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Cumberland County Facilities Master Plan
Guiding Facilities Planning to Meet Growing Demand
Cumberland County has completed its first-ever Facilities Master Plan (FMP), which includes independent expert recommendations to proactively address its obsolete facilities, growing facility space deficits and increasing demand for county services.
For years, Cumberland County has managed its facility and space challenges through a series of short-term fixes, including renovations, relocations and consolidations. The FMP marks a shift for the county towards a long-term, comprehensive approach to facility and space planning over the next 20 years.
The county’s FMP will inform future facility decisions, enabling the county to provide services to residents in the most effective and fiscally responsible manner for generations to come.
With completion of the FMP, the county is now engaged in evaluating its findings and recommendations. The FMP does not represent actual costs or any final decisions. The county will only advance projects that are fiscally and operationally responsible. Proposed projects will be discussed at county board meetings, and the county plans to provide opportunities for public feedback. For safety and security, some information in the plan has been redacted.
Key Benefits
- Meet modern facility standards for safety, accessibility and technology
- Improve county government services access, convenience and efficiency
- Plan strategically for increasing population and demand for services
- Decrease spending on county facility leases and frequent facility repairs
- Lower costs by selling properties that no longer effectively meet needs
Key Findings and Objectives
Cumberland County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania. The county’s population has grown 63% to 275,516 over the past 50 years and, based on the FMP, is projected to increase to 331,688 by 2043. The county’s growth has led to substantial facility space deficits across county departments.
Based on a needs assessment conducted for the FMP, the county requires about 527,400 square feet of space to meet current service demand but has only 484,200 square feet — a deficit of 43,200 square feet. Projections indicate that an additional 115,400 square feet is needed by 2043, bringing the total space needs to almost 599,600 square feet — a 24% increase. By 2043, every county department is projected to face a significant space deficit, with Courts and Criminal Justice facing a 69% space deficit.
Currently, county services are dispersed across 15 county-owned and leased buildings spanning a five-mile area. This fragmentation leads to operational inefficiencies, complicates public access to services, and increases annual costs. The FMP identifies opportunities to consolidate operations, which will improve convenience for residents and efficiency for county staff. One of the key challenges identified in the plan is parking availability, which is rated as fair or poor by over 50% of customers for key buildings like the Main Courthouse and the Dennis Marion Public Services Building in Carlisle.
Some of Cumberland County government’s facilities are functionally or structurally obsolete, failing to meet modern standards for accessibility, safety and technology. The FMP highlights the need to address the county’s aging structures to ensure accessibility and safety for both residents and staff.
The plan does not represent actual costs or any decisions. While the document recommends over 20 potential projects, with estimated costs ranging from $200,000 for improvements to over $200 million for new facilities, the county will only advance projects that are fiscally and operationally responsible.
Cumberland County’s Facilities Master Plan was developed by Chambersburg-based Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc. in association with CGL and OnPointe Insights, Inc.
County Facilities Space Deficit
Cumberland County is currently experiencing a facilities space deficit of 43,200 square feet. With an increasing population, projections indicate the county will need 115,400 more square feet of facilities space to meet demand for services by 2043.
County Population Growth
Cumberland County is one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania. The county’s population is projected to increase from 275,516 to over 331,688 by 2043, which will increase demand for county services.
- What is a Facilities Master Plan?
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A facilities master plan (FMP) is a comprehensive document, based on an analysis of data, that identifies facility needs and provides set of options to address these needs.
Cumberland County has completed its first-ever FMP, which includes independent expert recommendations to proactively address its obsolete facilities, growing facility space deficits and increasing demand for county services.
For years, Cumberland County has managed facility and space challenges through a series of short-term fixes, including renovations, relocations and consolidations. The county FMP marks a shift towards a long-term, comprehensive approach to facility and space planning over the next 20 years. It will inform future facility decisions, enabling the county to provide services to residents in the most effective and fiscally responsible manner for generations to come.
- Are new county facilities needed or can the county just renovate existing facilities?
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Many county government facilities aren’t just old, but some are functionally and structurally obsolete. Renovations can’t or won’t cost-effectively address fundamental issues like the need for more space, improving accessibility and meeting modern operational standards. In many cases, building new makes more sense in the long run by avoiding continuous costly repairs on outdated structures.
- How much will the facility projects in the FMP cost?
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The FMP presents data, analysis, and independent expert recommendations with estimated costs ranging from $200,000 for facility improvements to over $200 million for new facilities. It does not represent actual costs or any decisions. The county will only advance projects that are fiscally and operationally responsible. The county also anticipates offsetting costs by selling properties that no longer meet its needs and reducing spending on leases. The FMP proactively addresses obsolete facilities and increasing demand for essential services in the most fiscally responsible way for generations to come.
- The FMP identifies 20 potential projects. Are all 20 projects going to happen?
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While the FMP provides a comprehensive range of options, the county does not intend to pursue every option in the plan. The county will strategically select facility projects that will best address future needs and make the most sense fiscally and operationally.
- Why wasn't a plan to deal with the county’s facility and space issues developed earlier?
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The county has been making changes across its facilities to address space challenges for years. These changes include renovations, relocations and consolidations. However, as one of the fastest growing counties in the Commonwealth, it became apparent that a long-range comprehensive approach to facility and space planning was needed. The FMP is the county’s first broad forward-looking approach to ensure that its facility infrastructure will support the county’s growth for generations to come. It represents the county’s commitment to strategic, long-term planning to best serve residents with essential government services.
- Will this initiative really improve services or just add space and new buildings?
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The primary goal is to improve services. By centralizing and improving facilities, the county will aim to enhance customer access, convenience and safety, and ensure that county staff have adequate and secure space to perform their duties effectively. This will ultimately lead to better service for residents and more efficient operations for the county.
- Shouldn’t the county focus on other priorities, not buildings?
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County facilities are fundamental to providing essential county services. As the demand for services grows with our population, obsolete and insufficient facilities directly impact the county’s ability to serve residents effectively and efficiently. The data, analysis and options in the FMP will help guide future facility and space planning so the county can fulfill its mission to provide impactful and essential county services in the most effective and financially responsible manner possible.