Carroll County recommendations for employment zoning campuses stem from 2007 studyFor more information click here:
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Carroll%20Co%20Govt%20Planning%20Pathways20090702 Pathways plan public hearing approaching By Schutthttp://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/07/pathways-plan-public-hearing.htmlhttp://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/07/02/news/local_news/2_pathways_plan.txtPathways plan causing confusion for residents, officials By Charles Schelle
http://www.explorecarroll.com/ http://tinyurl.com/m8c7rahttp://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/06/pathways-plan-causing-confusion-for.htmlCulleton on Carroll: We need industrial land & insurance it’ll stay that way http://www.explorecarroll.com/ http://tinyurl.com/ksx7p6 http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/06/culleton-we-need-industrial-land-in.html [20090625 Culleton We need ind land that will stay that way]
And especially read:
Carroll ‘unprepared’ to attract new jobs by Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/03/carroll-unprepared-to-attract-new-jobs.html Mar 2, 2007 [20070302 Carroll unprepared to attract new jobs kvbe]
For additional reading go to where you may find previous columns I have written on the history of the Carroll County Comprehensive Plan process in Carroll County:
http://tinyurl.com/clkwbn and
http://twitpic.com/4f7iePlanning a pathway in Carroll County from 1961 into the futurehttp://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2006/06/planning-pathway-in-carroll-county-from.html20051005 WE Urban sprawl is no good for all weked http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2005/10/urban-sprawl-is-no-good-for-all-but.html20050929 Agriculture’s new social contract http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2005/09/agricultures-new-social-contract.html20090502 SDOSM Comprehensive planning in Carroll County http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/05/comprehensive-planning-in-carroll.htmlPerhaps one of the best explorations of the Pathways comprehensive master plan in front of the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission is found here in Charles Schelle’s article:
Carroll County recommendations for employment zoning campuses stem from 2007 studySo far, most of the feedback I have received from folks who are unhappy with aspects of the plan have based their displeasure on misinformation and incorrect conclusions. Of course the facts of the matter has certainly not prevented some folks with being particular unpleasant…
Perhaps there are indeed problems, maybe not. I’m trying to maintain an open mind.
Carroll County recommendations for employment zoning campuses stem from 2007 study By Charles Schelle Posted on www.explorecarroll.com 6/28/09
Proposals for new employment campuses at Taylorsville and Mount Airy have drawn increased scrutiny — and the wrath of some residents — toward Carroll County’s comprehensive master plan review, known as the Pathways Plan.
More than 900 packed a public hearing at Century High School on June 15 many complaining that the Taylorsville plan, in particular, has emerged without adequate explanation and justification.
[…]
The plan includes many different aspects — Pathways is designed to update the county’s blueprint for land-use, zoning, transportation, county facilities, parks, conservation and other facets.
Yet the biggest issue at recent meetings is residents’ claim of a lack of explanation about the proposed rezoning of residential land, especially in Taylorsville as well as land rezoned south of I-70 in Mount Airy for a new classification — office park and employment zone.
The classification provides space for employment campuses, office, light manufacturing and assembly and limited commercial uses.
Overall, Pathways proposes 3,500 acres of new employment zoning in the county. Taylorsville is the biggest at 1,700 acres; the next is a 600-acre parcel in Mount Airy south of I-70.
The remaining 1,200 acres are divided up in pockets in Finksburg, Woodbine, Westminster, outside of Winfield along routes 26 and 85, and a small parcel off Main Street in Mount Airy.
The current lands are a combination of agricultural, conservation, residential and business uses.
[…]
2007 study set wheels in motion
While residents say the employment campus proposals have come from left field, planners say they stem from a 2007 study, the “Carroll County Economic Development Land and Employment Needs Study.”
The study was performed by Parsons Brinckerhoff-PlaceMaking Team, a New York-based company the county contracted to look at Carroll’s employment zoning needs. Also involved in the study was the Jacob France Institute from the University of Baltimore’s Economic Research Associates.
The study determined that several factors would play in creating the strongest areas for business development in the county. Those factors included:
• Sites designated for growth in municipal plans.
• Land within two miles of a major highway.
• Vacant parcels larger than 25 acres.
• Proximity to high-income areas.
• And “underdeveloped parcels” — those where assessed land values are higherthan the value of the land’s improvements.
The study also recommended excluding agricultural easements. From those factors, the study plotted sites that would qualify — and that turned into the Pathways list.
The Mount Airy tract south of I-70 was a special case. The study stated that a study would be needed there because the 600-acre parcel has issues including lack of direct access, water and sewer service and the site’s designation as an aquifer protection area for the Patapsco River.
But Vivian Laxton, the county government’s public information administrator, said the county also based the recommendations on input from residents.
She said during a 2006 project called “Map It Out” — part of the Pathways outreach process — people suggested grouping development in Taylorsville and in southern Mount Airy.
[…]
… planners said, but they note the 2007 study suggested water and sewer construction — estimated at about $177 million, excluding the cost of new reservoirs — would be needed for all of the employment clusters.
The study addresses some aspects of water and sewer needs, but notes the Route 26 corridor water and sewer estimates are “based on a quick analysis rather than detailed studies.”
Brenda Dinne, bureau chief of comprehensive planning for the county, said consultants are working on a study estimating the water and wastewater needs that the Pathways Plan would present.
That study should be in the hands of the Planning Commission shortly afterJuly 10, she said. That timing, though, will leave only a few days before the commission’s Pathways public hearing on July 14.
But Dinne said a separate hearing will be needed for the proposed rezoning if the planning commission passes it along. That hearing won’t take place until after Pathways is adopted this summer, she said, and could take until December.
Communication issues
Dinne said the county is working to answer residents concerns. She said people are brought in from various departments to help at the information meetings and answer questions — though every staff member might not know all the answers.
“We’re doing our best to answer from the people available,” she said. Laxton said some of residents’ angst might be from misunderstanding the difference between land-use and zoning.
She notes that if a home is on land that is proposed to be rezoned for employment, nothing will change until the homeowner sells and the buyer decides to take advantage of the rezoned classification.
Or, she said, the current homeowner could also turn his or her property into an office park/employment use.
Essentially, she said, the county wants that land to ultimately be used foremployment — but until it is, residential uses would still be allowable.
[…] Read the entire article here: Carroll County recommendations for employment zoning campuses stem from 2007 study
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The Carroll County Planning Commission's public hearing on Pathways will be July 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Winters Mill High School, 560 Gorsuch Road, Westminster. Comments are limited to two minutes each.
Public comment to be reviewed by Planning Commission must be received not later than July 10 at 5 p.m. at Carroll County Planning, c/o Pathways Plan Comments, 225 N. Center St., Room 205, Westminster, MD 21157.
A hearing on any proposed rezoning will occur after Pathways is adopted.
Pathways Assistance
Click here to view the Carroll County Economic Development Land and Employment Needs Study. (This is a large file. Right-click to save as a file to desktop.)
Click here to view the executive summary for the Carroll County Economic Development Land and Employment Needs Study.
Click here to view the Frequently Ask Questions about the Carroll County Economic Development Land and Employment Needs Study.
Click here to view the full list of Carroll County studies for the Pathways plan.
Click here to view the Map It Out exercise where residents placed Lego blocks on area they wish to have development. Links to the maps are at the bottom of the linked page.
For more information on Pathways, visit www.carrollpathways.org20090628 Emp rezoning proves Pathway to controversy by Schelle
The Carroll County Times also has plenty of information:
Pathways Maps
Current Map
Proposed Map
Pathways: Explaining Carroll's Comprehensive Plan: (Published May 24 - 26, 2009)
Day 1: Overview, the Water Resources Element and how the municipalities fit into the plan
20-year plan provides blueprint for growthWhat will Carroll County look like in 20 years?
County, towns work to address water needsAs the county grows over the next 20 years, the availability of water and wastewater and preserving water quality will be major factors.
Municipalities have own plans for future development Highlights of Finksburg plan draft to be unveiled Day 2: Residential growth and agricultural preservation
Protecting farmland a priority in Carroll CountyWith Carroll County’s agricultural and rural heritage, protecting farmland has long been a county priority. This was recognized in the first county master plan in 1964.
Officials anticipate challenges in downsizing zoningCarroll residents have shown strong support for the ag land preservation program, and Program Manager Ralph Robertson isn’t expecting much of a challenge to those portions of the comprehensive plan. But the proposed changes to downsize the zoning on the county’s conservation zoning is another challenge altogether.
Plan aims to reduce rural development Day 3: Economic growth and plans for transportation projects
Pathways goal aims to bring jobs to CarrollBuilding a community where residents work where they live is the vision guiding Carroll County’s Comprehensive Plan. County officials hope that vision creates thousands of jobs and builds a diverse tax base.
Plan calls for improvement in transportationAchieving Carroll County’s long-term goal of communities that are easily accessible for pedestrians and bicyclists will require improvements to the county’s sporadic network of sidewalks, paths and trails.
