(5/4) Newly hired town planning consultant Christopher N. Jakubiak told planning commission members April 24 that with "fairly aggressive" work the comprehensive plan could be completed by the end of this year.

Effective immediately, the much-delayed comprehensive plan revision will be added to every planning commission meeting agenda until completed, which could also mean holding more than one meeting a month.

Jakubiak, president of Jakubiak & Associates, Inc., Annapolis, said he reviewed the existing draft and it appeared "nothing of substance had been changed" and "it reads as if the county wrote it."

The planner said he would be reviewing tapes from planning commission meetings as well as commissioner notes to glean as much information as possible regarding changes proposed during previous meetings held on the revisions.

Jakubiak said the current plan had too much history in it and references to other communities. Instead, he said, the plan should "zero in on what is most important to Emmitsburg … and stay away from material not necessary."

The consultant suggested a working draft could be completed by the end of July for review, with a final draft prepared by the end of August, and a public hearing during early fall. He said that the plan could be adopted by the end of the year, although it "would be a fairly aggressive time table."

Producing the initial draft of Emmitsburg's updated comprehensive plan has taken over a year and a half. The first workshops held dated back to 2004, with work continuing through 2005. The process finally seemed to come to a complete halt when Town Planner Michael Lucas and Zoning Technician Jennifer Joy resigned in late 2005.

The original comprehensive plan, adopted in 1974, was the first effort to establish planning and zoning controls in Emmitsburg, and was most recently updated in mid-90s. The current ongoing review is part of a periodic revision.