Latest news with #BoardofAppeals
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Emmitsburg to allow new type of student housing downtown
Students will be allowed to live in the Village Zone in the town of Emmitsburg in residences with six or more bedrooms. The policy does not apply to homes with five or fewer bedrooms, since those types of living arrangements are considered boarding homes in the town code. Designations of student housing of this type are to be awarded as zoning special exceptions by the Board of Appeals and must not be within 500 feet of another boarding home or student housing units, according to the ordinance. Additional conditions of student housing for those enrolled in post-secondary schools include one off-street parking space per bedroom, trash to be screened from public view and a maximum of one student per bedroom. All dwelling units must meet the requirements of the International Building Code. The ordinance came as a response to two rental properties owned by local businessman David Ott that totaled 11 units — surpassing the boarding house thresholds. The ordinance passed 3-2 on Monday. Commissioners Jim Hoover, Kevin Hagan and Cliff Sweeney voted in favor. Commissioners Amy Boehman-Pollitt and Valerie Turnquist voted against. Hagan said the ordinance was more about preventing development in the future that might change the character of the community of West Main Street and destroy the historic, charming nature. He added that a more robust student housing bill may need to be passed later to address all forms of housing that students from Mount St. Mary's University may choose, but the ordinance would provide assurances to landowners in the near term. 'We're putting off the good for the perfect and we may never find the perfect,' Hagan said. 'The longer we wait, the more it costs everyone. We're running up everybody's legal fees here.' Boehman-Pollitt said amending the ordinance with a rental registration bill later to put more restrictions on student housing was like 'putting the cart before the horse.' 'I don't see how it is the town's problem to make sure a landlord gets to maximize their profit, so much as what is our town vision?' she said. 'If we want it limited, it should be stated ahead of time.' Turnquist said the policy was 'so vague' that it would not adequately solve the issue for any parties involved. 'I'm not opposed to students living in town, but I think we need to protect the quality of life for our residents by ensuring a policy that's fair and equitable to all,' she said. During the public comments period, two residents spoke out against student housing, while Gerard Joyce, Mount St. Mary's president, asked the council to continue building the relationship between the town and the Mount. 'We want to be part of this community, if you'll have us,' Joyce said. He added that living off campus was not a matter of scarcity of on-campus housing, but a step in the development of life skills for students looking to live independently and frequent local stores and restaurants, adding to the vibrancy of downtown life. 'Part of our mission is producing ethical leaders with service to God and others — you're the others in this scenario,' Joyce said. 'I want you to be as proud of our students as we are.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mount Airy candidate Domotor says he's running to protect the town's quality of life
Stephen Domotor fell in love with Mount Airy's historic Main Street while looking for a place to raise his young family 32 years ago. He drove down Main Street to McDonald's, where he called his wife from a pay phone. "Diana, I think I found a place," he told her. "Everybody's moved to Mount Airy, and they want to protect it," Domotor said in an interview last week. "That's part of why I'm running is to protect the town, protect the citizens and and keep our quality of life the way it is." Domotor, a member of the Mount Airy Town Council since 2021, is seeking a second term in the town's election on May 6. His is one of two council terms expiring this year. The other is Council Member Lynne Galletti's. Galletti was eligible to run for reelection, but chose not to. Sean Kelly, a member of the town's Board of Appeals and Streets and Roads Commission, is running for the open seat. Mayor Larry Hushour is running unopposed for reelection. The terms of Council Members Tim Washabaugh, Jason Evans and Karl Munder are set to expire in 2027. During his first term on the council, Domotor — a retired civil servant who has worked for the federal government and the state of Maryland — was heavily involved with the drafting of the town's 2023 Master Plan. Over the course of a year and a half, Domotor said he submitted over 80 written comments about various aspects of the plan, including proposed annexations. He estimates that well over half of his comments on the plan were incorporated into the final version approved by the council. Also during his first term, Domotor sponsored legislation to establish Mount Airy's Commission on Aging and Livability (COAL), implement guidelines for preservation of the town's open space and create zoning regulations for newly legal cannabis dispensaries. Domotor said his reelection campaign has three main elements — keeping families safe, protecting the quality of life in Mount Airy and advocating for the wise management of taxpayer dollars. On the public safety front, Domotor said he supports the town's plan to build a new station for the Mount Airy Police Department, which currently operates out of a leased space in a larger professional building. Domotor said he would also push to fully fund the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company, which he said is integral to both the safety and the history of the town. Water quality is another key issue for Domotor, whose professional background is in environmental science. Mount Airy is one of several Maryland municipalities dealing with elevated levels of PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in its water supply. Domotor said he thinks Mount Airy has "a good path forward" on PFAS now that the town has received grant money for remediation efforts. He said the government needs to keep communicating with residents about the continuing risks associated with PFAS and the town's progress on the issue. With several safety-related projects to pay for in the coming years, Domotor said it will be important for the council to pass "fiscally responsible budgets" that balance the town's wants and needs. Because the town budget is limited, Domotor said, Mount Airy should continue to rely on external sources of funding for the restoration of the historic Flat Iron building on Main Street, which he has described as "more of a want." Domotor also said the town will need to respond to development pressure coming from New Market and Montgomery County in the coming years, as well as the issue of "commercial creep" into its residential zones. "I believe that we need to look at our Main Street corridor holistically, to make sure we're keeping the character and the quality of life," Domotor said. "That, in part, defines who Mount Airy is ... if you lose your main street, you're just another suburb."
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As Mount Airy council candidate, Kelly says he's committed to responsible growth
Sean Kelly, a 10-year resident of Mount Airy, said he became involved with local politics a few years ago when he learned about a proposal to annex land near his home on the town's western edge. The annexation proposal would have incorporated 25 acres of agriculturally zoned Frederick County land — known as the Rigler property — into Mount Airy, where it would be zoned for medium-density residential use. The proposal was voted down by a majority of the Town Council members at the time after Kelly and some of his neighbors pushed back against it. The experience opened Kelly's eyes to other development projects that were 'both imminent and further down the road,' he said. 'It's really tough to complain if you're not trying to get involved to do something yourself,' Kelly said. 'So that led me to apply and be able to serve the town on the streets and Roads Commission and Board of Appeals.' Now, Kelly — a Maryland native who works in product marketing — is running for one of two Mount Airy Town Council seats on the ballot in the town's May 6 election. There are five seats on the council, but members have staggered terms. The only other council candidate on the ballot next month is Stephen Domotor, an incumbent seeking a second term. Council Member Lynne Galletti was eligible to run for another term, but did not file due to a recent promotion at her job. Mayor Larry Hushour is running unopposed for reelection. Kelly said the main issues he hears about from other town residents are development and water quality. On the issue of development, Kelly said growth is going to happen, but he is 'committed to ensuring that the growth is done responsibly and in a measured way.' 'If you're doing things in the now, it's easy to lose track of the vision of what you want the town to be in 10, 20, or 50 years,' he said. Kelly said he felt like the town got off track a few years ago, but current officials have been consistent about delivering what residents want. On the issue of water quality, Kelly said he is encouraged that the town applied for and received grants to remediate PFAS contamination identified by the Maryland Department of the Environment in the town's wells. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of manufactured chemicals commonly found in nonstick cookware, flame retardants and other consumer products. Exposure to high levels of them may have health impacts. Until recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did not enforce any limit on PFAS in drinking water. Last year, the agency adopted new limits for six compounds that fall within the category of PFAS. The new limits will be enforceable starting in 2029. 'As I understand it, because it's a multi-step process ... we're probably still a fiscal year away from the actual execution and building of the extra facilities for filtration of the water,' Kelly said. He added that it may be difficult in coming years to balance competing capital projects, such as the water-system upgrades, the town's new police station and the preservation of the historic Flat Iron building on Main Street. Though Kelly is running unopposed, he said he is still knocking on doors and listening to residents' views about town's issues. 'I'm not letting off the gas in that way,' Kelly said. 'I definitely would encourage the citizens to get out and vote for any of the three of us that are running for these seats, including the mayor, because we're there for them.'
