Feb 7, 2023 3 min read

The Hanover Township Board of Supervisors has denied a conditional use request by a not-for-profit organization seeking to open a center for veterans and first responders on property that lies within a rural preservation district.

Supervisors voted unanimously 3-0 at the Jan. 19 regular meeting to deny a conditional use application for tourism submitted by Hanover Township resident Timothy E. Motte.

Motte, a retired Pennsylvania state trooper and U.S. military veteran, proposed launching Gunny’s Ridge, an organization that would serve veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on his 101-acre property at 101 Meadow Road.

Motte’s property, however, is located in a rural preservation district.

Those districts provide owners of rural property a means of ensuring preservation of farms, open space, and the scenic value that rural land provides.

Rural preservation zones also provide a way to conserve natural, scenic, and historic resources.

In a mission statement provided to supervisors, Motte wrote Gunny’s Ridge aims to provide “a private and natural environment for both veterans and first responders to bond through engagement in recreational, educational and physical programs.”

Supervisors determined Gunny’s Ridge does not fit within the purpose of a rural preservation district, and ruled it doesn’t fit within the definition of tourism as defined in the zoning ordinance.

Supervisors found that “even under the broadest of readings of zoning ordinance and interpreting it in favor of the applicant, Gunny’s Ridge does not meet the criteria for the definition of tourism. While the applicant’s endeavor is extremely commendable, the commonsense interpretation and reading of tourism under the zoning ordinance clearly shows that a conditional use certificate cannot be granted for Gunny’s Ridge.”

On Friday, Motte filed an appeal of the township’s denial of his land-use request in Washington County Court.

Motte contends the township, among other things, “lacks the authority and jurisdiction to restrict and regulate the proposed use submitted” by Gunny’s Ridge.

Gunny’s Ridge would serve up to 12 veterans and first responders on-site at a time, plus staff, for education and training – ranging from sustainable agriculture, gardening, animal husbandry and woodworking to cross-country skiing, rappelling, mountain biking – and would refer participants to Fortis Future and Adventures in Training With a Purpose for treatment.

Fortis Future is a multidisciplinary treatment program for veterans, military and first responders coping with traumatic stress and was co-founded by Dr. Timothy Murphy, a licensed psychologist and former congressman who served in the U.S. Navy.

ATP, founded by retired Pittsburgh Steeler Jon Kolb, provides purposeful physical training for veterans, active duty military, and first responders to improve their quality of life.

In September, Gunny’s Ridge board members appeared before supervisors to present its plan, but the organization was given a continuance until the Dec. 13 meeting to provide a more comprehensive presentation.

At the December hearing, residents opposed to the conditional use application argued that Gunny’s Ridge didn’t meet the criteria for tourism.

Gunny’s Ridge is named for Motte’s friend, Gunnery Sgt. John Wilson, who served in Desert Storm and Desert Shield, and served two tours in Iraq. On the second tour, Wilson’s vehicle ran over a roadside bomb, killing two U.S. Marines and leaving Wilson with a traumatic brain injury.

Wilson battled PTSD and participated in outdoor activities to alleviate stress. When he was killed in a motorcycle accident in May, Motte and a group of friends decided to start an organization to help others who had PTSD-related issues.