Gettysburg Borough Council rejected a proposal at its business meeting yesterday to temporarily allow outdoor alcohol consumption during November’s Lincoln at Gettysburg commemoration, following objections from organizers and concerns about public safety, resident input, and the time available to establish rules.
The proposal would have directed preparation of a resolution for council’s Nov. 9 meeting setting conditions for alcohol sales, possession and consumption on designated public property. Discussion centered on the Nov. 16–19 commemoration and its relationship to Main Street Gettysburg’s separate Live on Lincoln Square concert Nov. 20.
The motion failed on a voice vote; no numerical tally was announced. Main Street Gettysburg’s state-issued special occasion permit for the Friday concert would remain in effect.
Wendy Allen, president of the Lincoln Fellowship of Pennsylvania, told council the fellowship opposed an open-container program during the four-day historical event, which it is producing and funding.
“We want this to remain an event that is respectful to the commemorative and educational nature of what we are about to observe,” Allen said.
Allen also asked officials to distinguish the commemoration from the Friday concert and to remove “festival” from the proposed motion. Fellowship board member Rosalie Moore similarly urged council to preserve the educational character of programming honoring Lincoln’s visit and the soldiers buried at Gettysburg.
Main Street Gettysburg President Jill Sellers said the request came from downtown businesses preparing to serve visitors during an extended road closure. Restaurants would need to provide food and beverages to people attending the week’s activities, she said.
“We’re not trying to create a party atmosphere,” Sellers said.
Sellers disputed the suggestion that planning for the commemoration and concert had proceeded independently, saying the events shared infrastructure and had developed through years of coordination among local organizations and government agencies.
Council members expressed differing views. One supported a limited trial, citing business interest and the police chief’s assessment that it would not create a major additional burden. Others raised concerns about underage drinking, litter, public drunkenness and the effect on downtown residents.
Several members said the roughly two weeks since the workshop discussion had not provided enough time to gather public input or settle operating details. Borough Solicitor Harry Eastman said council would need to establish the proposed program’s parameters before he could prepare a resolution.
In other business, council approved a Historic Architectural Review Board recommendation for demolition of the General Pickett’s Buffet building and associated parking lot at 585 Steinwehr Ave.
The American Battlefield Trust application includes installation of four benches, two monument signs and a 9-by-12-foot viewing area.
Council also approved limited free holiday parking under its memorandum of understanding with the Gettysburg Area Retail Merchants Association.
The arrangement runs from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day, with free parking from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at designated spaces on Lincoln Square and in the first blocks of Baltimore, York, Carlisle and Chambersburg streets and Steinwehr Avenue. Normal parking charges remain in effect Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
During discussion, a council member asked parking staff to consider removing or covering free-parking signs on weekends to reduce confusion.
Public Works Director Rob Harbaugh announced fall brush collection for Oct. 26–30. Crews will make two passes through the borough that week. Residents should place brush on top of the curb, rather than in the street, and keep leaves and grass clippings separate.
Leaf collection will begin in November and continue through the end of the year. Harbaugh urged residents to keep leaves out of streets to prevent clogged storm drains.
Borough Engineer Chad Claybaugh reported that bids for the East Water Street project are scheduled to open Nov. 3. He also said discussions with Gettysburg College continue over the direction of one-way traffic proposed for the Gettysburg Inner Loop Phase B1 project. The college favors westbound traffic, while an eastbound option was discussed at council’s workshop.
Council appointed registered architect Heather Ross to the Historic Architectural Review Board to complete an unexpired term ending in August 2030.