Frederick City and County News of Interest VOL. 4, NO. 6 | June 10, 2025

VOL. 4, NO. 6  |  June 10, 2025 Frederick City and County News of Interest 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: City: Affordable Housing City: Native Plants Tour! City: Cricket Stadium City: Candidates Meet-and-Greet County: CDI Overlay Ordinance CRG will send a separate email on this topic County: MPRP Updates Upcoming Meetings & Events ______________ City: Affordable Housing (Discussion continued from the April CRG newsletter) Our City faces a huge deficit in affordable housing, whether owned or rented. In response, over the past several months, the City Council Housing, Health and Education (HHE) Committee has focused a substantial portion of their public meeting time on the Housing Work Plan, with special emphasis on affordable housing. Additionally, the City has contracted with TPMA, an Indianapolis-based consulting firm, to update the City’s housing needs assessment (last updated in 2016), develop a strategic plan to close the gaps found, and present their findings in November 2025. TPMA has already presented startling data documenting the lack of affordable housing. Their goal is to adhere to the 2020 Comprehensive Plan policy objective “for the City to create more options for housing development that supports the needs of all current and future residents.”     Committee members have discussed and prioritized several specific housing options including a homeless services/emergency shelter; incentivizing private sector investment; tax credits; tenant protections; rent control/rent stabilization programs; tax incentives; funding mechanisms; community land trusts; realtor education efforts; etc. All good ideas, some more realistic than others. Subsequent meetings focused more specifically on Moderate Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and SROs (Single Room Occupancy units), documenting challenges they pose, including: Issues with MPDUs include the disinterest among many/most developers to include such dwellings in their properties and thus opt to pay a Fee-in-Lieu (FIL) to the City. These funds are to be used, theoretically, by the City to build affordable housing though several other uses of the funds are allowed (e.g., rehabilitation, repairs, rental assistance, etc.) and the current total in the fund would not cover the construction costs of many units. One possible solution is to eliminate the FIL and require developers to dedicate 12.5% (of their total residential sq. ft.) to MPDUs; another is to raise the FIL to a more robust figure that will actually be used for MPDU construction and not for any other housing support.   City staff have encountered barriers to ADUs including parking limitations, dwelling size in relation to the principal dwelling, and requirements for owner occupancy of the principal dwelling. There is a question about the nature of SROs (what they are precisely and the range of configurations they might take). Typically, SROs are a form of affordable housing in some cases for formerly or otherwise unhoused individuals and/or seniors with very limited income. The term SRO refers to the fact that the tenant rents a single room, as opposed to a full flat (apartment). Generally, the dwelling does not include bathing or cooking facilities; these are shared by other SRO tenants. The facility provides supportive services to help tenants move to greater independence. Another option (though not one endorsed by landlords and building owners) on HHE’s priority list is rent stabilization which, according to Housing Frederick, has been institutionalized by Montgomery County, MD, via their 2023 Rent Stabilization Bill 16-23. This legislation, which could be used as a model in Frederick County/City, is designed to maintain reasonable rents for residents earning less than $30-40K annually (e.g., service workers, administrative staff, seniors, and residents on fixed incomes). Click for more information about Bill 16–23.   One potential outcome discussed at the May 15 and June 5 HHE meetings is a consensus on zoning concepts to promote affordable housing throughout the City. These options, as stated by City planning staff, are to create an affordable housing floating zone or derive a regulatory framework for flexibility for affordable housing projects that would not require rezoning action to be taken by the Council (“Incentive Zoning”). The primary factor in determining which of these two options the Council would like to pursue is the degree to which the Council should be the deciding body on individual requests to implement the regulations. Click for the Housing Work Plan Executive Summary.   At the June 5 HHE meeting, committee members also discussed the proposed (by staff) award of $256K+ in Rental Licensing fees. They agreed to move forward immediately to allocate $150K to Habitat for Humanity to repair homes owned by low-income residents. Other proposed awards/allocations require more detail and discussion including $80K to house 12 individuals in a co-living community, rental assistance to individuals in jeopardy of eviction or seniors not allowed to age in place, with the remainder for City staff salaries. Additionally, various advocates pleaded for speeding the process for permitting and subsequent construction of affordable housing. They noted that the long list of City requirements for development often delays or prevents affordable housing construction as developers must cover loan costs, etc. Over time and long delays in moving forward, costs must be covered often beyond the resources of the developers.    CRG applauds the attention to affordable housing. We realize the complexity of synchronizing the various laws and regulations governing development in the City which, unintentionally, make it more difficult to do what really needs to be done. And we appreciate the intentionality of the housing discussions at the City Council level to address the problem. However, some questions arise: Is there a vision for a continuum of housing options that will be sufficiently robust to truly accommodate the gaps which, it would seem, will not be truly delineated until the TPMA report is completed? Further, HHE committee members questioned why a Frederick County AMI was not in place and asked that it be calculated and used rather than the D.C. 80% AMI to be sure the City is assisting those at the lowest income levels such as the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed) community. And will whatever definition that finally emerges truly reach and meet the needs of the folks who really need such housing? Will the MPDU program no longer allow fees-in-lieu under new legislation? If not, how will the City ever achieve mixed income communities but instead rely on LIHTC (low-income housing tax credits) for affordable housing projects (which tend to be stand-alone, not necessarily integrated with the larger community). CRG anticipates being part of the HHE housing discussion as it moves forward. City: Native Plants Tour! Our friends at Wild Ones have planned a Native Plant  Garden Tour in the City of Frederick. Click the graphic to RSVP for this free event. City: Cricket Stadium A developer is requesting a zoning change and amendment to an annexation agreement to erect a cricket stadium and events complex on the property at 8400-A East Patrick Street (currently a golf driving range). The Planning Commission previously held two workshops on the request and, on June 9, the Commission will hold the first of two meetings to formally discuss and vote on the request to then forward to the City Council for action.  Several issues about this request have been raised by residents of the surrounding community including: Access to and from the property: The only access is from Old National Pike through a state-owned Park-and-Ride and then onto US 40/East Patrick Street. There has been no traffic impact study for the area, an absolute ‘must’ considering the short ramp on to I-70 at the RV Center on E. Patrick and the large volume of traffic from the Lake Linganore community. Parking: The applicant is proposing a stadium for 7,000–10,000 with busses delivering most of the attendees from out of the area, parking at other locations like Nymeo Field, and shuttle busses to/from the event facility. There will be no parking at the park so local neighborhoods could be overrun with attendees in private vehicles. Lack of information about use of the venue: The developer provided no information beyond the 14 plus cricket events and a craft show, graduations, and lacrosse game use of fields. There is no mention of concert events that this venue could be used for under the zoning requested. There is also a request to modify the $500,000 road improvements request that was in the original annexation agreement that was never paid because the property development never occurred. Siting adjacent to a flood plain: Another issue is related to the 16 acres of land near the Monocacy River — that is mainly a 100-year flood plain. On June 10, the applicant will appear at the Parks and Recreation Commission to present their request. The original annexation agreement included the 16 acres. The applicant’s new request is to place a cricket stadium and a grass park, pavilion, asphalt walkway along the river, and public boat access to the river. To build the cricket stadium, the fissures in the flood plain will need to be filled. Approval by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is needed for the fill and other flood plain activities. CRG strongly encourages extensive review of this application as the traffic, neighborhood parking, floodplain damage, and general noise from the proposed events pose serious shifts in character and activities of the generally quiet adjacent neighborhood as well as severe vehicle congestion for the cricket complex and traffic from the Linganore community.  City: Candidates Meet-and-Greet On June 4, CRG hosted a Meet-and-Greet for all non-incumbent candidates for City Council and mayor in the Thomassens’ beautiful garden on E. 4th Street. Each candidate introduced themselves and their platform to the community. As Steve Jakubczyk, the moderator of the event, stated, the community is fortunate to have such a strong slate of candidates willing to work for the betterment of Frederick. Across the board, the candidates seemed to agree that low-to-moderate housing, a strong plan and vision for the future of our City, and representation of specific district needs are paramount for a better Frederick. In addition, particular attention was given to the everyday needs of the residents, from childcare concerns to improved transportation. Following individual speeches, attendees and candidates discussed details of proposed plans. Stay tuned for future CRG–organized individual candidate forums throughout the summer, leading up to the all–important September primary and subsequent November election.   County: CDI Overlay Ordinance Several organizations are mobilizing residents to attend the County Council meeting on Tuesday, June 17 at 5:30 PM, when the Council will be discussing the new Data Center Overlay. Please consider attending! Wear a white shirt if possible to show support for strong controls on data centers. More specifics to come in a separate email this week. A compromise siting ordinance employing a Data Center Overlay Zone has been agreed upon by the two County Council factions and the County Executive. However, several issues/questions remain. For example, in the Overlay legislation, if 1% of the County’s area is to be allocated for data center rezoning in the overlay zone, how does that expand the current acreage surrounding the 2200-acre Eastalco site? Will agricultural neighbors who are not in the ag preservation program adjacent to Eastalco be enticed to seek rezoning for data center development? Certainly, with the huge sums being offered for land by data center corporations, expansion is highly likely. The Council would have the final decision on whether rezoning would be granted.   Other issues NOT addressed in the compromise ordinance still include absence of any requirements for identifying power or water demand, center proximity to nearby residential areas (currently proposed at 200 feet), protection of neighbor wells and properties as well as riparian buffers and creeks through corporation-funded escrow accounts, and funding for any County services that may need to be upgraded for addressing data center operations, such as treatment of data center effluents.   CRG is deeply concerned that dialog with industry representatives is proving more important to 5 members of the Council than resident concerns on proximity, hazardous material use and storage, property values, and quality of life in a soon-to-be-noisy 24 hour/day in the overlay area. There are certainly ample fact-based reports re: deleterious center impacts from just across the river in Loudoun County, VA that the Loudoun representatives have warned Council members to address before moving forward but — so far — to no avail. CRG was hoping that ignoring facts was only common to our nation’s capital, but it seems “fact ignorance” has now leaked into our local governance. County: MPRP Updates Review the PSC pre-hearing conference from June 10 by using this link. StopMPRP will air a Webinar Update on Monday, June 16 at 6:30 PM. Join Stop MPRP, Inc. President and Board Chair Joanne Frederick for a timely PSC post-hearing debrief and update on the latest developments. They'll break down what happened at the June 10 hearing, share insights on the PSEG federal lawsuit, and provide clear next steps so you can continue making your voice heard. Click to register for the webinar. Upcoming Meetings & Events County Planning Commission Meeting, Winchester Hall, June 11, 9:30 AM: S. Frederick Corridor Form-Based Code; Livable Frederick 5 Year Report City Land Use, Public Safety, and Community Development Committee, City Hall, June 12, 1 PM: Brickworks Deferral Agreement City Native Plants Garden Tour, Sat. June 14: click to register and receive addresses StopMPRP Webinar — Update on status of the MPRP, Virtual, June 16, 6:30: click to register. County Council Hearing, Winchester Hall, June 17, 5:30 PM: County Executive's Data Center Infrastructure Overlay proposal. Wear a white shirt if possible to show support for strong controls on data centers.

__________________ See the CRG blog at: responsiblegrowthfrederick.com Contributors: P. Gallagher, R. Huber, S. Jakubczyk, R. Robey, M. Rosenswieg, K. Sellner. Guest Contributor: Dr. W. Reid, Frederick Progressives 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're on Instagram... follow us! Check out our Facebook page!