HARRISBURG-LANCASTER-LEBANON-YORK | South Central, PA | Regional Development Thread

[EastSideHBG]

Residents weigh Walnut Street plans

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News

Most of the 75 people attending the Walnut Street Corridor Redevelopment Planning Study meeting last night agreed that heavy traffic plagues the nine-mile stretch of roadway from the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg to the West Hanover Twp. line.

They had more trouble agreeing on how to manage up to 36,000 vehicles on the corridor daily while also enhancing the corridor's economy and looks.

"Walnut Street needs to be wider," Mary Weaver of Penbrook said. "But you can't push the buildings back. There's no wiggle room."

The Walnut Street Corridor, known for its bumper to bumper rush-hour traffic, includes State Street in Harrisburg, Walnut Street in Penbrook and Susquehanna Twp. and Jonestown Road and Allentown Boulevard in Lower Paxton Twp.

Engineers and planners from McCormick Taylor and Herbert, Rowland & Grubic shared their visions of the corridor during a two-hour meeting featuring maps, drawings and lively interaction between planners and public.

The concepts call for major changes in Penbrook, with concepts I, III and IV giving the borough a "Main Street USA" look with more parking and better sidewalks, and Concept II making Walnut Street two lanes eastbound and one westbound and making Herr Street two lanes westbound and one lane eastbound.

Each concept calls for more subtle changes along State Street in Harrisburg, development of vacant sites and creation of restaurants and businesses on first floors with residences above. They call for more businesses and trees along the portions of the corridor in Susquehanna and Lower Paxton townships. Some concepts call for dedicated bus lanes and bike lanes.

Engineer Chris Bauer of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic said that intersections at Herr and Cameron streets, Walnut and Canby streets and Walnut Street and Progress Avenue "need work."

Don Adams, who owns Abide With Me Bed and Breakfast at Walnut and Canby streets, said Penbrook needs to decrease the amount and speed of traffic on Walnut Street to build up business.

"You can't put a highway through a small town," Suzanne Grubic of Lower Paxton Twp. said. "I understand what they want to do, but the area is too congested."

Barbara D'Augostine of Lower Paxton Twp. said Penbrook needs a parking garage while Lower Paxton Twp. needs to curb development because "the big retailers are pushing the small guy out."

Penbrook Mayor Richard Stottlemyer said his borough needs "more business, more parking and more management of its traffic."

Laurie Behney of Penbrook suggested moveable concrete dividers along Walnut Street in Penbrook "so there are two lanes heading to Harrisburg in the morning, then two lanes heading out in the evening."

To William Oakland of Lower Paxton Twp., most of the concepts are "think tank dreams to give Penbrook a village look. The corridor has no character. It's drab, but the idea should be to make it practical, not pretty. The point should be to move traffic."

Those at the meeting filled out a survey to indicate their favorite concept and to make comments. The planners will assess the results of those surveys and prepare a plan based on the preferred one.