(3/8) The Thurmont commissioners commenced at their April 6 meeting with their review of a proposal to annex more than 16-acres of land to the town.
If approved, the annexation could ultimately pave the way for the creation of a development of more than 150 new residential units and an assisted living assistance facility.
The commissioners accepted the petition for annexation at their January 4 meeting, during which Daniel Cross, owner, Cross & Company, LLC, presented the proposed plan, and forwarded the application to the town’s Planning & Zoning Commission for that board’s recommendation.
P&Z held a public hearing on February 25 which culminated with commission members recommending that the mayor and town Board of Commissioners approve the annexation.
Town Planner Chris Jakubiak opened the April 6 review noting several aspects of "principal ideas" that should be considered during the review process: environmental and energy performance, community design, and neighbor-community impact. "If we focus on an (annexation) agreement around those principal ideas, we can’t go wrong."
One significant change in the proposed development that would be constructed on the cojoined property has been the number of proposed residential-units, which was initially given as 31 townhouses, seven studio-apartments and 172 condominiums. The need for additional required parking has reduced the number of residential units to 172 units plus an assisted-living facility, or 194 units and no assisted living assistance facility, Jakubiak stated.
The consensus of the commissioners was that more details regarding the annexation need to be discussed as the review process continues, such as the cost-per-unit for water-capacity usage.
Town Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick told the News-Journal that the annexation agreement is being finalized by the town planner, adding, "Once that's completed, we will have some internal meetings with the developer to discuss the ‘wish list’ that's within the proposed agreement."
Humerick said that once all parties have reached an agreement on the agreement’s contents, then a public hearing will be scheduled at a regularly-scheduled town meeting. "After that, the mayor and commissioners may act upon the petition, if they so choose," he stated.
The proposed development would be bound by a condominium development (spanning Easy Street, Luther Drive and Cody Drive) to the south side … Apples Church Road on the west and north sides … and Graceham Road on the east side.
The land to be annexed, as well as the portion already located in-town, are both zoned for agricultural use … and would have to be re-zoned in order to permit a residential development. The developers have previously submitted a request for the necessary re-zoning.
