PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
MINUTES
February 25, 2008

Present: Chairman Larry Little, Tim O’Donnell and Patrick Joy. Also present Sarah Franklin of Jakubiak & Associates.

Call to order  Chairman Larry Little called February 25, 2008 Planning Commission Meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Announced Special Meeting on March 13, 2008 at 7:30 PM and the next regular Planning Commission meeting at March 31, 2008 at 7:30 PM.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of January 28, 2008 were approved as presented.

Dave Haller introduced Sue Cipperly, the new town planner. He also stated that she will be the staff support after the Comprehensive Plan is completed.

Tim O’Donnell: Stated that Mr. Haller’s presentation was very well prepared. Mr. O’Donnell had concerns that the Emmitsburg Comprehensive Plan and the Thurmont Regional Plan overlap. He hopes in the future that we will get more involvement from the County level.

Larry Little: Spoke of the time frame for the Comprehensive Plan. He asked Sarah about updating the Route 15 and Waybright property maps.

Sarah Franklin: Those maps have been updated.

Discussion concerned the Thurmont Regional Plan and what had taken place up to this point. The Thurmont Region Plan is a component of Frederick Counties countywide Comprehensive Plan. We look at the towns to establish a baseline. From the Frederick County Planning Commission standpoint we will defer to the municipalities in terms of establishing the municipal growth boundaries, annexation limits, and the land use designations within the communities. Unless this meets head on with a conflicting policy of Frederick County we would defer to the towns.

Mr. Superczynski covered the highlights of the Thurmont Region Plan. He also said the Thurmont Region Plan Draft is available on the Frederick County web page in pdf form.

Tim O’Donnell: Had concerns about the western bypass idea. He asked if someone from the County be present at some of the meetings.

Eric Soter: Spoke concerning how the Frederick County Planners were moving forward on the Thurmont Region Plan. He said that they would try to have someone available for the Emmitsburg Planning Commission meetings.

Larry Little: Had questions concerning the existing water taps promised but not used in the town.

Eric Soter: Said it would depend on how the annexations were structured or what was in the zoning at the time.

Sarah Franklin: Reviewed the existing land use map concerning parcels A, B ,C, D, E, F.

Betsey Forrence: Spoke concerning House Bill 1141.

Motion: (Tim O’Donnell) To return the land use designations of parcels A, B ,C, D ,E, F to their pre-June 2007 designation.
Vote: 3 Approved -0 Opposed

Sarah Franklin: Provided a map concerning bypass options and descriptions.

Denis Superczynski: If a bypass project is going to have a chance of completion, it is going to require coordination and contribution by more that one level of government and perhaps private landowners as well.

Patrick Joy: Had concerns about how the bypass is going to affect the downtown business district. The northern bypass needs to go through deed restricted property. The southern bypass would affect deed restricted property or would need to go through our park, which I am not in favor of.

Tim O’Donnell: I haven’t seen anything yet regarding the bypasses that convinces me that its in the best interest of the town. We need more concrete empirical evidence on how to address the traffic problem.

Sarah Franklin: I’m not advocating for a bypass. None of these bypass options will pull trucks out of downtown until an interchange is accomplished on Route 15.

Tracie Clabaugh: (Myers & Stockbridge) I am representing the owners of EDC Properties LLC, the Keepers & Fraley properties. In order for EDC Properties to construct a parkway we would like the land use designation to remain at a medium density residential zoning district.

Sheila Mulligan: Ms. Mulligan asked the board not to approve the bypass until they did additional research.

Tim O’Donnell: Brought up about sidewalk disconnects on Main Street near Jubilee Foods and out toward Brookfield Development and Pembrook Woods Development. This would make the town more pedestrian friendly and provide safe routes to the schools in the area. Also, I would like to see bicycle racks for bicycle parking on Main Street.

Motion: (Tim O’Donnell) That the planner include specific language relating to precise locations in sidewalk gaps along Main Street connecting both Jubilee Foods and Brookfield to the Main Street Sidewalks and any other sidewalk disconnects within town limits.
Vote: 3 Approved - 0 Opposed

Motion: Include the second agenda item from tonight’s meeting on to the special meeting scheduled for March 13, 2008 agenda to discuss the transportation bypass piece for the purpose of discussing the bypass location or removal from the bypass plan.
Vote: 3 Approved - 0 Opposed

Patrick Joy: Asked Sarah to resend the information she sent before on alternate designations contained in the November memo.

Tim O’Donnell: Asked for a more detailed time line from the planners.

Meeting Adjourned