Frederick Planning Commission Meeting – August 14, 2023
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Frederick Planning Commission Meeting – August 14, 2023
The Frederick Planning Commission met on August 14, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall and via Channel 99. The meeting included a consent item, a letter to the Board of Aldermen on legislative priorities, old business (Westridge Shopping Center rezoning and master plan), and new business (final plat for 497 E. Church Street, U-Haul of East Frederick site plan and forest conservation plan, Hamilton Place final plat, Hamilton Avenue final site plan, and a zoning map amendment for 100 E. All Saints Street). The Brickworks master plan was continued to September. Several public comment periods were held.
Consent Calendar
- PC23-303PSU, Riverside Corporate Park Preliminary Plat – Approved unanimously. The revision combines proposed Lots 401, 403, 404, and outlots D and E into two lots (Lot 401 and Outlot D).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Westridge Shopping Center: Multiple NAC 5 residents spoke in opposition to the high density of residential units. Charlene Eastburn stated that no resident at the July 6 NAC 5 meeting supported the proposal as designed. Jeanette Bartelt criticized the lack of a designated children’s play area and traffic concerns. Stacy Alston opposed the height of the apartment buildings and traffic impacts. Scott French expressed concerns about parking, traffic, and the inability to use parkland fees for the nearby Tasker’s Chance park. The applicant, Bruce Dean, defended the project as consistent with the Golden Mile Small Area Plan and the city’s comprehensive plan, emphasizing the need for housing and revitalization.
- U-Haul of East Frederick: No public comment.
- Hamilton Avenue: Elizabeth Zinker, a property owner on Hamilton Avenue, questioned the building’s density, parking adequacy, traffic impacts, and sinkhole risks. She also requested that parkland fees be used for the nearby park.
- 100 E. All Saints Street (Police Headquarters): No public comment.
Discussion Items
- Letter to Board of Aldermen on Legislative Priorities – The commission approved a letter requesting the Board of Aldermen to allocate city resources to address density and MPDU issues in downtown, particularly related to the Carroll Creek Overlay Text Amendment. The letter was sent to the Board with unanimous support.
- Westridge Shopping Center (PC22-650ZMA & PC22-651MU) – Staff presented the second public hearing for a rezoning from General Commercial (GC) to Mixed Use (MU-2) and a master plan for partial redevelopment. The proposal includes demolition of 103,000 sq ft of existing retail, construction of up to 203 multifamily units and 41 townhouses, new public streets, and open space. The commission discussed modifications to setbacks, parking, street standards, and parkland dedication. The applicant’s attorney noted the project aligns with the Golden Mile Small Area Plan and Livable Frederick Master Plan. Votes were taken on seven modifications, the master plan, and the rezoning (all passed unanimously, with one modification on lighting passing 3-2).
- U-Haul of East Frederick (PC22-740FSI & PC22-741FSCB) – The applicant requested approval of a final site plan for two buildings (144,514 sq ft total) for self-storage and truck rental, and a combined forest stand delineation and forest conservation plan. Modifications were requested for landscaping, parking (reducing required spaces from 149 to 33 standard spaces), and deferral of frontage improvements. The commission discussed parking adequacy and street tree requirements. All modifications, the deferral, and the final site plan were approved unanimously. The forest conservation plan was also approved unanimously.
- Hamilton Place (PC23-289FSU) – A final plat to consolidate two parcels into one 0.52-acre lot. The plat was approved unanimously with conditions (demolish shed, dedicate easements, record agreements).
- 25-27 Hamilton Avenue (PC23-301FSI) – A final site plan for a 16-unit multifamily building. The applicant requested modifications to access drive separation, parking area lighting, parking setbacks, screening, and street tree location. The commission discussed sinkhole risks and light spillover. The lighting modification passed 3-2 (with two commissioners opposed due to spillover onto the north property line). All other modifications and the final site plan were approved unanimously.
- 100 E. All Saints Street (PC23-314ZMA) – A first public hearing for a zoning map amendment to Institutional (IST) floating zone to facilitate the Frederick Police Department headquarters. No action was taken; the hearing will continue to a second public hearing.
- Brickworks Master Plan (PC22-1160MU) – Due to the late hour, the commission voted to continue the first public hearing to the September 11, 2023 meeting (or a possible special meeting), with a motion carrying 4-1 (Alderman McShane opposed).
Key Outcomes
- Westridge Shopping Center: The commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of seven modifications, the master plan, and the rezoning to the Board of Aldermen. The master plan approval included a recommendation to designate impact fees for improvements to Tasker’s Chance Park.
- U-Haul of East Frederick: All three modifications (landscaping, street trees, parking), the deferral of frontage improvements, and the final site plan were approved unanimously. The forest conservation plan was also approved unanimously.
- Hamilton Place: Final plat approved unanimously with conditions.
- 25-27 Hamilton Avenue: Four modifications and the final site plan approved (lighting modification 3-2, others unanimous).
- Legislative Priorities Letter: Approved unanimously and forwarded to the Board of Aldermen.
- Brickworks Master Plan: Continued to September 11, 2023 (or a special meeting), with a 4-1 vote.
- 100 E. All Saints Street: No action; first public hearing held, second hearing pending.
Note: The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:35 p.m. The Brickworks item was not heard due to time constraints.
Meeting Transcript
Frederick. I'm going to do a little preamble first, and then we're going to talk a little bit about the agenda and the sign-in sheets. But members of the Planning Commission are all residents of the city and are appointed by the mayor and board of Alderman. The commission is made up of five regular members and one alternate. And our power and duties are assigned by the charter of the City of Frederick. Also with the commissioners tonight are Gabrielle Collard and other members of the city's planning department. So at this time we will conduct a swearing in of staff, applicants, and anyone else who is here and intending to give public comment in front of the commission. So stand up or raise your right hand, and I will tell you as you're standing up. If you decide later to give public comment and you weren't sworn in, that's perfectly fine. You'll just have to let us know that you weren't sworn in. But everybody is standing. All right. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the responses given in the statements made in this hearing before the planning commission will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If so, say I do. Okay. Thank you. So as all of you are well aware, we have a very big agenda tonight. And by big meaning it's going to be a long night. And we've had a lot of conversations. And we've heard from a number of people in the community. They asked, how long do these hearings go? Well, we are not to take any new agenda topics past 11. We also know, having said that, that there are two particular now. Public comment is taken on every single item, but we are aware that there are two master plans. One is an old business, so that's going to happen early in the agenda. The second is new. So what's typical on a master plan when it shows up the first time on the agenda as new business, it's typically the last item on the agenda. I'm just going to talk a little bit more so that you understand. We if we moved it to the front, then right now, especially, what that would mean is all everyone who came, all of the applicants and people in the community thinking that their item was going to be further up in the agenda, would now have to wait through the whole night. So this is what we're going to tell you. Is in fact when we get to the brickworks, there is not adequate time for all the questions from the commission to be taken, all the public comment to be given, applicant rebuttal, more questions. If we've not finished the conversation on the brickworks, we will continue this to a second first hearing. So what's typically done is we would just say, well, let's take this up at the second hearing. But we we will do one of two things. Most likely we will continue this in September. And it will be old business then. It'll show up closer to the beginning of the agenda. There'll be another bite at the apple for public comment, etc. etc. But it will be a continuation of the first hearing. So by the time we get to the second hearing, everybody from the public has had a chance to speak. All of our we've had a chance to ask all of our questions and to feel comfortable with all the information that's on the table. So just wanted to give you all a heads up on that because I'm thinking there's a lot of folks here that may want to be giving public comment on this last item, and we don't want you to feel anxious about it, feel like you won't be able to. So you'll just have to think about that. I Scott, anything else you wanted to say? I think that about covers it. You um certainly we want to make sure that that everyone gets an opportunity to speak. We want to make sure that the planning commission has all the information that they need. And as you say, we can't or our goal is to not start any new uh application after 11. That doesn't mean that if a if a case starts prior to 11, then it won't go a little bit past.
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