HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC_10-27-81_Meeting_Minutes_WorksessionMINUTES OF THE MEETING
OF THE
FREDERICK COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSESSION
Held in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room, October 27, 1981.
PRESENT: C. Langdon Gordon; Frank Brumback; Manuel C. DeHaven; James
Golladay, Jr.; W. French Kirk; Col. A. L. Myers; M. Domenic
Palumbo; George L. Romine; John T. P. Horne; Gary DeOms;
Robert Holmes; Mark Davis
ABSENT: Mr. Kenneth Stiles
The Chairman called the meeting to order at 7:50 pm and
requested that Mr. Horne introduce the topic of discussion.
Mr. Horne noted that the first topic of discussion on the agenda
would be the preliminary policy statements endorsed by the Planning
Commission and Board of Supervisors dealing with rural and
agricultural lands in Frederick County. He brought the Commission's
attention to copies of these policy statements that they had before
them. He requested that Mr. Davis introduce a system that the Soil
Conservation Service had been working on, together with Clarke County,
as a pilot program. Mr. Davis introduced the system and described it
as an overall system to take information from the soil survey and
analyze the capabilities of certain soils in particular areas of the
Counties as to their suitability for agriculture. He then noted that
the second section of the program was being developed directly by
Clarke County to try to incorporate other land use criteria into the
land evaluation system to take into account nonagricultural factors.
He noted that weights would be assigned to different criteria at
different levels in the hopes of coming up with a system that could
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be used to evaluate all areas of the County as to their suitability
for different land uses.
Mr. Golladay expressed concern that this system should only be
used as a guide and should never become a rigid system for evaluating
all development proposals without the input of public agencies.
Mr. Horne stated that this was not the intention of the system
and that the development of the system would be directly in the hands
of the applicable public agencies in the locality.
Mr. Myers then noted that he was concerned that those areas of
Frederick County which did not have the best agricultural soils, but
which were being actively farmed would not be given an adequate weight
under such system.
Mr. Horne noted that the weighting system was entirely in the
hands of the local jurisdiction and the weights could be assigned in
any manner which the jurisdiction chose.
Mr. Myers also expressed concern that government officials would
be in the position of telling parts of the agricultural community
whether they could or could not farm their land.
Mr. DeOms expressed his regret that any such impression had been
left and stated that his office had done much work to help preserve
agricultural land in Frederick County with the formation of
Agricultural and Forestal Districts. He also expressed concern that
the Planning Commission may have the impression that Messrs. Holmes,
DeOms and Davis were there to sell them a system of evaluation. He
stated that they were there to work with the Planning Commission to
help that Commission acheive the goals which it had set and were not
there to sell them anything.
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Mr. Horne reiterated this point.
Discussion then moved to the types of criteria that could be
used under an evaluation system using the carrying capacity concept.
Mr. Horne noted that the locality could choose any criteria which it
would use and weight them any way they would like to weight them.
Mr. Romine stated that he understood that the staff was
presenting a possible option and that he would be interested in
seeing what had been done in other localities by the SCS and local
jurisdictions under the pilot program and Mr. Palumbo reiterated this
point.
Mr. Horne stated that he would work with Mr. Davis and would
bring the Comprehensive Plan Update Subcommittee specific examples as
to what had been accomplished in other areas with such a system.
Upon motion by Mr. Golladay and seconded by Mr. Brumback, the
Commission then unanimously approved the inclusion in the minutes of
the following resolution:
WHEREAS C. Langdon Gordon did serve on the Frederick County Planning
Commission from 1973 to 1981, and
WHEREAS C. Langdon Gordon did serve as Chairman of the Frederick
County Planning Commission from 1976 to 1981, and
WHEREAS during his tenure on the Commission, C. Langdon Gordon served
with exemplary skill, courage, honor and insight and
WHEREAS the Commission and Frederick County have benefited greatly
from their association with -C. Langdon Gordon and the Comission would
like to encourage him to remain active in community affairs,
NOW therefore, be it resolved, the Frederick County Planning
Commission does express its deep appreciation to C. Langdon Gordon
for a job well done.
The Commission expressed its deep appreciation to Mr. Gordon for
all the work he had done while a member of the Commission. The
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Commission also expressed its regret at losing him as a member, but
wished him the best of luck in future endeavors.
Mr. Gordon stated that his only reluctance in any actions he may
have taken in regards to his future were the regrets that he would be
leaving the Planning Commission and would miss the opportunity of
working with the members.
There being no further business, on motion by Mr. Golladay, and
seconded by Mr. Romine, the Commission adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted,
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C. Langdon Gordon, Chairman