[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6615750,"mediaKeyId","2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578","parentId",2858800,"title","Commission rezones Polyclinic campus parcels to Commercial Neighborhood, approves subdivision to enable redevelopment","audioSeconds",940,"startMs",4872000,"endMs",5812000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578&start=4872&end=5812","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578/thumbnail_4872000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6615750/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Commission-rezones-Polyclinic-campus-parcels-to-Commercial-Neighborhood-approves-subdivision-to-enable-redevelopment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615750-4a44aeac2fa1dffda262937be50debb6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197390&Signature=Cs8gEWhnbdTCgIc4EoYTJX0PWNbulFkeDC3uYqCirU3BiHPKGrc7PGNCMO0bTmiMPv7TQZfZKRTOWavNxkci0BVk40CjlWxHlhUSk1Qya9ZatJOTwgBkkl2j7VvHILns9Xo2c22bK8FzmZwK6dFJ~xp-9AaJXNSicOBaDkhsvbsfxKA1LPfK3jBKj3Y1TwDEKry3A057bexGzs~HWR1mjnbtrk2gl2hEt5ooJKD7ex7yFZmi-NG2zD~DA4~qhgjBUKmaiZivbCzz5SHtSV9PYPRNmhITYV~7WwOiP2uBdvfwsP0ZYiI8odUBE~7zP~WYQvJDvDPAaL8tkgUeGy-qBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harrisburg City, PA","date","2025-04-03T01:39:55.737Z","article","The Planning Commission denied a requested change to the Downtown Center (DC) zoning for the former Polyclinic hospital campus at 2601 North Third Street and instead voted to rezone the site to Commercial Neighborhood (CN). Commissioners also approved a subdivision that divides the 6.36‑acre campus into four parcels to effectuate phased redevelopment.

Planning staff recommended against a Downtown Center designation because of the site’s distance from the defined downtown center and the significant differences in allowed development and uses between DC and surrounding neighborhoods. Staff instead recommended rezoning to CN, saying the CN district would still permit most uses the applicant described — including multifamily, retail and office — while preserving community oversight through special‑exception review for certain uses (for example, hotels and some entertainment that are allowed by right in DC). Staff noted the property contains multiple institutional buildings — a 1926 structure of about 216,444 square feet and a 1957 building of about 83,876 square feet — and that the campus has large surface parking and garage capacity (the applicant cited roughly 446 spaces on site and in a nearby garage).

Applicant representatives from Penmark Harrisburg Holdings argued for the Downtown Center designation to provide additional flexibility for redevelopment plans the team described as large and potentially phased (several hundred residential units across buildings, boutique‑hotel options, self‑storage contingency plans and retail). Penmark representatives emphasized the time and cost of redeveloping the historic institutional campus, noted their intent to pursue historic‑tax credits on portions of the property, and said they preferred the regulatory breadth of DC to reduce the need for future discrete zoning relief requests.

Public comment included both supporters and residents expressing caution. Several nearby residents and neighborhood organization representatives said they support redevelopment and the prospect of new retail and housing but asked for more notice and fuller explanation of what a DC designation would allow; some urged caution about opening the site to development types that could alter the immediate neighborhood’s character. Planning commissioners discussed the difference between DC and CN largely in terms of permitted uses and scale; some commissioners suggested a text‑amendment approach or case‑by‑case special‑exception approvals would address the applicant’s flexibility needs without granting a full Downtown Center district across a noncontiguous Uptown parcel.

After discussion, the commission approved a rezoning to Commercial Neighborhood with the planning bureau’s recommended conditions and approved the proposed four‑lot subdivision to enable redevelopment. Staff said developers would still be able to seek special exceptions or other relief for specific uses (for example a hotel or self‑storage) if needed; the bureau noted CN and DC have identical off‑street parking requirements and that the property’s existing parking supply would reduce immediate parking conflicts. The approvals were recorded with the conditions in the planning bureau report and the subdivision will allow phased redevelopment and separate permitting by parcel.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harrisburg City Planning Commission - 04/02/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Planning Commission denied the applicant’s request for Downtown Center zoning and instead approved rezoning the 6.36‑acre Polyclinic hospital campus to Commercial Neighborhood; commissioners also approved a subdivision splitting the property into four lots to facilitate redevelopment, while requiring coordination with staff on conditions.","taxTitle","Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania","taxId",4675,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615753,"Commission approves special exception and land‑development plan for nine‑unit affordable building at Marcus Street site",589,3688000,4277000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578&start=3688&end=4277","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578/thumbnail_3688000.jpg","/articles/6615753/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Commission-approves-special-exception-and-landdevelopment-plan-for-nineunit-affordable-building-at-Marcus-Street-site","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615753-a8627350a39cf36929df28621f927284/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197390&Signature=B6NSW4TDCEemOolT5vK~GBhn3m7Qi9Z6VYggXAEf9V98vZbV89UQ9SRPt9J5WGspbl0Q1i4vlRnMg8i5glfyUKqPDHTkLJNxPKhHBjdmkPPBKYMRLm6ZZkRpuZjsfbPJBBFgSxPbymqbAIEciv06OGtAC2BF3un-t-lcsQ~E5aePb3~-3jgCKwIcXtDRymhHPRdVMwFfMaKanEObBtg0GA5qWxHID0vgwwB~OhUQ4eZC4ZmZk14Lum4Lk9U1a9yH8v1GLb88cj92ScDh643Enb2iqDdZ12JPea6nfhjhobpSIpjcAY2JgCoBRGuvlTu9aGJRm2VXnua25CRLY37~mg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission approved a concurrent zoning special exception and land development plan to construct a nine‑unit multifamily dwelling on five parcels at 1605–1613 Marcus Street, subject to conditions including affordable‑housing certification and coordination with the city engineer on site details.

Planning staff described the application as a special exception under section 7‑3‑05.7 for a multifamily use and relief from the off‑street parking requirements in section 7‑3‑27.6. The project site comprises 0.15 acres of five vacant parcels owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority; staff noted the lots had previously hosted a community garden but now were largely vacant with debris and parked vehicles. The bureau recommended approval with several conditions: the applicant must obtain lot‑consolidation and land‑development approval concurrently with the zoning relief; the applicant should coordinate with the owner of a nearby accessory parking lot to address any violations; and the applicant must obtain an affordable‑housing certificate under chapter 12101 of Title 12 before recording the lot consolidation and plan.

Applicants included developer representatives from On Hill Development and civil engineer Zane Geist. They confirmed acceptance of the planning bureau’s recommended conditions and said the proposal aims to provide nine affordable housing units in 2‑ and 3‑bedroom configurations. The bureau recommended additional site items prior to council review: a photometric plan demonstrating code‑compliant lighting, bike racks near the main entrance (preferably sheltered and a vertical post design rather than a wave rack), and an economic‑impact information submission which had been left blank in the application.

Commissioners largely supported the proposal as compatible infill that would fill a long‑standing vacant lot along a priority corridor, adding housing and activating the street. Several commissioners requested attention to grading, stormwater basin details and landscaping to ensure the rear patio and any basin are safe and well stabilized; the applicant acknowledged those concerns and said stormwater design would include overflow structures and planting/seeding for stabilization. Commissioners also asked whether the prior community garden remained active; staff and applicants said the site did not appear to host an active garden in recent years and that the team had conducted outreach and collected neighborhood signatures.

A motion to approve the zoning special exception and the land‑development plan carried by voice vote with conditions. Planning staff will follow up on required certifications, photometric and landscaping details before the project proceeds to council and recording.","The Planning Commission approved a special exception and concurrent lot consolidation/land development plan for a new nine‑unit multifamily affordable housing development at 1605–1613 Marcus Street, granting relief from off‑street parking requirements and attaching standard site, design and certification conditions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615757,"Zoning variances approved for nightclub/dance‑hall uses at 234 and 236 N. Second St.; noise and neighborhood protections required",1965,999000,2964000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578&start=999&end=2964","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578/thumbnail_999000.jpg","/articles/6615757/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Zoning-variances-approved-for-nightclubdancehall-uses-at-234-and-236-N-Second-St-noise-and-neighborhood-protections-required","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615757-4c8d4f29055a7cc2ff9b293a374216fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197390&Signature=ddhhprWkc6VKtXO~enTeATxnz70qUNKmW98zR0yHHEYHeMwwYW4qGKM7JGAR1gD8A0asaAFIZASyUZ7W8j1xrErWTWOcV6pRnHnOrU6RyngzYhKmkQET~QHT~SKDpgycSlQAM3JSAIHDC9CC75z92Ndc9PlR0hedY0gi~dGPDlwsIBgXzo5LlaxYnfFLDmdTPJx69J5rYmbS5M~8MJOmx9e9QGo8BvMNEe1wa~aFkBNtfNbVku6sQcRxQDOkzYiwiIGCm9mZUajH1OQm~qZuVxhY8yWr5UHOlg~O24yafXJcrZ1~mZmcTN35HlbbUWW9DxuxX3mCvL7J1GdSf5qxqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Planning Commission voted to grant zoning relief for two adjacent downtown properties — 236 North Second Street and 234 North Second Street — allowing a nightclub or dance‑hall use to be reestablished at both addresses while imposing conditions intended to protect nearby residents.

Planning staff described both applications as after‑the‑fact requests to reestablish a nightclub/dance‑hall use. Staff said the properties had historically hosted live‑music and entertainment businesses but that accounting of amusement‑tax records indicated a lapse in paid amusement taxes at both sites between about 2014 and 2023, which the bureau treated as evidence the night‑use had been abandoned and therefore requires zoning relief to be reestablished. Staff recommended approval for both properties with conditions including (1) a community engagement session with residents within 500 feet prior to zoning hearing board review, and (2) documentation of planned soundproofing measures. For 234 North Second Street staff added a third condition: removal of a permanent fence enclosing an outdoor seating area that constricts sidewalk width.

Applicants and their counsel told the commission that they had already initiated much of the required work. Attorney Eric Hume represented the applicants; owner/operator Justin Browning and partner Craig Dunkel described outreach to neighbors and initial sound tests. Acoustical engineer Justin Hershey presented testing results, saying the team produced sound levels up to about 103 decibels inside the venue that were not transmitted to the neighboring building during tests, and outlined a package of absorptive treatments intended to cut energy transmission and limit band volumes. Hershey said the proposed interior and temporary exterior acoustic treatments and limits on band levels would substantially reduce sound transmission to adjacent properties.

Neighbors and downtown residents largely spoke in favor of the applications. Multiple neighbors — including Ed Jaroch and Frederick Hunzicker — said they support the applicant’s downtown investments and urged commission approval; some residents asked that the city reinstate patrols on Second Street and requested ongoing police cooperation. One neighbor noted prior years of disturbance on the corridor but said the current operator’s security practices and outreach had been satisfactory.

Commissioners discussed the planning bureau’s writeup and flagged two recurring issues: whether financial hardship or HARB comments were used in the applicants’ materials to justify relief, and how future applicants might reference precedent. Planning staff said the bureau had not used HARB as a justification for variances and agreed that economic hardship is a limited legal basis for relief. Commissioners requested that the commission’s approval make clear it was not accepting HARB or financial hardship as controlling grounds for variance approval.

Both variance requests were approved with the stated conditions. The approvals allow reestablishment of live‑music/nightclub uses at 236 and 234 North Second Street provided the applicants host neighborhood engagement sessions, submit soundproofing documentation before the zoning hearing board meeting, and (for 234) remove the permanent fence enclosing outdoor seating. Applicants said they have already started outreach and testing and will provide documentation to staff.","The commission approved after‑the‑fact variance requests to reestablish nightclub/dance‑hall uses at two adjacent properties on North Second Street, subject to required neighborhood outreach, soundproofing documentation and removal of a permanently anchored sidewalk fence at one site.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615762,"Planning commission approves redevelopment plan for Commonwealth Charter Academy at 555 S. 20th Street",157,414000,571000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578&start=414&end=571","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2858800-68db6eb001c68a73adca8c3165c5b578/thumbnail_414000.jpg","/articles/6615762/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Planning-commission-approves-redevelopment-plan-for-Commonwealth-Charter-Academy-at-555-S-20th-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615762-7b9f63e66b1ec23c88445eed32501582/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197390&Signature=oI05Na-djdV9YZvLCX6Ey3iJlHqGp66LQrc7MhphgQYcZE1AQjAws3OYQUKzrUYHv3NNo8TcHt-uEucGeQFxGMxMcpXd58W-L3x4tL-ZWI~glZ17vyUv0bwKLuHriF9A5KTCtII7eWw0ParINoTHsq86qhbCsFAluYrRQUCspfhkJz9ddzB6gfoA67LHbC21JNhUaFWX1wWtut5ppiI0ZcV72LIMk0Pa2vZjLbS7Txae~HVLRZ4CE3fIWhNVeMXatCpqf-Q8UHPupL~iIa9JZluczToz3oU2PEQLD0Ib2zayKWMD3oQu0~e3CxFRs23Gq52~o92Sw7NhIvGnk4TInQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Harrisburg Planning Commission voted to approve a preliminary/final land development plan to redevelop the Commonwealth Charter Academy property at 555 South 20 Fifth Street, after staff said the applicants addressed prior outstanding items and conducted community outreach.

Planning staff told commissioners the bureau initially recommended a continuance at the previous meeting but met with the applicants and the city engineer to resolve outstanding issues. Staff said the use is being treated as a school, that off-street parking requirements will carry over from the prior religious-school use, and that the number of employees on site does not trigger a traffic-impact study. Staff also said the applicants revised the site plan to relocate the entrance driveway across from Berry Hill Street, creating a four‑way intersection that clarified vehicle and pedestrian turning movements, and added a sidewalk along the South 20 Fifth Street frontage and a pedestrian walkway into the building.

Applicants described their community outreach. Mayork Patel, owner’s representative for Commonwealth Charter Academy, said the team went door-to-door to properties contiguous to the school, speaking with roughly 20 of about 30 homes and collecting a petition of support. Engineer Matt Plant and architect Bill Serra told the commission they had reworked the plan to comply with planning bureau and city engineer comments, and confirmed changes including reduced fence heights to six feet and the relocated driveway.

Commissioners asked for a written case report that reflects the revisions so the city council record is clear that previously recommended conditions were incorporated into the revised design. After brief discussion there were no substantive policy objections. A motion to approve the application carried with recorded support and one abstention.

The approved plan authorizes demolition of a portion of the existing school building, expansion of the building footprint, and associated site and access improvements as shown in the revised submission. Planning staff said no traffic-impact study was required based on the projected staff and program size.

The commission’s action moves the project to city council for final approvals and any required administrative permits. Applicants and staff said they will provide the updated case report and documentation of the outreach for the council packet.","The Planning Commission recommended approval of a redevelopment plan to demolish part of the existing Commonwealth Charter Academy building and expand the school footprint at 555 South 20 Fifth Street after applicants revised the site layout, relocated the driveway and completed community outreach.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission rezones Polyclinic campus parcels to Commercial Neighborhood, approves subdivision to enable redevelopment

Commission approves special exception and land‑development plan for nine‑unit affordable building at Marcus Street site

Zoning variances approved for nightclub/dance‑hall uses at 234 and 236 N. Second St.; noise and neighborhood protections required

Planning commission approves redevelopment plan for Commonwealth Charter Academy at 555 S. 20th Street