Hearing reveals divisions over Gettysburg casino

GETTYSBURG – After two days of impassioned testimony, the state Gaming Control Board wrapped up a public hearing on whether to open a casino near the historic Gettysburg battlefield.

Developer David LeVan, a longtime Adams County resident and onetime Conrail Inc. chairman, is proposing to place a casino in an existing hotel and conference center a half-mile from the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park and two miles from the Mason-Dixon Line.

Just shy of 400 people, from preservationists and historians to veterans and farmers, had registered to speak on the proposal, and their testimony over the last two days put on public display how deeply the issue has divided the community.

Many residents believe it would breathe life into the area's recession-ravaged economy, but many others consider it a shameful slap at the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers who fought here and helped determine the future of the nation.

LeVan, a local philanthropist who lives across from the park's visitor center and has invested $4 million in the Gettysburg battlefield and other local preservation projects, was turned down by the gaming board in 2006 when he attempted to build a larger casino near the battlefield.

This time, LeVan and other investors are competing against three other bidders to snag the last of the state's two "resort" licenses. Those licenses allow 600 slot machines - as opposed to 3,000 at larger casinos - and 50 table games.