Terri Pitts
The following is a communication from Sugarloaf Alliance sharing some great news about the Frederick County master plan. For a number of months it looked like the planning commission may allow a development carve out in the plan for a single developer who was allegedly in talks with Amazon for a large data center where 500 acres of farmland now stands west of 270. The FredCo planning commission it its vote today has held the boundary for protection where it logically belongs - all the way to the western edge of 270, removing this carve out from the draft. In doing so they have also upheld a commitment to transparency and public process. Three cheers to our northern neighbors for protecting their singular landscape and environmental resources! (much more background in MCA's action alert on this here) There is more to do here to ensure these changes make it into the final draft but this is surely a moment to celebrate.
The Planning Commission voted this morning to change the northern boundary drawn in the draft Sugarloaf Plan from Route 80 to I-270 and the Monocacy River, and they renamed the plan the Monocacy Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan. The Planning Commission confirmed that the boundary of the plan now runs along 270 from the Montgomery County line to the Monocacy River. Changing the boundary allows for additional protection of land in the area of the Monocacy Battlefield National Park. They "held the line." Thanks so much for all your time, passion and eloquent comments to the Planning Commission! You did it!
Next Steps:
-Sugarloaf Alliance will continue to pursue changes in the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan text to correspond to the revised draft boundary.
- The Sugarloaf Alliance will continue to engage with the Planning Commission regarding the details of the draft Plan overlay zone.
-The Planning Commission is scheduling additional workshops on the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan before approving it in its entirety and forwarding it to the State of Maryland Department of Planning for mandatory 60-day review. We will keep you informed about that schedule.
-Following the State’s review and comments, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Plan, either in person or virtually.
-The Planning Commission will review the public hearing testimony, take action on the Plan, and forward it to the County Council for their discussion, public hearing and action.
What You Can Do Now:
-Write or email the Frederick County Planning Commission to support text changes to the Plan (as above), the overlay zone and your other concerns and suggestions. PlanningCommission@frederickcountymd.gov or mail to 30 North Market Street, Frederick MD 21701
-Watch Planning Commission meetings on FCG TV (link on the Sugarloaf-Area-Plan site as above) and call in to share your views and appreciation of their vote on the boundary: 1-855-925-2801, code 8768. Click on this link for meeting agendas and other information: https://frederickcountymd.gov/7992/Planning-Commission
-Review the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan and previous public comments online at https://frederickcountymd.gov/8046/Sugarloaf-Area-Plan under “Meetings and Outreach.
-Reach out to your neighbors and to related organizations to make sure that interested citizens understand the importance of upcoming decisions on the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan to the future protection and sustainability of the Monocacy Sugarloaf area.
Next Steps:
-Sugarloaf Alliance will continue to pursue changes in the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan text to correspond to the revised draft boundary.
- The Sugarloaf Alliance will continue to engage with the Planning Commission regarding the details of the draft Plan overlay zone.
-The Planning Commission is scheduling additional workshops on the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan before approving it in its entirety and forwarding it to the State of Maryland Department of Planning for mandatory 60-day review. We will keep you informed about that schedule.
-Following the State’s review and comments, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the Plan, either in person or virtually.
-The Planning Commission will review the public hearing testimony, take action on the Plan, and forward it to the County Council for their discussion, public hearing and action.
What You Can Do Now:
-Write or email the Frederick County Planning Commission to support text changes to the Plan (as above), the overlay zone and your other concerns and suggestions. PlanningCommission@frederickcountymd.gov or mail to 30 North Market Street, Frederick MD 21701
-Watch Planning Commission meetings on FCG TV (link on the Sugarloaf-Area-Plan site as above) and call in to share your views and appreciation of their vote on the boundary: 1-855-925-2801, code 8768. Click on this link for meeting agendas and other information: https://frederickcountymd.gov/7992/Planning-Commission
-Review the Sugarloaf Treasured Landscape Management Plan and previous public comments online at https://frederickcountymd.gov/8046/Sugarloaf-Area-Plan under “Meetings and Outreach.
-Reach out to your neighbors and to related organizations to make sure that interested citizens understand the importance of upcoming decisions on the Monocacy Sugarloaf Plan to the future protection and sustainability of the Monocacy Sugarloaf area.
