Requests
made for annexation
Three
annexation requests could add 945 new homes
BY JAMES RADA JR.
Thurmont News Editor
THURMONT,
Md. – Thurmont now has three large annexations to consider.
Developers for three properties to the north, south and east
of Thurmont submitted petitions for annexation to the town at
the end of September.
Of the
three annexations, only one, Drees Homes near the new Weis
Market, submitted a draft annexation agreement along with
its annexation petition.
Drees
Homes is asking that 113.6 acres south of Thurmont be annexed
into town and rezoned from agricultural land to residential
property.
The property
would eventually hold 329 dwelling units for a density of
2.9 units per acres. The project would include 119 single-family
homes, 102 townhouses and 108 condominiums.
Drees
Homes would like to be able to build these dwellings at a
rate of 75 per year.
The incentives
Drees Homes is offering include:
• $2,000 for each single-family home, $1,500 for each
townhouse and $1,000 for each condominium on preliminary plan
approval to be used to maintain and/or improve the public
sewer system ($499,000).
• $3,000 for each home on permit application approval
to be used to maintain and/or improve the public sewer system
($987,000).
• $300,000 for design and construction of Thurmont Boulevard
Extended, related landscaping and sidewalk construction.
• $200,000 for the construction of two public tot lots
that the town would maintain.
• $50,000 upon final approval of the preliminary plan
for the proposed town master plan vision and downtown revitalization
plan.
• $200,000 for the second phase of the trolley line
restoration.
• $250,000 for the design and/or construction of a new
town hall, police building, Guardian Hose Company or other
municipal improvement.
The total
cash value of all of the incentives would be $2,486,000. This
is in addition to normal fees paid by the developer and property
taxes that homeowners would pay. Many of the incentives would
be paid at designated points during development.
Drees
Homes also submitted a water and sewer study with its annexation
petition. The water study notes that Drees Homes would seek
independent sources of water for the development and that
the town would be given any excess capacity the company develops.
Beazer
Homes petitioned the town to annex the 131.1 acres that makes
up the Lawyer Farm east of town. Beazer Homes is seeking to
build its anticipated 241 single-family homes at a rate of
50 a year.
Hudson
Land requested that the town annex 209.5 acres north of Thurmont
into town. The development would include commercial properties
and around 375 homes.
The town
attorney is now considering how the town will consider three
major annexations at one time. The usual process would be
to introduce the annexations at a town meeting, refer them
to the planning and zoning commission, file them for review
with the county commissioners and planning and zoning commissioner
and have the planning and zoning commissions make recommendations.
