Frederick Planning Commission Workshop - September 16, 2024
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Frederick Planning Commission Workshop - September 16, 2024
The Frederick Planning Commission held a workshop on September 16, 2024, to discuss three items: a final site plan for the Frederick County Prospect Center, a preliminary plat for the Brickworks development, and a zoning map amendment for Hillcrest Park. No votes were taken; the commission provided feedback and guidance for further revisions.
Public Comments & Testimony
- For the Prospect Center, one speaker complimented the inclusion of solar panels on all buildings.
- For Brickworks, Kevin Sellner (East Frederick Rising) expressed concern about reliance on fee-in-lieu for forest conservation and urged requirements for tree planting on each parcel. He also asked about the status of the voluntary cleanup plan. Heather Goddard (East Frederick Rising) advocated for a shared-use path connection between East Street and South Street under power lines, citing the East Frederick Vision plan.
- No public comment was made for the Hillcrest Park item.
Frederick County Prospect Center (Final Site Plan and Forest Conservation Plan)
- Applicant Peter Soprano (Site Resources) presented plans to renovate the existing 207,000-square-foot building at 585 Himes Avenue into county government offices, a vehicle storage building, and a data center. The site is currently zoned PB but is undergoing a zoning map amendment to IST. Modifications were requested for landscaping buffers due to underground/overhead utilities, for parking lot landscaping on an undeveloped western lot, and for two specimen trees (one in poor condition, one non-native). A potential fourth modification for loading spaces was noted. The forest conservation plan proposes 3.89 acres of afforestation, with on-site planting and off-site areas at Rose Hill Manor and Montague campus.
- Commission questions addressed tree screening near the data tower, the percentage of parking lot landscaping, loading zone requirements, and the need for detailed afforestation sheets. Staff reminded that the institutional floating zone approval is pending, and the site plan hearing will not be scheduled until the zoning is in place.
Brickworks (Preliminary Plat and Forest Conservation Plan)
- Applicant Chris Maringa (Harris Smariga & Associates) presented a preliminary plat to subdivide the master-planned site into six lots. Parkland dedication of 9.9 acres was shown, with the remainder to be met through private spaces or fee-in-lieu. Modifications were requested: (1) street trees on Monocacy Boulevard cannot be planted in the right-of-way due to a dam regulated by MDE; (2) the shared-use path on East Street will be relocated to preserve existing street trees. The forest conservation plan includes retention of 1.5 acres, street tree credits, and potential off-site planting or fee-in-lieu, as on-site options are limited by parkland, utility easements, and road infrastructure.
- Commission discussion focused on the difficulty of achieving forest conservation on urban infill sites. Commissioners urged maximizing on-site afforestation and suggested using small outparcels. Staff explained the prioritization hierarchy and the challenge of balancing density, parkland, and environmental requirements. The applicant updated on ongoing discussions with Frederick County Public Schools for a potential school site on Lots 2/3 and on the voluntary cleanup plan with MDE.
Hillcrest Park (Zoning Map Amendment)
- Mark DuCampo (City of Frederick) presented the city's application to rezone Hillcrest Park from public park to IST (Institutional Floating Zone) to allow a West Side branch library. The library would serve a high-density, diverse area. Six alternative sites were studied, including the Prospect Center, but were deemed unsuitable due to state funding requirements, walkability, or equity concerns. The feasibility study is a conceptual stress test, not a final design. The city plans to relocate existing park amenities (e.g., little league field, restrooms) to West Side Regional Park as part of a larger community campus.
- Commission questions touched on the concept of parkland alienation and community concerns about traffic and loss of open space. Staff noted that the rezoning process requires two additional meetings before a recommendation to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
Key Outcomes
- Prospect Center: The applicant will submit revised plans addressing commission comments (e.g., loading spaces, landscaping percentages, afforestation details). The hearing will be scheduled after the IST zoning is approved by the Mayor and Board.
- Brickworks: The applicant will continue exploring forest conservation options, including off-site planting, and work with FCPS on the school site. The voluntary cleanup plan is ongoing. A deferral agreement for Brickwork Street will be drafted.
- Hillcrest Park: The commission will hold two more meetings (October and November) before issuing a recommendation to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for final consideration.
- No motions or votes were taken on any item.
Meeting Transcript
Workshop. Before we begin today's proceedings, I'm going to give you an overview of the process because we're a little less formal on workshop days than we are at the hearing. For each agenda item, we're going to start with the uh applicant coming up and giving us an overview of your project, um, walking us through it. If any of you here are new to the process, um, we specifically want you to to give us some detail, um, not just say it's here, do you have questions? And specifically, if you're asking for modifications, um, walk us through the modifications and tell us um why you're asking for those modifications. Um, after the applicant presentation, uh, the commission will ask questions, um, give you comments, um, and then after that, we will turn to the staff and have the staff add any additional things that they have to say regarding the package. And then finally, we will turn it over for public comment. And if anybody is in the audience who wishes to make public comment, that would be um your time. Um, and if there is anybody, um please sign up at the sign-up sheet on the side of the room today. That would be useful, although not required. Um, I will still ask for other comments as well. And um, then at that point, we'll give the applicant a chance to respond to comments, give the commission a chance for one more round of questions or comments, and then we will finish the item. Um, and with that being said, at this point, anybody who wants to present before the commission today, if it's the city staff, applicants, and public who need to be sworn in. So if everybody could stand and raise your right hand. Thank you. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the response is given and statements made in this hearing before the planning commission will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If so, answer I do. Thank you very much. Um, Gabrielle, I know we don't have an official spot on the agenda for announcements, but do you have anything you need to say before we get started? Um always a good reminder that this evening is our citywide planning department community outreach meeting at 6 p.m. It's held in this room, uh, and that is an opportunity for a staff and the applicants to showcase the latest agenda items or the latest submissions that will ultimately be agenda items uh that the city is currently reviewing. So just plug for that. Thank you. All right. At this point, we are ready for our first agenda item. That is the Frederick County Prospect Center. Um case numbers PC 24-559 FSI for the final site plan and PC 24560 FSCB for the combined forest stand delineation and preliminary forest conservation plan. And if you could start by introducing your team. Are those on? It's not on. Good afternoon. Thanks, Kyle. Uh my name is Peter Soprano. I'm with Site Resources. I'm the civil engineer for the project. With me here is Todd McManick, he's the architect from Crabtree Ruhrba and Associates. And we also have Kyle Buda in the audience from Site Resources and a member of Frederick County from the owner side, in case there are any questions for you. So with that, we can get started on the Frederick County Prospect Center project for the final site plan for this PC workshop. You can see that the site plan here on the screen showing the proposed improvements for the site. It's located at 585 Himes Avenue. Um, and just this gives you a general introduction to what is being proposed, and you can see on the western side of the site, there is the existing lot which is existing to remain. Um, and we can go into that in a little bit more detail here on the next slide. Um we'll we'll get into the detail of the proposed site as we as we go. If you could go to the next slide, please. Thank you. So this is the existing site. Um the existing building is split up into three levels with the ground level as well. As was noted, the address is 585 Himes Avenue, and the lot area itself is shown in red is 25.9 acres. Um the actual site plan area that we're going to be uh viewing today is only 19 and a half acres, and that is primarily because that western lot that you see there that was I pointed out in that first slide is going to remain undeveloped and it's going to be earmarked for future development that is not included in this project. The zone is IST.
openpublica.com