Potential
second annexation for Thurmont
BY JAMES RADA, JR.
Thurmont News Editor
THURMONT,
Md. – While many residents’ attention has been turned
to the north and the possible request to annex the Myers’
farm, a similarly large annexation request may come before the
town commissioners for property to the south of town.
“We
look at Thurmont as a great location north of Frederick,”
said Barry Weller with Drees Homes in Frederick. “We
thought we could build some homes there that you don’t
have to be a millionaire to afford and you still live in Frederick
County.’
Drees
is the developer for a residential project next to the under-construction
Weis Market south of Thurmont. Three parcels of property have
been planned for about 360 homes, according to Mayor Martin
Burns.
“Right
now, I think it’s a food fight between them to be the
first to come in with a request,” Burns said.
He was
told about the new project when he attended a meeting he thought
was called to discuss a rezoning request for Stonewall Acres.
Burns said the confusion was his because the same attorney
represents both properties.
Of the
three property parcels, two are already under contract and
one is being negotiated, according to Burns. The development
could include about 130 single-family homes, 130 small townhomes
and 100 larger townhomes.
“The
design they showed me included roundabouts, a small park,
a large park with a pool and walking trails that connect to
existing trails to the new library,” Burns said.
The developer
would like to build the homes at a rate of about 80 a year.
Burns
said he told the developer, “My residents aren’t
going to go for that.”
Weller
said community support for the project is important and company
representatives are beginning to gather information about
what the new development would need to be acceptable to residents.
“We
will never make all the people happy because for some one
house is too many,” Weller said. “However, Drees
has a reputation of bringing more to a community than it takes
from it.”
Even
if the property were annexed today, no new homes could be
built for some time because it wouldn’t meet the town’s
adequate public facilities ordinance. The primary school is
over capacity and the town has not yet fixed its sewer problems.
“If
this whole thing goes as quickly as it could go, I think it
would still be a few years before we would start building,”
Weller said.
Drees
wants to conduct soil and water studies as their next step.
“On
the positive side, this project doesn’t have a big box
store that seems to upset a lot of people,” Burns said.
Burns described the area in question as marshy. County Planner
Denis Superczynski agreed.
“I
think a lot of what has stopped potential development back
there is the wet soils,” Superczynski said. “It
will be interesting to see how they address the issue.”
The Stonewall
Acres project is already within town limits, but the property
is zoned agricultural. The developer would like to build 75
homes on it.
