(sign up to speak at 5pm), Winchester Hall (12 E Church St, downtown Frederick).

Global Mission Church/David Severn, land use attorney, submitted two proposals:   UR 41 (parcel 36) and UR 42  (parcel 109)

GLOBAL MISSION PROPOSALS

There are 2 pieces of each of these parcels that are currently zoned Resource Conservation.

• In UR 41:   8.5 acres are currently zoned Resource Conservation.  Requested change of 3 acres (of the 8.5) from RC to Ag
• In UR 42:   the request is to change all of the 78.87 acres to Agricultural Zoning (currently 6.3 acres of the total are zoned Resource Conservation)

Some points to consider

• parcel 36 is by the creek
• parcel 36 is  100% forested   Pre-2010 zoning was about 60% RC and 40% Agricultural.  The change made in 2010 was to add RC zoning to the northern portion of parcel 36.
• Parcel  36 has 1.1 acres of PFO1A wetlands:  Palustrine, forested, broad-leaf deciduous, temporarily flooded wetlands.  This type of wetland is rare in Frederick County,  (historically most of the wetlands were cleared, filled and cultivated for agriculture.
• The Dept of Natural Resources shows a large swath of these forested wetlands along the entire length of Little Bennett Creek. The county added additional RC zoning on this property due to the wide, extensive forest buffers that exist along this creek system.  RC zoning category is entirely appropriate and consistent for functional purpose of protecting the wetland and watershed.  Additionally the  Natural Resource land use plan designation (a change made in  the 2010 plan supports the Resource Conservation zoning.
• To rezone a portion of this parcel back to Ag is contrary to county policies. The zoning ordinance definition of RC is totally consistent with the resources that exist on this parcel.
• Any changes from Resource Conservation to Agricultural Zoning may facilitate the construction of a road “driveway” for development of that land parcel.

Letters to Frederick County Planning Commissioners

• John McClurkin, Chair, samjbm@verizon.net
• Richard Floyd, Vice-Chair, rmfloyd1@aol.com
• Robert Lawrence, Secretary, Boblawrence5753@comcast.net
• Catherine Forrence, 404westmain@comcast.net
• Robert White Jr., bobwhitejr@mac.com
• Audrey Wolfe, al_wolfe@verizon.net
• Cc:  Jim Gugel, Chief Planner      jgugel@frederickcountymd.gov

Wednesday November 16th @ 6pm
Frederick County Planning Commission Public Hearing on the 43 proposals for land development in the New Market region
(sign up to speak at 5pm), Winchester Hall (12 E Church Street, downtown Frederick, 1st floor)

There is no need for additional residential or commercial zoning.

Frederick County’s 20-year growth plan (2010-2030) meets state growth projections with zoning for development of 36,264 homes and over 3000 acres for commercial build out. Existing land use plans are sufficient to build a robust economy while preserving the quality of life for Frederick County residents.

What you should know about these land use change requests:
• Total potential land conversion: 2,973 acres
• Potential number of homes: 4,994
• Number of kids added to FCPS in New Market: 2712 kids
• Number of car trips/day added to local roads: 47,793 car trips
• Area to be built on well and septic: 348 acres

Consider this…

• Cost of new schools will be paid in large part by taxpayers (you)
Elementary school construction cost: $25 million (700 student capacity)
Middle school construction cost: $45 million (900 student capacity)
High school construction cost: $70 million (1600 student capacity)

• Cost for new roads will be paid in large part by taxpayers (you). Frederick County needs $3.5 billion to resolve its current road crisis. The BOCC just zeroed the excise tax, a source for road and bridge maintenance and construction.

If you can’t make it to the public hearing, you can send a letter to Frederick County Planning Commissioners:

John McClurkin, Chair, samjbm@verizon.net
Richard Floyd, Vice-Chair, rmfloyd1@aol.com
Robert Lawrence, Secretary, Boblawrence5753@comcast.net
Catherine Forrence, 404westmain@comcast.net
Robert White Jr., bobwhitejr@mac.com
Audrey Wolfe, al_wolfe@verizon.net

Cc: Jim Gugel, Chief Planner jgugel@frederickcountymd.gov

Have a friend come to the hearing and read it in to the record!

Thursday November 17th @ 6pm
Frederick County Planning Commission Public Hearing on the 43 proposals for land development in the Urbana region
(sign up to speak at 5pm), Winchester Hall (12 E Church Street, downtown Frederick, 1st floor)

MONROVIA REzoning Proposals

Most of the property owners who want their properties destined for residential growth are asking for a land use designation change first.  They will then ask for rezoning later.  The following calculations were based on zoning being R-1 (1 house/acre).  They might ask for higher density, which would increase the number of homes, students in schools and cars on roads.

Current proposals will add:

Approximate number of homes: 459

Acreage requested for commercial growth:  200

Approximate number of students:  250

Approximate increase of car trips/day on local roads:  4, 393

If you can’t make it to the public hearing, you can send a letter to Frederick County Planning Commissioners:

John McClurkin, Chair, samjbm@verizon.net
Richard Floyd, Vice-Chair, rmfloyd1@aol.com
Robert Lawrence, Secretary, Boblawrence5753@comcast.net
Catherine Forrence, 404westmain@comcast.net
Robert White Jr., bobwhitejr@mac.com
Audrey Wolfe, al_wolfe@verizon.net

Cc: Jim Gugel, Chief Planner jgugel@frederickcountymd.gov

Have a friend come to the hearing and read it in to the record!

By Bethany Rodgers

A Tuesday decision by the Frederick County Commissioners will leave local builders with one less fee to worry about and the county with one less source of funding for bridge and road expansion.In a 3-1 vote, the commissioners dropped the excise tax rate to zero, a reduction that could cause certain transportation projects to fall behind schedule, according to county staff.

Developers paid the excise tax on each square foot of construction, and the money was devoted to building or widening roads and bridges.

But while officials are giving up a source of revenue, Commissioners President Blaine Young said cutting the excise tax will encourage economic growth. And the county could recoup some of the funding losses by attracting jobs and businesses to the area and broadening the overall tax base.

“It (lowering the excise tax) makes us look a little more business-friendly,” he said Tuesday. “We’re going to benefit all around.”

Commissioner Paul Smith voted against the decision, adding that he would have been open to scaling back the tax but didn’t see the need for slashing it to nothing.

“Adjusting the rates may be appropriate from time to time, especially if we have a tax that stops job development. But I haven’t seen anyone come forward to say that’s the case,” Smith said.

The funds from the tax have come in handy for the county, Smith added. Commissioners recently put $500,000 of the revenue toward improvements on Opossumtown Pike, helping to advance a project led by the state and the City of Frederick.

Commissioner David Gray was absent for the vote.

The county will lose an estimated $925,000 a year by zeroing out the tax, which was 75 cents per square foot for commercial building and varies between nothing, 10 cents and 25 cents per square foot for homes.

Numerous projects — including work on Boyers Mill Road, Old National Pike and Yeagertown Road — were poised to receive nearly $7.5 million in excise tax money in fiscal years 2012 through 2017.

But Young said excise tax dollars often fund design studies for projects that then sit on hold.

A Frederick resident spoke during the Tuesday meeting, questioning commissioners about why they got rid of a tax that helped fund road expansion to deal with growth.

“I’m wondering what the logic is behind that and what the plan is to fund that sort of development if we are to bring in a new housing development,” said Jim Kelley.

While shutting off the revenue stream likely will slow down the road and bridge projects that were supported by the excise tax, the commissioners could tap into the county’s general fund to finish the projects on schedule, according to staff reports. The work would compete for money with other capital projects, the reports state.

The option of restoring the excise rate still exists, because on the advice of county attorneys, the commissioners reduced the excise tax to zero rather than abolishing it.

Number of proposals:  46

Agriculture/open space acreage under discussion:  2769 acres

Agriculture/open space properties requesting reclassification and rezoning

for residential development:  2380.7 acres

Approximate number of homes to be constructed:  5189

Approximate number of new school children:  2818

Approximate number of additional car trips each day on local roads:  49,667

Download letter as pdf file here.

09/14/11 – 09/16/11
Do you believe the state should step into Frederick County’s revision of the comprehensive plan to prevent sprawl?
Yes 70%
No 29%
Not sure 1%

Total Votes: 80

Read about sprawling plans for Frederick County.

.

September 13, 2011

The Honorable Martin O’Malley

Office of the Governor

State of Maryland

State House

Annapolis, MD 21401

Re:         Petition for Intervention in Land-Use Proceedings Before the Board of County Commissioners of Frederick County

Dear Governor O’Malley:

We are writing to request that the State of Maryland intervene in land-use proceedings before the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) of Frederick County.  Even before the commencement of these proceedings, the President of that Board vowed to reclassify and rezone for development thousands of acres of farmland and open space whose owners had, in his view, been “robbed” by the County’s 2010 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map.  We urgently need your support to ensure that principles of sound land-use planning and fiscal responsibility are carefully weighed in these proceedings, as more fully explained below.

The Pending Development Proposals

At the invitation of the BOCC on June 1^st of this year, over 196 planning classification and zoning proposals have been submitted for review.  If approved, these proposals would authorize sprawl development on more than 15,000 acres of farmland and open space in Frederick County.  By our calculations, these development proposals could lead to the construction of as many as 23,400 additional residential units (including large-lot parcels with septic tanks).  They would generate well over 12,000 new students in Frederick County whose education would require the construction of approximately 14 new county schools with a price tag of at least $540 million.  The taxpayer bill to cover operational costs associated with educating these children, a cost shared with the state of Maryland, would be approximately $150 million/year.  These developments would also generate 224,000 additional car trips per day on the county’s rural road network.

The County’s Inability to Maintain Adequate Public Services and Facilities

The Board of County Commissioners has taken these steps despite the fact that neither the state nor the county can afford even the current (let alone future) costs of  mitigating severe congestion on the county’s road network.  In our June 2010 report on the effects of residential overbuilding on county roads, for example, we demonstrated that, even if there is no further growth:

[T]he costs to remedy current transportation problems [in Frederick County] are staggering.  Frederick County’s top ten priority federal and state primary highway projects have a combined cost of $2.540 billion. And that is just to get traffic moving again.  Frederick also has 18 high priority projects needed to get traffic flowing on secondary roads.  These projects total an additional $924.5 million.  The total estimated cost to resolve our current road crisis is $3.5 billion.  There has never been an identified source for that money.  (See “The Effects of Residential Overbuilding on Our Roads”, attached.)

Nor can the county afford the cost of building new schools to alleviate classroom overcrowding and renovating older ones in serious need of repair.  As we noted in our June 2010 report on schools, the county is even now experiencing an annual revenue shortfall of over $46 million for the education of students in Frederick County Public Schools.  As a result,

Eleven of the county’s 37 elementary schools are at or over 100% capacity.  In [2010], over one hundred portables [were] used at 25 elementary school locations.  Of the county’s 14 middle schools, only one is operating at or over 100% capacity; however, there remains the need for the use of 14 portable classrooms in 4 middle school locations.  Of the county’s nine high schools, four are operating at or over capacity, with 42 portable classrooms in use at five locations. (See “The Effects of Residential Overbuilding on Our Schools”, attached.)

The 2010 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map

It bears emphasis, moreover, that the county’s current Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map was revised only last year, for the first time in 20 years, after exhaustive analyses of the costs required to improve and expand the county’s public services and facilities to accommodate new growth.  Over a three year period, from 2007 to 2010, the prior Board of County Commissioners conducted over 100 public hearings; took written and oral testimony from hundreds of citizens, property owners and developers; sponsored multiple traffic studies based on a range of development scenarios; consulted with municipalities and responsible state and local agencies and officials; and carefully weighed the comments of the Maryland Department of Planning and the State Highway Administration.

As adopted, the 2010 Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map authorized over 36,000 additional residential units in Frederick County – almost precisely the number recommended by the Maryland Department of Planning to accommodate projected population increases in the county by the year 2030.  Growth beyond these levels was found to be both unnecessary and unaffordable, only a year ago.  Now, however, without any change in circumstances, the current Board of County Commissioners appears ready to increase the size of the county’s residential pipeline by nearly 80%.

The Costs of the Pending Proposals to the State of Maryland

The costs to the State of Maryland of funding highway improvements to accommodate these developments would run into the billions of dollars.  By letter dated August 16, 2006, for example, the State Highway Administration provided the following cost estimates for highway improvements required by the developments proposed for the New Market Region:

[W]e anticipate that the State-owned highway improvements for the New Market Region, not including right-of-way costs, are estimated to total approximately $138 million in 2006, $181 million in 2015, and $259 million in 2030.  Please note that these estimates are very preliminary and were generated for comparative purposes only.  A detailed project planning study would be necessary to determine the full extent of improvements needed.  The cost of right-of-way impacts would also need to be further analyzed during detailed study and could be expected to be several tens of millions of dollars, if not more, for any highway-capacity improvements, especially in developed or developing areas such as New Market.

(See attached letter dated August 16, 2006 from Neil J. Pederson, the Administrator of the State Highway Administration, to the Honorable Jan H. Gardner, President, Board of County Commissioners for Frederick County.)

These estimates do not, of course, include the state highway improvements required for the developments now being proposed for the New Market Region as well as in the other seven planning regions in the county.

Finally, the state’s share of the cost of educating over 12,000 new students in Frederick County would be approximately $75 million/year.

Conclusion

In sum, the current Board of County Commissioners in Frederick County has pledged to make unnecessary, de facto and massive commitment of county and state resources for sprawl development.  We urge that you authorize the State of Maryland to intervene in these proceedings, on behalf of its taxpayers, and to prevent the needless loss of over 15,000 acres of Maryland’s disappearing farmland and open space.[1]

Thank you for your consideration.

Dru Schmidt-Perkins

Executive Director

1000 Friends of Maryland

Encl:

Fact Sheet on the impact of residential growth on roads in Frederick County.

Fact sheet on the impact of residential growth on schools in Frederick County.

SHA road improvement costs

CC:

Maryland Delegate Maggie McIntosh, Chair, Environment Matters Committee

Matthew D. Gallagher, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor

Robert M Summers, Ph.D., Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment

Earl F. “Buddy” Hance, Secretary, Maryland Department of Agriculture

Rich Hall,  Secretary, Maryland Dept of Planning (MDP)

Amanda S. Conn,  Attorney General, MDP

Peter Conrad, Local Government Assistance, MDP

David Costello, Director, Office of Smart Growth, MDP

Donald Halligan, Director, Office of Planning and Capital Programming,

Maryland Department of Transportation (MDoT)

Ralign Wells, Administrator and CEO, Maryland Transit Administration

David Coyne, District Engineer, State Highway Administration

Jamie M Lake, Regional Planner, Transportation Maryland

Blaine Young, President, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County

Paul Smith, Vice-President, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County

David Gray, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County

Kirby DeLauter, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County

Billy Shreve, Board of County Commissioners, Frederick County

Robert White Jr., Chair, Planning Commission, Frederick County

John McClurkin, Vice Chair, Planning Commission, Frederick County

Robert Lawrence, Planning Commission, Frederick County

Catherine Forrence, Planning Commission, Frederick County

Audrey Wolfe, Planning Commission, Frederick County

Richard Floyd, Secretary, Planning Commission, Frederick County

Dr. Theresa R. Alban, Superintendent, Frederick County Public Schools

Kay Romero, President, Maryland PTA

Rick Tyler, Vice President Legislation, Maryland PTA

Daphne Gabb, President, Frederick County PTA