Published: October 18, 2007 02:00 pm         

New plan approved for LaVale land and zoning

CUMBERLAND - The LaVale Region Plan moved forward Wednesday when the Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the plan with a 5-0 vote.

Commission members George Stimmel and Charles Norris were absent.

The comprehensive - and slightly controversial - plan will appear on a future Allegany County commissioners meeting agenda.

The plan, if approved by the county commissioners, will alter the land use and, later, zoning for the LaVale area. The area is comprised of nearly 18,000 acres north to south from the Pennsylvania line to a point near Cresaptown and from Dan's Mountain to Haystack Mountain.

The area includes more than 8,000 residents - more than 11 percent of the county's population. The plan is the first of 12 region plans county planning coordinator Phil Hager's office is putting together, but perhaps the most critical.

The plan, drafted by Hager's office and a number of outside agencies including the Maryland Department of Planning, indicates LaVale's dire need for such a plan after having 50 years of development without one.

Hager said while final approval is far from guaranteed, Wednesday's recommendation was a big step in the process, which began more than two years ago.

He addressed the concerns of nearly 50 residents and other stakeholders from the area who were in attendance Wednesday night.

A primary point of contention came from the Potomac Highland Association of Realtors. Specific language in early drafts of the plan, cited in at least two instances, strongly discouraged future residential development.

Hager was quick to modify the language, saying neither he nor members of the planning department ever meant to appear against residential development.

Parts of the plan now state that residential development "should be encouraged within residentially designated areas."

Hager presented revisions to the plan, approved by the commission Wednesday, which nearly doubled the acreage for residential development. Even with only minimum-density development, a rough projection allows for nearly 800 new homes and 2,000 new residents - although the state projects a slight decline in population in the LaVale region over the next 20 years.

Bill Trozzo, legal counsel for the Realtors association, said he and his clients were satisfied with the language changes and the planning department's level of communication.

"I'm very pleased with what I've heard here tonight," Trozzo said before the vote took place. "The issues we raised have by and large been addressed."

Several other residents who spoke during the meeting echoed Trozzo's sentiments. Jackie Sams called the additional residential area "a very encouraging sign."

Tina Midgarden told the commission she was still concerned about additional water run-off into Braddock Run, which sits behind her Braddock Road home. The plan allows for more commercial development in the area. She said just 4 inches of rain already turns Braddock Run "savage." Blacktop from future business parking lots could threaten the neighborhood, and her home, even more.

"I want to make one last plea," she told the commissioners. "I'm concerned about Braddock Run."

The plan could still be modified by the county commissioners in cooperation with the planning department. There also will be at least one more public hearing before the issue goes to a vote.

The planning department will receive a $20,000 grant through the Maryland Department of Planning to help fund the development and revision of four more region plans.

Bill Atkinson, of the Western Maryland Regional Office, told the commission on Wednesday the grant is through the Appalachian Regional Commission and had been approved.

The Planning Commission was grateful for the funding, which will allow the county to take a detailed look at the natural and water resources as county staff continue to develop and maintain the regional comprehensive plans.

State law requires that those two elements be added to such plans by 2009.

"Mr. Atkinson, we thank you for the money," said Bill Davis, commission president.

Kevin Spradlin can be reached at kspradlin@times-news.com.