Frederick City and County News of Interest VOL. 3, NO. 7 | JULY 9, 2024

 Frederick City and County News of Interest   

VOL. 3, NO. 7  |  JULY 9, 2024

Please join our monthly email list by clicking here. 
Learn more about CRG at the bottom of this newsletter.

For quick access, click on a title here and jump to that article, below: !!! INVASIVE PESTS!!! City B&O Townhomes Other City Developments that Could Change our Identity City Westside Update City-County Schools Update County Solar Ordinance Data Centers Upcoming Events and Meetings ______________ !!! INVASIVE PESTS!!! The spotted lantern fly (SLF) is exploding in the City and County, initially colonizing, maturing, and laying eggs on the tree-of-heaven, an invasive woody plant found throughout the area. It is critical to eradicate the SLF and tree-of-heaven, because the SLF threatens Maryland agriculture, especially devastating grape vines and imperiling local wine production. Please consult the following link to learn more about the pests, their potential damages, and possible controls: SLF (https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spotted-lanternfly-home-gardens/) and tree-of-heaven (https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven). City B&O Townhomes Despite several requests to the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and Historic Preservation staff, CRG failed to convince members of this important commission to follow their own guidelines and request that developers revise their designs of the B&O townhomes to meet City requirements. At a June 27th HPC hearing, Commissioners voted unanimously for Level 1 approval of 5 townhomes proposed for the B&O property, directly behind the renovated unadorned historic townhomes on B&O Avenue. Even though some planning staff — and CRG — identified designs not permitted under the Historic Preservation District Guidelines, this continuing pattern of accepting plans that don’t conform to specific guidelines for new construction (e.g., development at the former Banner School property on N. Market, Visitation Academy, and Maxwell Mews) is confounding and follows a disturbing pattern of ignoring HPC’s specific guidelines for proposed new construction. Why set out guidelines if City staff and appointed commission members don’t follow their own rules? Other City Developments that Could Change our Identity On June 17th, several Carroll Creek projects were presented to the Planning Commission (PC) — the B&O residences (noted above), the Downtown Conference Center, and a large residence complex on E. Patrick Street. The Plamondon Conference Center includes a design inconsistent with the other buildings along the creek, asserted 3 PC members; additionally, there were concerns about exclusion of the Frederick News Post building in the center’s design, although residents and some officials assumed that the historic structure at the corner of E. Patrick and Carroll Streets was a critical component of the future hotel and conference center. Fortunately, Randall Cap, LLC, owners of the corner building and the adjacent former Eagles building on E. Patrick, has announced that the buildings will be renovated for a restaurant and retail venues. The application for the residential building at 420 E. Patrick Street must follow Carroll Creek Overlay (CCO) requirements, which mandates conformity with other buildings lining the creek. Commissioners expressed displeasure about the creek-facing design — a light-colored 4 story building sandwiched between two red brick corner structures — as that design is dramatically inconsistent with other buildings along the creek. CRG applauds the members of the PC for recognizing that conformity with creek building character matters as the linear park expands. There appears to be a major effort by the development community to change City-permitted building designs along Carroll Creek. These projects, as well as that proposed for the Galleria next to the Delaplaine, include massing, height, and façade materials and fenestration (e.g., balconies, Juliette porches, garages, 4th story siding) that are not characteristic of the contributing structures (historic buildings >50 years old) along the creek. CRG will continue to challenge this shift to modern architectural designs in both the historic district and the creek’s linear park as our City’s historic building architecture defines us. Modern designs are beautiful in their own right, but not in our treasured and protected City areas. City Westside Update Library — Despite the County having already conducted a feasibility study that found the Hillcrest Park site amenable for a 15,000 sq. ft. library and having developed several workable designs, the City still has not officially approved the land transfer and necessary rezoning. The community at large has been actively pursuing this critically needed amenity for over 3 years and is frustrated by the bureaucratic delay. CRG encourages both the County and the City to resolve this minor hurdle with the urgency it deserves.   Regional Park — The June presentation by the consultant group on the potential design of the Westside Regional Park has now been moved to July 30th. The challenge is how best to utilize the 100+ acres to serve the surrounding community by developing a true park which will include a Community Center as opposed to constructing a profit-generating Sports Complex which does not meet local needs. CRG anxiously awaits the updated proposal and will provide details as they become available!   City-County Schools Update FCPS staff presented funding options to a combined City Board of Aldermen and County Council in mid-June. Funding for schools is very complex and, in the most often-used process, requires contributions locally as well as the majority of fiscal support from the state. However, there are other options (see our May Newsletter) that could be employed. Prince George’s County has used 4 approaches, successfully building 18 schools in 10 years. Frederick County appears to be reluctant to explore these other possible fiscal avenues. Due to the current huge school capacity issue, and a projected population increase of 2.3–2.4% annually (after the highest population increase in Maryland during the period 2020–2023 at 20,000 new residents), CRG encourages the County to explore these possibilities without delay. County Solar Ordinance The County Council and County Planning Commission held June workshops on proposed legislation by Councilwoman Keegan-Ayer for solar panel arrays on agricultural lands in the County. The solar farms may also include panels with agricultural production below, such as sheep grazing, some crops (e.g., various berries), or pollinator plants. The ordinance appears to have support from both City and County, with some revisions to be considered in Keegan-Ayer’s next draft. CRG supports this County initiative so long under consideration, yet largely stalled by the state’s Public Service Commission. Once adopted, local renewable energy increases and additional farm income and production are ensured. Data Centers Two issues are facing this emerging industry (and the entire County and its residents). First, Quantum Loophole (QL), owners of the 2100-acre Eastalco data center campus, is seeking revised permits to provide sewer lines at the site. This may cause more violations of state rules from ‘frac-outs’ attributable to the QL contractor’s horizontal directional drilling errors, potentially contaminating local floodplains and Tuscarora Creek. Second is the recently announced construction of transmission lines from the Baltimore area to Frederick County, possibly delivering 500 MW of electricity. Questions include (but are certainly not limited to): Where will the lines be placed and at what cost to residents? Is this the construction (at an estimated cost of $500M) of transmission lines from VA reported in the FNP in February to Frederick residents (https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/economy_and_business/proposed-power-grid-upgrades-driven-by-va-data-centers-could-cost-marylanders-500m/article_3938ae66-b3a8-59c8-85a3-19de87462bad.html)? Informational meetings will be held in Frederick, Carroll, and Baltimore Counties regarding the transmission lines — see information below. CRG is amazed at the continuing fragmented and poorly communicated progress of QL’s activities. Equally amazing — and concerning — is the absence of any County summaries of its own efforts in revising the current Critical Data Infrastructure Ordinance following receipt of the report of the County Executive’s Data Center Workgroup and technical details from multiple other professional and residential organizations. Upcoming Meetings & Events July 10: Mayor and Board of Aldermen Business Meeting & Workshop, 3 PM, Municipal Annex Building. Workshop — Update on the Downtown Hotel and Conference Center Project July 10: Frederick County info sessions regarding new transmission lines in the County. Brunswick Volunteer Fire Company, 1500 Volunteer Drive, Brunswick, Maryland 21716 Session 1: 2 PM – 4 PM Session 2: 6 PM – 8 PM July 11: City Historic Preservation Commission, 6 PM, Municipal Annex Building. Workshop, Wormald Property (Galleria) at 107 E. South Street and solar shingles on 3 historic Odd Fellows Buildings at 1730 N. Market St. July 15: Citywide Planning Department Community Outreach Meeting, 6 PM, Municipal Annex Building. Brickworks preliminary plat and former Eagles final site plan at 216 E. Patrick St.

__________________ See the CRG blog at: responsiblegrowthfrederick.com Contributors: P. Gallagher, S. Jakubczyk, M. Rosensweig, K. Sellner, S. Sellner CRG is a grassroots coalition of Frederick residents who prioritize responsible growth, expanding infrastructure, and a functional natural environment. We advocate for development that accommodates projected population increases while fostering a strong and diverse community fabric and increasing economic opportunities. Our comprehensive approach emphasizes public safety, traffic mitigation, increasing school capacity, and housing for all members of our community. Many Frederick residents want to know — but cannot find — information about how to participate in discussions of important local issues. The City and County generally hold meetings from 3–10 p.m., making it impossible for most of us to attend meetings or weigh in on issues of interest. Our mission with this monthly newsletter is to highlight City and County activities so you can learn more and, with your limited time, weigh in on areas of growth and development, City and County policies, and other local activities. Occasionally, opinions or longer stories will be offered by knowledgeable experts/readers. We welcome suggestions for articles focused on specific topics. Contact Kevin Sellner (kgsellner@gmail.com), Marge Rosensweig (marjorierosensweig@gmail.com), or Steve Jakubczyk (jakubczyksteven@gmail.com) for consideration of your issue. ------------------------- We are on Instagram - Follow Us!  Check out our Facebook Page!