(1/1) The Thurmont Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the second draft of the updated subdivision regulations during their monthly meeting held on December 20. The document, originally approved by the 1967 Planning Commission, is currently under revision in order to include pertinent updates and additions.
The current draft includes a few new additions to the previous plan including the addition of the recently passed cluster development regulations, in an attempt to integrate them into the general flow of the subdivision regulation document.
The newest draft of the document includes standards for street design that create four categories: residential lane section, secondary residential street, primary residential street, and collective street. This design provides more movement and circulation throughout a development and/or town.
Article 3 of the subdivision regulations now establishes plat review and approval procedures, to include three stages: concept, preliminary, and final. The Planning Commission will be involved in each stage, with the preliminary plat approval good for two years. Additionally, the zoning administrator will be the expeditor for projects with moderate impact, which require
less information to be reviewed in a smaller amount of time, such as lot line adjustments, conversion of existing deed or parcel into legal building lots, administrative plat review. All major and minor subdivisions will still come to the Planning Commission. At that time the Planning Commission will evaluate the criteria for subdivision approval and shall determine if they are consistent with
the comprehensive plan, to ensure there are no adverse impacts on surrounding areas, open space, streets.
Unimpeded street length has also been implemented within lot design in order to help control traffic speeds. Developers can utilize stop signs, dead ends and sharp turns to help keep roads from being "speedways." The draft also added that no panhandle lots shall be created.
In regards to green and open space standards and requirements, the draft requires the developer to provide basic "open space amenities," which could include parks, tree-planting, landscaping and open fields. A minimum of 1,600 square feet of area per residential subdivision unit must also be dedicated to park land, which is "land improved for recreation." Park lands are to
be located such that 75% of the lots/dwelling units in the subdivision are located within a quarter mile walking distance from the park and that no lot or dwelling unit is located more than a half mile walking distance from the park. These requirements are meant to help shape the development to be "centered" around a park or green space.
This document will come before the Planning Commission for continuing discussion next month.
