P.O. Box 70; Finksburg, MD.
21048
For more
information, contact:
Mat Tiahrt:
410-840-0133
John Lopez: 410-239-6820
August 9, 2004
Special FPAC, Inc. Meeting Scheduled
The Finksburg Planning Area Council (FPAC) is holding a special meeting to discuss the County’s addition of an employment campus zoning in the Proposed Finksburg Corridor Plan. The meeting is for residents to express their opinion as well as to get information. FPAC’s executive board believes this zoning proposal will be a detriment to the community as a whole. The organization is inviting residents to attend so they can get critical information about the corridor plan and the controversial zoning proposal
FPAC, a pro-business, pro-quality of life organization,
whose motto is “ to promote a Finksburg community, whose objective is to
preserve the fundamental quality of life where farms, families and businesses
may coexist in a manner beneficial to all ” is not opposed to employment campus
zoning, but feels Finksburg is a bad choice for such zoning. Furthermore, FPAC
is concerned that this last minute addition to the Plan has not given the
Finksburg Community any time to have an opportunity for public input without
any discussion of it in any of the previous planning sessions held with the
Finksburg Community since 2000.
Employment campus zoning is a mix of commercial and light-industrial development and is intended to attract higher-paying jobs to Carroll County. Among the possible uses listed in the ordinance are computer sciences, scientific research, hotels, colleges and other similar uses. Building heights would be permitted up to 120 feet in height
FPAC President John Lopez said he’s opposed to the proposed zoning. “This proposal has been added at the last minute to a Plan that has been in progress for over three (3) years! I’m not sure why this last minute addition is being fast-tracked without any opportunity for the Finksburg Community to have been included in the planning process! There is ample industry in Finksburg already. Finksburg has only one route - 140 - and it’s too congested now.” Lopez also says there’s the potential for significant harmful impact on the community’s water supply. Finksburg has no public water and sewage and there is serious concern that well water supply and septic capacity will not meet the demands of a major development, which would be built, adjacent to Gerstell Academy on 180 plus acres. The property located dangerously close to the North Branch of the Patapsco River is roughly bounded by Rt. 140, (the Old Baltimore Pike), Armacost Av., Brown Rd. and Turnberry Court. He also stressed that people living in the Todd Village Mobile Home Park would be displaced.
The special meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 26th at Sandymount United Methodist Church at the corner of Old Westminster Pike and Sandymount Road at 7 p.m.
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