The Frederick City Council held a public meeting on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The agenda included routine consent items, major development agreements for the Downtown Hotel and Conference Center, annexation of the High Glen property, a rezoning, and an update to the parking code. A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to public testimony—both during the designated public comment period and following agenda items—concerning a proposed ceasefire resolution that had failed to advance at the previous meeting. Council members approved all agenda items, with one recusal and one abstention.
Over 15 residents addressed the council, the majority urging adoption of a ceasefire resolution calling for an end to U.S. complicity in violence in Gaza and elsewhere.
After the parking ordinance, brief additional public comment occurred:
Director of Economic Development Richard Griffin presented three related agreements:
Councilmember Ksimchak asked for the total city investment in the project (including sunk costs) but was not provided a number; she expressed frustration at not having received an answer before. A public commenter questioned parking adequacy and construction impacts. The council voted 5-0 to approve each of the three items.
Director of Planning Gabrielle Collard presented the annexation of 71.94 acres on Yellow Springs Road. The property will be zoned R4 (Low Density Residential) with development capped at 256 residential units, to be developed as a Planned Neighborhood Development. Key terms in the annexation agreement include:
Bruce Dean, attorney for the applicant, noted the property owner (Marvin Osherman) does not intend to develop soon but wants to negotiate with the current council. Public comment: Aaron McNabb supported the annexation for housing supply and trail funding. The council approved all three components: Annexation Agreement (5-0), Resolution to Adopt Annexation Plan (5-0), and Resolution to Annex (5-0).
Quasi-judicial hearing to rezone 4.08 acres from R4 to Institutional floating zone to conform with the existing church use. Staff found no population or traffic changes, compatibility with surrounding uses, and consistency with the comprehensive plan. Applicant concurred. Councilmember Ksimchak offered findings. Approved 5-0.
Director Griffin presented an ordinance to update Chapter 13, Article II (Stopping, Standing, and Parking). Changes delegate authority to the Parking Manager, enable digital enforcement, and add prohibition on parking in bike lanes. A redline version was not readily available; Council President Nash recused himself as he had not been able to review the final changes. Vote: 4 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention (Nash abstained).
Good evening and welcome to the August twenty first City Council public meeting. We will begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. Move for approval. Move a first and second all in favor. That's four. We will say it's four to zero with an under there, he is five zero. Thank you, Councilmember McShane joining us virtually. Uh, Council Member McShane, I'm gonna take you last, so you have time to unmute, but we can start uh to my right. No comments tonight, Council Vice President. Not right now. Council the council vice president had a little bit of dental surgery, so he's maybe quiet tonight. Uh councilmember McShane, anything up here. Just uh belated happy birthday to my colleagues. Um, since you've celebrated birthdays since we've been here. But we'll get right into it. So many birthdays. Okay, we'll get right into public comments. Um, do we have our sign in sheet, Miss Claire? I did Yeah. Thank you, my dear. If you wish to offer public comment, please be aware of the following guidelines. Each speaker will be allotted three minutes to share your comments. When it's your turn to speak, please begin by stating your name and if applicable, a general address to ensure that you have an uninterrupted opportunity to speak. This will be your time, so that means that members of the council will not be answering questions or interrupt you. You are we are all we are willing to answer questions, so if you'd like to email us, uh certainly you can email us at city council at city of FrederickMD.gov, city council at cityoffredric MD.gov. And if you have written materials that accompany your remarks, we encourage you to email those as well. Those who signed up will speak first, and I'll read names down, I'll read about three at a time so you have time to prepare. And depending on our agenda, we may pause. We do have a heavy agenda tonight uh with some pretty heavy items, so time-consuming items, so but we should be able to get through, looks like we'll be all right. Um we use the rules of procedure, which was most recently passed by resolution 24-27. And per our rules of procedure, conduct that disrupts the meeting or interferes with the rights of others to speak or attend and observe the meeting is not acceptable. We also have posted our code of civility in this boardroom. Please please take notes of exits for your safety and silence all electronic devices. Thank you for being here to engage. We have our first three speakers, Tina Meadows Ariar, Grady O'Rear, and Emily Van Norten. Good evening. My name is Tina Meadows O'Rear. Um I um a lot of people ask me tonight how I'm doing, and um I'm sad. Uh I'm sad that um councilwoman Kazemchek's uh um motion last meeting, her two motions, um, could not even gain a second from this group. Uh even a second that would launch discussion. I uh was born in Frederick and grew up here, spent most of my life here. Uh still have a home here. And when I was growing up, I had an amazing uh I didn't know it was amazing then, but I had an amazing sense of having enough. I had a big family around me, three generations, and I always felt like it was easy to be generous. It it wasn't a big deal. It was what I was taught we were supposed to be. And because I felt secure and full, uh it was not a big gymnastic move to be generous. It was it was like having so much that giving to others did not diminish me. It actually filled me even more. And um I had parents who had that same sense of fullness.