Jefferson Technology Park’s residential development to come before employment

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006

by Rebecca McClay

Staff Writer

Developers of an anticipated employment hub just outside of Frederick are first seeking approval for a residential portion of the plan before the commercial and employment sections.

A plan for 825 condominiums on 59 acres of the planned Jefferson Technology Park — at Interstate 70 between Jefferson Pike and U.S. Route 340 — received Frederick County Planning Commissioners’ approval Oct. 18.

The entire 173-acre project, first approved by the planning commission in December 2005, is expected to include mix of homes, offices, retail shops and a hotel with what is slated to be the largest conference center in Frederick County.

County officials hope the commercial, office, industrial and research area will provide roughly 7,000 new jobs.

As a mixed-use area, the Jefferson Technology Park must include a certain amount of commercial and industrial square footage to balance the residential square footage. The current plan promises at least 1.3 million square feet of commercial, office, research and industrial space, perhaps more depending on the needs of the tenants that apply, said the park’s developer Paul Zanecki, president of Jefferson Park Development.

Zanecki said he has been marketing the area as ‘‘Grade A” and was being selective in accepting commercial tenants. He said several companies, including a large bio-pharmaceutical company, have expressed interest in signing on to the area, but said he could not name them as negotiations were in progress.

‘‘If I could only tell you the names of the businesses we’re talking to, you would be very proud,” Zanecki said.

Zanecki said plans to develop the office, research and industrial portion are well under way and commercial plats would likely be presented before the end of the year. Frederick County Planning Commissioner Joan McIntyre, like the majority of other planning commissioners, said she approved the residential component with reservations about whether the business portion will come to fruition.

‘‘It was going to be the premier tech park,” McIntyre said. ‘‘It was going to be the thing Frederick County was looking for. I don’t know if we’re going to lose that now.”

The proposal will next go before the Frederick Board of County Commissioners for final approval.