I moved here from Prince George’s County Maryland two years ago and live in the impact area of this Entertainment complex proposed by Cali Entertainment. We have no public water and and also have no lands set aside for our own public enjoyment in Cumberland Township. Further, our neighbors in Freedom township nor did the residents of this township, envision ANYTHING on this scale could go in when considering Mixed Use. Folks down here on this end are a bit more pragmatic than “radical preservationists or environmentalists.” If you took the time to review where the Mixed Use applies and the tracts of land up to the ending of the designation (which is right up to the boundary line – sorry guys) this project IS a threat. Note: I have ancestors that fought on this field, real ones not pretend ones18 times removed. I love this place. I also spent the first 10 years of my working life working for Developers. I know all their tricks – some projects were great and some stunk – they made money on them all and left out on to the next deal. So, if you think this isn’t a problem….you think again. They will start that munching sound and they won’t stop. Remember, Dr. Martin Niemoller…..when you casually thrust this aside as being inevitable. Windy fatalism? I love this place, I love what re-enactors do, Mr. Bearss is a God and this waterpark idea stinks. How about a bit more than typical Pennsyltucky mentality here…how about working together with landowners wanting to sell, helping solicit buyers that will build to suit for us, eh? I just think that folks NEED to plan ahead and not be taken “by the tail” when an idea is pitched that doesn’t conform to the ordinances and requires this much of a nightmare to wend through and so much angst for everyone. No formal studies have been done as to water, septic or environmental impact yet. the traffic study was done, laughingly in the first week of May, Tuesday the strips went out, Sunday they were gone – THIS is the data they used at two different sections of Emmitsburg Road to conclude the “traffic will be managable”….So, as we move on…The Ling farm is a casualty now – as is their right they took advantage of an “offer they couldn’t refuse” – their farm site will be a parking lot. It’s on the plans in the township offices, Fairfield Road. Yeah, out with the old and in with the new, right? That’s how history is made. Sad that with so much non profit type of businesses here…this has to be the means to the ends…the volumninous non profits are costing the other business owners in profits going to taxes they should be bearing – this is what the commercial community states so…here we are….lets’ build something that we don’t have the infrastructure for from an entity that has never done such a venture in their corporate lives 🙂 Yeah…it’s a good thing. sure. right.
Stephanie ~

I agree with you wholeheartedly, although I will say this: it seems to me that the Camp Letterman site was bound to be developed sooner or later. It also had little to do with the actual battle; what happened there was post-battle. Consequently, I don’t feel particularly strongly about its preservation. If it was bound to be developed sooner or later, why wasn’t that site chosen for the new visitor’s center? It might not have been preserved perfectly, but at least some of it would have been preserved in a fashion that emphasized its historic past, and it would not have placed the new visitor’s center on important battlefield ground in the form of Kinzie’s Knoll. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I try to be pragmatic about this stuff.

And you’re very welcome. Feel free to join in the discussions here whenever you like.

Eric

I very much appreciated the message. I personally get upset when I find preservationists who are against every development proposal, and waste their time fighting meaningless battles when there are real ones that need to be looked into.

This water park is several miles from the Battlefield and town. It is near Route 15 which will minimize traffic problems, though as with any development I hate what it does to the local roads. The site does not represent any historic events that I am aware of. Also I cannot find any viewscape that it really destroys, so I do not understand what preservationists find so horrible. I will agree that the project should be watched to make sure it will not get out of hand (e.g. the size should be less than the 200 acres, it should be indoor and limited in height, and I do not understand the need for a 7000 seat concert hall). But these are things that can be negotiated and the water park can be made a positive part of the Gettysburg experience.

I have heard so much in the preservation community about this water park (which is not on historic land), and the preservationists are spending all their capital on this red herring. All the while a real tragedy is taking place, the building of a Target and a housing development on Camp Letterman. Camp Letterman is a real, historic site in Gettysburg, and it will soon be lost forever. All the while preservationist are fighting the water park.

If preservationists want to fight, fight over something that means something (Camp Letterman). These useless, inane battles to stop any development are wastes of time and resources. Development will happen, and rather than opposing every instance of it, preservation needs to have a place at the table. But while preservations are fighting these battles against any development which will be lost in the long run, we are losing an important piece of history. It just completely frustrates to me.

Thank you for letting me state this on your blog.

🙂 See you in Gettysburg next week.:)

Steve

🙂

J.D.

It may be that the area needs a better grade of employment than would be found at such a facility, but there are always young people looking for their first job who would fit the bill as employees. Better to have them learn the value of a dollar than sit at home playing video games.

And then there is the fact that tourists might come and, by extension, get to see the battlefield and gain – as an earlier poster remarked – an appreciation for history.

All of the above is a good thing. The bad thing is this: if not an indoor water park, then WHAT? If you think that the water park would be a burden on the infrastructure, try a few hundred houses and see that that gets you! Or what about some factory whose appearance and product might cause the locals to long for the good old days of water parks and even casinos?

We would all like the open spaces to remain open, but if that’s not going to happen, then it is wise to consider the alternatives to what is being proposed. It just could be that the next ‘option’ is worse than the last.

Go back and read most of those posts. Wouldn’t just about all of them permit the casino? I believe the bottom line on the casino was not the battlefield, but the lack of revenue it would provide the state – it was one of the smallest, if not the smallest, casino presented and would have lost major dollars to Maryland when they legalize their casinos. The battlefield impact was relevant, but not nearly as much as some think it was.

In PA, each township MUST provide an area for any activity that is legal – whether it’s a casino or a water park. That’s state law.

Now, my opinion on the water park. Adams County’s latest unemployment reprot was 3.9%. That’s full employment by any economic measure. Therefore, I’m not buying the jobs issue. If we get jobs around here, we don’t need them to be minimum wage ticket takers and ride operators – we need skilled and technical jobs. The park would likely generate large real estate and amusement tax revenues – which would be offset at least in part by increased demand on the township’s infrastructure.

As for NIMBY – if it were in my back yard – I’d be fighting it in a big way.

Regards,

Phil
I

There is certainly a lot more historically significant ground that’s been lost to developement with barely a whimper. Personally I think this should be up to the folks who live nearly to decide if they want it there or not. Otherwise there are hundreds of miles that saw something of the Gettysburg campaign that need to be reclaimed and restored. It’s just not realistic.

The possibility that “other” attractions to Gettysburg might spark interest in the study of the battle is also a great point that’s worth considering. I know a family here in Maine that was visiting relatives and Hershey Park and only went to Gettysburg because it was relatively close and they needed a break from the amusement park. They ended up becoming serious students of the Civil War and now make a CW related trip every year.

Mike