Arc Safety president outlines priorities and costs to address Tanner’s Run flooding

Bill Specht, president of Arc Safety, told the Dauphin County Planning Commission on July 7 that repeated flooding along Tanner’s Run has worsened in the last year and urged regional coordination and funding to repair the channel and related stormwater infrastructure.

Specht presented a PowerPoint with photos and an engineer’s priority list. “I’m gonna do my best today to bring you all up to speed on Tanner’s run so you’re able to make really good, sound, sharp decisions,” he said.

Specht traced multiple causes he said were visible in site photos: a homeowner in the township who enclosed and piped part of the run and straight‑piped stormwater away from an intended retention basin; stormwater from a recently built school that does not appear to be entering several newly installed inlets; and a collapsed pipe behind an apartment building that has allowed water to erode foundations and asphalt.

Why it matters: Commission members said the problem affects borough and township streets, park ballfields, private properties and at least one commercial building. Specht said engineers prioritized a bypass around the collapsed pipe near the apartment building as the highest‑priority repair, with a cost estimate the presentation listed at roughly $412,000. Other line items included rebuilding a detention basin estimated at $51,000 (not including land acquisition) and curb/inlet and repaving work estimated in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Specht described problems with the school’s underground detention system that could be a design or installation issue: he showed photos and said the contractor used a compaction technique that may have made the infiltration system less porous. He noted the school district has hired an engineering firm to verify elevations and as‑built installation.

Speakers and next steps

Jerry (planning staff member) and other county staff said the planning office can help bundle this and similar flood projects through the county’s regional assistance (“rep”) program and pursue grants. “It’s coming down to finding the funding,” Jerry said.

Commission members urged practical, lower‑cost actions in the near term. Don Kirschner, a commission member, recommended testing a regrading solution at Seal Park: “I would go to Seal Park and just start there,” he said, noting recontouring a former floodplain can sometimes reduce peak flows without major construction.

Specht said a short‑term, lower‑cost intervention is also possible: borough crews obtained contractor quotes of about $9,000 and $35,000 to open and clear the collapsed pipe section behind the apartment building to stop ongoing erosion while pursuing the larger bypass project. He said he planned to present the material to Upper Paxton Township on July 8 and to contact state legislative offices about funding.

Costs, priorities and responsibilities

Key cost items Specht cited from the engineer’s prioritized list (figures as presented): - $51,000 to recreate a former retention basin (did not include land acquisition cost listed as not included); - about $272,000 (with a 20% escalator included in the firm estimate) for curb/inlet improvements on North Street extension and related repaving (listed as a second priority in the presentation); - roughly $412,000 to reroute Tanner’s Run and bypass a collapsed culvert and damaged area near the apartment building (listed as the top priority in the presentation); - two contractor quotes — approximately $9,000 and $35,000 — to excavate and open the collapsed pipe as an interim step.

Specht stressed the problem crosses municipal boundaries and said he would push for coordinated grant applications and multi‑jurisdictional sponsorship. County planning staff said the rep program can bundle several flood projects for bidding and grant packaging but that participation has costs and requires deliberation by the board of commissioners.

What was not decided

No policy or funding decision was made at the meeting. The commission recorded the presentation and staff said they would discuss next steps with county commissioners and follow up on grant options. Specht and county staff said additional engineering and easement negotiations may be required before construction.

Ending

Specht said he would present the same materials to Upper Paxton Township the following night and that he planned to contact state legislators for potential funding help. County staff and commissioners said they would consider arranging an executive session or further briefing to evaluate grant strategies and formal county involvement.