The question is, “Are you okay with re-zoning 1503 Liberty Road for individual store sizes larger than 100,000 SF?”
Hi. As you may already know, recent efforts to pass a text amendment that would increase maximum individual store size on all B-NR (Business – Neighborhood Retail) zoned property, countywide, from 10,000 SF to 50,000 SF were not successful. The Board of Commissioners voted 4 to 1 against approval with District 5 (Eldersburg) Commissioner Doug Howard taking the lead on your behalf.
Carroll County, Maryland Government Offices in Westminster
Every meeting counts. Thursday morning, July 6, beginning at 10 AM in Room 311 of the Carroll County office building at 225 North Center St. in Westminster, the Board of Commissioners will receive a briefing on a zoning “text amendment” affecting B-NR zoned properties and their neighborhoods around the County.
The “Right Foot” site at heart of the argument.
Arguing about the text amendment –
“It’s not the business of County government to be telling property owners specifically what they can put on land they own and would like to develop.”
“But that’s exactly what zoning is all about, isn’t it? You can put small retail here, big box stores over there, maybe townhouses, but not apartments…”
On Wednesday, June 7, the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission is meeting in Room 003 of the County’s office building at 225 N. Center St. in Westminster. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss a “text amendment” that will change all B-NR (Business – Neighborhood Retail) property in the county to increase maximum store size from just 10,000 SF to a whopping 100,000 SF. Big difference.
On Wednesday, June 7, the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission is going to be meeting at the County office building, 225 North Center St. in Westminster. The meeting will begin at 6 PM in Room 003. (You’ll enter on the side of the building.)
For Eldersburg – and especially for the families who live around and nearby 1503 Liberty Road ¬– the highlight of this June 7 hearing will be the discussion of a “text amendment.” If approved, this text amendment will increase the maximum store size for all B-NR (Business – Neighborhood Retail) zoned property in the County tenfold, from 10,000 SF to 100,000 SF.
To be clear at the very outset, this is a story with no bad guys. Not the property owner, not the new grocery store company, not the people who own homes around the property and not the Carroll County government. No villains. No victims per se, although not everybody will be pleased with how all this turns out.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Hi, everyone. “Quibbling” was the original title of “Eldersburg doesn’t need 7th grocer,” an op/ed piece that the Carroll County Times was kind enough to publish today under its “Other Voices” program. Our thanks to the Times. If you missed reading it, here, below, is the PDF print from today’s paper.
As always, your comments will be greatly appreciated.
Carroll County’s Director of Planning, Phil Hager
On November 15 of last year, two residents of the Homeland Condominiums met with Phil Hager. Mr. Hager is Director of the Carroll County Department of Planning and Secretary to the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The purpose of the meeting was to present to Director Hager a petition signed by 55 people who own or rent condominiums along Homeland Drive in Eldersburg. The Homeland Condominiums have a total of 70 units in three adjacent three-story buildings.
One of our readers has sent us a letter he wrote to Commissioner Doug Howard. It’s well-written and makes a number of good points. The more people who see it, the better. So here it is…
Almost without exception, the comments we’ve received from respondents to our survey have been in favor of anything but another grocery store. The problem, of course, is that the property owner (a company) has every right to do what it considers to be in its best interests – as long as that choice is within the zoning for the property.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Hi. Here are some notes related to Carroll County meetings and hearings that have bearing on the development of 22.6 acres along Liberty Road, between Georgetown Blvd. and Homeland Drive. The property includes 1503 Liberty Road, the prospective site of a new LIDL (“leedle”) that will be Eldersburg’s seventh full-size grocery store.
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Later this evening – at 6 PM in Room 003 of the Carroll County office building at 225 North Center St. in Westminster – the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission is having a hearing at which the Commission will discuss a “text amendment.”