Frederick County property owners finally had their opportunity Tuesday night to ask commissioners to restore development rights the previous board took away in 2010.

Most let their land-use attorneys do the talking during a four-hour public hearing that included residents opposed to the Frederick Board of County Commissioners’ decision to allow 193 property owners to ask to build homes and businesses on what is now 14,000 acres of farmland.

"My big concern is the process," said Roland Clark of Adamstown. "I really believe this whole process is flawed because there is not enough background and planning. I really think this whole process is flawed, and I ask you not to continue."

Commissioners also heard from supporters.

"We are here to support you in this endeavor," said Denise Jacoby, executive director of the Frederick County Builders Association. "It is an open and transparent process."

Jacoby thanked commissioners for sticking to their campaign promise made in the 2010 election to accept requests from property owners looking to have the zoning on their land changed.

As part of last year's update of the county's comprehensive plan — a long-term blueprint for growth — the previous board of county commissioners rezoned about 700 properties in an attempt to curb development and prevent sprawl.

In many cases, zoning on the land changed from commercial, residential or industrial to agricultural or resource conservation. The change for many landowners meant they would not be able to develop their land.

But in May, the current board of commissioners began accepting requests from property owners looking to have their zoning changed, something four commissioners promised to do during the 2010 election. Those commissioners — Kirby Delauter, Billy Shreve, C. Paul Smith and Blaine R. Young — said they thought the zoning change caused a financial hardship for property owners who looked at their land as an investment.

The county received requests from 193 property owners, though one-third of those are from landowners who did not have their properties rezoned by the previous board. Critics of the process have pointed that out, but county officials have said they had to allow all property owners to ask for new zoning for the process to be legal.

Commissioners have scheduled a series of public hearings this month, starting Tuesday night with property owners in Adamstown, Brunswick and Frederick.

Frederick attorney Bruce Dean was one of the first speakers at the podium, and asked that the defunct Alcoa Eastalco Works plant in Adamstown get some 800 acres of its 2,000 acres rezoned from agricultural to industrial.

Dean argued that the agricultural zoning has "severely limited" Eastalco's ability to sell the land for businesses or homes.

But Kai Hagen, director of Envision Frederick County, a nonprofit organization that encourages civic participation in issues of land use, economics, government and the environment, argued that the property should remain farmland.

"This is some of the best farmland in the state and in the area, with inadequate roads for massive development," said Hagen, also a former county commissioner who in 2010 helped make the decision to zone the land for agricultural.

Hagen has also been an outspoken opponent of the commissioners decision to consider the rezonings. "You're doing a great disservice to this community, by rushing through this process," he said.

Members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Point of Rocks asked that commissioners not rezone land for houses or businesses near their historic parish.

"The land is not appropriate for houses," said Tim Taylor. "It's near a cemetery with 1,000 graves that include slaves and Civil War soldiers. ... We don't need commercial development."

Commissioners also heard from Frederick attorney Seymour Stern on behalf of Resthaven Memorial Gardens on U.S. Route 15. He asked that nine acres of land Resthaven owns be rezoned from resource conservation to agricultural. This would allow the cemetery to reserve land for additional grave sites, he said.

According to county code, grave sites are not allowed on land zoned for conservation. Graves are allowed on land zoned agricultural.

"We ask that you rezone part of the nine acres," Stern said.

Commissioners made no decisions Tuesday night.

The next public hearing will be on Jan. 18, for the area of Urbana. The areas of Middletown, Thurmont and Walkersville will have a public hearing on Jan. 24; and New Market on Jan. 31.

The hearings will start at 6 p.m. at Winchester Hall, 12 E. Church St., Frederick. Speakers can sign up beginning at 5 p.m.

sgreenfield@gazette.net