SOME FACTS ABOUT HARRISON TOWNSHIP

Harrison Township began as a pioneer farming community in the early 1800's. The Burtner House, a National Historic Site, was one of the first homes built in what was to eventu­ally become Harrison Township. The House is owned by the Township and has been restored by members of Burtner House Restoration Inc. under a lease with the Township. An­nual events are held at the house and tours given by the Res­toration group. The Burtner House is located at the express­way exit to Natrona Heights, so all visitors to the community will see the House as soon as they enter the Township.

Harrison Township was formally organized as a First Class Township in March 1900 and today is comprise of 7.2 square miles of land, with a population of 10,934. Major in­dustry includes Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation, Heights Plaza Shopping Center, and the total redevelopment of the former Highlands Mall to include a Walmart Supercenter, restaurants, a furniture store and other smaller retail out­lets. There are also numerous small businesses of all types scattered through the Township, with most of them located along Freeport Road, the main artery of the Township.

The largest portion of the Township is currently residential, and Maronda Homes is developing over 100 acres of land with multi-family and single-family housing, which will number over 300 new units. Highlands School District and Alle-Kiski Medical Center, part of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, are also located in the Township and, along with Allegheny Ludlum, are the three largest employers in the Township.

Local residents have taken an avid interest in revitalizing the Natrona section of the Township, and have sponsored street and river bank cleanups, festivals with activities for kids and adults, and have formed a community watch program to inform the police department about problems in the area. State and County grant funds are being used to redevelop the Natrona Ballfield for use by the children of the area.

DID YOU KNOW

Building Permits: The Township is now under the Uniform Construction Code and permits are required for new construction and additions including interior work. Please con­tact Ron Misejka, Zoning Officer, for information concerning applying for a building permit. His hours are 9 AM to 5 PM weekdays, at the Municipal Building and may be reached at 724-224-9540. A permit is required for a fence, a deck, or a swimming pool.

Ordinance Enforcement: Ron Misejka is the Ordinance Officer and may be reached at 724-224-9540 between 9 AM and 5 PM weekdays.

Dog Law Enforcement Officer: Hoff­man Boarding Kennels is the dog­catcher for Harrison Township. The company is located in Delmont and they may be reached at 724-468-5505.

Smoke or Dye Testing: Smoke or dye testing of storm water facilities is required at the time of a property sale. . A certification form must be provided in order to receive the municipal no lien letter. Our charge for the certifi­cate is $25. A registered plumber or home inspection specialist designated by the Township must complete the certification form. Forms are available at the Township Office.

The Township holds regular public meetings on the 4^th Monday of each month, at 7:30 P.M., unless otherwise noted on the bulletin board in the municipal building or on the Event Calendar on the Event Calendar located on the web site at: harrisontwp.blogspot.com

Harrison Township has an ordinance requiring registration of home or busi­ness alarm services with our police department. Please contact the Town­ship Office for more information.

The Township also requires registra­tion and inspection of rental proper­ties prior to occupancy. Contact Ron Misejka, Ordinance Officer, for forms and details on the inspection process.

Bus service is provided by the Port Authority Transit.

Elected Officials

George E. Conroy, President of the Board

Verne Bergstrom, Vice President

William R. Poston

Michael J. Stano ski

William E. Mitchell, Sr.

Boards and Commissions

Planning Commission:

Richard Korczynski,Chairman,

Joseph Poskin, Secretary

Lynda Mazinski

Janice Rawe

David Mushrush

Zoning Hearing Board:

Bernard Nowicky, Norbert Cieslinski, Terry Lilly

Water Authority:

Jacob Dvorak, Richard Korczynski, Gary Meanor

Refuse Company:

Vogel

Telephone: 724-625-1511

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