In anticipation of a large turn-out that may exceed the capacity of the County Office Building’s public hearing room, the Tuesday, July 19, afternoon session of the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission will be held at the Scott Center Theater at Carroll Community College. Consideration of the controversial Carrolltowne apartment complex development site plan is scheduled tentatively at 1:30 p.m. The theater is located at 1601 Washington Road in Westminster.

The hearing is another chapter in the decade-long struggle to develop the 20-acre site located on Kali Drive and backing to Liberty Road in Eldersburg. Security Development has proposed a 254-unit apartment complex on the site that some residents claim is already too congested.

On June 30, Circuit Court Judge Michael M. Galloway reversed the Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision and ordered the Planning and Zoning Commission to approve the 1995 site plan. Failure of approval would find the Commission and Carroll County Commissioner Julia W. Gouge in contempt of court punishable by fines or jail time.

In preparation for Tuesday’s hearing, an informal community meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Eldersburg Library. Carrolltowne Elementary School PTA Community Relations Manager and Cheryle Franceschi organized the meeting in an effort to come up with a compromise for use of the land. The Eldersburg resident came up with the idea last week to allow neighbors to brainstorm about possible solutions.

"Now we know what all the problems are but we need a solution," she said adding that anyone is welcome to attend the meeting,

Franceschi said that the ideas would be presented on Tuesday at the hearing.

The Eldersburg Library is located at 6400 Hemlock Drive in Eldersburg.