(3/8) The Thurmont Planning & Zoning Commission (P&Z) recommended at their February 25 public hearing that the mayor and Board of Commissioners approve a proposal to annex more than 16-acres of land to Thurmont.

The annexation is a first step towards the establishment of a proposed residential development which will contain more than 200 residential units. The 16-acres of land located outside the town boundaries would be merged with an additional 7.79 acres in the town to produce the required amount of land needed for the development.

Comments and conditions attached to P&Z’s recommended approval include:

• The P&Z board determined that the conceptual development plan is “generally favorable” and consistent with the Thurmont Master Plan, including aspects of the adequate public facilities.
   

• The proposal poses no adverse impact on the planning and timing of existing infrastructure (water and sewer).
   

• It is recommended that the R-5 zone be applied to the newly annexed portion of the development.
   

• P&Z noted the complexity of the conceptual proposal and the likely need and requirement to apply … in detail - the provisions of the zoning ordinance at the time of site plan consideration.

The town Board of Commissioners officially accepted an annexation petition at their January 4 meeting in which Daniel Cross, owner, Cross & Company presented the proposed plan in which a 24.48-acre in-town development-site would be generated for future development if the 16-acre annexation was to be ultimately approved.

The residential development that would be sited on the 24.48-acre tract would include 31 townhouses, 7 studio-apartments and 172 condominiums. The co-joined property – created by the annexation - would be bound by a condominium development (spanning Easy Street, Luther Drive and Cody Drive) to the south side, Apples Church Road on the west and north sides, and Graceham Road on the east side.

The land developer, Cross, previously stated that the current ‘vision’ for the development consists of a combination of affordable, mixed-use, intergenerational-community residential units, including townhouses and 2-over-2 style, four-story, condominium townhouses. Plans also would provide for senior independent-living, a child daycare-center, as well as open spaces, “victory gardens,” pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, tot-lots, a dog park, and a food-truck parking site.

Cross also stated, regarding the concept, “I’m a strong advocate of Mayberry. I don’t quite understand why we … as a society … have developed exclusive-age 55-plus communities and we’ve segregated-out our old population and have said, ‘You go live by yourself and we’ll do regular neighborhoods for other people here.’”

The land to be annexed as well as the portion already located in-town are both zoned for agricultural use … and would have to be re-zoned in order to permit residential development (R-5 was recommended in this case). The developers have previously submitted a request for the necessary re-zoning.

The county government also has to approve re-zoning the portion of the proposed development site located outside of Thurmont, but the county Council cannot rule until Thurmont approves.

Town Planner Chris Jakubiak had also previously stated that the proposed annexation was the first annexation that the town has seen since having adopted a new zoning-ordinance in October 2019, which contains new procedures for reviewing annexations.

The annexation will now revert back to the town Board of Commissioners for consideration for approval.