(12/21) The no growth versus growth argument has been a source of frustration for both the Town council and the planning commission for months during the Comprehensive Plan review. At the center of it was the 110-acre Mike Staley farm, originally zoned half industrial and half agricultural with original plans to develop it with over 350 homes. However after much back and forth between residents and Town staff, the develop plan was reduced to a mere 60 home development.
Months later Tiffany Staley, owner of a 69-acre property that sits on the corner of Devilbiss Road and Eyler Court submitted an application to place her property in the Frederick County Agricultural Preservation Program that will permanently put her property under protection against development. Her property currently adjoins other easements sitting to the north and west. T. Staley has spoken against developing M. Staley’s farm at past Comprehensive Plan meetings.
By applying through the Installment Purchase Program (IPP), T. Staley would be included in the preservation program. The IPP uses Installment Purchase Agreements where the program pays the farmer tax-free interest payments over a 10- to 20-year term, with a balloon lump sum principal payment at the end of the term.
Planning and Zoning Administrator Susan Hauver said placing the T. Staley property under agriculture preservation is consistent with the Comprehensive Plans goals of creating a permanent agricultural buffer zone between the town and surrounding municipalities and growth areas in the future. The agricultural buffer accounts for 4,220 acres on the plan. Although at one point in time the Town would have hesitated to recommend farms that sit within Town limits be allowed into agricultural preserve due to their potential to be zoned for development. "You have to consider this as a limitation of future growth," said Hauver.
Town staff's recommendation to approve the application at the Planning Commission meeting was taken in stride by all members. Commissioner Liaison Russ Winch, a well-known proponent of ‘no growth’ voted a resolute yes to the recommendation. Chair David Ennis surprisingly voted yes as well. Although a promoter of development he said his reasons were because of the rights of a property owner to do what they wish with their property.
At the Town Council meeting four of the five members supported the recommendation while Commissioner Betsey Whitmore-Brannen voted against the application for unknown reasons. Regardless, it passed with a vote of four to one. The process will take approximately two years from application to final approval.
Read other news articles on Walkersville
