Frederick Planning Commission Meeting - May 12, 2025
Frederick Planning Commission Meeting - May 12, 2025
The Frederick Planning Commission met on May 12, 2025, at 6:00 PM at City Hall. The meeting covered several items including a continuance, old business, and multiple new business items for the Brickworks development and the Frederick Health master plan. The commission recognized outgoing Commissioner Ron Beattie for his service.
Minutes Approval
- The minutes from the April 14, 2025, April 21, 2025, and May 9, 2025 meetings were approved unanimously.
Continuances
- Brickworks Lot 5 (PC24-834PSU/FSI and PC24-835PFCP): The applicant requested a 30-day continuance to the June 9, 2025 meeting due to additional traffic and circulation issues. Approved unanimously.
Old Business: Rock Hill Preliminary Forest Conservation Plan (PC23-1047PFCP)
- Commissioner Menelas explained her initial 'no' vote was due to lack of information from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regarding rare, threatened, or endangered species. After receiving a DNR letter stating no such species were identified, she changed her position. The commission approved the forest conservation plan and the modification to Section 721 (specimen tree removal) unanimously.
New Business: Brickworks Lots 4 & 6 Preliminary Forest Conservation Plan (PC24-932PFCP)
- Staff presented the plan for 14.54 acres of forest and 95 specimen trees. The overall planting requirement is 16.42 acres, with 1.89 acres of reforestation proposed in parkland, 2.16 acres of street tree credits, and the remaining 12.37 acres to be planted on-site or via fee-in-lieu. The applicant intends to transfer planting obligations to other lots. Public comments raised concerns about specimen tree conservation and off-site planting options. The plan was approved unanimously with six conditions.
New Business: Brickworks Lot 4 Final Site Plan (PC24-930FSI)
- The applicant seeks approval for a 73,571 square foot shopping center including a grocery store (Whole Foods) and three retail buildings, with modifications to lighting, setbacks, loading spaces, and building height. Extensive discussion occurred on lighting spillover, sidewalks, and parking lot screening. Public comments opposed the one-story building modification and requested improved pedestrian connectivity. The commission voted:
- Modification 1 (light spillover onto Lot 6): Approved 3-1 (Commissioner Valencia opposed).
- Modification 2 (parking setback reduction from 25 ft to 14.5 ft along Monocacy Boulevard): Approved unanimously.
- Modification 3 (parking setback reduction from 10 ft to 0 ft along common lot line): Approved unanimously.
- Modification 4 (access separation distance reduction from 298 ft to 257.8 ft): Approved unanimously.
- Modification 5 (eliminate parking lot screening between Lots 4 and 6): Approved unanimously.
- Modification 6 (reduce three large loading spaces to small): Approved unanimously.
- Modification 7 (allow buildings over 10,000 sq ft to be one story): Approved 3-1 (Chair Strawson opposed).
- Final site plan: Approved unanimously with nine conditions plus a tenth condition to widen a sidewalk from 4 ft to 6 ft.
New Business: Brickworks Lot 6 Final Site Plan (PC24-931FSI)
- The applicant seeks approval for a 340-unit multifamily residential building with a parking garage. Two modifications were requested: light spillover onto Lot 4 and frontage on a private drive. Public comments requested better pedestrian connectivity to Lot 5 and bike storage on the first floor. The commission voted:
- Modification 1 (light spillover): Approved 3-1 (Commissioner Valencia opposed).
- Modification 2 (frontage on private drive): Approved unanimously.
- Final site plan: Approved unanimously with 17 conditions.
New Business: Frederick Health Master Plan (PC24-662MU) – First Hearing
- The applicant proposes a mixed-use village with up to 750 dwelling units and 1,260,394 sq ft of non-residential uses, including conditional uses for senior living, nursing home, medical laboratory, and helistop. Staff reported that school mitigation fees will be required for elementary and high schools due to capacity issues. The applicant discussed road connectivity, parkland dedication, and modifications to standard city details. No public comment was offered. The commission deferred action to the second hearing (date to be determined) and requested additional information on conditional use criteria and traffic impacts.
Key Outcomes
- All votes on the Brickworks projects were approved, with two modifications (light spillover on both lots and one-story building height) passing 3-1. The Frederick Health master plan was continued to a future meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Cases have been appropriately advertised pursuant to section 301 of the land management code. Cases tonight will be presented to the planning commission in the following format. First, we'll have the introduction of the case, followed by the presentation and initial recommendation by staff. We'll have the opportunity for commission to question staff and then the agent authorized agent or applicant will come up and give their their presentation regarding the case, followed by the commission questioning of the of the applicant. After that, we will have public comment and we will have the opportunity for the commission to question public comment if they so desire. Following that, we will allow the applicant to respond to any public comments, then it will come back up here. We'll have a commission discussion, any questions, and then we will take an action. In support of the planning commission, staff members from the city's planning, engineering, and legal departments are in attendance. And this is the point where I tell everybody that anybody who wishes to make a comment or speak before the hearing tonight must be sworn in prior to giving their comments. So at this point, anybody who plans on making comments, you would please please arise and I will do a group swearing in. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the response is given and the 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. All right, before we start with the regular agenda, I just want to take a minute to um recognize one of our colleagues, uh Commissioner Beattie has um his term was up this year, and he is no longer with us, and I just want to take the opportunity to thank him for his service. He was always so much fun to work with, and he was a workhorse, you know, really doing more than his fair share of the workload, and we are definitely going to miss him. And um, so Ron, if you're watching the meeting tonight, we're gonna miss you. Anyone else want to make a couple comments? Sure. Um, I did all your comments about um Ron being um a valued member um whose contributions were deeply um appreciated and thought through, and you could tell that he you know read the applicant applications and he was always present um for oh most of the hearings. Um so I will say that he will be missed, and that's why I'm sitting in his chair, so I could feel closer to one. All right. Um in the short time that I've been here, it was definitely great to get to know Ron. Uh lots of information, knowledgeable about so many things. So I definitely appreciate my time sitting next to him, which I'll just have the memory here. So if he's watching, it's nice great to know him. Yeah, so I knew Ron the least amount of time, but he certainly was inspiring to be sitting at this table with these people. And Ron, I know you're watching us, so hello, and thanks for your service. Okay, thank you. Um Gabrielle, I will turn it over to you for announcements at this point. Uh just for our announcements this evening. Um, just wanted to note that we have our planning commission workshop next Monday, uh, the 19th, and that's at 2 p.m. in the afternoon held in this room, and our backup for the workshop should be online next uh tomorrow. And that same evening we have our citywide planning department community outreach meeting at 6 p.m. Okay, thank you. All right, so as always, the first item on the agenda is the approval of the minutes. We have three sets of minutes tonight. Um, the April 14th, 2025 Planning Commission meeting minutes, the April 21st, 2025 Planning Commission workshop minutes, and the May 9th, 2025 pre-planning commission meeting minutes. So I am ready to take motions. I move for the approval of the April 14th, 2025 planning commission meeting minutes. I second. That is a motion by Commissioner Valencia, a second by Commissioner Menelis. All in favor? Aye. Aye. That is unanimous. I move for the approval of the April 21st, 2025 Planning Commission workshop minutes. I second that. That is a motion by Commissioner Valencia, a second by Commissioner Lewell, and all in favor. Aye. Aye.
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