Gettysburg Council approves zoning rewrite after extensive public comment

After almost an hour of impassioned testimony from borough residents, the Gettysburg Borough Council voted 5–2 last night to approve a comprehensive zoning ordinance that includes allowing buildings up to 72 feet in the downtown revitalization district.

Most speakers urged the council to postpone action. Nancie Gudmestad  of Baltimore Street said the borough should “take a step back” before making a permanent change. “There is no deadline,” she said. “What’s another month or two?”

Gettysburg Connection publisher and Gettysburg Resident Chuck Stangor argued that taller buildings could burden the borough with increased public-safety costs. “If we need to hire even one more police officer… that’s going to eat up a big chunk of that money,” he said, adding that the majority of residents as well as the borough’s Planning Commission opposed the change.

Planning Commission chair Charles Strauss, speaking personally, said he saw expanding height to 72 feet as “dominating our visual landscape” and risking what he called “an exercise in historic vandalism.” He urged council to revert the height to 48 feet, matching the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

Shelley Knouse said the process had weakened public trust. “Trust wasn’t broken all at once. It slipped away step by step,” she said, pointing to early closed-door meetings and the absence of financial analysis on extended height. She proposed forming volunteer fiscal and grant committees before taking action.

Others appealed to the town’s symbolic significance. “I was born and raised on hallowed ground,” said Tyler Cole. “Maybe a tax basis is something we need to sacrifice to honor our hallowed ground… money’s not everything.”

A smaller group supported moving ahead. County Commissioner Marty Qually, speaking personally, praised the four-year public process and warned against continual delays. “I do not see value in pushing this back farther.,” he told the council. Zoning Hearing Board member Darren Glass said that while he was “agnostic on the height issue,” the broader ordinance should not be held up, noting the height rules could be amended later.

Before the vote, Council President Matt Moon said that the borough began reviewing its zoning ordinance in 2022 after being advised it was outdated, overly amended, and internally inconsistent. The borough hired Michael Baker International for about $40,000 to create a modern draft, working with a year-long committee that included business leaders, nonprofit representatives, planning commission members, and borough staff. Moon said the group focused heavily on protecting residential uses and preventing commercial encroachment.

Moon said the Planning Commission then spent a full year reviewing the draft, holding 14 meetings and extensive public hearings. Their work concentrated on two major community concerns: the definition of “family” near the college and a possible expansion of the downtown revitalization district. Moon noted the commission ultimately rolled back height allowances in the existing revitalization district despite staff and solicitor advice.

Moon emphasized that Gettysburg is losing population, housing, and taxable property while surrounding townships add thousands of new homes, generating no revenue for the borough despite relying on its services. He argued that the borough must create opportunities for new housing and commercial development—particularly in the downtown core—to stabilize its tax base, avoid continual tax increases, and keep local workers living in town rather than commuting from elsewhere.

He defended the proposed expansion of the revitalization district and its height incentives, saying developers need the option of taller buildings to make projects financially viable. Moon noted that height increases would not be automatic; developers would earn them by providing community benefits such as sidewalk repair and underground parking.

Moon rejected accusations of secrecy or improper conduct, saying the process has been transparent and years in the making. He added that while many residents opposed increased height at public hearings, he personally hears significantly more support in day-to-day conversations. He stressed that the borough faces a shrinking tax base and rising costs, and that, without new development, the only alternative is service cuts or higher taxes.

Councilmember Alisha Sanders explained her vote for the zoning ordinance saying she acknowledged residents’ concerns about views, the character of downtown, and future quality of life, and said those concerns come from genuine pride in the community. However, she pushed back against calls to delay the vote until new council members take office, arguing it would be unfair to current members who have spent two years working on the ordinance.

Sanders noted that the steering committee of the 2019 Central Adams Joint Comprehensive Plan said economic development in Gettysburg should be directed to the downtown core. Taller heights are not only “consistent with the cultural and historic integrity, but also align with the overall goals of the region when viewed objectively,” she said.

Sanders stressed that updating the zoning ordinance does not disregard Gettysburg’s unique history; rather, she said it follows two centuries of planning that have balanced growth with preservation. “Our downtown, especially given that it’s an historic one, must not only be cared for, but it also must evolve communities that thrive over the long term,” she said.Chad-Alan Carr urged the borough to embrace a balanced future, arguing that preserving Gettysburg’s history requires allowing thoughtful growth. He said he knew his position was unpopular with some friends but believed it was necessary for the town’s long-term vitality.

In an emotional statment, Mayor-elect and current councilmember Chad-Alan Carr urged the borough to embrace a balanced future, arguing that preserving Gettysburg’s history requires allowing thoughtful growth. He said he knew his position was unpopular with some friends but believed it was necessary for the town’s long-term vitality.

Carr warned that historic towns die when they freeze themselves in place and become museums, and he encouraged Gettysburg to choose a middle path that protects heritage while allowing limited, strategic development. He emphasized that a few taller buildings would not harm the battlefield story or the National Park Service’s interpretation.

“A few taller buildings in carefully chosen places is not an attack on history. It is a pressure valve releases the strain that that otherwise pushes people out, pushes businesses out, and pushes development into other areas,” he said.

Carr argued that Gettysburg must stay alive, relevant, and livable for residents and workers, not become a static display. As he put it, “History doesn’t stay alive because the buildings look the same. It stays alive because the town still matters … It is not a frozen diorama.”

Carr closed by calling for unity even amid disagreement, reminding residents that Gettysburg is “a living, breathing town” that must be allowed to grow.

Councilmember Patti Lawson thanked residents, business owners, the Planning Commission, and her fellow council members for their years of work on the zoning ordinance, noting the tedious, line-by-line review council completed over the summer. She said the public input process has been important and that she appreciates her colleagues even when they disagree.

Lawson said Gettysburg must provide housing for service-industry workers, young professionals, and others who cannot currently afford to live in town. She argued that failing to do so undermines the community’s inclusiveness.

“Gettysburg’s historic character is central to its identity and economy,” said Councilmember Peter Bales. “Raising the building height limit to 72 feet would disrupt the town’s traditional skyline and weaken the historic atmosphere that attracts millions of visitors. Approving a higher limit also sets long-term precedent for denser development,” he said.

Councilmember Chris Berger said he would vote against the proposal saying there had not been a cost-benefit analysis. “There’s not enough evidence for me to forever change the skyline of Gettysburg,” he said, adding he could “not vote for added height in another zone before we even know what the station project’s going to bring us.”

Along with Moon, Carr, Lawson, Sanders, and William Mooney supported the ordinance. Bales and Berger voted against it.

The vote concludes a process that began in 2022 and involved thousands of staff and volunteer hours, multiple public meetings, and extensive public participation.

View a recording of the full council meeting here (it begins after the stormwater meeting)