Hi. This article was first published in the Carroll County Times on November 30, 2017…
According to Google Maps, the distance from Eldersburg to 10300 Mill Run Circle in Owings Mills is 10.5 miles. More or a less a straight shot east, down Liberty Road.
Maybe, just maybe the current version of the “Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan” isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The Board of Commissioners is considering whether or not to approve the Freedom Community Comprehensive Plan developed by the County’s Planning Department and endorsed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The property runs along Liberty Road, between Georgetown Blvd. on the left and Homeland Drive on the right. (Most of it looks like a giant right foot.) Those are the Homeland Condominium buildings running along the left edge of Homeland Drive.
“Degrees of freedom” is a mathematical term for the number of factors that affect a given outcome.
“Oh geez. Is there going to be quiz at the end of this article?”
No. Don’t worry. This is a pass-fail post and you’ve already passed just by showing up and reading it.
Carroll County’s Director of Planning, Phil Hager
No form of government or implementation of that form is perfect. Of course not, but Carroll County has a particular combination of problems, three of them to be precise, that are conspiring to adversely affect its development and growth.
To be clear, the problem isn’t personnel. The career staff in the government and the elected and appointed officials are good, hardworking, dedicated public servants. Some of them more effective, better at what they do than others, but individuals are not the problem. No. The problem is structural and the good news is that it can be fixed in relatively short order.
Are you feeling threatened by a Comprehensive Plan that would increase residential density and encourage large, “Big Box Store” commercialization in Eldersburg?
Does it seem like the County’s planners are going to do what they want to the community where you live – whether you like it or not?
Long story short…
Hi. The issue on the table is the Planning Department’s reliance upon Big Box Store commercialization in Eldersburg as a means for growing Carroll County. They should be concentrating on bringing business and manufacturing employers to the County, but commercialization is much easier and faster.
To encourage you to attend Commissioner Doug Howard’s Town Hall Meeting, we’re running this ad this Labor Day weekend in the Carroll County Times…
Just click on the link above to see it. And tell your family, friends and neighbors to see you there! (Details are in the ad.)
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…”