(1/2) The Emmitsburg Planning Commission voted at their last meeting for 2020 on December 28 to conditionally approve subdividing and merging two parcels of land, one of which related to the proposed Rutter’s convenience store and commercial complex.

Town Planner Zach Gulden told the commission that SPT Land LLC and the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) were seeking to split-up two existing parcels and re-attach them in order to create two reconfigured parcels. Both parcels are located adjacent to one another off Taneytown Pike.

Prior to approval on December 28 of the subdivisions and mergers proposal, the SPT Land tract consisted of 2.0296 acres, while the adjacent SHA tract was comprised of 11.4 acres. The proposal called for subdividing a .5324-acre parcel off of the SPT Land and adding to the SHA’s land. As a result, the SPT Land tract will be reduced to 1.4972-acres.

The 1.4972-acres will then be merged with another SPT Land tract consisting of 13.7977-acres which lies adjacent to the south, thereby creating a new SPT Land 15.2949-acres tract. The SPT’s land is the site of the proposed Rutter’s commercial complex.

Gulden noted that implementing the subdivisions and mergers also eliminated the "awkward parcel" along Taneytown Pike. The SHA was the party that actually filed for the subdivision and merger adjustments.

Tim Bieber, representing Rutter’s, stated, "Earlier in the year when we met with SHA to talk about easements and how we were going to get through their park-and-ride and (how) they were going to get through our property, it came to light (that SHA didn’t own the land fronting on Taneytown Pike)," adding, "SHA thought they actually owned the piece of ground in front of them."

Most of the conditions appeared to be administrative in nature, such as requiring various notations and comments to be added to the plan, providing applicable financial securities, assurance of the payment of any town-generated fees, adding flood plain delineations to the plan, providing a right-of-way dedication, and providing the names and deeds of all adjoining property-owners.

Gulden told the News-Journal that the purpose behind the subdivision and merger of the parcels involved "was basically just to clean-up the lot-lines. There was an unusual lot along the

Taneytown Pike - in front of the Rutter's lot and SHA/MDOT lot."