(5/6) As Emmitsburg continues to experience residential growth, the town’s economic growth is also expanding, most notably on the east side of Route 15.

Town Planner Zach Gulden recently provided the News-Journal with a summery update on on-going commercial activities within the municipality.

Making the completion list was Insurance Brokers of Maryland, 600 East Main Street.

In order to open for business, the insurance company executed numerous improvements in the process of re-purposing a 2,250 square-foot former-residence and dentist office into an insurance broker and sales office, Gulden stated.

Commercial projects in-the-works include progress on a Rutter’s convenience store, located off North Route 15.

The project consists of creating an 8,380 square-foot Rutter’s store, as well as seven gasoline fuel-islands, five diesel fuel-bays, along with a truck-scale, 28 short-term tractor-trailer parking spaces, and 59 passenger-vehicle parking spaces, Gulden stated.

Additionally, a sewer pump-station will be constructed and paid in-full by the applicant and will be capable of serving up to 386 single-family homes, and 50 acres of commercial development. The pump station will be turned over to the town for operation and maintenance.

The town planner stated that the developers have received all of the required town, county, and state approvals, and are presently down to technical requirements, such as posting bonds. The target date for completion is projected as being sometime in the late-2021 to early-2022.

The initial plan had included a proposal to construct retail stores, restaurants and 386 single-family homes (dubbed Catoctin Vistas) on a contiguous 187-acre parcel. However, this proposal, which would require zoning changes, has since been "canned," and that land is presently for sale.

Dan Reaver has also proposed a new industrial park (Emmitsburg East Industrial Park II) to be cited off North Route 15.

The town has approved a preliminary plan, the approval of which will have expired at the end of May. The proposal calls for the creation of eight parcels, and the developer has recently submitted a preliminary subdivision-plan, a preliminary forest conservation-plan, and a forest delineation-plan, and an improvement plan scheduled to be submitted in July.

Gulden stated he believes that the completion date of the industrial park will occur by the end of 2021, and one business has already expressed interest in purchasing a lot in that complex.

Federal Stone, pending completion of the new industrial park, plans to construct a 58,900 square-foot warehouse and a two-story, 5,200 square-foot office building on proposed industrial park Lot 8.

Gulden said Federal Stone would be creating 76 parking spaces, four loading spaces, a stormwater-management facility, and the remainder of the parks’ Creamery Court. Federal Stone would be using this facility in the manufacturing of swimming pool products.

The proposed date for completion of Federal Stone’s is 2022.