Gettysburg Station Project Further Explained

By Save Historic Gettysburg Inc.

In a recent letter, Gettysburg Borough Council President Matt Moon presented a history and defense of the Gettysburg Station Project.  There are a number of inaccuracies in the article that we feel need to be addressed. 

After explaining the history of the project and commenting on current public resistance to it, Mr. Moon concludes that the property rights of the developer are at this point inviolable, implying that the Project is now essentially beyond the control of the Borough or its citizens.  But these property rights are not absolute and unconditional. There are procedures to be followed and requirements to be met.  HARB did not follow its prescribed review guidelines, and the council voted it through anyway. Now we watch as the land development plan is reviewed by the Planning Commission.

It is important for the residents of the borough and all stakeholders to know, as explained on the borough website, that “final development plan approval is vested with the Planning Commission – a notable difference from other planning commission approval processes across the state, where planning commissions are advisory bodies and final development plan approval is vested with the legislative body.” 

The role of the Planning Commission is to analyze all of the Land Development Plan studies: Traffic studies from PennDOT and the developer, Water and Stormwater Plans, Conservation District Analysis,  Wastewater requirements,  PEMA and FEMA analysis due to the proximity of the residential project to the railway carrying hazardous materials,  Gas and Oil Contamination, vegetation commitments, any geotechnical report & proposal based on the complex soil & high water table from November to May and numerous other studies. Where the details of the project reveal issues, the Planning Commission may require that the plans be changed. All of this is much more comprehensive than Mr. Moon’s suggestion that the Planning Commission’s role is to determine that the “ordinance is observed, and that the applicant’s rights are upheld.”

But that is not all. 

According to the Gettysburg borough website, “The Commission provides leadership in the management of growth and change of the economy, ecology, and environment of Gettysburg.”     

The Planning Commission meetings should be carefully watched by the public.  You can be sure the borough Manager and Council President will be watching on the Community Media website (where the video recordings of the meeting have had to be privately funded despite borough leadership’s constant false claim of transparency) or from the back row of Council Chambers, pressuring the Planning Commission members to push this project through as the other borough entities have done. 

The “Save Historic Gettysburg” yard signs appearing all around the borough and its outskirts reflect the growing opposition to this project as awareness spreads.  But opposition to the project is not new.  For months and months in 2018, the council and many community stakeholders argued vehemently over the attempt to increase the height restrictions for the Station Project lot.  And when the time came, the council, by just one vote, allowed the increased height.  

Seven years have passed since that vote. The original proposal that was presented to and accepted by the Adams County Industrial Development Authority included a boutique hotel, apartments, and retail space reportedly at a height of 48 feet.  The boutique hotel is no longer part of the developer’s plan.  Over time, the developer has offered numerous variations on the apartment plans. The retail space included a high-end restaurant, but at a later meeting, the developer suggested a Dollar Store with groceries and also considered a food court with an arcade. We do not know what is going into this space. Concerns have been raised about similar high-rise developments in communities such as State College, where first-floor retail space has been left empty with windows covered. Yet borough leadership keeps ushering the plans forward.

The 2018 ordinance includes specific requirements, approvable by the Zoning Hearing Board, to obtain extra height beyond 48 feet.  These Special Exceptions are an if/then situation.  If certain actions are met, then additional height is granted. 

Two special exceptions were approved by the Zoning Hearing Board granting (1) 12 extra feet of height for destruction of the current Transit Station with public restrooms on Carlisle Street and replacement of it with a new transit station with public restrooms on North Stratton Street and (2) 12 extra feet of height to build a section of the Inner Loop bike trail across the property.  This would bring the largest building in the project to 72 feet.  If the requirements are not met, then the building would have to be shorter.

The transit station rebuild with public restrooms has not been shown in any detail on the current plans and it has not been reviewed by HARB.   But the extra height is still being shown. What impact does this have on the Planning Commission review and on the approvals that have already taken place?  A Zoning Hearing Board Special Exception decision may not be revised by the Planning Commission or the borough council. 

Until the first shovel of dirt turns over between Carlisle and Stratton Streets, it is possible to influence the Station Project plans.  The Planning Commission review is one way. 

As currently presented, the Station Project is not right for Gettysburg.   The questionable amount of taxes that will be generated by the Station Project will make very little positive difference for borough taxpayers.  Our borough finances are deliberately opaque and convoluted.  Any increased tax revenue will disappear into the 400-page budget and be spent.   If the 186 units were to be fully occupied, there could be several hundred people or more living downtown, plus visitors to the supposed retail space. Would this project result in the requirement for additional borough administrative, public works or other staff or additional police?  Has the borough ever conducted a cost-benefit analysis for this project?  Harming our tourism economy will have a far greater negative economic impact on Gettysburg taxpayers.  And if the project fails or is not fully occupied, the borough also could be left with a significant financial burden.

Where is the imagination of our borough leadership?  The 2019 Central Adams County Joint Comprehensive Plan encourages new neighborhood parks.  The property could include green space, the inner loop bike trail, and event space instead of our current unacceptable situation of closing down streets and blocking Lincoln Square for festivals, which creates traffic nightmares and damages businesses. 

This setting would be perfect for the Adams County Public Library or another use allowed by zoning that would actually benefit our community.

The developer, Tim Harrison, says he has been led to believe that the Station Project is something that the community wants.  But how well has our community been represented to him? Don’t let a few local bureaucrats and an out-of-state developer, whom they sought out, permanently ruin Gettysburg.  It is our responsibility to preserve the historical experience of this community for future generations.

It is not too late. Don’t be fooled.  Don’t be bullied.   Put out your yard sign. Watch the Planning Commission. They meet on the third Monday of each month, and the next meeting is June 16th.   It’s not a done deal.  

Save Historic Gettysburg Inc. is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to achieving a balance between preservation and development, one that enhances our community without compromising its historical integrity.  savehistoricgettysburg@gmail.com