Frederick Planning Commission Pre-Meeting Discussion – February 16, 2023
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Frederick Planning Commission Pre-Meeting Discussion – February 16, 2023
This work session of the Frederick Planning Commission, dated February 16, 2023 in the record, reviewed agenda items ahead of a public hearing. The transcript references a "December pre-planning" session, but the official record date is used here. No formal votes were taken; the commission granted continuances and heard staff reports.
Administrative Matters
- No consent items; two continuances were granted to applicants who needed more time to address conditions; deferred to the next month.
- Staff presented the 2024 planning calendar; no commissioner questions.
Discussion Items
2024 Planning Calendar
- Staff outlined the standard and extended track calendars, emphasizing workshop, pre-PC, and hearing dates; no further discussion.
Black Hog Final Site Plan
- Staff reported the water/sewer line exemption under APFO was approved; the lighting plan was incorporated into the main plan; only technical conditions remain, with no modifications.
Progress Court Final Site Plan
- Applicant added the required three-sided landscaping around the dumpster.
- A legacy 9% financial contribution to the Progress & Monocacy Boulevard signal is owed; a note will be placed on the plan requiring payment before building permit issuance.
- The applicant changed to 8401 Progress LLC; civil engineer remains the same.
Oxford Monocacy Final Site Plan and APFO Road Adequacy Finding
- Modifications requested: access separation reduction (required 400 ft; proposed ~296 ft) for the northern entrance relative to Brandywine Street; buffer reductions on north/south property lines due to retaining walls; lighting spillover onto non-residential zoned property.
- New for the hearing: a finding of adequacy for a road with physical constraints preventing full standards; staff recommended approval, noting the applicant's contributions.
- Staff (Cherion) explained that a double left turn onto I-70 west cannot be constructed physically; improvements include a shared-use path and contributions to Monocacy Boulevard widening. The total mitigation package is about $636,000.
- Commissioners raised concerns about cumulative impacts and approving projects while roads are inadequate. Commissioner Ron stated this "definitely factor[s] into my decision" on future approvals. Commissioner Dorothy requested a timeline of infrastructure improvements; staff agreed to prepare an exhibit.
Bluefields Large Plan
- Minor updates since workshop; the private path system remains unchanged despite staff suggestions; one modification for access separation on local roads; conditions include forest conservation approval by the Mayor and Board, and resolution of access for a county-owned lot.
DNK Site Plan and Forest Plan
- Site plan revised to provide taller trees along Route 26; three modifications (loading space, lighting spillover, rear yard buffer). Forest plan: no updates; no conditions.
Barrack Property (Sherry's Two)
- Three modifications for single-family, multifamily, and townhouse standards; APFO exemption granted; first of two required hearings; vote scheduled next month.
Historic Preservation Overlay Zoning Map Amendment
- Staff answered questions: the overlay follows the property boundary; adjacent properties are not subject to HPO review; only one of four designation criteria (A–D) must be met.
- A commissioner expressed concern about potential demolition by neglect; staff noted the owner applied for historic tax credits, which are contingent on the overlay.
Key Outcomes
- Two continuances granted.
- No votes on agenda items; final decisions deferred to subsequent hearings.
- Staff to provide a timeline of infrastructure projects in the corridor.
- Discussion on incorporating a citywide smart traffic analysis and CIP priorities into future commission review.
Meeting Transcript
We are right now after three. So I'm going to call the meeting to order. And good afternoon and welcome to the December pre-planning planning commission meeting. That's always a mouthful. So we have what looks to be a healthy agenda on Monday. And we don't have any consent items. We do have two continuances. We're going to turn this over to Gabrielle, but I assume it's similar in rationale to the last time. That they can the continuances in this case, the applicant just didn't adequate time to resubmit by our deadline for the hearing. So she resubmitted a little bit later later to address all of the conditions. So we'll bumper to next month. Okay. Sorry. And I actually miss looking at the planning commission deadline schedules. I don't think it was part of my package, but I can go online and look at it. So let's talk about that now. Yeah, I didn't know we can send those out. Yeah, could you send it out in an email? Would you absolutely send those out? So we actually have kept the same rhythm of our um middle calendar as we have since the past year. We made some more substantive changes. I think it was last year going into this year, but we kept the same pattern. We're seeing it worked a little better for us as staff to have some elongated periods between workshop and hearing, and the applicants have a little longer to revise their plans and get them back to us. So I think this set of calendars has been a big improvement internally, how things work for us. We have that standard track calendar and the extended track calendar. The standard track is applying to applications like site plans, plats, um smaller preliminary subdivision plots, whereas the extended track calendars a bit longer. So the time it takes from the applicant to submit to finally get to you guys is is longer. We have extra internal review built in for that process, and that's for um annexations, master plans, large preliminary plats, and site plans. Um so we kept that same rhythm. Um we tried to make sure we got all the holidays that the city is closed and observed those on there. Um every every once in a while we'll find something that we need to adjust, but it should be good for the entire year moving into 2024. Um, and then for your purposes, dates that you want to keep an eye on on that calendar are the workshop, the pre-PC, and the hearing dates. Everything else is kind of internal, so you don't need to commit those to memory or worry about those. Um they get to look at to understand what we're doing. Um, but columns uh, what is it, four, four, six, and seven on that chart are your are where we need you. So well, the one thing I love about these uh virtual meetings is we can all see each other. So I'm just gonna say, does anybody have any questions or comments on this one? Okay. Um April, when I say that on these virtual, all you have to do is do that, and then I'll call on you. So all righty. Um so that takes us to um the final site plan for for Black Hog. And this one is also you, Gabrielle. So um, so since the workshop uh we did have our water and sewer line uh exemption approved for APFO. Uh so that's reflected in your staff report. Um, they also have integrated their lighting plan um at the workshop. You may or may not recall, but the lighting plan was actually a separate exhibit. So they piled that into their plan. It's the same lighting plan that you saw previously, but now it's all part same set. Um, and then there is only one action that we need to take on this. There are no modifications and just a couple of technical conditions um for notes on the plan.
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