The Gettysburg Planning Commission approved a subdivision request from Habitat for Humanity and continued its detailed review of the proposed Gettysburg Station redevelopment during a meeting Monday night, while extending the review deadline for the larger project by another 90 days.
The commission unanimously approved a minor subdivision at 432 and 434 S. Washington St. that will allow a duplex under construction by Habitat for Humanity to be split into two separately owned lots. Borough staff said the subdivision is needed so each side of the duplex can be sold individually, consistent with Habitat for Humanity’s ownership model.
Before approving the plan, commissioners granted a waiver allowing the project to proceed without separate preliminary and final subdivision plans, saying the project did not involve new streets or public improvements that would justify a two-step review.
The final approval was made contingent on three conditions: resolution of easement issues involving WellSpan and the borough, installation of signage reserving part of a turnaround area during snow and ice events, and completion of required signatures and seals on the recorded plans. Borough Engineer Chad Clabaugh said nearly all technical comments had been resolved, leaving only the easement agreement and related documentation outstanding.
Most of the evening focused on the proposed Gettysburg Station redevelopment, a mixed-use project that includes residential buildings, structured parking, retail space, and a relocated Rabbittransit station.
Planning Commission members, borough staff and the developer discussed the status of the review process, with Clabaugh explaining that the project has progressed from more than 70 engineering comments last year to about 30 remaining comments, including roughly 10 major items requiring discussion. Several outside agency reviews—including PennDOT, the Adams County Conservation District, the borough’s Stormwater Authority, the Gettysburg Municipal Authority, the fire department, and the Historic Architectural Review Board—are also nearing completion.
Commission member Charles Strauss questioned how the project has evolved over the past year and emphasized that the Planning Commission is only now beginning its own substantive review after borough staff and outside agencies worked through many of the technical issues. Borough officials said the commission’s role is to provide unified direction on planning matters while allowing technical reviews to continue among the various agencies.
Much of the discussion centered on landscaping requirements. The developer has requested several waivers because the parking garage and high-density design leave less room for trees than required by the borough’s subdivision and land development ordinance. Commissioners encouraged the developer to explore adding several more trees along the bicycle trail bordering the site and discussed whether additional canopy trees could help offset the requested waivers. No action was taken on the landscaping waivers Monday night.
The commission also reviewed concerns about pedestrian access through the parking garage, accessibility requirements, bus circulation around the transit center, fencing, and architectural details that will accompany future plan submissions. Borough staff said some issues remain conceptual and will be addressed during subsequent engineering and building-code reviews.
Recognizing that additional work remains, the developer requested—and the commission approved—a 90-day extension of the review period through Oct. 19. Commissioners said the extra time would allow members to submit additional questions, the applicant to respond, and outside agency reviews to continue before any final action is considered.
The commission also briefly discussed proposed updates to Gettysburg’s subdivision and land development ordinance, including reducing paper submission requirements by allowing more electronic plan reviews and exploring ways to simplify the approval process for smaller development projects.