Harrisburg committees move SRTA operations, maintenance facility and transfer center plans toward council vote

City of Harrisburg administration and planning officials told the administration and community and economic development committees on Feb. 20 that an intergovernmental cooperation agreement and a lot consolidation/land‑development plan would clear the way for the Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority to build a new Capital Region operations and maintenance facility and an accompanying transfer center near Cameron Street.

The planning director, Jeffrey Knight, and Stantec site civil engineer Bill Schnoor reviewed the project’s scope and conditions. Knight said the work will consolidate roughly 14 parcels into a single development parcel, vacate portions of several public rights of way, replace deteriorated buildings, and include a transfer center located between the new facility and Cameron Street. “The facility is going to be all new construction,” Knight said, and the plan also calls for sidewalks or a planting strip along Cameron Street and coordination with FEMA on floodplain compliance.

The planning commission recommended approval with conditions. Those include: securing street‑vacation approvals for portions of Forrester Street, Goodwill Drive and North 12th Street before recording a lot consolidation; obtaining a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) from FEMA and floodplain administrator approval for new construction; and continued coordination on a long‑range transfer center location that better serves the Harrisburg Transportation Center and the city’s comprehensive plan. Schnoor confirmed Stantec and the project team are working with FEMA; the LOMR is in the public comment period and will take several months before it becomes effective.

Officials said the project will reduce impervious cover compared with existing conditions and separate stormwater from the combined sewer system in the project area, a change that the project team said will prevent a combined‑sewer overflow from discharging into Paxton Creek at the Cameron/Goodwill intersection. Knight and the applicants also noted the project will replace large expanses of impervious surface with vegetation and modernize transit and maintenance operations.

Council members asked logistical and community impact questions. Councilmembers sought clarification that none of the proposed construction will encroach on the adjacent Harrisburg Cemetery property line; Knight said no structures are proposed on cemetery property and site work is planned inside the project parcel. Council members also asked about demolition methods, property acquisition for previously removed buildings, and whether the transfer center will ultimately be relocated closer to the train station; Knight said the transfer center move from Market Square to the Cameron Street site is part of the project, and long‑term coordination will continue to find a location that improves connections with the Harrisburg Transportation Center.

With questions answered, committee chairs moved to place Resolution 57 (intergovernmental cooperation agreement) and Resolution 59 (preliminary/final lot consolidation and land‑development plan) on the council’s next legislative session agenda for formal action.

The committees recorded no final legislative votes at the work session; both items were forwarded to the legislative agenda for a formal vote at a later meeting.