(1/15) Citing deteriorating economic conditions, and the high cost of building in Emmitsburg, the developer of the proposed Fairley Farm development has dropped his development plans.

The 118-acre farm, which abuts the western edge of Emmitsburg and sits just south of Frailey Road, has been the focus of development talk for the last year.

The farm, of which 15 acres is already within town limits, was identified in the Town’s 2015 comprehensive plan to be eventually annexed for residential housing growth. The farm is designated as R-1, low-density residential community development, which allows, on the average, four units to the acre.

Jeff Ott, of OPI, Inc. was the latest to take a stab at its development. At the October 24th Town Council workshop, Ott proposed a 350 unit mixed of townhomes and small and large lot single homes. The entrance price for the townhomes Ott speculated would be $300k, while single family homes would go from $400K to $500K.

The Council looked favorably on Ott’s range of housing types and price points that were designed to encourage first time homebuyers while accommodating different types of home designs. Unfortunately, Ott hit a brick wall when it came to concerns over the development’s impact on traffic.

Historically, the farm’s annexation had been tied to a southwest bypass designed to accommodate rising area traffic. Prior town administrations planned to use the annexation to provide the land needed for a bypass to alleviate traffic congestion on the square.

The southwest bypass would start on Seton Ave just opposite the entrance to the National Fire Academy, then run northwest, bisecting the Frailey Farm, before it joined Rt. 140 just opposite the entrance way to Brookfield.

But Ott said he and his team had all but nixed that idea due to extensive costs and the significant density load it would bring. Ott said the only way to pay for a bypass would be to expand the development to 500 units, which the town staff denied.

Instead, Ott proposed two options to residents to access the development without having to go through the Square: lengthening and widening the Lincoln Way, and/or running a road through the middle of Myer’s Community Park, cutting the park in half, north and south.

Commissioner Joe Ritz said widening & lengthening Lincoln Way was "a non-starter," for him. It’s an old style 1800ish back alley, Ritz pointed out, designed for the leisurely pace of horses and carts. It’s not suitable for a two-way thoroughfare.

Commissioner Amy Pollitt weighed in against a connector road through Myer’s park. Pollitt expressed concern over dividing the park in half, and said a connector road would impact the lives of South Gate residents who would find their homes suddenly on a major road with through traffic. Not dissimilar to what residents in Brookfield faced in 2002 when the developer of the Sliver Fancy farm proposed running a northern bypass through Brookfield. The proposal spawned the Citizens Organizers to Preserve Emmitsburg (COPE) movement, ushering in several years of strife within the community.

While Ott has dropped his bid, it is understood that other developers have begun to cast about for a workable solution to the farm’s eventual development.