division. These community service aides will assist police officers with “quality of life” issues and work to improve relations with the community, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Originally, 12 aides were proposed, but after receiving comments from residents concerned about the positions, council decided to give the program a trial run for 2021 and, therefore, reduced the number of positions.

In public comments, some residents stated that they didn’t want to see extra funding go towards the bureau at all, saying that’s not what the city needs.

“There are so many pressing needs in Harrisburg right now,” one resident said. “More policing funding does not provide houses, food, education, medicine or security. More cops and more money for cops does not make communities safer.”

An additional amendment was passed 4-2 to remove the community policing coordinator position from the budget. Blake Lynch has held this job, but he’s due to be promoted to director of community relations and engagement. Council member Westburn Majors said that he believes the community service aides can take on the responsibilities of the coordinator position.

“To me, that could be seven heads being able to do a job that we had one individual doing,” he said.

Harrisburg to Collect Trash for Boroughs

Harrisburg’s neighboring municipalities will soon see new faces on trash pickup day.

Harrisburg City Council last month approved two resolutions to begin collecting trash and recycling for Paxtang and Penbrook boroughs on Jan. 1.

In total, the city now has intergovernmental agreements with three nearby boroughs for waste pickup. In mid-2019, Harrisburg began handling Steelton’s refuse.

“I really believe that this regional approach to the delivery of services is particularly well suited for Pennsylvania, where we have so many different municipalities in close proximity,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “We don’t all need to be duplicating services.”

Over the next five years, the city expects to gain over $2 million in annual revenue from the agreements.

An additional six sanitation workers and one sanitation manager will join the city’s Department of Public Works to assist with the new routes.

“I totally agree with the vision of shared services within municipalities as a benefit to the entire region,” council member Dave Madsen said.

In other action last month, council voted to continue a professional services contract with Harrisburg-based Maverick Strategies for lobbying-related services. The resolution passed with a 4-3 vote. The contract will last one year at a cost of $5,000 per month.

Additionally, council voted to apply for a Driving PA Forward—Level 2 EV Charging Rebate. If granted, the amount of $36,000 would go towards installing four electric vehicle charging stations on City Island.

Council also chose to continue an agreement with the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area to provide services to Harrisburg’s Animal Control Program for another year.

Condo Building Proposed

New condominiums may be headed for Midtown, as a Harrisburg-area developer is proposing over a dozen market-rate units in the former Salvation Army building.

Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners has plans to construct 16 efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom condo units in the mid-century brick building located at Cumberland and Green streets, said Jonathan Bowser, a managing partner. The building would be renamed “The Lofts” due to the high ceilings in several of the units, he said.

“It’s a nice building in a nice, historic neighborhood,” Bowser said. “For us, it’s critically important to keep the character of the building, which maintains the character of the neighborhood.”

The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region left its long-time home in late 2019 after moving into a new, larger facility on S. 29th Street. The 18,500-square-foot building has been on the market for many years and includes a small parking lot on Penn Street and a second, larger parking lot on Green Street.

Last March, another developer, Michael Lam, proposed a 25-unit apartment building for the space, but he bowed out as the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Bowser, a former chair of the Broad Street Market board, said that his company pursued the building after Lam dropped out.

“There’s the new courthouse and other plans that I believe are boosting the demand—the need—for housing,” he said. “So, we decided to look into that opportunity.”

In addition, the market for housing in Midtown has improved immensely for both rentals and sales, driven in part by the relocation of people to Harrisburg from larger cities, Bowser said.

Right now, the plan, Bowser said, is to build for-sale, market-rate condo units, ranging in size from about 650 square feet to about 1,200 square feet. However, that plan is fluid and could change if the company deemed rental apartments to be a better option, he said.

“There isn’t enough condo product in the walkable downtown or Midtown,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of vacancies there.”

He declined to provide a potential range of sales prices.

The project includes 32 parking spaces on Green Street. A brick building on that lot probably will be converted to storage units or maybe a gym for residents, Bowser said.

He hopes to begin construction in the summertime for completion in early 2022. His company has a contract on the building pending site plan approval from the city.

Harrisburg Buys Former Bank Building

Harrisburg has plans in 2021 to move its engineering and traffic departments to a former bank building on N. 7th Street.

City Council last month approved the reallocation of 2020 funds to purchase the M&T building for $375,000.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city received a significant discount as the building was appraised at $675,000.

According to Papenfuse, the purchase was necessary because some of the city’s public works facility will be lost to eminent domain as part of PennDOT’s I-83 expansion project. The city’s traffic department, which is housed in the building, will need to move.

In addition, the engineering department will move out of the public safety building downtown, freeing up space for the new community policing team to have its main base there.

Renovations and remodels of the building are part of the city’s 2021 budget. Papenfuse said that it would likely cost around $192,000 for demolition, renovations, HVAC replacement and security additions, among other items.

The annual cost of utilities and maintenance for the building would be around $60,200, he estimated.

“This is the first new real estate acquisition for the City of Harrisburg, I guess, since the public works facility,” he said.

Utility Bills to Increase in 2021

Utility bills in Harrisburg will be somewhat higher next year, as Capital Region Water has approved rate increases for both drinking water and wastewater.

Late last year, the CRW board approved both the 2021 budget and the new rates.

The board voted to raise the drinking water rate by 2% from $9.84 to $10.04 per 1,000 gallons, with a “ready to serve” charge of $7.93 for a standard residential customer.

The wastewater rate will increase by 3% for 2021 from the current $7.99 per 1,000 gallons to $8.23 per 1,000 gallons.

Under the new rate structure, the average Harrisburg customer consuming 45,000 gallons of water annually will pay about $1.80 per month more for water and wastewater services, according to CRW.

The new stormwater fee, which began in October, is unchanged at $6.15 per month for most residential customers.

Home Sales, Prices Up

Home sales and prices were up in the Harrisburg area in November, continuing a months-long trend.

For the month, 728 houses sold compared to 581 in the year-ago period, while the median sales price jumped to $215,000 from $180,000 for the three-county region, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, GHAR reported that 353 housing units sold in November versus 280 the year before, while the median price increased to $185,750 compared to $162,000.

In Cumberland County, sales rose to 327 homes from 244 a year ago, with the median price rising to $238,000 versus $195,500 in November 2019, GHAR stated.

Perry County saw a one-unit increase to 36 houses sold in November, though the median sales price dipped to $165,000 from $185,000 a year earlier.

Houses were also selling much faster this year, as GHAR reported that the average “days on market” fell to 26 days compared to 46 days in November 2019.

Home sales and prices in the Harrisburg area have been strong all year long, especially since pandemic-related restrictions were lifted on the industry in May.

So Noted

Amy Rote was named last month as the new president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, which serves five counties in south-central PA. She started with the organization in 2013 as vice president of programs and most recently served as interim president and CEO.

David Black plans to retire later this year from his longtime position as president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. Black has served in the post for 20 years and expects to officially retire in mid-2021. A search firm has been hired to help identify Black’s successor.

Dauphin County will keep taxes steady this year, as last month it approved a $187.7 million budget for 2021. The county commissioners kept taxes unchanged for a 16th straight year, despite increased expenses wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and the election.

Harrisburg University Presents last month announced a three-day blitz of concerts in the city. Cage the Elephant will appear in Riverfront Park on Sept. 23, followed by Dawes at XL Live on Sept. 24 and Portugal. The Man on Sept. 25. HU Presents also has rescheduled many concerts for 2021 that were cancelled in 2020.

James Thompson last month was named the new president of the Harrisburg School District board of directors for the coming year. In addition, Steven Williams was voted in as the new vice president of the board.

Steven Rowley last month was named the new chief executive officer of Vista Autism Services, which provides autism services to children and adults in central PA. Most recently, Rowley managed his own consulting firm, Advokat Services, helping educational companies with strategic planning and executive development.

Summit Trail Advisors last month cut the ribbon on new office space in downtown Harrisburg at 108 Locust St. Nationally, the wealth management company has client assets of $10 billion, and its Harrisburg office manages over $1 billion in client assets, according to the firm.

Ward of Health, a vegan food stand, opened recently in the Broad Street Market’s stone building. Owner Craig Ward offers his own, vegan spin on many dishes, including mac and cheese, tacos and a “crab cake” sandwich.

Zen Leaf opened its doors for business last month, the second medical marijuana dispensary in the city of Harrisburg. The store is located at 137 S. 17th St. in the city’s Allison Hill neighborhood.

Changing Hands

Agate St., 2503 & 2510: T. Brown to Boy on Boyd LLC, $45,000

Agate St., 2719: D. Miller to DJam Property LLC, $830,000

Allison St., 1507: M. Fukac et al to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $42,000

Bellevue Rd., 2201: J. & B. McCoy to A. & K. Clark, $325,000

Boas St., 1923: CR Property Group LLC & R. Sykes to B. Patel, $109,995

Chestnut St., 2040: C. McCann to M. Cedeno, $86,100

Crescent St., 223: S. Gutshall to Bachaouch Properties LLC, $50,000

Croyden Rd., 2826: J. McErlean to W. & E. Daughtry, $110,000

Derry St., 2103: BSR Rental Trust to H. Qasim, $51,000

Derry St., 2426: P. & C. Ambrose to PA Prosper & Grow LLC, $68,136

Division St., 535: A. Eckert to F. Travers & E. Brown, $170,000

Dunkle St., 542: C. Hood to A. Linan, $39,000

Emerald St., 223: M. Horgan to A. Finley & D. Rhodes, $143,000

Evergreen St., 311, 313, 315, 317 & 319 and 1248 & 1250 Reese St.: RC Realty Holdings LLC to NA Capital Group LLC, $115,000

Green St., 1325: K. O’Donnell to S. & E. Rairigh, $134,000

Green St., 1421: Real Life Ministries International Inc. to J. Davis, $32,000

Green St., 1515: J. Barton to B. Brown, $191,000

Green St., 2122: Tassia Corp. to KMM Development LLC, $82,000

Green St., 2134: V. Rivas to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $40,000

Green St., 2230: A. Manderino to SPG Capital LLC, $59,000

Hanna St., 110: M. Knouse to S. Blades & N. Brody, $195,000

Herr St., 263: Summerhill Partners LP to F. Branch, $205,900

Herr St., 271: M. Fagan to C. Solimine & P. Frownfelter, $177,500

Herr St., 1509: D. Boyle to J. & B. Dilone, $38,000

Herr St., 1727: Mango Properties LLC to Gold Key Properties LLC, $50,000

Logan St., 1712: T. & V. Williams to H. Hawbaker, $134,500

Logan St., 2157 & 2222: B. & K. Saltzgiver to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $75,000

Market St., 2105: E. Ruggieri to H. Pacheco, $195,000

Muench St., 203: J. & T. Moffitt to D. Harmon, $90,000

Muench St., 430: W. Teats to Your New Home Rental LLC, $54,000

North St., 1942: W. Johnson to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $50,000

N. 2nd St., 717: BCRA Realty to Scarn LLC, $220,000

N. 2nd St., 932: P. Keelen to C. DeRosier, $85,000

N. 2nd St., 1400: C. Utley to J. Charles Realty LLC, $330,000

N. 2nd St., 1603: A. Meyers & J. Dunn to S. Barr, $239,900

N. 2nd St., 1609: S. Barr to R. Solano, $214,000

N. 2nd St., 1913: Lansanah Home Services Group to H. Smull & B. Holmes, $200,000

N. 2nd St., 2428: D. & S. Zewe to A. & M. Moosa, $323,000

N. 3rd St., 1719: J. & J. McElhoe to B. & K. Shank, $164,900

N. 3rd St., 2534: Skynet 2534 LP to 2534 PNR Properties LLC, $140,000

N. 3rd St., 2626: 2626 North LP to Prompt 2626 LLC, $2,904,337

N. 4th St., 19½: J. & S. Rogers to Akshay Properties LLC, $375,000

N. 4th St., 1705: D. Witmer to SPG Capital LLC, $85,000

N. 4th St., 2427: B. Jones Sr. to N. Hamilton & L. Brown, $86,000

N. 5th St., 1940: Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance Inc. to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $72,300

N. 5th St., 2030 & 2032: I. Druker to South Lake LLC, $50,000

N. 5th St., 2507: CR Property Group LLC to M. Hall, $110,000

N. 5th St., 2714: S. Elliott to J. Todd, $64,900

N. 6th St., 2225: Gilligan Realty LLC to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $40,001

N. 6th St., 3152: J. Boynes to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $50,500

N. 17th St., 53: S. Kum to A. Shabalah, $150,000

N. 18th St., 713: MJE Properties LLC to SSoluciones LLC, $37,500

N. 18th St., 802: A. Butts to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $42,700

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 204: E. Reynolds to L. & R. Luftig, $212,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 401: P. & E. Showalter to A. Witte, $170,000

Park St., 1730 & 2552 Lexington St.: V. Rivas to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $40,000

Paxton St., 1924 & 1915 Lenox St.: S. Fisher Jr. & Steve Fisher Rental Properties LLC to Shawn Hall CRE LLC, $550,000

Penn St., 1607: M. Dell to Z. Bouanane, $176,000

Race St., 546: L. Fisher to B. Rickert, $125,000

Randolph St., 1420 & 906 S. 15th St.: A. Biegler & J. Tomlinson to J. Fernandez, $131,000

Reily St., 109: C. Love & S. Kehler to K. Bardon & E. Cameron, $205,000

Reily St., 224: PI Capitol LLC to SJL Rentals LLC, $128,000

Rolleston St., 1016: N. Barger to A. Diggs, $106,000

Rolleston St., 1249: CR Property Group LLC to Paul Winka Trust, $385,000

Schuykill St., 656: A. McDonald to F. Russ, $73,900

South St., 103: C. Longyear to J. Machek, $89,000

S. 13th St., 433: Master Ventures LLC to A. Gil, $45,000

S. 14th St., 234 & 236: A. Wardhana & L. Winami to J. Gritten, $53,000

S. 16th St., 409, 411 & 413: Jackson Investment Properties LLC to G. & M. Landis, $112,800

S. 17th St., 14: CR Property Group LLC to L. & S. Swan Trust, $100,000

S. 19th St., 1133: N. Colon & R. Romero to F. & M. Carvajel, $135,000

S. 19th St., 1205: T. Sanchez to N. Mitchell, $130,000

S. 24th St., 702: N. Kehler to Property Value Solutions LLC, $50,200

S. Front St., 801: M. Boyer to J. Blackburn, $165,000

Susquehanna St., 2150: M. Barrette to SPG Capital LLC, $49,900

Swatara St., 2027: R. Miller to M. Temba and C. & J. Liu, $71,000

Verbeke St., 116: W. Macavoy to T. Cotton, $129,500

Waldo St., 2640: A. Owens to P. Baquero, $49,900

Walnut St., 1244: LAGR Properties LLC to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $33,000

Walnut St., 1808: I. Druker to Aumiller Enterprises Inc., $40,000

Whitehall St., 2043: D. Taylor to O. Cotto, $80,000

Harrisburg property sales for November 2020, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Harrisburg’s 2021 budget passes, includes new Police Bureau positions

December 14, 2020 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Screenshot from the City Council legislative session.

Harrisburg approved a 2021 budget on Monday night, but not before making amendments to Police Bureau spending and personnel.

During a virtual legislative session, City Council approved a $79.2 million general fund budget, which does not include a property tax hike. The budget passed 6-0, with council member Shamaine Daniels not in attendance.

The budget utilizes about $15 million of the city’s large reserve fund balance, which will draw down that accumulated savings to $10.2 million by the end of 2021. The money will be used to add several positions, especially in the Police Bureau, and to pay down debt.

In budget hearings, a significant increase to the Police Bureau budget has been the most discussed of the many budget items and the one that faced amendments on Monday.

“The funding of public safety is so important,” council member Ben Allatt said. “You can’t put a value on the fact that we need to have effective public safety.”

Included in the budget is funding for seven new civilian positions within the community services division. These “community service aides” will assist police officers with “quality of life” issues and work to improve relations with the community, Papenfuse said.

Originally, 12 aides were proposed, but after receiving comments from residents concerned about the positions, council decided it would be best to give the program a trial run for 2021 and, therefore, reduced the number of positions.

In public comments, some residents stated that they didn’t want to see extra funding go towards the bureau at all, saying that’s not what the city needs.

“There are so many pressing needs in Harrisburg right now,” one resident said on Monday night. “More policing funding does not provide houses, food, education, medicine or security. More cops and more money for cops does not make communities safer.”

An additional amendment was passed 4-2 to remove the community policing coordinator position from the budget. This position is currently filled by Blake Lynch, but he will be promoted in the coming year to director of community relations and engagement, leaving his current job open. Council member Westburn Majors said that he believes the community service aides can take on the responsibilities of the coordinator position.

“To me, that could be seven heads being able to do a job that we had one individual doing,” he said.

However, Papenfuse said he did not support that amendment and that council “jeopardized the entire transition that we’ve proposed for community services.”

Council also passed an amendment to raise the city communication manager’s salary from about $66,900 per year to $68,000 per year.

Monday’s meeting was the final council session of the year, unless a special meeting is called before year-end.

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Harrisburg opens window to receive comments for draft comprehensive plan

October 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The clock has begun to tick on the final stage of Harrisburg’s proposed comprehensive plan, with residents encouraged to review the plan and make comments.

During a virtual work session on Tuesday night, city planning Director Geoffrey Knight offered an extensive presentation of the plan to City Council, an event that kicked off a 45-day public comment period.

The city, Knight said, has set up an email address specifically to receive public comments on the plan. That address is compplancomments@harrisburgpa.gov.

“I want to thank everyone for all their hard work on this document. We’re eager to get it approved,” said council member Dave Madsen. “But we have to do our due diligence and take a hard look at it and get that feedback from the community.”

The city’s current comprehensive plan dates back to 1974, though it’s supposed to be thoroughly reviewed and rewritten about once every 20 years.

In 2014, the city began the process of creating a new plan, but met numerous delays, including a protracted dispute with the consultant hired to draft the plan. Last month, the city Planning Commission unanimously passed the plan, sending it to council for final approval.

According to Knight, the city already has received numerous public comments and questions on the 246-page document, even though the official public input window just opened. The 45-day comment period expires on Dec. 4, unless council decides to extend it.

After the comment period expires, council would need to hold at least one public hearing before voting on the plan.

City Solicitor Neil Grover said that council has the authority to make changes to the plan before voting, including the possible inclusion of some or all of the public comments.

“You can accept it as is. You can amend it. You can accept part of it. You can reject the whole thing,” he said. “So, you’re really starting the next phase of this process.”

On Tuesday night, Knight summarized the plan on a chapter-by-chapter basis, which includes such topics as land use, housing, mobility, parks, energy and cultural resources.

“Updating this plan will be important in helping to guide land use decisions,” Knight said. “Hopefully this plan . . . will help guide projects that come through the land development plan process, will help us establish policies going forward and will help us go out for grants in the future.”

Knight stressed that, even after the plan is approved, the city can make updates to it over the years.

“It really should be seen as a living document,” he said.

Council member Westburn Majors inquired about a federal lawsuit filed in June by the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture and its majority owner, architect Bret Peters, who the city hired in 2015 to draft the comprehensive plan.

In 2017, Peters and the city had a falling out over payment and the release of several chapters of the draft plan to the city.

In his lawsuit, Peters alleges that the city owes him $109,754 for his work and that the city therefore is violating his copyright by using his work product. The lawsuit further seeks to stop the city and its current consultant, Maryland-based Wallace Montgomery & Associates, from using this work product.

On Tuesday, Grover said that he couldn’t comment publicly on specifics of the ongoing litigation, but said that the lawsuit shouldn’t stop the process of completing the comprehensive plan.

“From our view, unless a judge says otherwise, it doesn’t affect what you’re doing,” Grover told council. “It’s a public document paid for with public money, and it’s what’s best for the city.”

Several council members emphasized the importance of fresh public comment, since the comprehensive planning process dates back six years. Majors, for instance, said that many people who live in the city today may not have been in Harrisburg when the original public meetings were held years ago.

“I want to make sure there’s an opportunity for those folks to provide input,” he said. “I look forward to receiving comments from the public and really digging into this plan at another time.”

Click here to view Harrisburg’s draft comprehensive plan.

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Harrisburg council weighs hiring Martin-Roberts as communications consultant

September 2, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gloria Martin-Roberts. File photo.

Harrisburg is considering creating a new communications liaison post, a contracted position that would be filled by former City Council president and mayoral candidate Gloria Martin-Roberts.

At a virtual council work session on Tuesday night, Mayor Eric Papenfuse stated that he wanted to hire his 2017 electoral opponent for the role, which would facilitate communications between the administration and City Council, the Dauphin County commissioners and the public.

“Ms. Martin-Roberts is somebody who I have been interested in bringing into the administration for some time,” Papenfuse said.

He said that the opportunity to hire Martin-Roberts arose after council discussed, a few months ago, the need to facilitate communications between the administration and council, especially during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

That discussion led him to assess the city’s greater communications strategy, he said, broadening the concept to include communications both within the city government and with outside entities like the county and the public.

Papenfuse stated repeatedly that Martin-Roberts, a former council president, was the right person for such a job.

“She brings a wealth of experience, and I hope that she signals to the public a desire on the part of the administration to have a big tent and to work to bring this community together, which I think is more important now arguably more than ever amidst the current crisis that we are going through as a community,” he said.

Under the proposed resolution, the new position would pay $45 an hour, not to exceed $70,000. It would run through Dec. 31, 2021. As a contracted post, it would not include benefits.

The city already has a communications manager, Momin Bhatti. However, according to the resolution, the proposed position would go beyond communications and include public outreach, “strategic policy development and implementation,” and “marketing of city initiatives.”

Several council members had pointed questions about the proposal. Council member Ausha Green, in particular, asked how the position grew from a proposed intra-governmental communications post to one with a much broader scope.

“Some of it incorporates policy consultation,” Green said. “That doesn’t exactly seem like the role of a communications liaison.”

Papenfuse acknowledged that the position had grown beyond the initial discussion with council.

“It definitely expanded beyond what we were originally discussing before break, but that was, in part, due to Ms. Martin-Roberts’ input and communications when I talked to her about the position,” he said.

Several council members asked if any other people were considered for the post. Papenfuse said that no one else was considered because he wanted to hire only Martin-Roberts.

“I’m not prepared to separate the position from the person in that sense,” he said. “I think it was crafted and the position was expanded based on her skill set.”

Council member Westburn Majors asked if consulting contracts typically are awarded without a formal bidding process. City Solicitor Neil Grover stated that the city is not required to have a bidding process for most professional contracts, including this one.

Martin-Roberts was scheduled to participate in the virtual work session, but could not attend due to a family emergency, Papenfuse said. Several council members said that they would like to speak with her before voting on the resolution to enter into the contract.

“I think—this is once council person’s perspective—prior to moving forward on a vote, I definitely would want to have a conversation with Ms. Martin-Roberts,” Majors said.

At town hall meeting, Harrisburg residents call for community appointments to proposed police advisory board

August 19, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

The Reservoir Park bandshell was the venue for Tuesday’s town hall meeting.

After two virtual town hall meetings, Harrisburg City Council members met in Reservoir Park on Tuesday night to hear in person from residents concerned about a proposed police advisory board.

As in past meetings, several dozen residents expressed concerns and asked for changes to the proposed board, including how board members would be chosen.

“This bill that is being proposed for the people, is not by the people,” one resident stated, beginning the conversation.

As the proposed bill currently states, the mayor will appoint three community members to sit on the board and City Council will choose four.

Council member Westburn Majors explained that community members and organizations can make suggestions for board members and submit them to council.

However, that was not enough for some, who want to see Harrisburg residents have the power to vote people directly onto the proposed board.

“I’m sure people that get elected into this panel are really not going to be from our community and are not going to know our culture,” said Kevin Maxson, leader of the local activist group, Voices for the Voiceless.

Harrisburg school board Director Carrie Fowler added that people should have to run for election to be on the board.

“Every one of us here [on City Council] are from the city of Harrisburg and a majority of us are people of color,” said council member Ausha Green, who also is chair of council’s public safety committee. “So we know what is going on here. We aren’t here to try to play people.”

Green said that council will solicit the community’s input on who to appoint to the board. She added that the bill states that, of the seven board members, each will be from a different policing district in the city.

While other comments about the proposed bill, such as a desire for subpoena powers for the board, were brought up, many people brought to the microphone concerns over general policing in the city.

“It doesn’t make sense to invest in a broken system and not address the cause,” one woman said.

School board Director Jayne Buchwach brought up the idea of community policing, which would deploy more police to regularly patrol certain areas.

“If a neighborhood has recognizable police, police that are always there, I think it will help,” she said.

Another woman added how she wants to see the police responding faster to calls in her community.

Council members said they welcomed the feedback on the proposed police advisory board and will look to make amendments to the bill in the near future.

“This is a beginning, not an end point,” Majors said.

To watch all Harrisburg’s town hall meeting from Tuesday, visit their Facebook page.

Harrisburg Council OKs agreement with Swatara Township as city continues quest for permanent composting site

July 7, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A screen shot of Tuesday’s virtual City Council meeting

Harrisburg’s leaves, grass and branches are headed to Swatara Township, as the city continues a longstanding quest to find a permanent place for its compostable waste.

City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to enter into a two-year intergovernmental cooperation agreement to use the Swatara Township Yard Waste Composting Facility.

“The city is no longer taking any of its woody waste to the incinerator, so we’re looking to make sure we’re disposing of this properly,” said council member Westburn Majors.

Since 2017, the city has tried to get approval to build its own composting facility on land owned by the Harrisburg school district, just over the city line in the Edgemont section of Susquehanna Township. However, township officials have rejected that proposal, a decision the city has appealed to the courts.

“As we are in continued litigation regarding the potential set up of our own composting facility, this hopefully will be a short-term solution as we continue to work through those issues so that the city can finally have a place to dispose of its leafy and woody waste,” Majors said.

City Solicitor Neil Grover on Tuesday said that the appeal could easily take more than two years to wind its way through the courts and come to a conclusion.

In the meantime, the city already has been sending its compostable waste—vegetative material like leaf waste, grass clippings and garden residue—to the facility in the Oberlin section of Swatara Township. The resolution approved on Tuesday formalizes that arrangement, Grover said.

Harrisburg will pay the township $2,945.10 per year, starting on Jan. 1. Christopher Nafe, the city’s sustainability officer, said that amount was proposed by Swatara Township, a figure, he added, that the city deemed reasonable.

Also on Tuesday, council unanimously passed a resolution entering into a reimbursement agreement with Capital Region Water to fund the installation and construction of ADA-compliant curb ramps, curb extensions and other streetscape improvements as part of CRW’s South Allison Hill Green Stormwater Infrastructure Project. Under the arrangement, the city will provide $150,000 to reimburse CRW for certain improvements it is making as part of its extensive stormwater project in South Allison Hill.

City Council on Tuesday also:

Approved use of $250,000 from federal Community Development Grant Fund program to help fund a new “Chutes & Ladders” playground in Reservoir Park. At its last meeting, council approved a grant application for another $250,000 to the state Department of Community and Economic Development to fund the $1 million project. The CDBG funds will serve as a city match for the DCED application.
Approved the submission of a grant application for up to $150,000 to the National Endowment for the Arts’ “Our Town” program for the installation of murals on Derry Street in Allison Hill. If the grant is received, Sprocket Mural Works and Tri County Community Action would oversee the mural project.
Approved the submission of a grant application to the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program for up to $9 million to fund substantial renovations to Harrisburg’s MLK Jr. City Government Center.
Approved the appointment of residents Leland Nelson and Richard Martinez to serve on Harrisburg’s Environmental Advisory Council.

Harrisburg City Council now will go on its annual summer hiatus, with the next session slated for Aug. 25. Harrisburg Council member Ausha Green, though, said she plans to hold public hearings in the interim on two ongoing measures–a proposed police use-of-force resolution and a proposed citizen’s police advisory committee.

March News Digest

March 31, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Coronavirus Pandemic Forces Shutdowns

Harrisburg last month issued an emergency declaration and shut down city government buildings to the public until further notice.

With the declaration, all official city buildings closed to the public, including the MLK Jr. Government Center, the Public Works building and the Reservoir Park Mansion.

Despite the shutdown, the city continues to provide all essential functions and services, according to Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

“We are all in this together,” Papenfuse said. “I encourage the community to adhere to Gov. [Tom] Wolf’s directives and use precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”

Most city workers continued to work, some remotely, Papenfuse said. The public should use the drop box at the rear of the building to pay bills, submit forms and drop off other items, he said.

For inquiries, residents are encouraged to fill out the city’s online support form at www.harrisburg.gov/support, email info@harrisburgpa.gov or call the city’s 311 help desk, which will continue to operate.

Likewise, Dauphin County declared a disaster emergency and closed county government offices to the public until further notice. All events and activities at county facilities also were cancelled.

County residents who want to pay a tax bill or drop off a voter registration form or absentee/mail-in ballot can deposit items in a locked box near the entrance of the Dauphin County Administration Building on 2nd Street in Harrisburg. The Dauphin County Courthouse also will have a secure box near the entrance on Market Street where documents can be dropped off.

Last month, Wolf allowed most state workers to work remotely, and most private businesses were ordered to close their physical locations. He also closed public schools.

Wolf also ordered all “non-essential stores” to be closed throughout the commonwealth, though dine-in restaurants can continue to sell through delivery and takeout. Essential businesses to remain open include grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies. All Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores also closed until further notice.

“Our top priority is the health and safety of our residents, especially the elderly and most vulnerable,” Papenfuse said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during this disaster emergency.”

Council Overturns Veto

Harrisburg City Council overrode a mayoral veto last month, though the two branches of government agreed to work towards a policy that could give the city more leverage over future development projects.

By a 5-2 vote, council rejected the action by Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who had vetoed a resolution that would vacate several “paper” streets on a parcel of land where the new federal courthouse now is rising.

Papenfuse said that he vetoed the resolution to make a point. He wants council members to create a policy that would require developers to conduct a “public benefit analysis” when requesting street vacations.

Such a policy, he said, would give the city leverage as developers continue to plan projects in Harrisburg. In exchange for the street vacation, the city could ask for certain benefits, such as offsetting city-borne costs, making streetscape improvements, utilizing local labor or including affordable housing.

“It could help us with affordable housing policy in the city,” he said.

In February, council approved a resolution that would vacate “various unnamed paper streets” on the 4.2-acre site at N. 6th and Reily streets, where the federal government is building a 243,000-square-foot courthouse. Papenfuse then vetoed that resolution.

Usually, paper streets are narrow “baker’s” or “grocer’s” alleys that offer rear access to row houses. On the courthouse site, neither the houses nor the alleys exist any longer, but the public rights of way remain on paper.

Papenfuse told council that, currently, the city holds little leverage over a developer outside of the normal planning and zoning process. Requiring an analysis for street vacations would give the city a tool to extract “public benefit” concessions for large projects, he said.

“It would be a power vested in City Council that is not granted through the land development process,” he said.

Before casting her override vote, council President Wanda Williams criticized Papenfuse’s housing strategy, saying that he has supported past development proposals in the city that didn’t include an affordable housing element. Despite the criticism, Williams said that she would be interested in discussing a street vacation policy.

“I think we should work on this quickly,” agreed council member Dave Madsen, one of two votes, along with council member Westburn Majors, to uphold the veto.

Papenfuse admitted that his veto was unlikely to impact the federal courthouse project, which is slated for completion in spring 2022. But he said that he wanted to make a point that council should pass a street vacation policy.

“These are public streets,” he said. “Potentially, there are things that could be received in exchange, which goes well beyond the courthouse.”

Also last month, City Council:

- - - Voted 6-1 to approve an agreement transferring the Strawberry Square Arcade to the Strawberry Square Condominium Association, with Williams voting no.
    - By a 5-2 vote, approved a resolution to hire Harrisburg-based Maverick Strategies to continue to provide consulting and lobbying for the city. The agreement for the $5,000 monthly retainer expires on Dec. 31.
    - Unanimously passed a resolution hiring Ecological Solutions to provide lake management services for Italian Lake at a cost of $9,125.
    - Unanimously passed a resolution backing state legislation that would allow Pennsylvania residents, regardless of immigration status, access to a valid driver’s license.

City Starts Facebook Live Events

Harrisburg last month held its first Facebook Live event, focused on the COVID-19 outbreak and what it means for city residents.

With city hall shut down to visitors, Mayor Eric Papenfuse used the platform, with a broadcast on WHBG-TV Channel 20, to address residents’ concerns and answer questions about everything from emergency services to the local economy.

“Although we are facing an international health crisis, Harrisburg is a resilient city, and we have survived crises before,” said Papenfuse, joined by police Commissioner Thomas Carter and Fire Chief Brian Enterline. “We’ve made it through the TMI disaster, we’ve made it through Agnes, and we train and prepare for disasters on a regular basis.”

During the event, Papenfuse took time to explain updates in the city regarding recent orders from Gov. Tom Wolf. He commended Wolf for taking preventative action to mandate the closure of non life-sustaining businesses.

The panel highlighted services available in the city, including the school district’s feeding program and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s efforts. Papenfuse said that, at the same locations as the student meal pick-ups, any resident in need of food can partake.

While Carter acknowledged many homeless shelters are filled to capacity, he assured many, such as Bethesda Mission, are still giving out food. He also mentioned that residents who are undocumented immigrants should not fear asking the city for help.

“We will be providing emergency services regardless of national origin or citizenship,” Papenfuse said. “You won’t be asked, you’ll be helped.”

While the city is working to help residents, officials acknowledged that response times to calls for the police may be slower with shifting priorities during this time.

“We do have new priorities and calls related to health concerns regarding the virus have to take priority over others,” Papenfuse said.

With businesses shutting down, he ensured residents that they will not be penalized for late trash service payments, rent payments or other city taxes.

“We are all in this together, and we can weather the storm,” he said.

“Community Conversations with Mayor Papenfuse” are slated to continue each Friday at noon as a forum for information and discussion during the pandemic.

Revised Design Approved

The city got its first look last month at a new design for a planned academic building for downtown Harrisburg.

At a special meeting of the city Planning Commission, Harrisburg University presented its plan for an 11-story building at the corner of Chestnut and S. 3rd streets.

“The revised design is very similar to what was approved,” said David Alessi, senior associate at Stantec, the project’s architectural and engineering company.

Last year, the commission approved plans for a 17-story building and a 10-story hotel. However, HU’s hotel partner, Harrisburg-based HHM, was unable to secure financing for that portion of the project, said HU President Eric Darr.

“We worked with multiple finance partners, but we couldn’t wait any longer,” Darr told commission members.

The problem, he said, was comparative. He said that a project analysis showed that the hotel would be profitable. Nonetheless, potential financiers felt that they could get an even better return by committing their money to projects in other cities, he said.

With the loss of the hotel, HU cut the project’s size by about one-third, proceeding solely with an educational building. The $100-million, 260,000-square-foot facility will house HU’s health sciences programs, simulation labs and other academic programs.

Planning Commission members seemed satisfied with the design, complimenting HU for adding brick to the façade and for aligning the design with HU’s current building on Market Street.

“I like how it blends in with HU’s tower,” said commissioner Zac Monnier.

The new design also eliminates a planned curb cut along Chestnut Street.

Following HU’s presentation, the commission unanimously approved the new development plan, which now must be approved by City Council.

HU has already cleared the site at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets, but hasn’t yet started to build the structure. Assuming the revised development plan passes council, HU expects the building to begin to take shape this summer and be completed in late 2021.

Apartment Project Proposed

A New York-based developer with strong ties to Harrisburg proposed last month to convert the former Salvation Army Harrisburg headquarters to a new apartment building.

Michael Lam lives in Queens, N.Y., but owns more than a dozen properties in Harrisburg, mostly small buildings with commercial space on the ground floor and apartments upstairs.

His latest proposal would be his largest project, a 25-unit apartment building at Green and Cumberland streets in Midtown.

“The units aren’t huge, but they’ll be very done very nicely,” he told TheBurg. “I’m going to bring a lot of New York style to it. They’ll be very trendy, very nice.”

Lam envisions a series of duplex-style one- and two-bedroom apartments, with parking included.

Several years ago, the Salvation Army Harrisburg put its long-time home on the market after it made a decision to relocate to the 500-block of S. 29th Street, near the city line. It made that move last year.

The organization has been asking $560,000 for the 18,500-square-foot building, which was constructed in 1954, plus another $330,000 for the 34-space accessory parking lot across the street. A second, smaller lot off of Penn Street has another eight parking spaces.

Before he can complete the purchase, Lam needs his project to be approved by the city. He made his first presentation last month to the city Planning Commission.

Harrisburg Mayor, ICA Clash

Harrisburg has filed a lawsuit against its state financial oversight board to force the board to fully include Harrisburg’s representative.

In February, the city filed a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court claiming that the Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) has systematically excluded Bruce Weber from participating in executive sessions and other ICA business.

Weber, Harrisburg’s budget and finance director, is the city’s non-voting representative on the seven-member board.

Following the meeting, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that Weber has been routinely excluded from executive sessions and other ICA matters.

“He has every right to participate in the deliberations of the ICA,” Papenfuse said, following the meeting. “They have refused that from the very beginning.”

The ICA and Harrisburg last year passed a draft five-year financial recovery plan for the city, designed to allow the city to exit Act 47, the state’s program for financially distressed cities. They’re now in the process of making updates to it.

“The ICA expresses disappointment over the current litigation initiated by the mayor,” said ICA Chair Audry Carter, in a statement. “The lawsuit is a needless distraction from the important work of removing Harrisburg from Act 47.”

February Home Sales Rise

Housing data continued to be strong in the Harrisburg area, with sales and prices both up in February.

For the three-county region, sales increased to 487 housing units, compared to 441 in February 2019 and 388 in February 2018, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). The median sales price was $180,000 versus $168,000 in the year-ago period and $157,000 in February 2018, GHAR said.

In Dauphin County, 250 housing units sold in February, compared to 235 last year, while the median price rose to $164,900 versus $150,000 in February 2019, according to GHAR.

In Cumberland County, 214 homes sold compared to 191 a year ago, while the median sales price increased to $213,000 from $195,000 in February 2019. Perry County also showed a sales increase, to 23 units versus 15 last year, though the median price fell to $163,000 from $210,000 in February 2019, GHAR said.

Over the past year, both housing sales and prices have generally trended up in the Harrisburg area, according to GHAR.

So Noted

Capital Region Water last month suspended street sweeping and hydrant flushing until further notice due to the health crisis. Likewise, the city and parking operator SP+ suspended parking enforcement for street sweeping. CRW also asked customers to conduct business with them remotely—by phone, mail, email or online.

Harrisburg University has launched a new “User Experience Center,” which tests products for user friendliness. Student interns test clients’ video games, websites, education software and other products. HU plans soon to move the center into its own storefront space on the first block of S. 3rd Street in Harrisburg.

Kesher Israel has purchased the former Riverside United Methodist Church in Uptown Harrisburg. Following building renovations, the orthodox Jewish congregation plans to move there from its current synagogue on the 2500-block of N. 3rd Street.

Sandwiches by Shakedown has opened in the stone building of the Broad Street Market. Chris and Sarah Heilig, former owners of Shakedown BBQ in Grantville, offer a selection of signature sandwiches and salads from the stand that formerly housed Mel’s BBQ.

TheBurg captured five awards in the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Foundation’s annual Advertising Awards contest. TheBurg won two first-place awards, one for “best single ad” and another for “best real estate ad,” one second-place award and two honorable mentions. It was the first time that TheBurg participated in this statewide competition.

Zeroday Brewing Co. is in expansion mode, with plans to open a brewery/restaurant this summer on the 900-block of N. 3rd St. The Harrisburg-based brewer also is building out a bar and tap room inside Midtown Cinema as part of the cinema’s renovations and will convert its current taproom to production-only space. Longer term, Zeroday plans to partner with Chris and Sarah Heilig of Shakedown BBQ and Sandwiches by Shakedown to open a restaurant next year at Susquehanna Union Green in Susquehanna Township.

In Memoriam

Vera Cornish, publisher of The Urban Connection of the Capital Region, died in late February. Cornish had a long and distinguished career as an activist, speaker, teacher, consultant and author. Besides serving as a newspaper publisher, she was the founder of the Women of Heritage Breakfast, founder and producer of the Access & Opportunity Breakfast Series and founder and producer of the Access & Opportunity Career Fair. She ran her own company, Cornish & Associates, was the first director of institutional diversity for HACC, and served on many boards and committees. In the course of her career, she received numerous honors and awards and, in 2018, published a book entitled, “Dare to Dream.” Memorial contributions should be made to the Vera Cornish Dare To Dream Fund at The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, 200 N. 3rd St., 8th floor, Harrisburg PA 17101. This fund supports women’s empowerment, financial literacy and social entrepreneurship, with a focus on communities of color.

Changing Hands

Bellevue Rd., 1962: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $30,200

Bellevue Rd., 2042: D. Miller & M. Heagy to D. Young, $105,000

Berryhill St., 2144: M. Wilson Jr. to H. Alcantara, $38,200

Berryhill St., 2160: M. Pavelko to J. Ranck, $51,000

Berryhill St., 2254: T. Planasky to G. Singh & H. Kaur, $44,500

Berryhill St., 2314: A. & J. Budzinski to D. Smith, $65,000

Boas St., 433: R. Spencer to P. Brynildsen & S. Imbesi, $149,900

Boas St., 1925: Resistance Properties LLC to W. & J. Flannery, $40,000

Briggs St., 253: M. Patel to 253 Briggs St., LLC, $95,000

Chestnut St., 2208: J. Spangler to D. Wolfe, $222,000

Chestnut St., 2403: L. & M. Walton to C. Colon, $205,000

Crescent St., 249: PD Estate Properties LLC to A. & P. Woodman, $45,000

Crescent St., 350: D. & S. Zimmerman to Element Properties LLC, $48,000

Derry St., 2138: Santander Bank NA to Zeta Theta Lambda Foundation Inc., $40,500

Duke St., 2447: Genesis Opportunity Development Corp. to PA Deals LLC & Rich Steele Realty LLC, $30,000

Forster St., 1926: D. Jackson to CR Property Group LLC, 34,800

Fulton St., 1723: D. Snyder to S. DeLong, $123,000

Fulton St., 1730: C. Topper to Y. Downing, $145,000

Green St., 807: M Billo to T. Wetzel & H. Potteiger, $125,000

Green St., 1519: W. & E. Sauer to PA Deals LLC, $70,200

Green St., 2329: J. Yesser to A. Jobes, $32,000

Green St., 3224: C. Wise to G. Gebhardt & L. Mintz, $154,000

Hale Ave., 429: D. Hoang & M. Le to H. Le & N. Huynh, $42,000

Hillside Rd., 107: St. MacDonald & M. Warner to P. & K. Trufahnestock, $255,000

Industrial Rd., 4150: W. Houck Jr. to Addison Lee Group LLC, $1,600,000

Kelker St., 642: S. Clark & S. Lewis to K. & S. Pittman, $30,000

Kensington St., 2033: R. Dawon to CR Property Group LLC, $35,000

Kensington St., 2233: T. Holden to H. Alcantara, $38,001

Kensington St., 2345: PA Deals LLC to A. Molinelli, $72,000

Kensington St., 2413: P. & N. Nguyen to D. Wallace Sr., $69,900

Mercer St., 2459: US Bank NA Trustee to D. Dowling, $38,500

Muench St., 410: JB Buy Rite LLC to JTC Property Management, $50,000

North St., 1619: K. Sol to K. Mooney, $48,000

North St., 1818: Hari Group LLP to Revive Our City LLC, $45,000

N. Front St., 25: Pennsylvania Association of Conservation to 25 N. Front Street LLC, $437,000

N. 2nd St., 1213: J. Tang to WG PA Holdings LLC, $188,000

N. 2nd St., 1601: Centric Bank to Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC, $88,000

N. 2nd St., 3107: P. Bernd to B. Leger, $135,000

N. 3rd St., 2209: A. & V. Rockmore to J. Cruz, $132,000

N. 3rd St., 2227: H. Bowman to C. & A. Smucker, $98,000

N. 3rd St., 2340: D. & S. Houck to MRI Properties LLC, $160,000

N. 3rd St., 3010: L. Smith to Equitable Builds LLC, $62,000

N. 5th St., 2424: J. & P. Williams to B. & A. Okubanjo, $60,000

N. 6th St., 2354: G. Elam to E. Wright, $95,000

Norwood St., 916: Crist Holdings LLC to Y. & E. Paige, $35,000

Park St., 1831: 9 Iron Ventures to H. Rodriquez, $46,000

Penn St., 1523: T. Smith & K. Leighton to P. & P. Gellerman, $161,400

Penn St., 1621: J. & M. Pricer to J. & D. Brubaker, $70,000

Penn St., 1805: T. & K. Hand to D. Bixler & S. Scholl, $131,000

Rumson Rd., 2995: R. Miller to J. Shuman, $100,000

S. 13th St., 421: D. Nguyen to L. Robinson, $85,000

S. 17th St., 1033: D&F Realty Holdings LP to Y. de Rodriguez, $45,000

S. 19th St., 214: L. & D. Burkhart to F. Molina & M. de la Rosa, $41,100

S. 28th St., 651: K. Meyers & G. Deimler to 17th Street Real Estate LLC, $195,384

S. 28th St., 701: K. Meyers & G. Deimler to 17th Street Real Estate LLC, $244,232

State St., 1314: D. McGlynn to 88314 LLC, $43,000

State St., 1837: JustGeoff Partners LLC to E. Patry, $35,000

Swatara St., 1610: C. Moffitt to Revive Our City LLC, $70,000

Swatara St., 2142: R. Chowdhury & A. Nasrin to Top Notch Homes LLC, $50,000

Walnut St., 1936: D. Moyer to M. Molinar, $50,000

Woodbine St., 226: Axxess Creations LLC to Trip Aces 226 LLC, $86,000

Harrisburg property sales for February 2020, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Harrisburg Council overturns mayor’s veto following tense exchange over development strategy, policy

March 10, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg City Council in session on Tuesday

Harrisburg City Council overturned a mayoral veto on Tuesday, though the two branches of government agreed to work towards a policy that could give the city more leverage over future development projects.

By a 5-2 vote, council rejected the action by Mayor Eric Papenfuse, who recently vetoed a resolution that would vacate several “paper” streets on a parcel of land where the new federal courthouse now is rising.

Before the meeting, Papenfuse said that he vetoed the resolution to make a point. He wants council members to create a policy that would require developers to conduct a “public benefit analysis” when requesting street vacations.

“It could help us with affordable housing policy in the city,” he said. “In Seattle, and many cities, they require a public benefit proposal on the part of the developer.”

Last month, council approved a resolution that would vacate “various unnamed paper streets” on the 4.2-acre site at N. 6^th and Reily streets, where the federal government is building a 243,000-square-foot courthouse.

On Tuesday, Papenfuse told council that, currently, the city holds little leverage over a developer outside of the normal planning and zoning process. Requiring an analysis for street vacations would give the city a tool to extract “public benefit” concessions for large projects, he said.

“It would be a power vested in City Council that is not granted through the land development process,” he said.

Papenfuse then summarized Seattle’s policy to council, using it as an example of an effective street vacation policy, saying that the process could be used to place leverage on developers to include affordable housing in their projects or to mandate the use of local labor.

“I know we have a lot of street vacations coming down the pike,” Papenfuse said. “I’m hopeful that we can develop a policy.”

“I’m a little outraged by that veto,” she said. “I asked for an affordable housing component, and you sat there with your head down each and every time.”

Despite a lengthy, critical exchange with Papenfuse, Williams said that she would be interested in discussing a street vacation policy.

“I think we should work on this quickly,” agreed council member Dave Madsen, one of two votes, along with council member Westburn Majors, to uphold the veto.

Papenfuse admitted that his veto was unlikely to impact the federal courthouse project, which is well underway and slated for completion in spring 2022. But he said that he wanted to make a point that council should pass a street vacation policy.

“These are public streets,” he said. “Potentially, there are things that could be received in exchange, which goes well beyond the courthouse.”

This was Papenfuse’s second veto of a “street vacation” resolution. Early last year, he vetoed a street vacation resolution for the proposed site of an AutoZone store in Uptown Harrisburg, which council also overturned.

At that time, Papenfuse said he wanted to use the street vacation to pressure AutoZone to submit development plans that he considered to be more satisfactory. In fact, council just last month granted the AutoZone project two more street vacations, which should allow construction to begin soon on the project.

Members of the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), along with Harrisburg City Council members, pose for a picture following the unanimous council vote to back legislation allowing all residents to secure driver’s licenses.

In other action on Tuesday, City Council:

Voted 6-1 to approve an agreement transferring the Strawberry Square Arcade to the Strawberry Square Condominium Association, with Williams voting no.
By a 5-2 vote, approved a resolution to hire Harrisburg-based Maverick Strategies to continue to provide consulting and lobbying for Harrisburg. The agreement for the $5,000 monthly retainer expires on Dec. 31.
Unanimously passed a resolution hiring Ecological Solutions to provide lake management services for Italian Lake at a cost of $9,125.
Unanimously passed a resolution backing state legislation that would allow Pennsylvania residents, regardless of immigration status, access to a valid driver’s license. Following the vote, about 40 members of the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania (MILPA), who spearheaded the resolution and attended the meeting, cheered loudly, vocalizing their support for council’s action.

Harrisburg expected to weigh affordable housing ordinance, as more apartments planned for downtown

January 22, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harristown needs City Council approval to start work converting this brick office building to apartments. It also hopes to build a new office building on the empty lot next door.

Harrisburg City Council expects to take up affordable housing policy this year, legislation that may include set-aside requirements for larger developments.

At a meeting on Tuesday night, council President Wanda Williams said that she wants to begin work on an affordable housing ordinance, with the goal of passing it within six months.

Specifically, Williams said that she is interested in passing an inclusionary zoning ordinance, which would require developers to set aside a certain number of units at lower rents as a part of market-rate projects.

These ordinances, which exist in some other cities, typically require developers to include, for instance, 5 to 10 percent of “affordable” units in a project, as long as the development exceeds a certain size—say, 15 or 20 units in total.

Williams said that she didn’t yet have specifics of her proposal, but that she’s in the information-gathering stage to see what she would like to include.

“I need to look at all aspects of it,” she said, following the meeting. “I’ve reached out to other cities, to see what they’re doing, and I want to try to put something together. I’m working on this as fast as I can.”

Her comments followed a hearing on the latest proposal by Harristown Enterprises to convert an aging downtown office building to residential space.

Harristown CEO Brad Jones told council members that the Harrisburg-based company plans to convert a Market Square building at 17 S. 2nd St., formerly occupied by the Skarlatos Zonarich law firm, to 30 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Over the past few years, Harristown has similarly converted several other office buildings, most rundown or vacant, to market-rate apartments and, in fact, is currently signing leases for 82 new units in three downtown buildings where renovations are nearly complete.

“We’ve taken about 130,000 square feet of class B and C office buildings that were vacant or partially vacant and reactivated those buildings into new apartment buildings,” he told council, adding that the company’s other completed apartment projects are “100-percent occupied.”

Jones said that he expected units in the proposed Market Square project to rent for about $1,100 to $1,400 a month, depending on size and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

This prompted a lengthy discussion among council members about affordable housing downtown.

“Looking at the rates, that average rent is still above the average rent for the city of Harrisburg,” said Councilman Westburn Majors. “When you’re looking at market rate, are you looking at that or you just making a return for your investors?”

Jones explained that Harristown has found it difficult to attract investors to its Harrisburg projects, as real estate investors typically can get a higher rate of return by building in the suburbs, areas that tend to have lower taxes and construction costs than in the city.

“I know this is of great interest to the council,” Jones said. “Even knocking a couple of hundred bucks off of that (rent), we just couldn’t meet the terms of our investors’ requirements.”

He said that he expects to spend $130,000 to $140,000 per unit to renovate the 30,000-square-foot, 30-unit building.

“It’s a lot of dollars per unit,” he said. “That’s why you don’t see a lot of developers coming before you. We’re trying to reinvigorate the downtown, and these projects are very expensive.”

At the end of the meeting, Councilman Dave Madsen cautioned that council’s job is not to pass judgment on the anticipated rental rates, but to ensure that the project complies with all current city requirements.

“I do think it’s on us, as city government, to draft some regulations or incentive-based programs to incentivize developers to make some below-market, affordable housing,” he said. “What the applicant has put before us now, we have to look at the written rules and regulations as they stand currently and, based on the feedback and questions we’ve had, they are in compliance.”

A council vote on Harristown’s land development plan is expected next week. Jones said that he’d like to begin the project around April and expects a nine-month build-out.

In the meantime, Harristown, Jones said, continues to search for an anchor tenant for a new office building it plans to build at 21 S. 2nd St., next door to the Market Square apartment building. That site once housed a small, fire-damaged building that included the Coronet restaurant on the first floor, but is now an empty lot.

“We plan to do a four to six-story office building there,” he said. “It is a very narrow site, but we’re been trying to find tenants.”

For leasing information on Harristown’s newest apartment projects, visit hbgrealty.net.

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