Gettysburg Borough may have a new zoning law by the end of the year. The borough council voted unanimously on Monday to hold a public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m., Oct. 27 in the borough chambers on High Street.
The complete proposal can be viewed at www.gettysburgpa.gov/rezoning. Solicitor Harry Eastman said the October hearing sets the proposal up for possible advertisement in November and approval in December. Borough Council President Matthew Moon said delaying the vote would require at least two newly elected council members to become knowledgeable on the proposal after they take their seats in January.
The rezoning process began several years ago when a working group of citizens and consulting firm Michael Baker International drafted a proposal. That proposal was then sent to the borough’s planning commission, which held several public meetings and listened to hours of public comment. The planning commission’s version was then sent to the borough council, which will have final say over the document.
The draft divides Gettysburg into three zoning districts — residential, mixed-use, and special — each of which has at least three subdistricts. The law outlines what is allowed in each district and subdistrict.
Advertising a public hearing does not mean the proposal is final. Monday night, council members continued to give input on the document. Moon proposed that vape stores not be allowed in the Old Town district, which is mostly located in and around Lincoln Square, because those stores stock lithium-ion batteries and many properties include apartments on upper levels. Additionally, Moon said, Old Town is more likely to have buildings constructed with old timber.
“A lithium-ion fire in Olde Town could be devastating, potentially to an entire block,” Moon said.
Pennsylvania Zoning law mandates a municipality provide zoning for every type of business, which Gettysburg does for vape stores by permitting them in commercial districts. Council members expressed support for Moon’s revision.
Process Update
Eastman told the council that the Historic Architectural Review Board’s rules do not jive with state guidelines.
Eastman said HARB requires a “super majority” of four members to vote favorably on a project before it is recommended to council for approval. The state requires a simple majority of 50% plus one, or three of the five members.
Eastman recommended the council make the changes when their workload allows but added that in the meantime, HARB should follow state guidelines.
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.