Zoning board allows Penn State Health to build enclosed outdoor therapeutic play area

The Harrisburg Zoning Hearing Board approved a Penn State Health request to convert narrow lots near North Sixth Street into an enclosed outdoor therapeutic play area for an adjacent outpatient clinic, allowing a 10‑foot fence and netting where code permits 6‑foot maximums in the INS district.

Planning Director Jeffrey Knight explained the property’s narrow width and shallow depth make by‑right construction impossible and that the playground is a sensible reuse given the clinic next door. Knight and the applicant said the 10‑foot fence plus netting would prevent balls and equipment from leaving the site and would protect clinic patients. “Because it's going to involve, you know, children, they want to make sure to ensure the security of the play area,” Knight said.

K&W Civil Engineers’ Mark Karowski presented site plans showing a consolidated lot of roughly 2,326 square feet with a half‑court hard surface, playground surfacing, seating and limited pavement for access. The applicant said the playground will be supervised during clinic hours and locked outside business hours. The planning bureau recommended approval without additional conditions; the board voted to approve the special exception and variances for fence height and setback encroachments.

The board’s decision allows the clinic to move forward with the enclosed play area; applicants must follow any land‑development review and building permits before construction.