Frederick Planning Commission Workshop: April 21, 2025
Frederick Planning Commission Workshop – April 21, 2025
The Frederick Planning Commission held a workshop on April 21, 2025, at 2:00 PM in City Hall, reviewing six agenda items and a postponed case. Commissioners heard presentations from applicants, received staff input, and allowed public comment on multiple proposals. No votes were taken; all items remain in workshop status for future hearings.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Grove Hill (Architectural Review): Bob Roby (East Second Street) expressed concern that the rendering did not adequately depict the site, noting lack of trees in backyards and questioned whether townhomes without yards would become the standard. Michael Banks (radio station adjacent) requested shielded wiring to prevent radio interference in new homes and asked that existing trees be protected during construction.
- Tuscarora Creek Phase 6: No public comment.
- 1435 W. Patrick Street: No public comment.
- Frederick Community College: No public comment.
- Frederick Gateway (Annexation & Zoning): Bob Roby asked about buffers between parking and proposed residential, control of the state park-and-ride on event days, and requested that the riverfront trail include public restrooms and planned facilities.
- Text Amendment (MU Phasing): No public comment.
Discussion Items
- Grove Hill (PC21-1010-05PND) – Architectural Review: The applicant (Nick Wade, Ryan Homes) presented 65 townhome units (24 end units at 20 ft wide, 41 interior at 16 ft wide) in four-, five-, and six-unit buildings. No modifications were requested. Staff noted the applicant must address Section 604C for multifamily design elements. The commission asked about clusters and alignment. Public comments raised concerns about tree preservation and radio interference.
- Tuscarora Creek Phase 6 (PC24-981PSU/FSI) – Combined Preliminary Plat & Final Site Plan: The applicant (Chris Mariga, Harris Smariga) presented 34 front-load townhomes, the final residential phase of an 847-unit subdivision. A modification was requested to allow 50-foot spacing for street trees due to driveway conflicts; compensating trees will be added. The project is subjected to APFO testing and requires 4 MPDUs (fee-in-lieu). Staff clarified that the shift from single-family to townhomes increased pupil generation, triggering APFO review.
- 1435 W. Patrick Street (PC24-760FSI / PC24-761FSCB) – Final Site Plan & Forest Conservation: The applicant (Sean Benchmanson, Adtek Engineers) proposed demolishing three homes and constructing a 12,000 sq ft commercial building (laundromat and three units). Floodplain constraints drove building placement along the street. Two modifications were requested: driveway separation distance (aligned with 7-Eleven driveway) and 1% reduction in interior green space (with off-site tree planting). Stormwater management quantitative requirements will be met via fee-in-lieu (less than $10,000). Staff supported modifications and noted the project complies with the Golden Mile Small Area Plan narrative. Commissioner Valencia expressed concern about existing flooding in the area.
- Frederick Community College (PC25-53FSI) – Final Site Plan: The applicant (Jim McArthur, RRMM Architects; Frank White, KCI Technologies) plans a 19,000 sq ft campus services building (LEED Silver) with maintenance facilities and offices. Three modifications were requested: parking (reduced because building is staff-only), lighting (spillover onto adjacent Fort Dietrich property), and bike racks (withdrawn – applicant will add racks near athletic fields). Staff required a fourth design element (of seven) to be provided, additional landscaping for parking lot screening, and lighting mitigation measures.
- Frederick Gateway (PC24-983ANX / PC24-984ZMA) – Annexation Amendment & Rezoning: The applicant (Bruce Dean, McCurdy Dean Gratz; Chris Mariga; Rohit Anand, Washington Freedom) seeks to lease 24 acres of a 50-acre site for a professional cricket stadium (special event center). The annexation resolution would be amended to reduce parkland dedication from 16 acres to 6 acres along the Monocacy River, with the city retaining a boat launch and trail. The zoning amendment would rezone the cricket area to IST (Institutional Floating Zone). Parking would be managed via off-site shuttles from locations such as the Fairgrounds, Harry Grove Stadium, and FSK Mall, with 500 on-site spaces. The applicant noted FEMA and MAA approvals in process. Commissioners discussed floodplain fill, traffic management, and the definition of a special event center.
- Text Amendment (PC25-55ZTA) – Section 417, Mixed Use Districts Phasing: The applicant (Philip Hummel, Matan Companies) proposes to replace the fixed 75-25 phasing requirement (25% commercial before exceeding 75% residential building permits) with a flexible system allowing applicants to propose their own phasing schedules, subject to review by the planning commission or city council. Previously approved projects could request staff-level modifications if no APFO impact. Commissioners expressed concerns about removing percentages entirely, potential unintended consequences (e.g., commercial never built), and the loss of planning commission oversight for administrative changes. Staff suggested providing a hypothetical case study and examples from other jurisdictions. The item will return for a hearing in June 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Postponed: Item 5 (The Galleria at Carroll Creek, PC24-934FSI) was postponed to May 19, 2025.
- Next Steps: All workshop items are expected to return for public hearings at future commission meetings. The text amendment (PC25-55ZTA) will be scheduled for a hearing in June 2025, with additional information to be provided by the applicant.
- No votes were taken. All items remain in workshop status.
Meeting Transcript
I can bang this with my right hand now. All right, it's officially two o'clock, and we're calling to order the um April twenty first, two thousand and twenty-five workshop for the City Frederick Planning Commission. Um, before we start today's proceedings, I'm going to um give an overview of the process that we'll follow today since it's a little bit different than the process we follow for the hearing. Um, for each honor item on the agenda, we're going to start by having the applicant come up and make their presentation. Um, come up to the front table and just kind of block us through your project. And I will remind any of you who are new to this process that we really like you to do more than just say, have you read it? Are there any questions? But really walk us through it and particularly focus in on um any modifications that you're asking for and explain those modifications to us. Um, following your presentation, we'll have an opportunity for the commission to ask you questions. Um, and then after our questioning, we'll turn it over to staff and get their input on the case. Um, at then we'll have time for the commission to ask questions of staff, and eventually, after we've done all of that, then we'll open it up to the public and give the opportunity for public comment. Um let's see. So anybody who is going to be making a presentation before the workshop today, including anybody who's here to make public comments needs to be sworn in. And so if everybody who's planning on speaking, stand up, raise your right hand. That's right. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the response is given and the statements made before the planning commission will be the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If so, answer I do. Thank you very much. Before we get started, it's not officially on the agenda, but Gabrielle, do you have any announcements or anything you wish to say? No, just the one announcement that the um galleria item, the final site plan for the gallery has been postponed from today's workshop to may. Um so we expect to have it back on that agenda. All right. Great, thank you very much. Oops, let me get to the right place. All right, so the first item on our agenda is PC 21-101005 PND, an architectural review for the Grove Hill. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Nick Wade with Ryan Holmes, and I'm here to present our architectural package for Grove Hill. Um, yes. You don't have to fold it again. Okay. Is the PowerPoint that I shared last week able to be shared on screen? Can you give us some background while she's looking? Happy to give you some background. Um Grove Hill is a project off of Grove Hill Road in Frederick City. It's going to be comprised of um sixty-five townhome units. Um there will be 24 end units will be a 20-foot-wide town home, and then 41 interior units, which will be 16 feet wide. Um this is a nice infill project. Um, and one of the major benefits of this of this community as well is going to be how uh it ties in the Hillcrest area into 40 off of Huntsman Lane. Go to the next page. Um so from a from a summary or standards matrix, uh, we feel that we've achieved all the architectural requirements required in Frederick City, and we can get into demonstrating some of the specific architecture. Um we can flip to the next one as well. Um so what we've provided here are the different strip elevations that you will see throughout the project depending on the size of the building. Um starting with a a four-unit building, which will be the smallest uh size that we have. You can see the two interior units are uh the 16-foot wide Clarendon town home, and then the two end units are 20-foot wide mayor. Um uh both products will be three stories high with parking in the rear. And then main level living on the second floor and bedrooms on the third floor. This is an example of of a five five-unit building, and then we have a six-unit building to follow as well. Okay, and then as we go into um page eight. This demonstrates what the the right side elevation will be on the 20-foot town homes. They are cantilevered on the third floor, and then page nine or 10, excuse me, demonstrates what the rear elevations will be with um in this particular manner right here.
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