County would be advised to revert to previous Sugarloaf plan boundaries | Columns

Frederick de Gardner’s Habitable Master Plan proposed a new approach, a new method to plan and accommodate reasonable residential and commercial growth while addressing civic infrastructure and long-term resource conservation.

It took time to convince, especially with people planning developments and building buildings. But using the holistic methods employed to build the plan, including all civic and business sector partners, opponents and advocates eventually came together to embrace the new methodology.

Fast forward to today, and we see familiar battles from the ill-conceived past being recreated in the boardroom of Winchester Hall.

This time, the issue is the Sugarloaf Treasure Landscape Management Plan, and the disagreement stems from the County Planning Commission’s decision to extend a new conservation overlay throughout the Sugarloaf planning region, until at Interstate 270.

This decision alone imposes overly broad restrictions on several hundred acres of land that could potentially support essential jobs and economic opportunity. It also jeopardizes long-term funding to add capacity to I-270 from Clarksburg in Montgomery County to I-70 in Frederick County.

The county planning commission was, in my opinion, unduly influenced by residents and environmental groups in endorsing this unnecessary and unwarranted restriction, along with good old-fashioned political advocacy by some local elected officials.

It is possible to have our cake and eat it too. We can protect natural resources, vistas and infrastructure while enabling the I-270 technology corridor to attract Fortune 20/50/100 technology and life sciences industries to come here and grow.

The Maryland Departments of Commerce and Planning have both expressed serious concerns about the impact of the plan’s overlay on I-270 and potential employment zoning nearby.

In addition to issue 270, this new overlay also raises concerns with the Stronghold Land Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining Sugarloaf Mountain.

In keeping with Gordon Strong’s vision, Stronghold keeps the mountain open to visitors, funding all grounds, trails and common areas through forest management, educational programs and facility rentals.

The Sugarloaf plan pending before the County Council will alter Stronghold’s plans potentially forcing them to close public access, as the wording of the plan could alter the value of their underlying land holdings and increase their legal liability to their visitors .

I urge the county council to reinstate the boundaries of the planning boundary to match those originally proposed in Gardner’s July 2021 draft plan, and commit to working in partnership with the company Stronghold to address to their concerns, so that we can continue to enjoy the magnificence of Sugarloaf Mountain for decades to come.

This will make this first area plan adopted under the guidelines of the Frederick Habitable Master Plan fair, balanced and forward-looking.

Rick Weldonof Braunschweig, is President and CEO of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.