(12/14) Thurmont commissioners, in a workshop session Tuesday,
expressed concerns about potential flash flooding and traffic flow problems to
a representative of Beazer Homes USA, an Atlanta-based developer seeking to
annex 131 acres into Thurmont’s town limits.
‘‘There were all kinds of issues with that proposal," Thurmont Mayor Martin
Burns said on Wednesday.
Beazer Homes USA and the owners of the 131-acre tract known as the Lawyer
property between Moser and Jimtown roads want to create 241 lots for townhouses
averaging $450,000 in price.
The plan called for 20 acres of open space.
Although no decisions were made at the meeting, the board had plenty of
anecdotal reasons to question the concept, citing basement floods and
inconvenient driving situations in current developments.
‘‘I don’t have any faith or confidence in the county’s formulas on the size
of ponds," Burns said.
He and commissioners Ronald Terpko and Bill Blakeslee said they would
probably ask for extra assurance from developers that retention ponds would be
big enough to handle large rains.
On Wednesday, Burns cited the Pleasant Acres development as a model not to
follow, in terms of rainwater management.
‘‘I’m not kidding; they had to take one of the homes and jack it up 12
inches," he said. ‘‘Pleasant Acres has been a nightmare."
Commissioner Glenn Muth recused himself from the discussion Tuesday because
one of the property owners is his friend.
