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

[EastSideHBG]

I am kind of sad to see Derry twp. denied the variance request for that entertainment complex...I thought it would be a neat addition to the area....


Hersheypark plans land in rough water

Derry planners reject proposal to add 7 water attractions for 2007 season

Wednesday, October 05, 2005
BY MEGAN WALDE
Of The Patriot-News

Hersheypark designers' preparations for the complex's 100th anniversary in 2007, featuring the addition of several water-related attractions, could be off course before they begin.

The Derry Twp. Planning Commission recommended last night that township supervisors reject the "Hersheypark Attraction 2007" development plan submitted by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co.

The plan and company officials offered few details, but the proposal includes a water-play device, three pools, a waterslide, a water playground and a fountain.

The attractions would be clustered in the Midway America section of the park just west of Park Avenue and the Lightning Racer dueling roller coaster. The attractions would replace the Frog Hopper and one other ride, said project engineer Tim Przybylowski.

Planning commissioners said they could not endorse the plan because they have concerns about stormwater management. Company and township engineers disagreed on how to demonstrate how water would be contained and released. Planning board members said they wanted the engineers' confidence.

"Especially because I think we're looking at a potential waterpark as opposed to regular rides," commission member James Zugay said.

Township supervisors can approve or reject the development plan without the planning commission's blessing.

Company officials said tabling the plan wasn't an option, because that would delay the start of an already tight construction schedule.

Hersheypark's plans come two weeks after the South Hanover Twp. zoning board denied a variance that would have allowed an entertainment complex, including an indoor water park, to be developed off Route 39 just north of Derry Twp.

The developers proposed a three-phase project, beginning with a kids-oriented restaurant called Jungle Joey's and later adding the water park and a five-story hotel.

Additions to Hersheypark are held close to the corporate vest because of the competitive nature of the theme park business. Garrett Gallia, a Hershey Entertainment spokesman, said yesterday that the company was not ready to release details about the plans.

The company generally follows a pattern of introducing a major attraction every two years -- the Great Bear coaster in 1998, Lightning Racer in 2000, Roller Soaker in 2002 and the hydraulic-powered Storm Runner last year.

The park is nearly filled to the fences, and designers either remove rides to make room for new ones or they build rides around existing ones.

Last year, the company removed the Giant Wheel and planned to replace it with the park's 11th coaster, Turbulence. The deal fell through in December when the builder, Interactive Rides Inc., increased the estimated cost by more than $1 million and cut one car from the design, blaming the higher cost of steel. Hershey Entertainment is suing Interactive.

The company put two old rides -- Balloon Flite and Starship America -- into the Giant Wheel's footprint, then refurbished Carrousel Circle in a 1920s-'30s architectural theme. The area, renamed Founder's Circle, honors chocolate magnate Milton S. Hershey, who opened the park in 1907.

"For the next five to 10 years, I'm very comfortable working within the existing footprints," Scott Newkam, CEO of Hershey Entertainment, said in a spring interview with The Patriot-News.

Company and township officials have said they want Hershey to be a family destination, not a thrill-seeker's magnet or a day stop on the way to somewhere else. The park's policy of moderate thrill rides and grouping attractions so families can stay together is part of the plan.

Then there are the recent expansions to Hershey Lodge and The Spa at The Hotel Hershey, the downtown development centered on a renovated Hershey Press Building and adjacent parking garage with plans for a bus station, as well as the Vacation Club timeshare community east of The Outlets at Hershey.

Other parks also are seeking the family market.

Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey announced an expansion last week, including plans for a record-breaking wooden coaster and 10 acres of other rides. A 500-room hotel is planned for 2007. Company officials said the expansion is part of a transformation of the park from regional attraction to family destination.

[EastSideHBG]

Well speak of the devil. GREAT idea and I am sure business will be booming...


HAMPDEN TWP.

Entertainment complex receives 2 key approvals

Thursday, October 06, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

Dad wants to go to a sports bar to watch the game. Mom wants a nice meal at a family friendly restaurant. The kids don't want to go any place if it means turning off the PlayStation.

What is a family to do?

Patrick Myers said he has the answer, or at least he would when his proposed $6 million family entertainment facility opens next year in Hampden Twp.

The Coliseum, as the 33,000-square-foot complex would be known, would combine an upscale casual restaurant, a Maggie Moo's ice cream parlor and a two-level entertainment center with a sports bar, billiards parlor and 12 full-size bowling lanes on the ground floor and about 75 state-of-the-art video games on the upper level. The complex would feature about 40 large, plasma-screen televisions.

"It will be similar to an ESPN Zone or a Dave and Buster's. It will allow the whole family to go to one facility that will offer something for everyone," Myers said Tuesday after gaining two key approvals from the Hampden Twp. commissioners.

The commissioners gave their OK to Myers' plan to transfer a liquor license from Middlesex Twp. to the Coliseum, which would be south and west of Trindle and Saint John's Church roads, between a gas station on the corner and Westy's Beer Distributor. The commissioners also approved plans for access to the site from both roads, though access from Trindle would be limited to right turns in and out.

Myers said he got the idea for the Coliseum after getting married at the age of 38 and starting a family. The sports bars he frequented as a bachelor were incompatible with family life, he said.

"I wanted a place where the whole family can go. I wanted a place where dad can go to watch the game while the kids can play and entertain themselves," Myers said.

Myers and his partner, Jim Geedy, also said they expect the Coliseum to be a popular destination for teenagers and young adults.

An investment manager with Ferris, Baker, Watts in Camp Hill, Myers has no experience in the hospitality industry.

"I was looking for a project. Some guys buy a sports car; I wanted to build something or create something," Myers said.

Myers hopes to break ground this year, with a fall 2006 opening planned.

[wrightchr]

^ very cool project. i was sorry to hear about Derry Twp's decision on the new additions to Hersheypark...maybe they can still work something out with the stormwater system. Spudmrg and Evergrey were right on with Wheelingmans questions. traffic in the area is horrible and it's only getting worse. commuter rail is going to be a great viable option...that is if cumberland county doesn't sqash the deal.

[Wheelingman04]

I have a quick question to those who live in Harrisburg. Does Harrisburg feel like a CSA of 629,000 (2000 census) or does it feel more like a big city or small city?

I have only driven past Harrisburg a few times on my way to Philly or NYC. I will not bypass Harrisburg next time because it seems like a great city. Eventually I plan on visiting every metro area of over 100,000 in all of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania cities are so cool and unique.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by Wheelingman04

I have a quick question to those who live in Harrisburg. Does Harrisburg feel like a CSA of 629,000 (2000 census) or does it feel more like a big city or small city?

I think it depends where you're at. DT HBG feels possibly bigger than 600k... but then if you're in a place like Lykens if feels like you're all alone in the universe.

[wrightchr]

^ lol...very true. i think overall, with the traffic congestion, the size of the media market, and the tourism aspects of the region, it feels much larger. i can definately see Harrisburg and York merging into a CSA by the 2010 census...if not before. Lancaster might not be far behind. the midstate, along with SEPA, are the only regions in the state experiencing positive growth. i don't see that changing anytime soon.

[Wheelingman04]

If they do merge then the Harrisburg CSA will have well over 1 million people. That is pretty darn big.

Southeastern PA and the midstate are the fastest growing areas in Pennsylvania but the extreme northeast part of the state is growing to the east of Scranton in Monroe Country etc., as that is the place many people from the NYC area are now moving because it is way less costly to live there. Also the Erie area has experienced some population growth. Erie County gained over 5,000 people. The State College metro area is growing too.

In Western Pennsylvania several counties surrounding Pittsburgh have grown in population. They include Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland. Obviously though, the areas in southcentral and southeastern PA are growing the fastestsby a longshot.

[wrightchr]

Pay raise question joins urban agenda
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
BY MEGAN WALDE
Of The Patriot-News

It's not easy to upstage Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed on his own turf.

Yet yesterday's Rock the Capital rally against the summer's legislative pay raises did just that. Speaking at the annual Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon, Reed talked about urban renewal, city economic development strategies and the city school system's progress.

Then, he was asked to give his opinion on the legislative raises.

"I believe legislators are entitled, from time to time, a modest increase in pay as needed to keep up with cost of living," he said. "However, both the amount and scale of these recent increases happen to be excessive."

Reed said he thinks it unfair that legislators set their own compensation. He said a reversion to the old system, in which an independent committee adjusted pay based on inflation, might be a better approach. not sure i agree with this...but the pay raise is obviously wrong

"It would at least take the conflict-of-interest portion out of the equation," he said.

Luncheon participants also asked Reed about the possibility of regional government consolidation.

Reed called the abundance of small municipalities working independently to provide residents the same services a "serious impediment to Pennsylvania's economic success."

Merging municipal identities is probably unrealistic, he said.

"But if we began to come together to share duplicated services ... we could create efficiency and reduce costs," he said.

MEGAN WALDE: 255-8454 or mwalde@patriot-news.com

[wrightchr]

Mayor pushes profitable plan for museum
Museum plan a moneymaker, mayor says
Monday, October 10, 2005
BY JOHN LUCIEW
Of The Patriot-News

Harrisburg's City Island long has been associated with recreation, relaxation and fun. But soon it could be a place where people go to work -- as in the 9-to-5 office variety.

That's because Mayor Stephen R. Reed has reshaped his plans for a National Sports Hall of Fame to include at least three floors of prime office space.

Reed told The Patriot-News in May that he hoped to add office space to make the project self-sustaining, and he is now moving forward. While designs have yet to be completed and no cost figures are available, Reed said work on the project could begin next year.

While an earlier version of the hall of fame was rejected by City Council, some members seem to be receptive to the new plan, if the mixed use of offices and museum space can be proved profitable.

The original estimated cost of the hall of fame without office space was $24 million for the 65,000-square-foot facility.

If the idea succeeds, it would be Harrisburg's third city-owned museum, joining the $3.2 million National Fire Museum on North Fourth Street and the $33 million National Civil War Museum in Reservoir Park. It would represent another step toward Reed's vision of opening five museums in the city.

But unlike past museum projects, Reed said the redesigned sports hall of fame, combining rental office space with a museum honoring Pennsylvania's amateur and pro sports heroes, would be a moneymaker.

In addition, the museum would derive revenue from sponsorships, a gift shop, meeting and banquet space, and a restaurant and bar, for which the city has posted a liquor license application on City Island.

Reed described the offices as comprising the top three floors of the six-story museum building, with balconies overlooking Commerce Bank Park, the home of the Harrisburg Senators baseball team.

Reed noted that the office space would be the only one of its kind on the island, offering unique views of the city skyline. He predicted the space would command top rental prices, adding that several firms have expressed interest in more than half of the space.

"You would have the most prime office space in the region," Reed said. "That's not going to be hard to market."

The revenue stream from the office space could allow Reed to use private financing, perhaps a bank loan, to match the $9.5 million the state has committed to the project.

This would allow Reed to finance the deal without a vote by City Council, which must approve bond issues. However, the council would have to approve land development plans for the project.

In 2004, the last time the hall of fame came before the council, members balked at a proposed bond issue to pay for the project, as well as $1 million for operating costs.

Members cited the proliferation of museums and the spotty fiscal track records of the Civil War and fire museums as reasons for turning down the sports hall of fame.

"There's just an inordinate amount of museums going up in Harrisburg," member Susan Brown Wilson said at the time. "And we're assuming the citizens want this."

Contacted last week, two council members said they are reserving judgment on the redesigned museum, indicating the outcome could be different if it's proved the hall of fame could make money.

"I see the potential," said member Otto Banks, who said he's discussed the idea of adding office space to the project. "It could be a win-win."

Vice President Linda Thompson, while favoring neighborhood investment instead of more museums, said she would consider the positive economic impact of further developing City Island.

"The last project wasn't feasible," she said. "It must be a revenue-generating, self-sustaining investment."

Reed said he is still pressing ahead with a fourth museum, the proposed $20 million National Museum of African-American History.

Reed said the city is close to deals to locate the museum on the preferred site at North Third and Verbeke streets, near the Broad Street Market. This would mean securing a deal to purchase the Historic Harrisburg Association building. The city controls the adjacent Furlow building.

To pay for it, Reed said, he will apply for $9 million to $13 million in state money. But he said that application will take a back seat to pending requests to renovate Commerce Bank Park and reclaim a vacant lot in Allison Hill.

A fifth museum, the National Museum of the Old West, for which Reed bought $4.5 million in Western artifacts, remains in limbo.

Reed said he'll abide by the findings of a tourism study, to be completed by year's end.

A public meeting last week seeking input for the tourism study was deemed so successful that Harrisburg's tourism commission is exploring ways to gather more feedback before a master plan is completed in December.

JOHN LUCIEW: 255-8171 or jluciew@patriot-news.com

[wrightchr]

Cumberland gets backing in opposing commuter rail
Monday, October 10, 2005
BY MATT MILLER
Of Our Carlisle Bureau

The fight over the proposed Corridor One commuter rail system has been a battle of wills and philosophies.

Now, it seems numbers might be on the side of the Cumberland County commissioners, who oppose what they see as a premature attempt to bring the rail service into their county.

Governing boards of 29 of the county's 33 municipalities have passed resolutions supporting the commissioners' position. Similar resolutions or letters have been issued by two of Cumberland's chambers of commerce, its three councils of government and several business leaders.

The commissioners' main concern is that there is not enough evidence the proposed Lancaster-to-Harrisburg-to-Mechanicsburg system would attract enough riders to be financially viable.

They repeatedly have called for a multi-year test on the East Shore's Amtrak lines before commuter rail is brought across the Susquehanna River.

To bolster their position, they have sent packets of the resolutions and letters backing their view to state officials, including Gov. Ed Rendell, and to federal officials who will decide on Corridor One funding.

"This is a Cumberland County stance," Commissioner Rick Rovegno said. "We're just saying that we want to explore different options for mass transit, and we're not going to be railroaded."

That stance is causing concerns on the other side of the river, where Dauphin County remains fully behind the project, Commissioner Nick DiFrancesco said.

DiFrancesco said he's at a loss as to why Cumberland's board has made it a priority to stall a project that he says has been thoroughly studied for more than a decade.

"This project is critically important," DiFrancesco said. "There's no downside to doing it. We can only benefit from this."

He called Cumberland's move risky and dangerous, and one that could jeopardize federal funding that's been set aside for the rail line.

The letters and resolutions also have gone to members of the Modern Transit Partnership, which is promoting Corridor One.

They haven't persuaded Gerald Morrison, MTP chairman, to drop the idea of a West Shore spur.

Morrison said the Cumberland commissioners "are making decisions in a vacuum" without getting all the facts. He said he still hopes that "Cumberland County will see the light" and back the full $87 million proposal. cumberland is only county in south central PA not backing the MTP and CorridorOne; however, the county maintains some of the most congestion and stands to gain the most from the project

"I've never seen an elected governmental body do this. They're actually attempting to kill this project," Morrison said.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to change the parameters of the project, he said, because federal funding received for planning and engineering was predicated on Corridor One entering Cumberland.

He said the system would be tested before expanding into Cumberland because the Lancaster-to-Harrisburg branch would be built first and be in service 18 to 24 months before the West Shore extension. Backers want to start service by late 2008.

"We do not believe that a test run will give us any valuable input," DiFrancesco said, noting that much of the congestion is on the West Shore. "It's just imperative that we continue this project moving, and we're very concerned funding could be jeopardized because of what's going on."

Morrison also questioned whether the resolutions and letters reflect the attitudes of Cumberland residents. They might have been adopted mainly to please the county commissioners, he said.

"We're not accepting this at face value," Morrison said.

Cumberland Commission Chairman Bruce Barclay said the backing was sought to counter claims by Morrison and others that the commissioners aren't speaking for their constituents in the Corridor One debate.

Municipal boards that did not adopt the resolutions are those in Lemoyne and Wormleysburg and the townships of North Middleton and South Newton.

"There was information put out that we didn't have the support of the local elected officials and the business community," Barclay said. "Now, people can see we're not just making rash decisions."

Cooke Twp. Supervisor Sam Sangialosi, president of the Western Cumberland Council of Governments, said his group backed the commissioners because "there are too many open questions" regarding the rail plan.

Commissioners "are not beating us on the head on this issue," Sangialosi said.

Edward Messner, president and CEO of the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber sided with the commissioners after meeting with Morrison's group and having its transportation committee study the issue.

"We probably spent as much time on this as we have on anything in the last 25 years," Messner said. "We made our own decision."

Morrison said Cumberland's opposition could be crippling because rail projects across the nation are competing for federal money.

"They are making it difficult for us to be funded," he said. "But we're not quitting. We're not giving up." right on brother...keep sticking to them. wormleysburg and lemoyne boroughs still support the project. i think CorridorOne should enter cumberland and stop on the west shore. thousands will use park and ride facilities there and then maybe after two years or so, they will get the point and seek to further expand it westward. this is really retarded in my book. a 45 mile commuter rail system for 80 million!!! that's unheard of. communities are building similar systems for billions. we have an infrastructure that could help mitigate congestion and it could be stalled due to a few lame brains who would rather continue to drive their SUV's...piss poor

[Spudmrg]

Well, I looked up the basis for the West Shore's arguement....It appears to be (according to the WS Chamber of Commerce):

1. It won't get people off the road
2. Where will the operating money be coming from?

As I've said before, those are my two questions as well. I think some of the opposition comes from the fact that the flagship of Mass Transit in PA is SEPTA, which is always looking for outside support.

The Cumberland County civic leadership appears to be afraid of either/or
1. Having to directly subsidize CorridorOne with property tax monies (or any money at all),
2. Another attempt at putting a "Regional Asset" tax in the midstate, much like Philly and Pittsburgh have a 1 percent sales tax surcharge.

While I personally feel that those fears are overblown, and that the marginal cost per rider is lower than the marginal cost per commuter for new roads, that appears to be the arguement against CorridorOne.

[wrightchr]

^ valid concerns, if your already looking at the this project as a failed system. if no one uses it, then it won't be deemed an appropriate subsidy for tax payer dollars. then commuter rail can be scrapped altogether. in the short term=4-6 years, MTP and CAT can use federal and state transit funds to operate the system. there are assurances that local funds will not be needed in the short term. longevity of commuter rail in south central PA depends primarily upon ridership numbers. it commuter rail is a success...then it won't matter how we pay for it. tax dollars are used to subsidize hundreds of millions of dollars worth of local projects and federal funds kick in even more money towards them. multi-billion dollar highway projects have recieved priority for decades. it's time we try something new...commuter rail is that option.

the West Shore COG's objections to CorridorOne arrised early on. the county commissioners soon followed suit. the whole basis of their concerns is "how to pay for it"...but that question has already been answered, for the short term mind you. what to do in 6 years depends on the success of the system. it's trial and error here folks...not a clear cut issue. you can't force people to use mass transit. that's why it's subsidized by the government in the first place. the real issue here is whether or not the Harrisburg area is ready for such a progressive investment in infrastructure and a push to encourage commuters to use alternative means of transit, like the train/bus system.

personally, i see major economic dividends from CorridorOne. one only has to look at other metro's outside of PA to realize the true benefits of maintaining a diverse transit system. Cumberland remains the only county in the region that won't support CorridorOne. their leverage comes from the central and western portions of the county, where most of the municipalities have very small populations and still maintain rural attributes. some very conservative communities on the west shore are also opposed to the project...because they themselves are strapped for cash due to the fact that development and sprawl has moved further westward. their older populations do not encourage change. however, two communities, Lemoyne and Wormleysburg, have perhaps the most to gain from CorridorOne. along with the rest of the west shore, which is increasingly becoming more urban, CorridorOne would help ease congestion on local arteries and provide emerging minority and lower income families with alternative means of transit.

but then again, one might to look at this project objectively to understand all it's benefits...and look beyond "how do we pay for it" when in reality, it's benefits may just pay for itself.

[Wheelingman04]

I have two quick questions. Are there any convention centers in the Harrisburg area?

What are the politics of Harrisburg and the surrounding area (conservative/moderate/or liberal etc.)?

[wrightchr]

^ to answer your questions:

there are several convention centers throughout the area. the State Farm Show Complex is by far the largest, and one of the largest on the east coast, with over 1million sq ft of exhibition space. it hosts over 250 events every year and is situated right along a proposed extension of the commuter rail system, adjacent to Harrisburg Area Community College's main campus (13,000 students).

the politics of the region are diverse. while most in the region consider themselves part of the conservative powerbase, they are also progressive in many aspects. the city and it's immediate suburbs that are more urban are typically more liberal...the suburban/rural areas that cover most of South Central PA are obviously more conservative. in the case of this project, i would point out that the overwhelming conservative leadership of the region openly supports CorridorOne, which is representative of the sentiment in the region. the only organizations not supporting the project remain on the west shore: Cumberland County, West Shore COG, and Rep. Pat Vance (WS). it's also important to note that Carlisle borough, the only urban municipality in Cumberland Cumberland, is supporting Corridorone.

[Wheelingman04]

I appreciate the information. Harrisburg sure is a well-rounded region. It has about everything for a mid-sized metro area. I definately wouldn't mind living there. It is a very affordable area to live, especially with all of the amentities that you have.

[wrightchr]

^ it's very affordable, compared to the larger east coast metros and pretty much everything west coast lol.

[Wheelingman04]

If I ever got an offer for a teaching job in the Harrisburg area I would probably take it. Otherwise, I plan to live in Pittsburgh. Actually I think it would be fun to live in the Philly area too, but I think that is little to far from home. I will just take vacations there like I do now.

I think Pennsylvania has a good future because I have done countless studies on the cost of living on the East Coast, South and the West Coast and I think as the cost of living continues to increase, especially in the South (where most people are moving), more people will be driven to move to low cost areas like one has in Pennsylvania. The so-called cheap South isn't so cheap anymore because the infrastructure is starting to age and taxes are being raised to support the inhancement and increase in new infrastructure. The high demand for housing is also driving up prices unbelieveably. Many people want to get the most bang for their buck. I mean people in the Boston area, for example, are moving to New Hampshire to live in mobile homes because the median cost of a house is over $418,000 in the Boston area and over $300,000 in southern New Hampshire. It is ridiculous. It is becoming like that in many regions of the country from Massachusetts, to Florida, to California, to Washington State. Pennsylvania is one of America's best and most scenic and urban states, while being just so affordable compared to many areas around the country. The best thing about Pennsylvania is that it not only a cheap place to live but it has one of the top median incomes in the country at over $41,000 a year. Usually, states that have a very affordable cost of living have a very low median income anyway so one is not seeking the benefits of living in that area as much. A person like me, who is a teacher can make very good money while living in a very affordable state like Pennsylvania.

[EastSideHBG]

/\
Yeah after traveling more and more, Wheelingman04, I am finding that you really can't go wrong w/ living in [this part of] PA. If you do get a job in the HBG area I do recommend taking it; you are close to everything and it's a growing area. For a place its size it has an awful lot to offer...

Lots of news while I was in Chicago I see!!! Re: the office space/museum on City Island, I think it's a great idea. With the upgrades to the entrances/exits, the new(er) parking garage, etc., I can definitely see the Island being a real hot spot in its own right.


This is REALLY interesting and I always wondered why CH never had its own Restaurant Row. Now I see that it is coming into its own...


CAMP HILL

Fisaga adds to borough's roster of restaurants

Wednesday, October 12, 2005
BY CHRIS A. COUROGEN
Of The Patriot-News

Move over, Harrisburg. A new restaurant row is beginning to emerge.

Fisaga Cafe, a scaled-down, no-alcohol version of the city's downtown mainstay, has opened on Market Street in Camp Hill. The eatery is the third to open in Camp Hill's downtown in the past 13 months, giving the West Shore borough six dining establishments in the five-block stretch of Market between 17th and 22nd streets.

One difference between the restaurant rows in Camp Hill and Harrisburg: alcohol. Camp Hill is a dry town. Most restaurants in the borough allow patrons to BYOB, though, and the ban on liquor sales has not deterred the growth of the food service business in the borough.

"We think it is a great town. We're excited to be open," said Tony Magaro, Fisaga's owner.

Fisaga Cafe was originally slated to begin serving in January, but its opening was delayed eight months by the borough regulatory process.

Some of the problems were in adapting an existing space to restaurant use.

"We had to change the kitchen around two times. We had to move the hood nine inches after it was already up. The borough is so tough. They are by the book. They don't give any leeway. It takes weeks and weeks and months and months to get things resolved with them," Magaro said.

John Bradley, the acting borough manager, said the private firm Camp Hill uses to inspect building plans does not have the authority to approve plans that are not in compliance with the borough's codes.

Del Zeiders, a codes enforcement officer, said Fisaga's original plans failed to provide adequate handicapped access and called for more than twice the number of seats allowed under borough ordinances, which use a formula based on available parking spaces.

"Any permitting issues they caused for themselves. The plans did not and could not meet code. It was that simple," Zeiders said.

Magaro said he does not want to dwell on the problems. He is too busy focusing on getting the new place off the ground now that it is open.

"We are open. We are happy. We are not holding any grudges," Magaro said.

As a way of introducing the restaurant to the people of Camp Hill, Fisaga will offer borough residents a 10 percent discount if they show proof of residence.

Fisaga's Camp Hill menu features what Magaro called "fun food fare": soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches, pizzas and appetizers. For dinner, chef Nate Lewis, who came from Fisaga's downtown Harrisburg location, also whips up four or five special entrees each night.

"We are testing that out. We might end up going to a regular dinner menu later," Magaro said.

CAMP HILL RESTAURANT ROW

# Nino's Bistro, 1801 Market St.

# Roberto's, 2000 Market St.

# Cornerstone Coffeehouse, 2133 Market St.

# James Cafe, 2138 Market St.

# Fisaga Cafe, 2153 Market St.

# 2201 in the Boro, 2201 Market St.

[wrightchr]

^ very nice...i know CH is trying to improve it's DT with the addition of historic walkways and new lighting. the one thing they really need to improve is parking. you can only park on one of Market Street, which limits growth.

here's another interesting article on development in CH:

Opening day
Oodles of shoppers flock to Giant's innovative Camp Hill supermarket
Thursday, October 13, 2005
BY TOM DOCHAT
Of The Patriot-News

At 11:50 a.m. yesterday, the new Giant supermarket opened at the Camp Hill Shopping Center to the sounds of a Mummers band.

Ten minutes later, there was gridlock in the parking lot.

By 12:10 p.m., in many parts of the 91,000-square-foot store, it was wall-to-wall humanity.

"I can't wait until it empties out so I can see it," said Rose Hricisak of Mechanicsburg.

Company officials expected 6,000 shoppers on the first day, and perhaps as many as 10,000, said Carl Schlicker, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Carlisle-based Giant Food Stores LLC.

Some people had to park at the Boscov's end of the shopping center, he said, even with 360 parking spaces in front of the supermarket.

Shoppers weren't complaining too much about the parking. Instead, they were caught up in the various features of the store.

"I think it's overwhelming" said Martin Finkelstein of Lower Paxton Twp. "This is what the big cities look like. This is the first store in Harrisburg that looks like supermarkets in St. Louis that's very famous for supermarkets."

Sandy Boyland of Camp Hill said, "This is like something you'll find in Philadelphia, like in a metropolitan area."

The store has a child-care center, a Wi-Fi Internet cafe and marketplace for eat-in and take-out foods, a chef and a cooking school.

After his pre-opening tour, Jeff Metzger, publisher of Food Trade News, said the store is one of the top five supermarkets he has visited.

"It's a combination of high-level service, aggressive technology and the feel of a grocery store," Metzger said. "What I like about it, it's a comfortable shop. There's technology and there's high-end service departments, but there's also the flow and the comfort of a normal shopping experience. And that's tough to translate."

The store, by far Giant's largest, opened as plans are reviewed for a new Silver Spring Twp. shopping center that is expected to house the first Wegmans supermarket in the Harrisburg area.

Metzger said Wegmans is "just a different experience" from the Camp Hill Giant store. Wegmans, which recently opened a 140,000-square-foot supermarket in Hunt Valley, Md., is "more of a theater of food," he said.

The Giant store, he noted, is "still primarily a grocery store that has been upgraded and expanded."

Shoppers were taking advantage of some of the upgrades yesterday.

Mary Jo Beller of Mechanicsburg left her 31/2-year-old daughter at The Tree House child-care center so she could do her shopping.

"It's a wonderful, much-needed service in this area," Beller said. The play area, at the front of the store, is "very nice" and "very kid friendly," she said.

Kelly Caffrey of Susquehanna Twp. tried out the EasyShop self-scanning technology. She said she had no problem with it. "It's really self-explanatory."

The store replaces a 42,000-square-foot Giant that had been at the Camp Hill Shopping Center since 1996. The older store will be demolished to make way for an LA Fitness center that is expected to open in the second half of 2006.

The Giant store is the major piece of a second phase of renovations at the shopping center, which has been converted from a mall. Cedar Shopping Centers Inc., owner of the shopping center, has added a Staples office-supply store and a Hallmark card shop.

However, Giant shoppers can purchase some Staples and Hallmark products in the supermarket as part of the one-stop convenience Giant promotes. The store has a bank branch, a dry cleaner, one-hour photo service, drive-through pharmacy and a floral department that offers delivery service within a 10-mile radius -- a first for Giant.

TOM DOCHAT: 255-8216 or tdochat@patriot-news.com

[EastSideHBG]

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Yeah I talked to a friend of mine who was at the opening and he said it was PACKED!!! WiFi, organic foods, self checkout as you shop...very interesting how "trendy" and modern this area has become...


2 midstate movie theaters ready to fade to black

Saturday, October 15, 2005
BY LI WANG
Of The Patriot-News

Final credits roll tomorrow for two historic area movie theaters.

Tomorrow marks the last screenings at the Elks Theatre in Middletown, showing "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and Columbia Drive-In in Lancaster County, finishing a triple bill with 1985's "Witness."

In the days of cookie-cutter multiplexes owned by corporations such as Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Inc., both venues are throwbacks to simpler times. They offered lower ticket prices and retro design features such as the Elks' balcony or Columbia's blue-and-white tiled concession stand. Single-screen theaters such as these are getting harder to find.

"I've given up on central Pennsylvania," said Elks Theatre operator Jonathan Crist, who has been unable to draw audiences to what's possibly America's oldest movie house, established in 1911.

Crist said nobody rallied behind the theater when the property, which included Elks Lodge 1092, was put up for sale. After a two-week bidding war in June, the Greater Middletown Economic Development Corp. bought the site for $350,000.

Even if the new owners made plans for the second-run theater to remain operational, Crist said, the Elks has been struggling to fill seats and losing money steadily, forcing him to shut down.

He blamed unenthusiastic residents and film critics (including his famous aunt Judith Crist, commenting that "she didn't like anything unless it was 'King Lear'") for creating a negative atmosphere toward movie-going.

"I put in the sound system myself," Crist said. "We have these hand-built speakers and we tied the subwoofers to the wooden floor so people could feel when dinosaurs roared. It's sad to see the theater go."

The movie house opened Oct. 24, 1911, as the Realty Theatre with three 10-minute reels showing for 5 cents. A piano provided accompaniment. In 1930, the Elks bought the building and introduced a Western Electric Sound System.

In 1986, Crist saved the theater from closing. He renovated the facilities and reopened the balcony, which had been closed since 1962.

Its closing leaves a handful of locally owned theaters, among them the Allen Theatre in Lebanon, the Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg, CocoaPlex Cinema in Derry Twp. and Carlisle Theatre.

In Lancaster, the Columbia Drive-In has operated alongside Columbia Avenue in West Hempfield Twp. since Aug. 10, 1956, as a year-round theater.

The Columbia was one of 39 drive-in theaters in the state. Among those remaining are Haar's in Dillsburg, the Cumberland Drive-In, Midway Drive-In near Mifflintown and the Sky Vu in Gratz.

Last year, Hogan Development Co. purchased the land where the drive-in operates with plans for commercial development and Section 8 housing.

A community effort to save the Columbia included a petition drive. And Columbia Drive-In Associates President Tucker Mooney said this year marked his best season since taking over in 2001.

But, he concluded, "You can't stop economic development."

"I was just faxed a letter telling me to get out. The drive-in made a lot of people very happy over the years. You get more movies for one price. You're not sitting elbow-to-elbow. You can smoke if you want to smoke. People bring their pets. As far as value entertainment goes, there's nothing like it."

Mike McBride, who has worked the security detail at the drive-in for 15 years, said tomorrow's final show will be sad for the community.

"It's been so nice for me to seeing all the kids who have come to the drive-in over the years grow up," he said. "I'm a Columbia boy and I got to know the people who come to the movies. My job was to make sure that everyone is taken care of and happy. I have a 9-year-old and I imagined her growing up being able to go to the drive-in. When something has been going on for so long, it just becomes part of you."