2. Request to Establish Conditions of Rezoning for 24.33 +/- on the East Side of the City, Being a Portion of the Property Known as the Gateway Property
The 2009 Annexation Agreement includes 15-17 acres of Floodplain for a Public Park. This proposal will allow grading of that land for private interests that can not be reclaimed by the next developer.
The Monocacy pathway/public access was also included. Therefore, the City gets nothing for giving up their parkland.
Bad deal for taxpayers.
Frederick City Council Members
My name is Carole Jaar Sepe, and I have been a Frederick County resident and a citizen activist for over 30 years. I have a Master’s Degree in Architecture with a concentration in Urban Planning and I have a passion for good community planning. I previously served for ten years on the Frederick County Planning Commission and before that for three years on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Although I am not representing either body today, that experience has given me a deep appreciation for the responsibility involved in rezoning decisions, and I commend you all for your diligence on the proposed rezoning.
What you need to decide today isn’t whether this land will ever be or should be developed; this was already decided during the comprehensive planning process. The site is located within a designated growth area with access to transportation corridors. So the question is today what type of development will be best for the city and will create an enjoyable living experience for residents while limiting impacts.
In my humble opinion, the proposed cricket park is a less intensive use of the Gateway Property than many commercial uses already permitted as of right under its current GC zone including a used car sales parking lot, a shopping center, a gas station and convenience store or another self storage facility.
As a resident of Frederick County who attends activities in and around the city, I also see significant value in what this project could bring to Frederick: new recreational opportunities, public access to the river, space for youth and amateur sports, and a gathering place that reflects the growing cultural diversity of our community.
Based on both my extensive planning experience and my perspective as a proud, long-standing Frederick County resident, I believe the proposed rezoning deserves support. We know rezoning is not the end of the process, and there are critical steps ahead for the cricket park project, and your conditional approval will allow the project to move forward through the full review process, where the concerns of the residents can be further addressed, details refined and the site plan further conditioned by the planning commission.
I respectfully encourage the City Council to approve the rezoning and allow this vision for a community-oriented use of the property to move forward. Thank you for your time and consideration.
I think it's great that they're not putting in parking to be able to hold all attendees. I think we should strive for removing parking mandates in general. This would also help reduce the amount of impermeable infrastructure that's built and reduce the urban heat island effect in the area.
On that note, we need to include adequate public transportation to get there. We should not expect all attendees to drive to Frederick during an event. The city needs to work with the state to get more MARC service and more inter-county buses. This should be happening anyway due to the conference center that's being built.
I don't think Monocacy should be expanded to 4 lanes (as suggested in the Traffic Group letter, VIII.C.2.6_Exhibit B), in fact it should probably be narrowed to ensure people actually drive the speed limit. It's a, rightfully, slow road but is very wide which causes many drivers to speed 10+mph over the limit.
We should also ensure people can safely walk and bike there and that there is bike parking included in the plan. That area is pretty horrendous for walking and biking currently. A multi-use path going there would be great!
On behalf of the Tourism Council of Frederick County (DBA Visit Frederick), we are enthusiastic supporters of the proposed Cricket Park by the Washington Freedom. We are so deeply pleased and impressed with the leadership of the Washington Freedom and their immersion into the fabric of our community and for their unwavering transparency in listening to our community for the appropriate input and advice.
We believe this privately financed project will undoubtedly provide tremendous economic impact for our community including over $750,000 in annual estimated amusement and admission taxes to the City of Frederick; build and strengthen other generated levels of tax revenues to include sales tax, income tax, hotel tax, and property taxes; lead to substantial job creation during the construction and annual operation of this facility; offer increased availability and opportunity of open park and green space to our youth and amateur sports community; and be a driver for increased visitation and tourism to our overall area which provides an entire other increased level of new economic impact to our business community.
We commend the Washington Freedom for their willingness and agreement to partner with the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Historical Trust, the National Park Service, Monocacy National Battlefield, the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, the City of Frederick, and the Tourism Council of Frederick County to resolve any adverse effects and to preserve the history and the historical elements of this precious landscape located directly within the expanded footprint of the Monocacy National Battlefield; while also developing and implementing thorough onsite public interpretation of this historic battle that saved Washington, D.C. during the Civil War; along with adhering to any and all City of Frederick recommendations and requirements for potential event-related traffic and parking improvements and remedies.
This project represents a remarkable opportunity to The City of Frederick and the ability to partner with excellent community stewards in the Washington Freedom. Council Members - thank you for your attention and consideration.
Yours in Tourism,
Dave Ziedelis
Executive Director
Visit Frederick
The 2009 Annexation Agreement includes 15-17 acres of Floodplain for a Public Park. This proposal will allow grading of that land for private interests that can not be reclaimed by the next developer.
The Monocacy pathway/public access was also included. Therefore, the City gets nothing for giving up their parkland.
Bad deal for taxpayers.
Support for the Cricket Park
Frederick City Council Members
My name is Carole Jaar Sepe, and I have been a Frederick County resident and a citizen activist for over 30 years. I have a Master’s Degree in Architecture with a concentration in Urban Planning and I have a passion for good community planning. I previously served for ten years on the Frederick County Planning Commission and before that for three years on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Although I am not representing either body today, that experience has given me a deep appreciation for the responsibility involved in rezoning decisions, and I commend you all for your diligence on the proposed rezoning.
What you need to decide today isn’t whether this land will ever be or should be developed; this was already decided during the comprehensive planning process. The site is located within a designated growth area with access to transportation corridors. So the question is today what type of development will be best for the city and will create an enjoyable living experience for residents while limiting impacts.
In my humble opinion, the proposed cricket park is a less intensive use of the Gateway Property than many commercial uses already permitted as of right under its current GC zone including a used car sales parking lot, a shopping center, a gas station and convenience store or another self storage facility.
As a resident of Frederick County who attends activities in and around the city, I also see significant value in what this project could bring to Frederick: new recreational opportunities, public access to the river, space for youth and amateur sports, and a gathering place that reflects the growing cultural diversity of our community.
Based on both my extensive planning experience and my perspective as a proud, long-standing Frederick County resident, I believe the proposed rezoning deserves support. We know rezoning is not the end of the process, and there are critical steps ahead for the cricket park project, and your conditional approval will allow the project to move forward through the full review process, where the concerns of the residents can be further addressed, details refined and the site plan further conditioned by the planning commission.
I respectfully encourage the City Council to approve the rezoning and allow this vision for a community-oriented use of the property to move forward. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Carole Jaar Sepe Jefferson MD
Phillip Prestia (City resident),
I think it's great that they're not putting in parking to be able to hold all attendees. I think we should strive for removing parking mandates in general. This would also help reduce the amount of impermeable infrastructure that's built and reduce the urban heat island effect in the area.
On that note, we need to include adequate public transportation to get there. We should not expect all attendees to drive to Frederick during an event. The city needs to work with the state to get more MARC service and more inter-county buses. This should be happening anyway due to the conference center that's being built.
I don't think Monocacy should be expanded to 4 lanes (as suggested in the Traffic Group letter, VIII.C.2.6_Exhibit B), in fact it should probably be narrowed to ensure people actually drive the speed limit. It's a, rightfully, slow road but is very wide which causes many drivers to speed 10+mph over the limit.
We should also ensure people can safely walk and bike there and that there is bike parking included in the plan. That area is pretty horrendous for walking and biking currently. A multi-use path going there would be great!
Greetings City of Frederick Council Members,
On behalf of the Tourism Council of Frederick County (DBA Visit Frederick), we are enthusiastic supporters of the proposed Cricket Park by the Washington Freedom. We are so deeply pleased and impressed with the leadership of the Washington Freedom and their immersion into the fabric of our community and for their unwavering transparency in listening to our community for the appropriate input and advice.
We believe this privately financed project will undoubtedly provide tremendous economic impact for our community including over $750,000 in annual estimated amusement and admission taxes to the City of Frederick; build and strengthen other generated levels of tax revenues to include sales tax, income tax, hotel tax, and property taxes; lead to substantial job creation during the construction and annual operation of this facility; offer increased availability and opportunity of open park and green space to our youth and amateur sports community; and be a driver for increased visitation and tourism to our overall area which provides an entire other increased level of new economic impact to our business community.
We commend the Washington Freedom for their willingness and agreement to partner with the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Maryland Historical Trust, the National Park Service, Monocacy National Battlefield, the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, the City of Frederick, and the Tourism Council of Frederick County to resolve any adverse effects and to preserve the history and the historical elements of this precious landscape located directly within the expanded footprint of the Monocacy National Battlefield; while also developing and implementing thorough onsite public interpretation of this historic battle that saved Washington, D.C. during the Civil War; along with adhering to any and all City of Frederick recommendations and requirements for potential event-related traffic and parking improvements and remedies.
This project represents a remarkable opportunity to The City of Frederick and the ability to partner with excellent community stewards in the Washington Freedom. Council Members - thank you for your attention and consideration.
Yours in Tourism,
Dave Ziedelis
Executive Director
Visit Frederick