NEWSLETTER The Voice of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission since 1970
From the Executive Director: Important Initiatives Underway!
By Steve Deck
TCRPC is currently engaged in several key initiatives that address crucial issues facing our municipalities and region. We want to make sure that all of our partners are aware of these efforts and have the opportunity to work with us to help ensure their success. Water Resources Survey
If you attended our Annual Luncheon in May, you heard about a survey we sent to Dauphin County’s municipalities regarding water-related initiatives to address flooding, water quality and stormwater management. Our goal was to better understand how important these issues are at the local level and to gauge interest in taking a more regional approach to tackle them. In fact, 80-90 percent of the survey’s respondents said they are interested in discussing regional cooperation around these topics. Toward that end, we are currently gathering background data and hope to start a discussion with municipalities this fall to determine the most effective way to address these challenges. And while this will be a joint effort between TCRPC and the Dauphin County Conservation District, we hope the lessons learned will be quickly and easily applied to Perry County’s municipalities as well. Paxton Creek
On a related matter, TCRPC is involved in ongoing discussions about how to reduce flooding and improve sediment removal in the section of Paxton Creek that passes through Harrisburg. We are working with a group consisting of the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC), Capital Regional Water, the City of Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, PennDOT and others to determine the next steps. The original recommendation came from PennDOT’s Transportation Oriented Development (TOD) study for the Harrisburg Transportation Center. A variety of stakeholders will develop a strategy and organizational framework to complete the project and ensure its long term Paxton Creek at Maclay St. viability. I-81 Improvement Strategy
Starting this month, TCRPC is coordinating an effort to make I-81 between the Maryland state line and the I-78 split safer and less congested. We’ll be working with PennDOT and Franklin and Lebanon counties to study the highway’s current and future transportation needs, including road and bridge condition. We’ll also refine short- and long-term strategies and identify projects for various “focus areas” along I-81. Because outreach will be critical to the success of this estimated 18-month process, we’ll be looking for opportunities to engage with the public and key stakeholders, including shippers/haulers, employers, emergency service providers, municipalities, economic development agencies, Capital Area Transit, Norfolk Southern and many others. Anyone wishing to keep track of our progress or provide input will be able to do so through the project’s website, www.I-81southcentralPA.gov, which is expected to go live later this summer.
In this Issue... 1 — From the Executive Director 5 — Highlights from Recent Bike-Ped Counts 2 — 2018 Building Activity Report Now Available 6 — TCRPC Co-Hosts #HBG in 10 Years Event 2 — Dauphin County Comp Plan Implementation 7 — Get Your Submissions Ready for the PPAs Status 7 — More Free Lunch & Learns Coming 2 — 2019 Annual Luncheon Recap 8 — Updated Requirements for Plan Submissions 3 — Perry County Update 9 — Foundation Wants to Plant 10 Million Trees 4 — Meeting Summaries for Spring Outreach 9 — Subdivision & Land Development Review
SUMMER 2019 5 — Analysis of Region’s Housing Ongoing Course Coming This Fall 2018 Building Activity Report Now Available
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission’s 2018 Building Activity Report shows that Dauphin and Perry counties continue to experience building growth with only a slight difference between them in each of the activity sectors. This analytical tool focuses on building permit activity for residential, commercial and industrial development in Dauphin and Perry counties over the past year. It provides a window on a wide variety of factors in the region, including growth, economic development, transportation needs and environmental concerns. To view or download a PDF of the report, click here.
Implementation Status for the Dauphin County Comprehensive Plan
By Alexa Korber, Planner
Meeting summaries for all Dauphin County Implementation Partners meetings can be found in the Tracking Our Progress sections of the online Comprehensive Plan.
There are three implementation groups that meet biannually to discuss the direction of each of the three sections of the Comprehensive Plan. They are: Growing Our Economy, Growing Our Communities and Growing Within Our Environment.
In addition to traditional meeting minutes, TCRPC staff has been working with the implementation partners to create online Story Maps featuring the projects of our partner organizations.
The Story Map for the Environmental group can be viewed here.
The maps for the remaining two groups are still under construction and will debut later in the summer.
Anyone interested in joining the implementation groups or contributing to the Story Maps can email Alexa Korber or call (717) 234-2639.
2019 ANNUAL LUNCHEON RECAP
TCRPC’s 2019 Annual Luncheon was held Thursday, May 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel. Our guest speakers (left) were Felicia Dell, AICP, director of the York County Planning Commission, and Ruth Hocker, stormwater program manager for the City of Lancaster, who spoke about water resource issues in the region, including water quality, flooding, and stormwater management. Their presentations were followed by Q&A with luncheon attendees. Over 110 people attended the 2019 luncheon. We also held another food drive for Central PA Food Bank at this year’s luncheon (right), collecting 198 pounds of non-perishable items to benefit local families. Thanks to everyone who contributed!
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 2 Perry County Update
By Jason Finnerty, Perry County Planning Coordinator
New Pcpc Policy: Regarding Requests for General Consistency Review All requests for a general consistency review by the Perry County Planning Commission must now be received by the second Wednesday of the month in order to be considered at the monthly PCPC meeting the following Wednesday.
The following information must be included to facilitate the review and letter preparation: 1. A narrative/summary of the proposed project, identifying: • The name and address of the applicant; • How the project takes into account local municipal planning efforts; • How the money will be used; and • An explanation of how the proposed project advances the county comprehensive plan. 2. If the applicant is a private individual, private organization or a not- for-profit entity, verification that the municipal governing body is aware of the request; 3. For infrastructure/facility projects, a map identifying the location of the project; 4. The estimated total project cost; 5. The agency through which the funding is being pursued; 6. The name of the grant or loan program; 7. The dollar amount of the grant or loan; and, 8. Identification of how the matching money requirements (if any) will be covered.
Additionally, the individual requesting the review must be present at the meeting or have a representative attend on their behalf to answer any questions by the PCPC.
If these requirements aren’t met, or if the request does not arrive in time, the request will not be included on the meeting agenda for consideration.
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Project A copy of the draft Hazard Mitigation Plan continues to be available on the PCPC webpage for public viewing. Final preparations are underway for sending the draft plan to PEMA for the agency’s initial gatekeeping review. Once the plan has been determined to meet all the necessary content considerations, our office will then be authorized to forward the plan to FEMA. The last item is the completion of a Local Mitigation Plan Tool to help identify content location within the text for plan reviewers.
To everyone involved in this process, thank you for all the assistance, contributions and time to help our office with this effort.
USDA 2017 Agriculture Census Earlier this year, the USDA released the 5-year Census of Agriculture for the 2017 reporting year. The information has been posted to the USDA’s website. The primary webpage containing nationwide, state and county level data can be found here.
A view of the Susquehanna River from Duncannon Borough, Perry County
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 3 Meeting Summaries for Spring Outreach in Dauphin County By Jerry Duke, Dauphin County Planning Coordinator
TCRPC staff recently held two outreach meetings to provide local officials with information on current projects and to gather feedback on important issues facing the region’s municipalities.
At a May 16 meeting in conjunction with the monthly meeting of the Upper Dauphin Council of Government, staff presented information on transportation projects, water quality and flooding issues, grant consistency letters, Dauphin County’s Premier Project Awards and the 2020 Census.
Attendees asked questions about and voiced input on concerns about privacy during the upcoming Census; flooding problems in various municipalities; the level of grant funding available to complete stormwater related projects; and administrative issues regarding stormwater permits I-83 from the 13th Street overpass in Harrisburg associated with local development and building projects.
At a May 28 outreach meeting at the Linglestown Giant Community Room in Susquehanna Township, staff presented information on current and planned transportation improvement projects (including updates on I-83 improvements), modifications to the Regional Connection program, stormwater management initiatives, the Premier Project Awards, review of the MPC plan reporting and submission requirements, source water protection programs, surface water programs, parking maximum ordinance development, transfer of development rights and attainable housing. Staff also provided an update on the Regional Transportation Plan.
Attendees asked questions about the Route 39 study’s completion and implementation; Swatara Township’s work on an interactive zoning map that will be available for the public; a desire to have the county commissioners increase their involvement with local projects; and a suggestion that the Premier Project Awards be moved to October to coincide with National Planning Month.
Staff will follow up on participant input as we progress with our work programs, and will continue to host outreach meetings to gain feedback on planning issues.
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 4 Analysis of Region’s Affordable/Attainable Housing Ongoing
By Jerry Duke, Dauphin County Planning Coordinator
In an effort to gain crucial input about affordable and attainable housing in the region, the Dauphin County Planning Commission and TRCPC staff met in May with a variety of organizations, including the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg, Tri-County Community Action, Tri-County Housing Development Corporation, Dauphin County Housing Authority, Dauphin County Human Services, the City of Harrisburg, Penn State Harrisburg, PA Manufactured Housing Association, local developers and rental property owners.
Since our last meeting in November, staff has performed an analysis of cost-burdened and rent- burdened housing stock with data available from the U.S. Census Bureau. A mapping analysis showed that some parts of the county are cost-burdened because of income (30 percent or more of income going toward housing costs), while others are cost-burdened because of the cost of housing. In general, rental units (rent) resulted in a higher level of burdened cost than owner-occupied units (mortgage). The data also showed that rents are generally not in line with incomes.
The group has identified areas where further research is needed to understand the area’s attainable housing issues. This research includes reaching out to municipalities and community organizations to gain Housing at 15th & Market streets in Harrisburg their input.
Housing considerations are often linked to other issues such as transportation and employment as well. A sample scenario is that a person who does not own a car must live near their work or be able to rely on public transportation. If there is no attainable housing in the area and public transportation is unreliable or sparse, an employer who locates there may struggle to find applicants.
The group also determined that there is a need to obtain additional data on the “soft costs” associated with purchasing a home, including legal and closing costs. For first-time home buyers and people with limited incomes, completing property and home purchases can be expensive and complicated. There is also a need to further examine constraints facing rural residents such as those living in Perry County and northern Dauphin County.
Staff is gathering the information and expect to report back to the group at a meeting this fall.
Anyone interesting in providing input or assistance on this topic can email Dauphin County Planning Coordinator Jerry Duke or call (717) 234-2639.
Volunteer Karen Christie, left, speaks with a pedestrian at the intersection of 32nd and Market streets in Camp Hill during the HATS Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts in May. Volunteer Geoffrey Knight, right, counts walkers and bicyclists at the East Shore end of the Market Street Bridge. The twice-yearly counts provide vital data to our region’s planners, decision makers and anyone else interested in making walking and biking safer and more convenient in the HATS Region. Thanks to all our volunteers! Click here to watch for news about this fall’s counts.
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 5 TCRPC Co-Hosts #HBG in 10 Years Event Tri-County Regional Planning Commission co-hosted a free public forum called “#HBG in 10 Years” for young people on the future of the Harrisburg area on April 25 at Appalachian Brewing Company. Along with ABC, our other co-hosts included the Burg, the Dauphin County Library System and Harrisburg Young Professionals.
The purpose of the forum was to seek input -- mainly from area residents in their 20s and 30s -- about what they want the Harrisburg region to look like a decade from now.
Some opinions expressed at the forum: • Younger people don’t want to be confined to driving; they want convenient public transit that allows them to “jump on” easily. • Some are likely to leave Harrisburg if its transit system doesn’t “catch up with other cities.” • The lack of bike lanes is frustrating and there aren’t enough places to bike in general. • Speeding drivers make streets dangerous for bicyclists and TCRPC Planner Alexa Korber addresses the audience at pedestrians. April’s #HBG in 10 Years event at Appalachian Brewing • Make the area around Paxton Creek a park/greenspace rather Company on Cameron Street in Harrisburg than a wholly developed neighborhood. • A green space/trail connector along the creek would allow people to safely move from one neighborhood to the next. • Attendees expressed strong support for a series of public forums like #HBG in 10 Years and other events to discuss additional planning issues affecting the region.
Are you aware of a TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM in the region? Please click this box to open our Transportation Need Form and submit it to our planners!
FROM PENNDOT:
Applications for 2020-21 Multimodal Transportation Fund will be accepted Sept. 9-Nov. 8.
Click here for more information.
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 6 Get Your Submissions Ready for the PPAs!
Entries will soon be accepted for the eighth annual Premier Project Awards, presented by the Dauphin County Commissioners and Planning Commission.
The PPAs acknowledge and encourage planning excellence in Dauphin County, recognizing projects that meet the community, environmental and economic goals of the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
Individuals, organizations, municipalities, public authorities, developers and public/private partnerships are welcome to submit projects within Dauphin County for which they were principally involved in design, development or implementation.
Watch for a project submission announcement on the TCRPC website. The 2019 Premier Project Awards luncheon and ceremony will be held Thursday, January 9, 2020 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.
Mark your calendar now and get your submissions ready!
MORE FREE LUNCH & LEARN SESSIONS COMING
TCRPC’s long-running Lunch & Learn program has become part of our effort to implement the 2040 Regional Growth Management Plan. These FREE webinars covering land use topics presented by Penn State Extension run from noon to 1:15 p.m. in our second floor conference room at 112 Market St. in downtown Harrisburg. They offer Certification Maintenance credits, providing a convenient way for you to stay current with your continuing education requirements. No need to register! Just show up and bring your lunch. Coming up in the second half of 2019: • July 17: Complete Streets: Planning and Policies • Aug. 21: Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future • Sept. 18: Stormwater Utilities • Oct. 16: Northeast US Agriculture: Why it Matters • Nov. 20: Yes, Communities Can Design-Out Crime For more information and future session listings, visit our Education & Training page.
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 7 REMINDER: Updated Requirements for Submissions to County Planning Commissions Please be advised the Dauphin County and Perry County Planning Commissions updated their requirements for all subdivision and land development applications for review and for approval to maintain compliance with our long-term document retention policy.
Effective January 1, 2019, a digital file of the plan set is required as an official component of the plan application.
The digital file of the plan set shall be in pdf format and cannot exceed 10MB in size, if emailed. CDs and thumb drives are also accepted media to transmit the digital file to the Planning Commissions. We will work with all applicants to find the most reasonable accommodations to provide the required digital file.
In accordance with Article 4 of the County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances, all plan applications will be considered administratively incomplete and will be considered not to be filed without the required digital file of the plans.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact our office at 717-234-2639.
Municipal Engineering Community Planning MS4 Compliance Bridge Design Roadway & Intersection Design Environmental Permitting & 1-800-738-8395 Compliance rettew.com | Grant Writing Subsurface Utility Engineering PENNSYLVANIA Safety Consulting Conshohocken • Lancaster • Lehigh Valley Mechanicsburg • Pittsburgh • State College • Williamsport
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 8 Chesapeake Bay Foundation Wants to Plant 10 Million Trees -- You Can Help
By Alexa Korber, Planner
How much would it cost to plant 10 million trees? The answer -- for interested municipalities or private land owners -- is nothing but a little of your time.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s 10 Million Tree initiative is actively looking for land on which to conduct tree plantings. The Foundation provides the trees, the necessary tools and technical assistance for the project free of charge.
TCRPC hopes to assist interested parties in connecting with the Foundation to organize tree plantings within the region.
With flooding and water quality becoming a priority for many municipal governments and many private landowners seeing the loss of their trees to pests like the Ash Borer, the time to think about a planting is now!
For more information, please email Alexa Korber or call (717) 234-2639 for more information. To see plantings that have taken place in your area, please view the interactive map here.
TCRPC Staff Subdivision & Land Development Review Course Coming This Fall Steve Deck, AICP TCRPC will offer a course in Subdivision & Land Development Review Executive Director this October in partnership with the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning [email protected] Education Institute (PMPEI).
Diane Myers-Krug, AICP The course will take place 6 to 9:30 p.m. on three consecutive Thursdays, Associate Director October 3, 10 & 17, at the Swatara Township Building. Cost to attend is $35. [email protected] For more information and to register, please visit our website’s Education & Training page. Casey Bottiger Planner The course covers the subdivision and [email protected] land development review process from pre-application meetings through project Andrew Bomberger, AICP completion. Regional Planner [email protected] Continuing education credits are available. NOTE: Attendance at all three sessions is Donna Clay required for completion. Administrative Assistant [email protected] Co-sponsored by the American Planning Association’s PA Chapter, Central Section. Jerry Duke, AICP Dauphin County Planning Coordinator [email protected] Tri-County Regional Planning Commission Jason Finnerty 112 Market Street, 2nd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101-2015 Perry County Planning Coordinator Phone: (717) 234-2639 [email protected] Fax: (717) 234-4058 Timothy Jones HPMS Coordinator/GIS Technician PUBLIC INFORMATION & PARTICIPATION [email protected] This newsletter is a primary means, other than such items as may be published on the TCRPC website or broadcast by the general media, by which information concerning the Regional and Transportation Alexa Korber Planning programs is made available to the citizens and public of Planner the Tri-County Region. It is distributed four times a year and has [email protected] a circulation of over 2,200. The meetings of the Regional Planning Commission and the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study are open to the public. Persons who wish to receive issues of this newsletter, Larry Portzline, APR obtain other information or comment about the planning programs Communications Coordinator should contact Donna Clay, Administrative Assistant, Tri-County [email protected] Regional Planning Commission, at [email protected].
Andrea Viazanko www.tcrpc-pa.org Planner Dauphin County Veterans [email protected] The preparation and distribution of the TCRPC Newsletter Memorial Building, is financed in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Home of TCRPC Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Dauphin and Perry counties.
TCRPC Summer 2019 Newsletter 9