Zachary Eckert, owner of Spectra-Kote Coatings at 301 E. Water St., and Yanni Barakas of Mason Dixon Distillery voiced concerns at Monday’s Planning Commission meeting about the proposed Simrat LLC housing project at 351 E. Water St. Both said residential development adjacent to manufacturing and industrial operations could create future conflicts over noise, truck traffic, and operating hours.
Planning Commission members noted the housing use is permitted under current zoning regulations and encouraged the business owners to raise concerns with Borough Council as well. Commissioners suggested the developer consider soundproofing measures and acknowledged the comments would become part of the public record.
The commission also approved an extension until Aug. 17 for the Simtra LLC project, saying engineering work and outside agency reviews are continuing and that the project remains active. The proposed project would add 10 townhouse style housing units.
Gettysburg Station traffic impacts reviewed
The commission granted an extension until Aug. 17 for the Gettysburg Station project at 108 N. Stratton St. Before approving the extension, borough engineer Chad Clabaugh presented an analysis of the project’s traffic study. He reported that the development would add only 38 vehicle trips during the busiest Saturday peak hour, increasing delay at the Stratton and Water streets intersection from 7.6 seconds to 7.8 seconds. Clabaugh characterized the impact as insignificant, noting PennDOT standards would allow substantially more delay before mitigation would be required. Commissioners said the review provided useful context for ongoing public discussions about the project.
Major SALDO review begins
Much of the meeting focused on a discussion of the borough’s SALDO, the ordinance governing subdivisions and land development. Borough Planning Director John Whitmore described the ordinance as a collection of requirements dealing with land division, development standards, infrastructure, and public improvements. He outlined several areas that may warrant updates, including landscaping, lighting, noise mitigation, stormwater management, floodplain impacts, developer agreements, maintenance guarantees, and administrative procedures for minor subdivisions.
Commission members discussed recurring concerns about landscaping requirements, sidewalk completion, lot consolidations, reverse subdivisions, and conditional approvals that remain unresolved for years. There was also discussion about whether some topics—such as landscaping, lighting, and sidewalks—might be better addressed through standalone ordinances rather than within the SALDO itself. Officials emphasized that the review will take several months and that public participation is encouraged.
Commissioners also received an update on a Habitat for Humanity subdivision proposal on South Washington Street, which is awaiting a zoning variance hearing scheduled for July 29.
Public comment
Alana Anderson of @Home in Adams County invited commissioners to attend a July 16 community discussion on housing insecurity and community safety organized with the Gettysburg Ministerium. She also praised recent adaptive reuse projects in the borough, including the Hopkins House museum restoration. Anderson encouraged continued public engagement in planning discussions.
