Executive Summary

Development Pipeline

Industrial & Large-Scale Projects

Entitlement Risk

Approval Patterns

• Procedural Workarounds: The Borough uses specific development agreements to bypass "chicken and egg" logistical hurdles, such as allowing demolition or relocation to proceed while subdivision recording is finalized .
• Standardized Maintenance: Approvals are increasingly contingent on developers assuming long-term ownership of infrastructure; the School District recently agreed to maintain all stormwater pipes under Lefever Street to resolve 7-year-old permit issues .

Denial Patterns

• Maintenance Liability: Projects proposing "Manage Release Concept" (MRC) stormwater systems face extreme scrutiny due to sediment build-up risks and potential long-term financial liability for the Borough .
• Technical Non-Compliance: Plans are deferred when they fail to align with "complete street" principles or when they present auto-oriented designs in pedestrian-heavy overlays .

Zoning Risk

• SALDO Modernization: The current 1990s-era SALDO is being rewritten to incorporate modern lighting, online permitting, and better financial security mechanisms for landscaping .
• Zoning-to-SALDO Shift: Officials plan to move certain design components out of the zoning ordinance and into the SALDO to streamline infrastructure requirements .

Political Risk

• Preservation vs. Progress: Council recently rejected a HARB recommendation to expand the Seminary Ridge Historic District, citing concerns that additional regulation would hinder the modernization of the public library .
• New Administration: Mayor Chad Allen Carr has completed his first month, focusing on community outreach and establishing regular "office hours" to increase transparency .

Community Risk

• Legal/Safety Challenges: Residents have organized against the Gettysburg Station transit loop, alleging that bus traffic in narrow alleys violates the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code regarding through-traffic in alleys .
• Infrastructure Impact: Community concerns focus on the effectiveness of snow removal on side streets and the impact of utility-driven road degradation .

Procedural Risk

• Traffic Study Bottlenecks: PennDOT approval for revised traffic impact studies can take several months, often requiring new field counts if initial data was collected during atypical events like parades .
• Inter-Agency Delays: Projects are frequently tabled due to missing comments from the County Planning Office or the Stormwater Authority .

Key Stakeholders

Council Voting Patterns

• Efficiency Advocates: The Council has shown unanimous support for staff-led initiatives to rewrite the SALDO in-house to reduce development friction .
• Skeptical Preservationists: While HARB remains aggressive in proposing new districts, the Council currently acts as a "pressure valve," prioritizing institutional growth over expanded historic oversight .

Key Officials & Positions

• John Whitmore (Planning Director): Leading the SALDO update; emphasizes the need for electronic review and modern design standards .
• Chad Clabaugh (Borough Engineer): The primary technical gatekeeper; highly critical of complex stormwater systems and deficient traffic studies .
• Charles Gable (Borough Manager): Manages the "Sixth and Final" BUILD grant application for Baltimore Street and oversees waste hauler transitions .

Active Developers & Consultants

• Timothy Harrison: Navigating significant technical pushback on the Gettysburg Station project .
• Simr LLC: Actively revising townhome designs to meet "complete street" and courtyard-style preferences .
• Waste Connections: Recently selected as the lowest responsible bidder for the Borough’s waste contract, starting April 2026 .

Analysis & Strategic Insights

Industrial & Large-Scale Momentum

There is a clear "stalling" of major projects like Gettysburg Station and Simrat due to a more rigorous technical review process by the Borough Engineer and Stormwater Authority . Developers should expect 40+ technical comments on initial submissions and plan for multi-month delays if PennDOT-required traffic studies are found deficient .

Probability of Approval

• Minor Subdivisions: High; the Planning Commission is moving these to review quickly when tied to previously approved projects .
• High-Density Mixed Use: Moderate-Low; while the zoning permits it, the "procedural gauntlet" of stormwater liability and alley-access legality creates high risk .
• Infill/Modernization: High; the Council's refusal to expand the historic district at Seminary Ridge suggests a path for modern institutional projects .

Emerging Regulatory Tightening

The SALDO update (scheduled for completion by August 2026) will likely tighten requirements for financial securities related to landscaping to ensure dying plants are replaced, while simultaneously loosening procedural friction via online permitting .

Strategic Recommendations

• Stormwater Strategy: Avoid "Manage Release Concept" (MRC) systems in favor of simpler, soil-amendment-based infiltration to satisfy the Engineer's concerns regarding municipal maintenance .
• Traffic Timing: Ensure traffic counts for Impact Studies are not conducted during parades or special events, as this is currently a primary cause for PennDOT-related deferrals .
• Upcoming Watch Items: The March 2026 Planning Commission meeting will be a critical bellwether for the revised Simr LLC designs and the formal start of the SALDO drafting process .