Frederick Planning Commission Meeting - March 13, 2023
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Frederick Planning Commission Meeting - March 13, 2023
The Planning Commission met on March 13, 2023, at 6:00 PM in City Hall, 101 North Court Street. The meeting covered a consent agenda, continuances, the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for FY2024-2029, architectural reviews, a final site plan extension, and several new business items including a large logistics center, a VFW club relocation, a zoning text amendment, and a zoning map amendment. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- PC22-834FSI, Final Site Plan, Governor’s Place Lot 4A: Approved as a consent item. The revision included verifying parking spaces and removal of five landscaping trees.
Public Comments & Testimony
- VFW Country Club at West Park Village (PC22-836FSI): Two veterans spoke in strong support of the project, emphasizing the importance of the VFW as a place for camaraderie and community. Rob Coulter (retiring military) and Heather Baldwin (Marine Corps veteran) both highlighted the need for a permanent home. The room was filled with supporters.
Discussion Items
- Capital Improvements Program (CIP) FY2024-2029: The Commission discussed and refined a list of priority projects to recommend to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Chair Strawson proposed six items: continued support for the conference center parking facility, E Street improvements (between Fifth and Market Streets), a new E Street improvement between Monocacy Boulevard and South Street tied to the Brickworks site, continuation of the Rails to Trails improvements, and a new project for the downtown streetscape plan. Commissioner Beattie suggested retaining a previously low-priority item (a long-term improvement on the state’s needs inventory) to keep it on the radar. The final list included those six items.
- Architectural Review, Kellerton Land Bay B (PC13-195-10PND): The applicant requested approval of a new single-family model (Savannah) with five elevations, plus cottage elevations for previously approved Hawthorne and Covington models. A modification was needed for small square windows on the Savannah model (secondary to the main elevation). The Commission approved the modification and the elevations.
- Architectural Review, Free Medwid Property/Towns at Walnut Ridge (PC17-993-04PND): The applicant proposed two townhouse models (Ridgely and Matthews). The Matthews model met all but one design element (sidewalk connection to front door was deemed redundant with driveway). The Commission approved the elevations.
- Final Site Plan Extension, Chapel Alley (PC18-667FSI): The applicant requested a six-month extension of the certificates of adequacy (water, sewer, school) to October 8, 2023, due to construction delays during COVID. The building permit was expected within a few months. The Commission approved the extension.
- Final Site Plan, Frederick Commerce Center Lot 1 (PC22-1016FSI): The applicant proposed a 1,016,871 sq. ft. building (logistics/warehouse and offices). Three modifications were requested: (1) reduction of interior parking lot landscaping from 10% to 8% in the tractor-trailer area, (2) light spillover onto adjacent county lots (to be demolished), and (3) reduction of parking spaces from 1,017 to 996. Staff recommended approval with conditions (including FAA/MAA height approval, demolishing houses on adjacent lots, and addressing fire engineer comments). The Commission approved all three modifications and the final site plan.
- Final Site Plan, VFW Country Club at West Park Village Lot 4 (PC22-836FSI): The applicant proposed a 9,000 sq. ft. private club building on a 1.66-acre lot. Four modifications were requested: (1) exceeding the maximum interior side setback (from 25 ft to 53 ft and 127 ft), (2) exceeding the maximum front setback (from 35 ft to 55 ft), (3) light spillover onto adjacent lot one, and (4) waiving a level 2 landscaping buffer between lots 1 and 4 (shared parking). The Commission discussed the pedestrian path alignment (an 11-ft and 8-ft path connecting to Route 40 and the park). The applicant showed renderings of the building’s elevations, emphasizing a residential look with wrap-around decks. The Commission approved all four modifications and the final site plan with conditions.
- Zoning Text Amendment, Article 4 Section 417 (PC22-1004ZTA): The applicant proposed amendments to the Mixed Use (MU-1 and MU-2) districts to allow modifications for redevelopment projects, including a new definition of “reviewing authority” and tighter criteria for modifications tied to the 2020 Comprehensive Plan. The amendment was prompted by the Westridge Square Shopping Center redevelopment. The Commission discussed the need to encourage incremental redevelopment along corridors like Route 40. The Commission recommended approval to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
- Zoning Map Amendment, 430 Pine Avenue (PC22-1001ZMA): This was the first of two required public hearings. The applicant requested removal of the Institutional (IST) floating zone to revert to the base Light Industrial (M1) zone, to allow auto repair and storage. The county had vacated the property. No action was taken; the second hearing will be in April 2023.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
- Continuance (EastPat Lofts, PC21-1431FSI): Approved to April 10, 2023.
- CIP Recommendation: Approved a motion (3-0, with Alderman McShane abstaining) to forward a letter with six priority projects.
- Kellerton Architectural Review: Approved modification for small windows and the elevations (unanimous).
- Walnut Ridge Architectural Review: Approved elevations (unanimous).
- Chapel Alley Extension: Approved six-month extension of APFO certificates (unanimous).
- Frederick Commerce Center: Approved three modifications and final site plan with conditions (unanimous).
- VFW Country Club: Approved four modifications and final site plan with conditions (unanimous).
- Zoning Text Amendment: Recommended approval to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen (unanimous).
- Zoning Map Amendment: First hearing held; no action taken. Second hearing scheduled for April 2023.
Meeting Transcript
The March hearing of the planning and welcome. Before beginning tonight's proceedings, I'd like to give a little bit of background of the planning commission and the procedures that we will be following. Members of the Planning Commission are all residents of the city. And our volunteers appointed by the mayor and board of Alderman. The commission is made up of five regular members and one alternate. Its powers and duties are assigned by the charter of the City of Frederick and described in Section 202 of the Land Management Code. In support of the Planning Commission, staff members from the city's planning, engineering, and legal departments are all in attendance here tonight. All of tonight's cases have been appropriately advertised pursuant to section 301 of the land management code. Now the cases will be presented tonight in the following format. First, there'll be an introduction of the case, then the presentation of the case, an initial recommendation by the staff, followed by commission's questioning of staff and comments, etc. Then we'll call up the applicant and there'll be a presentation of the applicant, and then it'll come back to the commission for uh questions and comments. And following that, we'll ask for public comment. Um after the public comment, if it's appropriate and if the applicant would like time to rebut and to make further comments, we'll bring the app the applicant back, and then it comes up to the planning commission and we have our conversation and we make our motions and take action. So next, anyone here who's wishing to speak publicly regarding any application must first be sworn in. All speakers must begin when they start talking by providing their name and address for the record. Anyone speaking that was not previously sworn, so shall acknowledge. Well, you know, I always keep reading this and I realize if anyone's in the room, they will stand up and be sworn in. So I will tell you if any of your friends come in or if if you see someone's coming in and you're sitting beside them and they're gonna speak, um, we will need to swear them in. So you might give them a heads up on that. So therefore, at this time I ask that anyone that anticipates giving comment or testimony, and that includes the staff, tonight on any agenda item. Please stand to be sworn in and raise your right hand. This will be a fun night. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the responses given and statements made in this hearing before the planning commission will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If so, say I do. Thank you. And I'll just comment um, not everyone who's here has stood up. If you do decide later that you would like to speak, that's fine. Just come up to the mic and say I haven't been sworn in yet. So at this time we'll we will turn it over to Gabrielle for announcements. Thank you very much. Um, just two announcements. Uh, the next planning commission workshop will be Monday the 20th, next Monday at 2 p.m. And that is here at City Hall, and it'll be broadcasted on Channel 99 and the city's public meeting page as well. Backup for those items will be posted online later this week. And those are basically items that will come forward at uh subsequent planning commission hearings. So kind of a preview of the the meeting we have tonight for upcoming projects. The second announcement is that the citywide planning division community outreach meeting is also next Monday, the 20th, and that will also be here in this room. That begins at 6 p.m. Uh once again, it's streamed on Channel 99 in the city's public meeting page, and that is just an informational meeting to showcase uh new applications that came in with our January submission deadline. So that is basically the earliest that uh the public can see the development applications that have just been submitted to our office. So it's a really great opportunity to um get involved in the process and see what projects are coming up. That's all I had. Thank you. Okay, and thank you. So next we move on to the most exciting part of the agenda. It's the minutes. So first looking for a motion for the February 13th, 2023 Planning Commission meeting minutes. Sorry, Madam Chair. I think those were the meetings along with the uh workshop meetings that we were going to continue because we hadn't completed. Oh, so both of those, okay.
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