[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6786987,"mediaKeyId","5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c","parentId",5529521,"title","Mount Airy council adopts narrower rezoning, keeps focus on Main Street protections","audioSeconds",1551,"startMs",3122980,"endMs",4674575,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c&start=3122&end=4674","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c/thumbnail_3122980.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6786987/Maryland/Mount-Airy-council-adopts-narrower-rezoning-keeps-focus-on-Main-Street-protections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786987-139c448a0a2f025fc47863f28f6bc219/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450634&Signature=JgkPIMQrfqx6Qrms85i~4z9bNhgddGR~nimarWTdA1lNm3EKWhjtnnRkuvBCcSkJeVthJZPmiNCiyDLcAfxvCvBLrPevp21PXiRG8JUUzdpb~sNv6yiULUhLcoTljvngHHWY8Yz2V-XjBXh7Mtv9EVz3Q3Ch6dKnHZ3T5YfXTdsPwqqBqNLFW3P2sPQzE37ed5Db5tEPWB~48Z0P-aBm5Z5yAbEbUfD4ekDAJ39JJe2CsHZ7frHTZVFrYMJQoKlfg33mDIPzxRrpiQJzlofy~J2iitOUwyjDn0vN62ks4v2ENlLIHM3Ll4HKLa~pUIapmP8v0SOx6OxA9VQ5sSoW0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mount Airy Town, MD","date","2025-08-05T01:26:13.607Z","article","The Mount Airy Town Council debated long-running rezoning proposals for four South Main Street parcels under Ordinance 2025-16 and ultimately approved an amended measure that applies only to Parcel 1429.

Council members spent more than an hour discussing whether converting residential properties adjacent to Main Street to a Neighborhood Professional (NP) zone would erode the historic Main Street character and create momentum for further upzoning. Council member Steven Demoter and others argued NP is a commercial zoning classification that could bring increased traffic and deliveries to a corridor they described as already stressed. \"If you read the code, NP zoning is commercial zoning,\" Demoter said, noting NP allows medical and professional uses and could be seen as a stepping stone to more intensive commercial zoning.

Council President (presiding officer in transcript) and other members countered that Parcel 1429 sits amid a patchwork of already rezoned parcels and that a change reflects the neighborhood's evolution. After motions and amendments, the council voted to remove three limited-commercial parcels from the ordinance and approve rezoning Parcel 1429 from \"residential existing\" to Neighborhood Professional. The amendment was seconded and approved by voice vote; one member recorded a 'nay' during the voice vote as noted in the transcript.

Council member Demoter later introduced a separate motion directing the planning director to prepare master plan amendments to remove properties recommended for rezoning that were never rezoned and to align the master plan with council actions. That motion was introduced for discussion and then tabled until the next meeting so legal counsel could be present.

The council did not adopt any immediate site-specific development approvals or changes to code language at the meeting; the action was a zoning-map rezoning for a single parcel and a direction to staff on potential master plan updates.

Next steps: the master-plan amendment motion will return to the agenda next month with the town attorney present, and staff will document the council's direction if the planning department pursues the proposed text changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mount Airy Town Council Meeting 8-4-2025","oneSentenceSummary","After extended debate about Main Street's character and potential for incremental upzoning, the Mount Airy Town Council narrowed Ordinance 2025-16 to rezone only Parcel 1429 from \"residential existing\" to Neighborhood Professional and approved the amendment.","taxTitle","Mount Airy, Carroll County, Maryland","taxId",72996,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6786989,"Mount Airy resident urges grates and inspections after 13-year-old drowns in storm pipe",1168,291035,1459260,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c&start=291&end=1459","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c/thumbnail_291035.jpg","/articles/6786989/Maryland/Mount-Airy-resident-urges-grates-and-inspections-after-13-year-old-drowns-in-storm-pipe","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786989-3cca51dbd7a64e65acd8b3bc392ebe05/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450634&Signature=i8d6ScpvEnD~jf~DeB5JOLBFx8i-K~o1oUsXeM7ZreTpf4TlaZZJUTM9LbNWy-vWnfgkyLJGXAKj-OnfPSZcoa0NlRv9keqihYlSFIdfbllNpzCcKo2kSMbcXluiNKdo8CxaDaciXwXW~sxrOXawrex81Ml3gHA~lqxvITILz6dIl49H8LG3Zrd8ln~zxNG~xQ3Lwqlqp4azVRRePrDIhAJLolyBOiu7UNBWfRj-KW9zsKhcQGFLVlUYQDTiQDkPL3ELHFmlalh05mFX8y0y3q5wZZJngj81gNWI7JQnvi40gckxjiZ7P8C-AeYYbnp2zfXSy-r15sVHbjYtkMjSIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lisonbee Eggleston, the aunt of 13-year-old Mason Kearns, told the Mount Airy Town Council that her nephew was swept into an ungrated concrete drainage pipe at the Mount Airy Apartments last week and drowned within moments.

\"Mason didn't know this,\" Eggleston said in a public comment, describing the drain as appearing to be part of the grassy play area and asking why a pipe that could fit a small adult was left without a sturdy grate. She cited national reporting and safety guidance and urged the town to act so \"this town is responsible for finding out who failed Mason\" and to prevent another child from dying in the same way.

Mayor Hochauer thanked emergency responders, visiting officials and town staff and said the council had directed staff \"to look at every drainage pipe in the town for similar hazards that must be remediated.\" The mayor also said the town will assist property owners where pipes on private land create a public safety risk.

Council member Steven Demoter called for a formal accident-investigation process that would document an event timeline, notifications, emergency response composition and the pond or pipe design features that contributed to the incident. \"The objective is to find out what happened, why did it happen, and what can be done so this never happens again,\" he said.

Eggleston referenced national data to underscore the risk: she cited a ProPublica review and NIOSH recommendations for identifying, marking and covering drainage pipes and urged the council to adopt sloped grates and other mitigations. In public comment she said that horizontal drain inlets in Watkins Park and elsewhere in town are open and could allow children to enter.

The council did not adopt a specific ordinance at the meeting, but the mayor's statement that staff were directed to inspect drains and the council discussion endorsing a formal investigation mark immediate next steps. Council members also thanked volunteer fire, police and other agencies for their response during the incident.

The town has not yet produced a public timeline of the investigation or a schedule for completing the inspections; Eggleston asked the council to hold parties accountable and to report back on corrective actions.","A Mount Airy resident told the town council her 13-year-old nephew, Mason Kearns, drowned after being swept into an ungrated drainage pipe. The mayor said staff will inspect town drains and assist property owners to remediate hazardous pipes; residents and the council pressed for a formal accident review and safety fixes.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6786981,"Mount Airy council approves event closures and appointments, hears public-safety and service reports",1861,2852275,4714010,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c&start=2852&end=4714","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c/thumbnail_2852275.jpg","/articles/6786981/Maryland/Mount-Airy-council-approves-event-closures-and-appointments-hears-public-safety-and-service-reports","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786981-e46d318fe33023cc1e2f83588325d345/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450634&Signature=OXVZmjz33s645frCiMF4~1u3B4qcIhL-7cBgVPbsnyyZ1MClfJaAVmPl5kaXUeymxiyBWEwMlpzw6VcsJc80TC-XjXDc~u127RMJSoWOSvA5mIUtDUDlHey2YhVgUCL9RuI-TVfdOPMrCWba9qhJ6Q5Jbs9E4SgRrOVFO1xGI-H8DQXcvJrz5L-W0enE4T2-NEFi4PMbO3QsDlYtn0euDbDDaUcjvo70cejbwI2jMvBeMdrq-LCyGKWefgMcpn9e6mRRRPK-ITyd1SSSluvebNz-4zuqSRrGenxlHVPTQ1JfWQPnIarN3wvneLSDTpPCAK3qdlJ8YgFJLooSjRwVGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mount Airy Town Council handled several routine and event items alongside the night's major discussions.

Appointments: The council reappointed Bruce Walls and Richard Swanson to the Ethics Commission by voice vote.

Events and permits: The council approved a road closure for Celebrate Mount Airy on Saturday, Aug. 23 (Main Street from Prospect Road to Paradise Avenue, 4–9 p.m.). It also adopted Resolution 2025-3 to allow alcohol at Celebrate Mount Airy on Aug. 23 from 5–8 p.m.

Minutes and closed minutes: The council approved July 7, 2025 council meeting minutes and several closed meeting minutes (subjects: litigation and land acquisition) by voice vote.

Reports: Representatives delivered updates: Aaron Lavelle presented the Mount Air Composite Squadron (Civil Air Patrol) report (membership growth, cadet accomplishments and a request for meeting/storage space); Chief Ginevra provided the police report (560 calls for service in July, recruitment activity and event planning). Streets and Roads, parks and rec, recycling and economic development commissions also reported schedules and programs (Slow Down for Your Hometown campaign, traffic-circle timeline, e-waste collection on Oct. 11, business roundtable Sept. 9).

Financial note: Richard Swanson, in public comment, urged council consideration of water/sewer rate increases, saying the commission's daily deficit is \"close to $1,500 a day.\" No rate ordinance was proposed at this meeting.

The council then recessed into closed sessions on litigation, land acquisition and counsel.","In addition to longer items, the council approved road closures for Celebrate Mount Airy, a resolution allowing alcohol at the event, reappointed two ethics commissioners, approved several sets of meeting minutes and heard routine reports from the police, civil air patrol and town commissions.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6786985,"Mount Airy council censures member for conduct at planning commission meeting",0,4756595,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c&start=4756&end=4756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5529521-60adc231c824607cfe3e85620dbac99c/thumbnail_4756595.jpg","/articles/6786985/Maryland/Mount-Airy-council-censures-member-for-conduct-at-planning-commission-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6786985-8adfcfd3c4f63372076d8fbd6347bad3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450634&Signature=ElwFN0IvRO9NsxpXodVNcXlQc9fgMRWDymUo4i6FjBm3fgyCS4eGyW5IRlpyfLRUGDInMz0Ex3xjdRGuVWjN2o8T1Rnc8wN6p1JQgWYEq7d3cD6Mpa0bWKGMp0Qi~PSon9lI53RqAVh-d3E1ZHj8ZNUw-zCRjz3fq~cS0eTQxW1brf6TIeSIom-l97b9yfoVl7pBt4KuTNIfalxzNgDH2LhGx9WxN6gS-U2ijlOVnhh84glvI5IQbyPcgLwvWV9rmWtnWtKZec8BKTlsPq4xj~iA4cVIwjmTfFUPVaBzifstzgElW9EbkaljyUE~AyYg2jn4LkMoGvYID-D7RDF39g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council President introduced a resolution of reprimand and censure concerning Council member Munder's conduct at a July 28 planning commission meeting and read town guidance to council liaisons about avoiding creating the appearance of a quorum and respecting commission autonomy.

The president said the council must \"support\" volunteer commissioners and that repeated incidents — described in the mayor's previously issued guidance — would be publicly addressed. \"When at a commission meeting, remember it is the chair's meeting. Please respect his or her authority,\" the president read.

Council member Munder acknowledged his actions, apologized and called them \"passion and stupidity,\" saying he did not intend to threaten anyone. Several council members expressed support for the planning commission and concern that council conduct could discourage volunteer members.

After discussion the council voted to adopt the resolution of censure by voice vote. The transcript records affirmative votes and no roll-call tally for dissent beyond a general discussion. The president said repeated infractions would prompt further action and that the matter will be public when it occurs.

The resolution is disciplinary and internal to council procedures; council members also reminded each other of an existing policy to log meetings with developers or interested parties.","The council adopted a resolution of reprimand/censure against Council member Munder for his actions at the July 28 planning commission meeting. The council president read guidance about liaison conduct and said repeated behavior — including following commissioners to their cars — would be publicly called out; Munder apologized.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mount Airy council adopts narrower rezoning, keeps focus on Main Street protections

Mount Airy resident urges grates and inspections after 13-year-old drowns in storm pipe

Mount Airy council approves event closures and appointments, hears public-safety and service reports

Mount Airy council censures member for conduct at planning commission meeting