A February 27 Frederick News-Post article covers the recent decision by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to support Frederick County’s growth tier map.  The Frederick County commissioners voted in favor of the map on February 26.  As previously reported on Conduit Street, MDP raised concerns about the County’s proposed tier map during a report to the environmental committees of the General Assembly in January.  Subsequently, Secretary of Planning Richard Hall met with  the County Commissioners and reached an agreement that would also likely grant the County an exemption that would allow for some additional development in the County’s Tier IV area (which has the strongest development restrictions) because of the County’s strong rural zoning.  The article noted that eight citizens raised objections the tier map or the granting of the exemption.

From the article:

[MDP] has looked at plans under way in the county, current practices and past performance to determine that Frederick County should be exempt from the restriction, [Secretary Hall] said. …

He said the county has consistently had an average of no more than one house per 20 acres in agricultural zoning.

“You all have established … long-held, strong rural zoning,” he said. “We have a pretty good handle on what can and can’t happen.”  …

Alison Prost, Maryland executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, said that her organization is not yet satisfied with some of the county’s comprehensive plan, but does support the tier growth map.

“We remain concerned with some of the recent rezonings,” she said. “We will be watching.”