A proposed development cleared one step of the approval process and the 2025 Gettysburg Borough Budget passed during the council’s final meeting of the year on Monday. The approvals followed an almost 45-minute public comment period.
Gettysburg Station Project
The council voted 6-1, with Peter Bales in opposition, to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to the 63-foot, 7-story building proposed for North Stratton Street. The vote affirmed the borough’s Historic Architectural Review Board’s Nov. 20 recommendation.
Before the vote, Bales told his colleagues that he believes the height and mass of the project challenges the historic integrity of the borough. The project’s height is allowed under a 2018 zoning revision that allows for building heights up to 72 feet, plus an additional 12 feet for mechanical structures.
Other council members commended developer Tim Harrison’s willingness to listen to the council and the public’s concerns about the project. Councilmember Patti Lawson noted Harrison’s positive reputation in Lancaster.
Councilmember Alisha Sanders, a lifetime resident of Gettysburg, echoed Lawson’s comments and said the council must provide opportunities for future generations.
“This project is long overdue and much needed,” she said.
Council President Matthew Moon said he believes denying the project will push more development opportunities into the surrounding townships. He reminded the crowd that the Gettysburg Hotel received a height variance in the 1990s, and its redevelopment created economic opportunities for the downtown.
“We need population density and we need to grow our tax base,” he said.
While council members heavily favored the project, public comment swayed in the opposite direction with only one speaker expressing support. Moon initially limited public comment to 30 minutes but then extended it to 42 at Lawson’s request. Each speaker was given four minutes at the podium.
Peggy Rock, a resident of East Broadway, claimed HARB’s review was improper. Rock said she spoke to a staff member of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office who told her that HARB could have denied the application despite the zoning law.
Susan Cipperly questioned why Harrison was allowed to add 12 additional feet onto his building as an incentive for building a transit center with restrooms when the current plans call for a canopy with seating and no restrooms. Borough Manager Charles Gable said the restrooms were eliminated at the request of the Rabbittransit. Cipperly also claimed supporters of the project are recent residents.
“Didn’t they know it was a town drenched in history when they decided to move here?” she said.
Lynda Taylor, of East Lincoln, encouraged the council to postpone the vote on the Certificate of Appropriateness until the formation of a cost-benefit statement. Sharon Monahan, of West Broadway, noted that Gettysburg National Military Park and Gettysburg Foundation opposed the project during the HARB meeting.
“As it is so transformed, Gettysburg will no longer be an authentic community,” Monahan said.
Susan Naugle, of Red Patch Avenue, told the council she opposed the increase height proposal when she was council president in 2018.
Naugle said she supports HARB’s recommendation and believes the proposed exterior design includes elements that reflect the historic character of Gettysburg’s downtown.
The Certificate of Appropriateness is only one step of the development process. Harrison will next present his plan to the borough’s planning commission.
Budget
With no discussion, the council unanimously passed the 2025 budget, which includes a 9 percent tax increase. The council deliberated the budget during numerous public workshops that attracted no members of the public.
As of Jan. 1, the property tax rate will be 4.5566 mills on each dollar of real estate assessed valuation. The occupational tax remains 30 mills and the fire protection services tax remains 0.50 mills.
During public comment, Ridge Avenue resident and Gettysburg Connection Publisher Charles Stangor encouraged the council to publish budget proposals on the borough website throughout the deliberation process. The borough publishes the draft budget, once approved by the council, 10 days before adoption as required by law. Stangor noted that the working documents are shown during meetings, but those presentations are often difficult to read.
Stangor also encouraged the council to fund Community Media airings of its Planning Commission meetings as the appointed body works through rezoning and the Gettysburg Station project. Private citizens are currently paying Community Media to air the meetings.
“You would definitely display a commitment to transparency if you would do that,” Stangor said.
Shelley Knouse agreed, noting the 10-day advertisement period included the Thanksgiving holiday and two weekends. Knouse suggested the council reduce the borough staff’s benefit package to avoid the tax increase. She said she also believes a $10,000 expenditure for a visit to Gettysburg’s Sister City of Sekigahara, Gifu Prefecture, Japan and donations to several nonprofit organizations should be eliminated to fund the airing of Planning Commission Meetings.
Police officers
The borough also approved recommendations from Police Chief Robert Glenny to extend employment offers to entry-level patrol officer candidate Anthony Harris and police cadet candidate Austin Kane.
Harris is a captain in the Air Force Reserves who currently works part-time for the police department. Kane is a Marine Corps veteran who works in the Gettysburg Hospital Security Department, Glenny said.
During public comment, Sarah Kipp, of Baltimore Street, encouraged the council to support the 30×30 initiative, which aims to increase the number of women in law enforcement. Kipp noted the initiative states that 14 percent of active officers and 20 percent of recruits are women. Gettysburg currently has no female officers.
Lawson said Glenny has been trying to diversify the police force and hopes his efforts will continue. Carr noted the borough is paying Kane to attend the police academy and will partially support his tuition if he is successful. He hopes women will take advantage of the program in the future.
“Over the past 18 months, the mayor and the chief have worked aggressively to find candidates of color, female candidates, diverse candidates,” Moon said. “We have not turned away any applicants.”
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.
The area should be a Park. With Trees, Water features, Benches, small Pergola for band and public speakers, gravity fed Fountain, a connected walking Trail throughout Gettysburg, Racehorse/Zerfing/Court Alley Greenway. No conversation of Climate Change-the Heat Island effect/ runoff from the MASSIVE Deluges of rain that are coming. What a HUGE Blunder of myopic vision with total disregard of not only what is coming but that which Does and Will draw TOURISM to Gettysburg. Nobody comes to town to see an apartment complex.. in fact that is a Repellent to tourists. Attached is my video from there in August 2023… Read more »
I attended the 2nd budget workshop to urge they reconsider their decision not to fund the broadcast of the Planning Commission meetings during 2025, which I had realized by watching the video of the first workshop. Two other people were there, and received at least part of their request — but no funding for PC broadcasts. I stayed for part of the discussion of the police budget, because that’s always a bit controversial, but my head started to ache when Matt Moon had to challenge Chief Glenny about the population of Gettysburg. Glenny was using US Census data (about 7,200)… Read more »
So much for community input
Give me a call at (717) 321-3053 if you want to consider the attorney who can help. Nate Wolf is 10/10 in defending our rights in New Oxford.
Mr. Gable made a very misleading comment as moving the transit station with public restrooms is not optional. It is not Rabbittransit’s decision. The ordinance requires that the transit station be moved with public restrooms in order to qualify for an additional 12 feet of height to the main building..
Mr. Gable should have known that, since he was instrumental in designing the extended height incentives in the 2018 ordinance revision. If the transit folks don’t want anything except a canopy and benches, then the Railroad Building height just needs to be reduced to 60 feet instead of 72. The developer would still get to build on the former Transit Station site after it is razed. What a waste, though.