Township vote is next step for Vartan development on Linglestown Road

But first, the mixed-use development plan must wait for township commissioners to approve ordinance changes designed to accommodate the project. 

Vartan’s plan calls for a mix of single-family homes, a senior-living campus and a variety of retail and other commercial buildings, including a limited-service hotel with up to 110 rooms.

The board held a public hearing this week over changes that were recommended by the township’s planning commission in late September. Those changes would create a traditional neighborhood development district, or TND, for the site. 

The commissioners could take action Dec. 8, said David Kratzer, the township’s manager.

They would be voting to authorize publication of a notice of intent to adopt ordinance changes. The actual change could then occur in January, Kratzer said.

However, a vote is not guaranteed.

The board could choose to make changes to the proposed ordinances, which would send the rezoning plan back to the township and Dauphin County planning commissions. A public hearing would be needed after that review, which would extend the timeline.

Once that rezoning process is completed, concerns raised by the community over added traffic and possible stormwater issues would be addressed during the subdivision and land development phase for the 58-acre tract, one of the most desirable pieces of land in the Harrisburg area for development.

That process would bring in the state Department of Transportation because the project involves state roads, and significant road improvements will likely be needed to improve traffic flow in the area.

The Vartan family has owned the tract for three decades. CEO H. Ralph Vartan’s late father, John, a prominent local investor and developer, tried before to develop the site.