In September, Gettysburg Borough Council discussed the proposed Rezoning ordinance. Mr. Moon stated that Borough population decreased between the 2010 and 2020 census – implying that our population is declining so we need to attract more people. The 2020 Census was lower due to Covid and the fact that students were not here. Gettysburg is not losing population.
The Rezoning is supposed to follow the recommendations of the 2019 Central Adams Joint Comprehensive Plan. Council and staff admitted that they had not considered the Comp Plan, so they did a slide show attempting to show that, in hindsight, they met those recommendations. They also said they had not spent much time on economic development when considering the zoning changes. It was stated that Gettysburg needs to increase the amount of housing in the downtown because there will be 10,000 units of housing built in Adams County by 2028, all coming through Gettysburg and wearing down our streets and increasing traffic. They claim we need to compete with it by expanding the Revitalization zoning district that allows 7-story buildings to include Railroad Street between Carlisle and N. Washington – right in the heart of the historic core and the nexus of four major traffic routes.
The 2019 Central Adams Comprehensive Plan specifically mentions that efforts to increase density in the Downtown Core “must be consistent with the existing cultural and historic integrity of the Downtown Core” including the existing building forms (buildings 2-4 stories tall), and that careful architectural review should continue via HARB. It recommends a target density of around 12 dwelling units per acre. There is some allowance for increasing density, but the 2.4-acre Gettysburg Station site is proposed to have 186 units and the added 5.5 acres with 7-story buildings could have at least that many. This would be an excessive increase.
The Planning Commission’s version of the Rezoning Ordinance recommended that height be limited to 48 feet, in keeping with the adjacent Old Town district and the adjacent residential area. This would be “consistent with the existing cultural and historic integrity of the Downtown Core.”
Why are Council/staff so intent on increased height? First – Some on Council and staff believe Gettysburg needs to reinvent itself because history will cease to be an attractant for tourism in the future, and needs to modernize to attract new, younger people. Second – The perceived financial benefit that would accrue to the Borough if the Revitalization parcels were all developed. Conjectured property values and whatever per capita income the Borough would receive were the discussed at length. It was called “revenue zoning”. (No calculation of the difference in revenue between a 48-foot height and 72-foot height, however.) The perceived tax revenue was not impressive, and not worth destroying a historic downtown. The PA Municipal Planning Code Section 604 lists Zoning Purposes. Revenue for the Borough as a primary goal is not on the list.
What was not discussed that night, were uses in the Revitalization zone, where theoretically young people with children are potential residents. No child care of any kind, or nursery schools are allowed. The usual market and other retail, and restaurants are allowed. However; the list of newly added commercial uses includes drinking place, betting (small), brew pub, tattoo/piercing, and microbrewery/winery. Hardly a holistic approach to creating an attractive environment for young families. Similar uses involving alcohol consumption have been inserted on Baltimore Street as well. Is this the new Gettysburg identity? Where are these new people going to work, since economic development was admittedly not addressed?
Topics brought up during public comment but not addressed were: a lack of any limit on residential occupant numbers; insertion of frats and sororities throughout the R-2 zone; and reinsertion of Bed and Breakfast in R-2. Mr. Moon championed removing vape shops from the Baltimore Street NC district for fire safety reasons. There is still concern in the York Street NC zone about vape shops, for the same reason. Wording relative to incentives and design in the Revitalization zone still needs work.
Let’s take the time to fix the remaining issues. In the dubious rush to use zoning to fill the coffers, the existing economic tourism environment and our livable community could be damaged. We need to take just a bit more time and get it right. Actually listening to input at the public hearing on October 27 would be a good way for Council to accomplish this.
