As the Engineer of Record for South Hanover Township, a vibrant community of over 7,000 residents neighboring Hershey, Pennsylvania, RETTEW hosts and manages the Township’s GIS within our ArcGIS Online Organization. Our team maintains a wide range of mapped infrastructure data, including streetlights, sanitary sewer systems, stormwater collection systems, swales, and basins. We digitized much of this data from scanned engineering plans to ensure accuracy and accessibility.

RETTEW engineers access the GIS through a web-based application, streamlining collaboration and project planning. Meanwhile, the Township operates its own ArcGIS Online Organization, allowing staff to view and interact with the data directly. The GIS has played a critical role in supporting several key initiatives, including MS4 program compliance under the Pennsylvania Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System regulations, Act 537 planning under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act, and the development of a Greenway and Trails Master Plan.

As part of the Greenway and Trails effort, we also created a custom GIS layer for Township personnel to use in Esri’s Field Maps mobile app. This tool enabled staff to capture and map previously undocumented sidewalks, trails, and paths — both public and private — enhancing the Township’s planning and connectivity efforts.