Officials examine town’s future

Walkersville Region Plan determines areas of growth

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2005

Frederick County officials are currently working on the Walkersville Region Plan, one of eight plans that make up the county’s comprehensive plan, and will hold a workshop to discuss land use on Wednesday.

Once complete, the Walkersville plan will indicate projected growth and development in the Walkersville area for the next 20 years. The county will again update the plan in 10 years.

The Walkersville Region plan was last updated in 1995.

After Wednesday’s meeting, the county planning commission will be able to work on the first draft of the Walkersville Region Plan update, said Jim Gugel, chief of comprehensive planning for the county.

The draft will be ready in February or March, he said.

A conflict currently exists involving overlapping growth areas between Frederick city’s and Walkersville’s comprehensive plans, which were drafted by the municipalities themselves. The county works from the comprehensive plans when drafting the region plans.

The area in question is the Monocacy River area between Frederick city and Walkersville. While Walkersville had intended to annex that area into the town as an agricultural area, the City of Frederick’s region plan has the area earmarked for moderate to medium residential and commercial development, Gugel said. Frederick city’s region plan also has indicates the area as a potential site for a new school and parks.

The county began working on the Walkersville Region Plan update by mailing out letters to property owners in the region and held the first set of community open houses in fall 2004.

The 90-day window for rezoning property closed on Nov. 30, 2004. More open house community meetings are planned, but not yet scheduled, and will be announced by an additional property owner mailing.

Residents will have an opportunity for comment at a public hearing when the draft of the Walkersville Region Plan is presented. Before it receives approval, another public hearing will be held and the Frederick County commissioners have to formally resolve to adopt it.

The land-use plan that will come out of the workshop Wednesday is the primary element of the region plan, according to the county’s Comprehensive Plan Web page. It describes the community growth areas in the Walkersville region and their development potential.

A map included with the land-use plan identifies the location and type of proposed land uses expected to develop during the next 20 years.

The Region Plan also identifies and describes environmental and cultural resources, transportation and community facilities.

After the county adopts the updated region plan for Walkersville, it will develop a comprehensive zoning map, which reflects zoning requests made both by individual property owners and by the county during the most recent plan update.

Until then, the 1995 map will be in effect.