(1/24) The planning and zoning commission met in January to discuss changes and county recommendations for the comprehensive plan update. The comprehensive plan is a long-term project, having been on the Commission’s agenda multiple times over the last year. It is defined on the Walkersville website as, "an official document that provides direction for public decisions regarding land use, development, zoning, infrastructure, transportation, water resources, community facilities and services, capital improvements and municipal growth. It is reviewed and updated, if necessary, every ten years and lasts for 20 years.
It includes a land-use map reflecting existing development and plans for new development, recommended changes to the zoning map, zoning ordinance, and other parts of the Town Code, road improvement recommendations and community facility recommendations, including proposals for future parks. All the maps are available to view on the town's website.
The plan shows limited potential for residential growth due to the development of the Bell and Grant properties as well as the townhouses at Longley Green in the last ten years. There is some zoning available for industrial growth and a smaller amount for commercial. The updated plan is dependent on the Staley property being developed, which is also the only property to be proposed for residential development because of the high number of residential developments in the last version of the comprehensive plan. The 110-acre farm should provide the same amount of development over the next 20 years as the last ten years have.
Many of the changes are centered around the maps that give visual representations of the town. The biggest change to the maps in the plan is updating the floodplain to the most current version. Since the last update, the floodplain is now encroaching on some residential properties and the homeowners may need to contact FEMA to discuss what can be done for their properties.
Minor changes to the maps included making symbols and street names larger for increased readability. One map specifically emphasized the agricultural buffer and the town's desire to establish a permanent buffer in the future. The last map shows proposed connector roads; one through the Staley property and the realignment of Dublin Road and Fountain Rock Road.
The County also made recommendations to downgrade Woodsboro Pike to a minor road. The planning Commission does not approve of the change and believes it should remain a major road due to the volume of traffic. This map also shows the railroad as a future bike path. The Commission also discussed a connection between Utica Park and the Rail Trail that will be discussed at a future meeting.
The planning and zoning Commission will be reviewing the plan again before passing it onto the Burgess and Commissioners for final approval.
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