(4/6) Commissioner Joe Ritz, liaison to the town Planning Commissioner, told the commissioners at their April 5 meeting that a proposal to amend the town’s growth boundary will be going before county and state planning boards for review. The proposal could lead to the annexation of seven properties.
Three of the properties would be newly added to the town’s growth boundaries, while another four are already located in the growth boundary but need zoning changes to facilitate future annexation. Two could involve the construction of residential developments.
The details regarding the properties involved were reviewed at the town Planning Commission’s March 29 meeting, and include:
Those that could entail residential development: A 15.53-acre lot that would essentially be an extension of Northgate. A developer may be seeking to construct 48 single-family dwellings. A 22.97-acre lot located north of Northgate. A developer may be seeking to build 29 townhomes and 34 single-family dwellings on the site. A .79-acre lot located adjacent to Silo Hill development. This lot would have its zoning changed to low density residential, but no potential development was discussed.
Three North Seton Avenue properties which could be annexed to the town, are already located within the town’s growth boundary, including Rube’s Crab Shack, Spike’s, and the former Emmitsburg Auction site. Each would be annexed to the town as ‘neighborhood commercial.’ the county has them zoned as residential.
Finally, the Daughters of Charity property, adjacent to the wastewater-treatment plant property on the west side of Route 15, would be newly included in the growth boundary. The 70.71-acre site would be used to plant trees to assist the town in meeting its stormwater management permit requirements.
The change to the growth boundary must be approved by county and state planning departments. Following their approval, the town Planning Commission would then hold a public hearing on May 3, followed by a final public hearing before the board of commissioners on July 12.
