(8/23) Sidewalk repairs continue

Sidewalk repairs continue throughout Walkersville with Challedon Drive and Spring Drive in Glade Towne being the latest, according to Joe Birch, Director of Public Works.

The sidewalk repair ordinance, which was approved last year, holds the Town responsible for all sidewalk maintenance, whereas previously a property owner had full responsibility.

Birch also mentioned that the repairs involved replacing the entire slab of concrete instead of shaving the pads down. Gilbert questioned why the Town decided against shaving the pads, "Shaving is quicker and less expensive, it gets the job done," he said. Birch explained that shaving removes the strength from the concrete pad, causing the concrete to be brittle and lose the thickness it needs for durability.

Commissioner Ennis pointed out that several of the already repaired slabs would not have been suitable candidates for shaving anyway because they were pushed up too far from tree roots. Replacement was the only option.

Commissioner Tom Gilbert asked what the Town’s plan was for the rest of the town’s sidewalks. Birch said the work was based on the Town’s yearly budget and they would use the road study to determine which sidewalks were in the worst condition and do those first.

Sandstone Drive will see the next round of repairs beginning mid-July.

Town votes to join Urban County Designation Program

The Town Council voted to join the "Frederick County Urban County Designation Program," where Frederick County applies to become an urban county through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

This will be a new program for Walkersville and if successful, the County would administer the program and allocate funds directly to the municipalities that have chosen to join, including Walkersville. Walkersville will also fall under Frederick County’s "umbrella" status of being deemed an urban county.

Town Manager Sean Williams said the hope was for the program to benefit both the Town and the County in the future.

Comprehensive Plan Updates

As of June, the Staley property continues to be at the center of a tug-of-war between the Planning and Zoning Commission and Town Council when reviewing the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-term project that takes months to review and edit every 10 years.

The 110-acre farm has a current designation of agricultural/light industrial per the 2011 Plan. For the 2024 version of the Plan, the farm has been changed to a residential designation by the Planning Commission, much to the frustration of Walkersville residents. At a recent public workshop, residents showed up in force to persuade the Council and Commission to limit the Plan to a "slow-growth" philosophy.

With that in consideration, the Town Council has requested the Planning Commission to change the Staley property designation back to its original designation: agricultural/light industrial; however, the Commission expressed concerns over limiting Walkersville's future if there is no development in the Comprehensive Plan at all, so they changed the property to low-density residential on the light industrial half of the property and left the other half agricultural as a compromise.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Susan Hauver outlined the potential of 60 town homes on the property versus the original 100 plus houses residential zoning would deliver. She recommended the Council schedule a workshop with the town attorney to discuss their options before voting to accept the Comprehensive Plan as is.