Harrison man's question sparks discussion on bettering communities

A Harrison man who started an online effort to improve his community is taking it into the real world.

Dylan Seelnacht, who grew up in Brackenridge and now lives in Harrison, asked on Facebook what people in those towns and Tarentum would like to see happen to make them better places to live. The response, he says, was overwhelming.

“In the matter of roughly a day, I had between 600 and 700 responses,” said Seelnacht, 26, a father of two boys and a contractor who works mainly on home remodels and additions. “I had many people with fantastic ideas and offering to organize to help make it happen.”

He created a Facebook group, “Harrison/Brackenridge/Tarentum Revitalization Efforts,” which has grown to nearly 1,300 members since he started it less than a month ago.

“I started to realize this could be something special; it could be something that could give all of us a voice and true sense of pride in our area,” he said.

Seelnacht is inviting people interested in improving the three communities to a meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Dry Bones, 317 E. Sixth Ave. in Tarentum.

Dry Bones is owned by Tarentum Councilman Brian Snyder. Snyder said he reached out to Seelnacht after seeing his Facebook page, leading to talking in-person with Seelnacht and his wife, Ashley, and offering to use his shop for the meeting.

Snyder said he wanted to be sure Seelnacht is aware of the groups and organizations that already exist, such as the borough’s recreation board and special events committee that bring entertainment, and the Tarentum Action Committee that has been cleaning up distressed properties.

“Any time somebody from the community, especially a young person from the community, wants to see change, that can only be seen as a good thing,” Snyder said. “I think he has a lot of good ideas. He has a lot of vision. I think he’s a smart kid and a really nice guy. I would like to see the people who keep commenting on his page follow through with seeing where this goes. I’m curious to see how many people come Saturday.”

Seelnacht said he hopes to get more ideas at the meeting, determine what’s feasible, set short- and long-range goals and come up with a plan to reach them.

“With all of the negativity going on in our area currently and over the past many years, I feel it would be a breath of fresh air to see our residents really doing something positive,” he said.

Seelnacht said that for about the past two years he’s been researching the community and others like it that have come back from similar situations.

“I had really taken notice that our residents’ opinions of our towns were rapidly becoming more and more negative,” he said. “One of the biggest complaints I had heard is that they feel they don’t truly have a voice — and that they feel helpless to the fact that they see a town they love degrading into somewhere that many are no longer proud to call home as they once were.”

Among the ideas he’s heard is cleaning up the communities to make them more attractive before trying to bring in anything new.

“You’re not going to have any businesses want to come in and set up shop if it’s an area that doesn’t seem to be cared for,” he said.

Seelnacht’s efforts are similar to a joint comprehensive planning process now underway among the three communities. He said he’ll encourage those who come to his meeting Saturday to attend a public meeting that group is holding Feb. 17 at the Salvation Army in Brackenridge, where several proposals to be included in the plan will be presented and feedback and additional recommendations will be sought from residents.

He also is reaching out to other community organizations, businesses and elected officials.

Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard said what Seelnacht is doing parallels the comprehensive plan, but it’s not competitive or contrary to it.

“What he is saying online is very constructive, is very positive and is very engaging with the community. As a commissioner, I welcome that engagement,” he said. “He’s obviously touched a nerve and reached individuals we haven’t been able to reach through the other communications and venues.”

Like the comprehensive plan, Seelnacht said the most important part of what he’s been doing is seeing the towns working together for each other.

“My hopes of what this group can accomplish are endless; however, it is not solely up to me and that’s the beauty of it,” he said. “In order for this to work successfully, everyone needs to have a say-so, and a say-so they will have.”

While he started the Facebook group, Seelnacht said he can’t take the credit.

“I simply asked a question,” he said. “This is the result of a community hungry for change.”