Swatara Township, PA Administration and Public Safety Building Space Needs Study

Swatara Township is a municipality in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name ‘Swatara’ was originated from the Algonquian word ‘Sadohara’, which means ‘creek flowing through a flatland’. Today, Swatara Township is a beautiful area of rolling hills, farms, and forests. Swatara Township retained CPS to conduct a space needs study of their police, fire, fire administration, EOC and EMA, Highway and Administration as well as other space utilized by independent entities such as the water and sewer board and the tax collector’s office.

The Township had several independent fire companies which decades ago had many volunteers but whose volunteer base had shrunk so much so that at times, not enough people showed up to run the fire apparatus. The township’s vision was to create a new fire station for a paid department, moving away from individual volunteer fire companies.

The police department shared space in the administration facility but was hampered by a lack of security and protection for officers, staff and the public. 

The township had attempted to create a new municipal complex previously but the project suffered implosion from self-described design failures, poor leadership and a doomed public opinion on what was labeled a “Taj Mahal”. 

In order to facilitate a different and ultimately successful approach, the township is amending the CPS contract to retain our firm to undertake a community outreach effort. We will work with a new design team and the township to reach out to the community to explain what the project is, why it is needed, how it will improve services, what it will cost and what is the benefit to the community.