Zoning board formalizes long‑standing two‑unit use at 3126 N. Second St.; variances granted

The City of Harrisburg Zoning Hearing Board approved application 26‑14 on Sept. 15, 2025, allowing the formal recognition of a two‑unit multifamily dwelling at 3126 North Second Street and granting a dimensional variance from a 2,500‑square‑foot threshold in the special‑exception criteria.

Property owners Sharon Updike and Marco Munoz sought formal zoning relief to recognize two units that, they and several longtime neighbors said, had been used as separate dwellings for decades. The planning bureau and the planning commission recommended approval with conditions requiring comprehensive building‑code inspections and regular rental inspections once the second unit is formalized.

Attorney Phil Petrina presented the case for the owners and called owner Sharon Updike to describe the property, its layout and its history. Updike testified the structure is a detached Cape Cod–style building with two exterior doors, separate electric meters, and separate internal living spaces: a first‑floor unit with living room, kitchen, full bath and bedrooms, and a second‑floor unit with a similar footprint, kitchen, full bath, bedroom and rooftop patio accessed by a fire escape. Petrina said the owners purchased the property in December 2024 believing it to be a two‑unit property and that they have since undertaken interior and exterior rehabilitation.

Planning director Jeffrey Knight told the board that available city records did not conclusively show formal permitting or a rental inspection history for two units, and he described the application as a formalization of a preexisting condition. Knight also reviewed the planning commission’s rationale: the subject lot is large relative to structure size, the site includes a garage and driveway that provide required parking, and letters of support from nearby residents indicated the conversion would not harm the surrounding neighborhood.

Neighbors who live on the block testified in favor of the application. Longtime residents said the property had been used as a two‑family for decades. Dan Lepo, a resident of North Second Street, told the board he had lived on the block for 31 years and that the structure “has been a 2 family” during his time there. Adjacent neighbor Sherry Feazer, who said she has lived next door for 42 years, told the board she had observed substantial rehabilitation by the current owners and that the work has been a positive change for the block.

The board moved to approve the special exception and the requested variance, adopting the planning commission’s recommended conditions: codes bureau comprehensive inspection to identify any building‑code issues and approval of necessary city permits before a certificate of occupancy for the second unit; and ongoing rental inspections as determined by the codes bureau.

The planning director noted the planning commission’s finding that the property differs from many other conversion cases — it is a detached structure on a large lot, with on‑site parking and long‑standing community acceptance — and that the applicants had not proposed structural changes that would increase density beyond what has reportedly existed historically. The board’s approval formalizes the use for zoning purposes; the planning and codes conditions are required before the second unit may be occupied as lawful rental housing.

The board said a written decision will follow within 45 days.