Carlisle council pauses vote on demolition ordinance after developers, residents raise concerns

The Borough Council of Carlisle on May 20 voted to continue consideration of a proposed ordinance that would amend Chapter 183 (Property Maintenance) to establish procedures and requirements for demolishing large, older buildings in the Urban Mixed Use (UM) zoning district. The council moved to take up the measure again at its regular meeting on July 10, 2025.

The proposed ordinance would apply to buildings in the Urban Mixed Use District with a footprint greater than 8,500 square feet and that were constructed, in whole or in part, at least 75 years before a demolition application. Under the draft, an applicant for demolition would need to demonstrate at a hearing before council one of three criteria: that demolition is necessary for a project of special public benefit that significantly outweighs loss of the building; that no reasonable beneficial use of the building is possible; or that denial would cause substantial and unreasonable economic harm to the owner.

The mayor (presiding) opened the discussion by framing the ordinance as a tool to make the borough “ensure that the last remnants of our larger commercial and industrial heritage … are not dismissed without thoughtful consideration.” He said the measure is intended to balance preservation with “smart redevelopment” and to promote adaptive reuse, noting such reuse can cut greenhouse gas emissions compared with demolition and new construction.

Speakers representing the Real Estate Collaborative (REC), which is contracted to acquire the Frog Switch manufacturing site, urged the council to table the ordinance. Timothy Hoyt, outside counsel for REC, told council that REC planned to close on the Frog Switch purchase on May 29 and asked council not to adopt an ordinance that he said appeared targeted at that site. “We respectfully submit the Council should not adopt an ordinance which is aimed at a specific project or site and it should not without greater notice and study indirectly expand the historical district of this borough,” Hoyt said, adding that the ordinance’s criteria are vague and could require expensive expert studies that would divert funds from remediation and redevelopment.

Andrew Nutter Francesco, chair of the Real Estate Collaborative, described REC’s multi-year work on the 27-acre Frog Switch site and told council REC had secured funding for site preparation. “To date, REC has secured over $11,500,000 in funding for preparation of site redevelopment, including the recently announced $10,200,000 PA sites grant award,” Nutter Francesco said. He and other REC representatives said demolition will not be immediate because of required environmental steps, and they asked for more time for public outreach and to negotiate with borough staff.

Janet Anderson, executive director of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation and a member of REC, urged the council to balance preservation and development and to table the vote. Several residents also spoke. James Evans, a Carlisle resident, said the community needs jobs and economic development and warned that delays could hinder opportunities: “We need economic development in this community and not brownfields.” Another resident, who identified concerns about outreach to low-income neighbors near the site, asked whether surrounding residents had been consulted; REC representatives said an EPA-funded reuse study (published March 2023) included public outreach.

Council members and the solicitor discussed whether the borough’s pending-ordinance doctrine could affect demolition permits filed while the ordinance was advertised. The solicitor indicated that because the ordinance had been advertised as part of a permit process, an application filed before formal adoption could still be subject to the proposed rules. Council conferred briefly in recess and then returned to the meeting.

Procedurally, the mayor withdrew the motion to enact the ordinance and the deputy mayor withdrew the second. The mayor then moved that council continue consideration of the ordinance at its July 10, 2025 regular meeting; the deputy mayor seconded that motion. The council voted in favor of continuing consideration (voice vote). The mayor then opened general public comment; no additional substantive items were taken before adjournment.

Clarifying details from the meeting include: the draft ordinance’s thresholds (footprint >8,500 square feet; building age 75+ years); REC says the Frog Switch site is roughly 27 acres with about 40 structures more than 75 years old; REC reported having secured about $11.5 million for site preparation including a PA Sites award totaling $10.2 million; REC said phase 2 environmental testing and inspection would take a minimum of six months; proponents of the pause cited the need for public outreach and time to coordinate remediation and demolition under grant conditions.

The council did not adopt the demolition ordinance on May 20; instead it scheduled further consideration for July 10, 2025. Council members and outside parties asked staff to continue outreach and to provide more detail on how the draft ordinance would be applied across multiple sites in the borough.