The Township recently hired Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, Inc. to review the township’s four municipal historic districts to determine why the districts were established.  In doing so, the consultant provided their recommendation as to whether the current district boundary for each respective district should remain as is, be dissolved, or if its borders should be redrawn based on the criteria in which the district was established.  

The Reassessment Report prepared by Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, Inc. can be found here.  The Report recommends restructuring the district boundaries for the Shepherdstown Municipal Historic District.  A comparison map showing the existing and recommended boundary lines can be found here.

HARB provided recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.  They recommended Rosegarden, Trout Run, and Yellow Breeches Historic Districts remain as is.  They recommended the Shepherdstown Historic District be remapped as suggested by Navarro & Wright, but to include 239, 301, and 303 Gettysburg Pike in the district.  HARB’s recommendations were presented to the Board of Commissioners on November 16, 2022.   

Update: The Board of Commissioners discussed the different historic districts during their November 16, 2022 and December 21, 2022 meetings.  The Board of Commissioners has provided direction on how to proceed with amending the Shepherdstown Historic District boundary, and clarifying the Yellow Breeches Historic District boundary.  The Township will begin working on updates to Chapter 155, to include a new historic district map.  Information will continue to be posted to this page as it becomes available.  

If you live in the Shepherdstown or Yellow Breeches district and have information regarding the history of your home that you would like to share, please contact Jennifer Boyer at jboyer@uatwp.org.  The information could be used to assist with the creation of specific criteria for your district.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: At this time, no action has been taken to dissolve any of the districts nor remove any properties from the districts.  If your property is currently within one of the four official historic districts, then you are required to seek a Certificate of Appropriateness for most improvements to the exterior of your property.  This requires review by the HARB and the Board of Commissioners.  Please contact the Community Development Department if you are unsure as to whether your property is in one of our districts, or to discuss your next project idea!

First Posted: 10/05/22
Last Updated: 12/22/22

The Township is considering amending its regulations regarding signs.  The Township's sign regulations have not been completely updated since 2006.  This ordinance amendment seeks to incorporate new best practices, along with appropriate provisions from federal and state court decisions involving signage. This ordinance amendment  also incorporates additional and modern definitions for signs and sign-related material, and incorporates the use of some images and charts to better explain regulations.  The sign regulations would apply to all permanent and temporary signs.  

Draft Ordinance:

Sign Ordinance-Draft 06/23

Sign Ordinance-Draft 08/23

Sign Ordinance-Draft 01/24

Comparison Chart-Draft 01/24

Sign Ordinance-Draft 03/24

Comparison Chart-Draft 03/24

Sign Ordinance-Draft-Final 05/24

Comparison Chart-Draft 05/24

The draft ordinance proposes to repeal and replace Article 18 within the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 245).  

There will be opportunities to discuss the ordinance during the public meeting and public hearing process.  Public meeting/public hearing dates and times will be posted as they become known.  

Planning Commission meeting: Discussed 07/31/23.  Discussion to continue on 08/28/23.  Recommended conditional approval on 08/28/23.

Board of Commissioners meeting:  Discussion on 09/20/23.  No public hearing date set.  Additional time provided for public comments.  Additional meeting held on 03/06/24.  Discussion of final draft.  Additional meeting  held on 05/01/24 to review final amendments and establish a public hearing date.

Public Hearing Date:  06/19/24 at 4:00 p.m.

First Posted: 06/22/23
Last Updated: 05/07/24

The developer of Autumn Chase has petitioned to rezone a 14.8 acre residual portion of land within the Autumn Chase development from Low-Density Residential (R-1) to Medium-Density Residential and apply the Planned Residential Development (PRD)  Overlay District to the residual area.

For more information, go to Autumn Chase PRD on the Development Projects Page.

The updated draft ordinance presented to the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 can be found here.

The Public Notice can be found here.

The Board of Commissioners will vote to amend Chapter 210, Solid Waste at their regularly scheduled meeting on June 19, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.