Steve Malesker Joins HRG as Senior Project Manager

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Steve MaleskerSteve Malesker recently joined HRG as a senior project manager in our Transportation Group.  He is responsible for bridge design and inspection projects throughout the south-central counties of Pennsylvania.

Steve has extensive experience managing bridge inspection, replacement, and maintenance programs for York and Franklin Counties as well as Gettysburg Borough and many other municipalities. Steve has also served as a project manager for civil and municipal projects and as the retained municipal and bridge engineer of record for several municipalities in Central PA. He is a licensed professional engineer and certified bridge safety inspector with more than 20 years of experience.

Steve lives in Dallastown and is a board member of the Dallastown-Yoe Water Authority.  He is also a member of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design and the American Institute of Steel Construction.

“Steve is a talented and accomplished engineer, and his skills will be a great asset as we continue to grow our presence in the transportation markets across the commonwealth,” Tim Staub said.  Staub is an assistant vice president of HRG and manager of the firm’s York office.

Bill Kick agrees. “Most importantly, Steve fits right into the culture of HRG. Integrity and commitment to delivering for our clients are core values for HRG, and for Steve.  His knowledge and experience are impressive. I fully trust that Steve will be a great compliment to our team and serve HRG’s clients well.” Kick is an assistant vice president and manager of HRG’s Chambersburg office.

(View Steve’s full bio here.)

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services.  The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 250 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com

 

Route 39 Intersection Improvements Honored with Road & Bridge Safety Award

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West Hanover Township received a Road & Bridge Safety Award Friday for improvements that HRG designed at the intersection of Route 39 with Douglas and Devonshire Heights Roads. This location had been the site of several rear-end and angle accidents due to poor intersection alignment and sight distance deficiencies.  HRG realigned the intersection, installed a northbound right turn lane along Route 39, enhanced advance signing and pavement markings, and installed a flashing yellow control beacon.  We also increased the separation between this intersection and a second intersection where Douglas Road met Devonshire Heights Road. This second intersection had been less than 100 feet away from the Route 39 intersection, creating the opportunity for confusion and conflict between drivers.

Our civil practice area leader Matt Bonanno and our traffic team leader Eric Stump attended a brief ceremony at the intersection where West Hanover Township received their award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. You can view the ceremony below:

 

 

You can also see photos of the project by clicking through this slideshow:

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ABOUT THE ROAD & BRIDGE SAFETY AWARD

The Road & Bridge Safety Award is given annually to townships that have completed road or bridge improvements in the prior year that increased public safety.  It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, and PennDOT.

2 HRG Projects Honored by Tri-County Regional Planning Commission

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Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc (HRG) provided engineering services for two of the honorees at last week’s Premier Projects award ceremony: the Tuscarora Street Townhomes redevelopment and the West Caracas Avenue Parking Lot.

The Tuscarora Street Townhomes project successfully replaced an abandoned and blighted property in Susquehanna Township with new, affordable, and attractive housing. It was recognized in the Growing Our Communities category.

Tuscarora Street Townhomes redevelopment

A rendering of the proposed Tuscarora Street townhome development during design

The West Caracas Avenue Parking Lot incorporated stormwater Best Management Practices like porous pavement to promote groundwater recharge and reduce the amount of runoff from the site. These BMPs also filter pollutants from the runoff, protecting local water quality. At the same time, the design creates greater parking efficiency and improves access management in a vital economic center within the township. The project was recognized in the Growing Within Our Environment category. (You can learn more about the project and the benefits of porous pavement in this article.)

West Caracas Avenue wins Premier Project Award

(From left to right) HRG team members Scott Fisher, Alex Greenly, Lindsay Bonanno, and Matt Bonanno celebrate the West Caracas Avenue parking lot honor with Derry Township leaders Charles Emerick, Lauren Zumbrun,Mike Callahan, and David Habig

We want to congratulate the Dauphin County Land Bank Authority, Susquehanna Township, and Derry Township, on these honors and thank them for the opportunity to assist with each project.

ABOUT THE PREMIER PROJECT AWARDS

This annual awards program is sponsored by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission to honor projects which exemplify the goals of Dauphin County’s comprehensive plan. Land development, ordinance revisions, infrastructure improvements, and revitalization initiatives are all eligible for this recognition.

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Laura Ludwig Joins HRG as a Community Planner

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Laura Ludwig portraitLaura Ludwig has joined the Pittsburgh office of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a community planner.  She will assist HRG’s municipal clients with zoning, ordinance amendments, and requests for land development plan approvals and permits.  She will also act as a liaison between community groups, government agencies, developers and other stakeholders in developing neighborhood plans.

She has extensive experience as a community organizer, municipal government employee, and consultant.  Prior to joining HRG, she served as the director of community development for North Fayette Township.  Her responsibilities included guiding residents and businesses through the subdivision and land development review process, ensuring local construction project comply with codes and ordinances, and implementing the community’s comprehensive land use plan.  She also worked as a private consultant, drafting a comprehensive plan for South Beaver Township and assisting dozens of municipalities with their zoning and land use programs.

Ms. Ludwig earned her master’s degree in urban and regional affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Michael Hess Joins HRG as Senior Project Manager

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Mike Hess, P.E.Michael Hess has joined Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) as a senior project manager in the firm’s civil group. He will be responsible for providing municipal engineering services to clients throughout Central Pennsylvania and managing complex water quality projects.

Mr. Hess is a licensed professional engineer with broad-ranging experience serving both the public sector and the private sector. He has assisted residential and commercial developers with site design and permitting, and he has assisted municipalities with stormwater management, water quality, transportation infrastructure, plan reviews, and regulatory compliance.  He has also managed multi-disciplinary projects for government agency clients at both the federal and state level.

HRG assistant vice president Ed Ellinger is glad to welcome Hess back to the HRG team: “Mike worked with us early in his career, and we are so happy to have him back representing our clients. They will benefit greatly from his diverse skill set in all aspects of municipal engineering, particularly stormwater management, which is an increasingly important issue to local communities these days.”

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is an employee-owned, nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has offices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit our website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

 

Staub, Feath Discuss Demographic Shifts and Impact on Local Government

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Township News demographic shifts coverOur assistant vice presidents Tim Staub and Jim Feath are both featured in the March 2019 issue of Pennsylvania Township News magazine cover story, offering some insight on how municipalities can adjust policy and prepare for the needs of an aging population.

According to the article, 235 township residents in Pennsylvania turn 65 every day, and older adults are projected to outnumber adults for the first time time in U.S. history by 2035.

“Just how well-positioned is your community to allow them to age in place?” Tim asks.

He offers a number of ideas for making sure your township can retain residents as they age:

  • promoting walkability with sidewalks and connections between neighborhoods and amenities
  • incorporating universal design elements into construction standards that help residents stay in their home
  • permitting multi-generational living arrangements such as shared housing and accessory dwelling units

The key, he says, is to make your zoning and construction codes flexible enough to accommodate the changing needs of your community.

Jim Feath discusses how to provide recreational facilities that meet seniors’ needs, but he also recommends analyzing local population trends before making any significant changes. Some municipalities are seeing an influx of young families. Township officials will want to provide facilities that meet the need of their individual community, not just chase trends. (HRG can help and often provides this service as part of a larger comprehensive plan or comprehensive recreation plan.  Two of our clients — Cranberry Township and Dover Township — are also featured in the article, sharing the ways they proactively plan for their communities’ evolving needs.)

 

Jason Hinz Promoted to Regional Manager of Civil Engineering

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Jason HinzHerbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is pleased to announce that Jason Hinz, P.E., has been named regional manager of the civil engineering group in its Harrisburg office. Hinz previously served as a project manager in this group and has been with the firm for six years.

He has both a master’s and bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and close to a decade of experience with municipal engineering and water quality improvements. He provides municipal engineering representation to Lower Paxton Township, Londonderry Township, Derry Township, and Hummelstown Borough and has consulted on a wide variety of infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, and municipal parks.  However, his primary focus is on stormwater management, drainage, stream restoration, and water quality.  He also assists the private sector with meeting stormwater and water quality regulatory requirements on site development initiatives.

Matt Bonanno, the civil engineering practice area leader at HRG, says, “Jason is a true team player who has wide-ranging knowledge of all the services we offer. He is well-known to our many municipal and private sector clients and is well-positioned to continue the civil group’s growth and success here in the Harrisburg area.”

Jason is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania.

 

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Wins Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence

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The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) received the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence at a ceremony in Harrisburg on April 11, 2018. WVSA was honored for spearheading an innovative, regional approach to stormwater management that is saving municipalities in Luzerne County millions of dollars on their regulatory compliance and pollutant reduction efforts.  Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) helped WVSA develop this approach.

 

Hundreds of communities across Pennsylvania are required to apply for a permit under the state Department of Environmental Protection’s MS4 program. This program is designed to manage stormwater runoff to prevent pollutants from entering our watersheds and reduce the risk of flooding. The latest round of permitting requires many communities to cut the level of pollutants they discharge to a particular watershed by as much as 10% over the next five years. The cost of producing and implementing these pollutant reduction plans can be too much for many local governments whose budgets are already stretched thin.

With that in mind, WVSA asked HRG to prepare a feasibility study focused on whether regional cooperation among all the municipalities in the county could lower the cost of compliance.  According to HRG’s study, the approach will indeed save participating municipalities more than $200 million over the next 20 years.  Some savings come from sharing the cost of planning and other fixed expenses, but the biggest savings come from the construction of best management practices meant to help the communities reach their pollutant reduction goals. Working together, the municipalities can construct fewer, more effective projects that do a better job of reducing pollution for a lower cost than municipalities would be able to achieve on their own.

 

 

Toby Creek Impoundment

How Municipalities in the Wyoming Valley are Cutting Stormwater Management Costs by up to 90%

Learn more about this excerpt from an article about WVSA’s stormwater program in The Authority magazine. The first in a series of articles on WVSA, this piece discusses the many ways regional cooperation will save municipalities money over the next five years.

 

ABOUT THE WYOMING VALLEY SANITARY AUTHORITY

The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) has been providing wastewater treatment service for residents of Luzerne County since 1962. WVSA’s service area includes 35 municipalities from Harveys Lake to Pittston to Newport Township. Learn more about the authority and its services at www.wvsa.org

ABOUT HRG

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is a nationally ranked design firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and environmental services. The firm was founded in Harrisburg in 1962 and has grown to employ more than 200 people in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

Adrienne Vicari Named One of Central PA’s Top 40 Under 40

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Adrienne VicariThe Central Penn Business Journal named Adrienne Vicari to its 23nd annual Forty Under 40 list, which honors individuals for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and the Central Pennsylvania community.  She and the other honorees will receive their award at a banquet on October 2 at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Adrienne is the financial services practice area leader at Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. She has more than 15 years of experience in financial consulting, project management and engineering design for municipal wastewater, water and stormwater clients. In her current role with the firm, she uses asset management and capital improvement planning as tools to complete long-range strategic financial planning for her clients.

But she began her career at HRG in a very different role: as a professional engineer designing water and wastewater treatment facilities. She quickly developed an interest in helping her water and wastewater clients obtain and manage their funding for capital improvement projects and transitioned into the firm’s financial service group. As communities have developed a growing need for increased stormwater management funding and utility valuation, she has become an industry leader in these areas, as well.

Russ McIntosh, a vice president of HRG, says:

“Adrienne is an unstoppable force. When she sees something needs done, she dives right in and gives it everything she has. She is extremely knowledgeable of the issues municipal water quality professionals face and very creative in addressing those challenges. There is nothing she can’t or won’t do to help her clients succeed.”

Adrienne Vicari volunteers for STEM educationThis dedication extends outside the office to the Central Pennsylvania community, as well. Adrienne encourages young people to achieve success in science, technology engineering, and math related fields by participating in STEM-related events like the “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” at the Whitaker Center. She also serves as a board member with the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania organization and takes part in their annual STEM expo. In addition, she coaches Central Penn Mini Sticks field hockey and a Cumberland Valley softball 10U team.

She also co-founded a women’s volunteer group for West Shore mothers that encourages them to pursue diverse volunteer opportunities with their children. The group has had a significant impact on mid-state organizations such as Caitlin Smiles, Leg Up Farm, Ronald McDonald House, Dress for Success, and others.

 

ABOUT HRG

Originally founded in 1962, HRG has grown to be a nationally ranked Top 500 Design Firm, providing civil engineering, surveying and environmental services to public and private sector clients. The 200-person employee-owned firm currently has office locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. For more information, please visit the website at www.hrg-inc.com.

 

Park Boulevard Realignment in Hershey Honored with Safety Award

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PSATS-Road-Bridge-Safety-Award-2017_Park-Boulevard_733x548 

Representatives of Derry Township in Dauphin County accept the first-place roadway award in the Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Awards at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ (PSATS) 95th Annual Educational Conference April 23-26 in Hershey. Sponsored by PSATS, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA), and the state Department of Transportation, the award recognizes townships for their extensive contributions to making roads and bridges safer. Participating in the presentation are, from left, PennDOT Director of Planning and Research Laine Heltebridle; Matthew Lena, P.E., transportation team leader, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc.; Derry Township Chairman John Foley; PHIA Managing Director Jason Wagner; and PSATS Executive Board Member Bill Hawk. (Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors.)

 

The realignment of Park Boulevard has been honored with a Road & Bridge Safety Award from the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, and PennDOT.  The award was presented to Derry Township officials at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Conference at the Hershey Lodge on April 24, 2017.

Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. designed the project for Derry Township and devised a creative funding strategy that expedited the project schedule.

A broad range of local leaders from Derry Township, Dauphin County, and area businesses worked together on this project to support future economic development in Hershey.  The new roadway provides several safety improvements:

  • It replaces a 60-year old bridge over Spring Creek, which was structurally deficient and weight-restricted.
  • It converts a narrow roadway beneath the Norfolk-Southern underpass from two-way traffic to one-way traffic. (The roadway is not wide enough for two opposing lanes of traffic to safely pass each other, so switching to one-way traffic will prevent vehicle conflicts.)
  • It improves emergency response time by adding a roadway connection from northbound Park Boulevard.  (Previously, first responders had to drive a circuitous route through several intersections to access this area. Now crews can reach the area 2-3 minutes faster.)
  • It provides a new sidewalk that will enhance safety for pedestrians traveling to Hershey’s attractions from downtown.
  • It adds a safe zone for people boarding and exiting buses at the Hershey Intermodal Transportation Center. This zone is physically protected from through-traffic.

The realigned Park Boulevard was completed and opened to traffic in the fall of 2016.  View a slideshow of project photos below.

 

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