After over a year of discussion and after having received comments from dozens of community members, the Gettysburg Borough Council voted Monday to allow outdoor events venues, including one to be located at the former Gettysburg Academy building at the corner of W. High and S. Washington streets.
The vote was split 4 to 3 with Chad-Alan Carr, Judith Butterfield, John Lawver, and Patti Lawson voting in favor and Council President Wes Heyser, Vice President Matt Moon, and Chris Berger voting against the ordinance.
In addition to those who given comments at prior meetings, over a dozen residents expressed their views, both before and against the proposal, before the vote.
The ordinance is the result of a proposal from the High St. building’s owner, Scott English. But, in part because the borough expects to receive more event center applications, the ordinance also provides for their potential creation in other areas of the borough.
According to the document, the zoning allows the “commercial use of a building and related facilities for the purpose of leasing the same on a temporary basis for private functions, meetings, cultural or celebratory events or gatherings, family events or gatherings, artistic, educational, and similar functions.”
The ordinance permits event venues “by right” in the Elm Street Overlay District, the Old Town District, the Tourist Commercial District, and the General Commercial District. Event venues are permitted, but only by special exception, in the R-1A preservation residential district, the residential office district, and the Residential Office Redevelopment District
The final decision follows an extended series of public discussions among the council members as well as private conversations among the council members and individual members of the public.
Although the council members spent many meetings during 2022 extensively considering a variety of regulations that could be put in place, the final document deleted most of these. The ordinance does limit the maximum attendance for outdoor events to 100 people including staff, and requires that all outdoor activities including cleanup stop by 11:00 p.m.
Councilmembers expressed concern that they could not come to consensus but indicated that it had not been possible.
Before the vote, Butterfield thanked the many residents and concerned neighbors who had spoken.
“It’s been a lot of meetings,” said Carr. “I think everyone understands that sometimes you just cannot please everyone. Even when we don’t agree, we can still listen to each other’s opinions.”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so torn in terms of decision-making,” said Lawson. You want to reach consensus; you want to find collaboration; and that’s been difficult with this. Lawson encouraged neighbors to reach out to each other. “I think we’re all coming together,” she said.
Heyser said the ordinance had “considerably less restrictions than we were discussing in the winter of this past year.” He said that much of the decision-making related to the definition of mixed-use planning, and noted that the ordinance will allow applications at multiple properties across the borough.
“I know some of the members of the public at times have been frustrated because it seems that people’s minds have changed. I would have to tell you that that’s how this functions,” he said.
Moon said the proposed ordinance was permissive, and even more permissive than what the applicant had originally asked for. “It’s not in line with the recommendation of [the borough’s] planning commission or the county’s. When push comes to shove what’s being done here is adding a commercial use in a residential neighborhood,” he said.
The council also unanimously approved a zoning amendment that reclassified 49 properties located along and adjacent to the northwestern side of Johns Avenue and the southeastern side of Highland Avenue from their current Tourist Commercial classification to R-1 Low-Density Residential.
Heyser said he thought the original zoning, which was completed in 2007 or 2008, was probably in error and that he did not believe the area fit into the Tourist Commercial zoning.
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.