Harrisburg City Zoning Hearing Board Meeting - October 21st, 2024

I share my left our

solicitor Connors okay with me

uhor Jeffrey Knight planning and you're

going to kill me because I always get CH

the last name

WR ceron she represents Harrisburg uh

solicitors um BL we have courtt repor

present and for the reason for this is

that this is a formal meeting okay

similar to a uht a hearing from common

Poli Court

their policy rules okay uh formal they

court reporter makes a transcript in the

event that there's an appeal to Court of

Common pleasing

decision again we act like a court of

law our decisions are must be based off

of fact and law not popularity or

unpopularity of a project and what seems

to be good or bad project in other words

applicant must meet a burden of proof

that proves the the elements of the

variance or special exceptions the law

that we reference is the city's zoning

codes and Pa municipalities planning

code um and we have people in the

audience who are going to speak and they

will be sworn in and they will be able

to step up and speak and I apologize for

the

interruption okay okay I we speak one at

a time um continuing cases well those

cases where applicant is already

propest went rep meeting think we have

one that's been request to

continuance everyone is okay and let's

uh let's just you know announce it

announce that it was uh continued which

is

25 uh

88 and

um that was one with the they just had

to go back the applicant just had to go

back to the Planning Commission I think

that they requested

uh some information to to then go so

they'll go to the Planning Commission uh

in November and then our meeting uh uh

which will be November 18th and I marked

as A2 and it's Justin Hershey's uh um

email um requesting the continuance

which uh this board I assume will grant

that continuance request uh to the

November meeting

[Music]

reest will be

Deni okay so you'll do this request

first the 2588 continuance

request right so that will be granted

make a motion and then Mr make a motion

okay so I'll make a motion to continue

case 20

588 yep to the

November uh board zoning board meeting

second moving properly second uh

questions all in favor I I so that case

will be moved to the next month's

meeting so the second case I'll have

read it in record okay that's

application

2589 and um so that is uh 1103 South

Front Street request for variance and a

special exception I'll read in the

exhibits and then we can go from there

so it is uh B1 proof of publication

which was in the October 6 October 13

Patriot news uh B2 is the uh letter

letter sent from the planning director

to applicant notifying uh of tonight's

hearing B3 is the hearing notice that's

posted on the uh property which was on

September 27

2024 B4 applicants notification letters

to the required neighbors B5 is the uh

application for the zoning relief with

photos of the exterior of the property

and the plans for the proposal B6 is a

deed to the property establishing

applicant uh SL owner uh their standing

to pursue the zoning relief B7 is the

planning Bureau case report and B8 is

the city of Harris Planning Commission

resolution so we have B1 through

B8 right

hand I

do any might want to yes

I um so for case number

2589 the applicant is proposing to

construct a permanent Housing

Development for homeless individuals

featuring 32 individual tiny homes which

includes bathroom facilities a community

center and Associate site and access

improvements the project requires zoning

hearing board approval of a special

exception for a use not specifically

prohibited in the zoning code per

section

7-33 uh1b of the zoning code and of a

variance application for building

shorter than the 36 foot minimum height

outlined in section 7- 3073 a of the

zoning code um so the zoning hearing

board um should be relatively familiar

with this property uh by now and uh kind

of the development proposal uh being put

forward by the applicants uh because it

is similar to that of um the two other

developments that have received Z her

and board approval down there the uh

recently completed vpa Village at the

southern end of the property um and uh

the 2B constructed uh tunnels to Towers

project project uh this is a bit more

similar to the um VOA facility in that

they have kind of tiny homes uh um a

campus of tiny homes with a uh Community

Center there where staff and volunteers

will uh meet be able to provide services

to Residents um however it has uh a bit

more um um intensity with respect to the

individual units because they're full

units with kitchenet and bathrooms uh

which is similar to the tunnels of the

towers project to the north uh the V

facility uh did not have like full

bathroom facilities and uh and kitchen

facilities so this is kind of um in

between both of those projects and um as

such uh our the planning bureaus um

approach to the project has been similar

to our approach to the other projects uh

as has uh the uh planning commissions um

so uh largely generally speaking um the

uh plan Bureau and Planning Commission

have been supportive of The Proposal uh

the proposed use the uh type of

development footprint that the

applicants are proposing um but there

are a few recommendations uh that or

sorry a few uh conditions uh that the

Planning Commission uh has uh attached

to their approval uh the first being if

granted zoning approval to move forward

with the project as proposed the

applicant shall submit a land

development plan for approval from the

Planning Commission and city council uh

the applicant should ensure that the

tiny homes will be 8 a compliant uh to

ensure that they are able to accommodate

as many of as much of the population as

possible uh the applicant should

coordinate with the capital are green

build Association and t2t the tunnel to

Towers projects Representatives uh

regarding the retention of the green Bel

across the property this will retain a

recreational amenity for the community

at large and will provide a walking

biking route for residents to connect to

the surrounding community and the city

overall um as the applicant notes many

will not own vehicles uh based on the

proposed site design the planning Bureau

notes that this site can accommodate the

green belt in the northeastern corner of

the property connecting the existing

bridge over the railroad tracks to a

future alignment to the north uh the

planning Bureau recommends that the

applicant all the required bike parking

near the main entrance to the of the

community center and that it be

sheltered for the benefit of staff and

volunteers uh residents of the tiny

homes can store their bikes and their

units and I believe at the Planning

Commission meeting the applicants had um

indicated that that would be uh

something that they would be uh

amendable to uh and then finally the

planning Bureau recommends that the

applicant coordinate with the city arur

regarding required landscaping and trees

on site and consider installing native

plants and pollinator plants in

landscaped areas throughout the site

generally and more specifically around

the proposed storm water detention

basins Planning Commission recommends

that the zoning her board approve the

request for the following reasons the

proposed project will meet a critical

need housing for homeless individuals

will provide units with full bathroom

and kitchen facilities that improve

their standard of living and will

further development of a housing

typology that has been proposed and

completed for other sites in the

immediate area uh project represents a

continuation of recent development

projects in this area intended to

provide accommodations and services for

those experiencing homelessness and

finally if the recommended conditions of

approval are adopted the proposed

project will resolve improvements to the

site that will provide benefits to the

greater Public Welfare including

formalized access for greenbo users in

tra improved trail conditions and

maintenance of existing natural and

ecological

buffers thank

you um the applicants I need to ra

where you went and your name and address

and who you're representing okay so

right

hand okay you SAR the information you're

to provide tonight is truth and hold

truth thank you swor in and announce

your name wend Hoover 1500 Smokehouse

Lane Harrisburg PA

17110 thank you Josh widler U we the

civil engineer representing Edenville

Villages BL companies 3501

Marketplace so present your project

thank you sure I I take you're familiar

with theen Village concept we're one

difference some from vpa we're a

permanently affordable housing project

so individuals will be able to live

there as long as they want pay a small a

very affordable rent on a monthly basis

and uh ours is geared towards single

individuals um which are currently

experiencing

homelessness um one quick update that I

want to give on the Green Belt

specifically um and I've been told that

they've come to an agreement the green

belt and all the other parties that

they're going to reroute on Sycamore

Street now the exact specifics I don't

think are are detailed um but I think

the cap the green belts uh Engineers are

working on the exact plan how we get to

that

similar to the t t people Happ to Route

Around on syore Street yeah and I'm I'm

not familiar with what the proposed

route would be uh necessarily um and if

there is something where they're able to

maintain the connection uh in a way that

you know is safe for the public uh for

the longterm future we would be okay

with um you know waving uh the condition

in the playing bu would I don't want to

speak for the plan commission uh waving

the condition relative to the green belt

um but until there's I guess like a

final formal thing it's kind of a little

bit of a gray

area yeah if if I can speak to that so

um again we are we are comfortable with

the condition of working with the green

belt on this um and you know I don't

think it's full obviously not fully

finalized right the path but certainly

working with the green Bel or something

have to consider

okay any

else I think so I mean everything else

on the list has been we're fully on

board with and and willing to move

forward um we need to raise some some

funds uh before we get to actually doing

anything but

um we're in that process now

okay so okay got a few questions okay

so that's South Front Street I'm looking

at the Little Creek that's FR behind it

has any thought been given to flood any

flooding

conditions uh yes so the project site

overall is within the 100-year flood

plane so the entire um proposed

development is outside of that 100-year

flood plane uh there may be portions

that are in the 500e flood plane but we

will be outside of the base flood plane

okay Mr Knight they do they they've done

a land usage plan too that's uh I

believe it'll be subsequent to the

board's decision on this yes okay good

okay and say you out the crw or

something for water runoff and

everything else that'll be part of that

plan um you said the single is this

going to be single residence you know

something that's

affordable I was going to ask what you

what's your idea of affordability but is

whatever somebody can pay or

3 okay good and these are fully

miniature units

okay

comp and this is all single residences

this is not for families that's correct

okay I do believe one of the

exhibits question

they covered that pretty

good will they be allowed to have a park

have uh cars for people live there so

okay so you all have

parking is it though I mean they they

may have cars you don't expect most of

them though right because due to their

condition right yeah okay right and uh

Mr Knight right it

was kind of figuring out what the

similar uses with the parking and it was

you know what is it like 20 spaces that

it it's more it it's kind of more it was

like 15 for the one and I guess it was

maybe the multif family would be more

but kind of balancing them out and due

to the you know the U condition of you

know who they are moving in that that

was sufficient and and I do think it's

the requirement to be much closer to a

Supportive Housing facility use then a

multif family dwelling because I think

you know the multif family dwelling is

you're within a community you have

people come in to visit you a lot like I

I think that'll probably be reduced the

types of trips and stuff like that from

other people how's security going to be

around this around this facility will

you have uh cameras on on site security

and you said something your your your

funding sources phfa is it is this going

to be Federal funding State funding or

help with the construction we're open

all

sources we not going to

take okay never turn a nickel down okay

well that's

um you have any questions for no

probably goe Mr Hobs I just had a

question so you mentioned that there was

the rate of

$350 um per month is that correct yeah

so um I guess is the thought that that

price is stable at least for the

foreseeable future or is that

potentially going to

increase soon after

development so probably at least for a

few years I would assume okay off a

model it's done nationally this isn't

the first one so they've done a similar

amount and it's worked out pretty well

so yeah we're not looking to increase it

got you all right thank you I one final

question uh the vetting of residents

okay and I know they they're guess it's

supposed to be for homeless people who

are basically trying to fit their feet

get back on their feet what's going to

be your process for vetting the people

who are going to be applying for these

we have enough

okay thank you let's turn US Open for

anybody in the audience to my right who

would like to speak on the

project Center

you want to

speak

yes your name and

address my name is James

Arthur I live at street

harris9 I'm an Bic and I ride my bicycle

all over Dolphin County and I looking

out for the safety of not only myself

but also my colleagues and friends and

Associates who also ride bicycles um and

what what I would like to say is just I

applaud the entities for collaborating

and

cooperating to work toward a reasonable

agreement for routing the green belt

that will will be both safe and promote

Community

orientation so I want to thank you for

your efforts and of

course I am looking towards

continuing

that cooperation and routing U Trail so

that we'll be able to ride safely

without R so thank you very much and I

appreciate all your efforts keep up the

great work thank you thank you for your

comments

Casper on the left hand side so want

take a quick break are you

ready okay so I'd like to U make a

motion that board accepts the planning

bureau's uh Report with the exceptions

so noted

you right you make a motion to approve

application 2589 yes right with the

conditions stated in the Planning

Commission resolution you better corre

yes sir good okay thank you that's the

motion that's the motion so moved

seconded okay

questions okay for the vote all in favor

I okay pass thank you thank you

adding with that um

another cases so I like PA motion to

basically a

journ

second thank you

guys thank

you Pa now said n we got a big problem

you got to get

Down's there's a fist figh these guys

are just won't give saying no

reclaim that whole area the old

extension

sh yeah the only concern I have is it

does who's the police guy on duty

[Laughter]

right

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