Carroll County planning staff on Thursday asked the Board of Commissioners to proceed to a public hearing on the fall 2024 amendments to the 2023 Carroll County Water and Sewer Master Plan, and the board approved the request by voice vote.

Deputy Director Daley introduced the briefing and said the plan updates cover multiple municipal and county systems. Andrew Gray, a comprehensive planner in the Bureau of Comprehensive Planning, outlined three geographic changes in the fall amendment: moving four residential lots in the Freedom Water Service Area from "existing" to "long range," reclassifying two properties in the Hampstead Sewer Service Area from "future" to "priority" to accommodate a proposed Tractor Supply and another future commercial use, and multiple map, demand-table and text edits in the Manchester Water and Sewer Service Area to reflect existing conditions.

Gray said the Freedom lots are roughly 0.3 miles east of the Georgetown Boulevard and Liberty Road intersection and that utility connections are not feasible from nearby mains because of cost and insufficient easements. He said the Hampstead changes are located between Greenmount Station shopping center and Farm Woods Lane. Gray told commissioners the towns certified consistency in October and the Planning and Zoning Commission certified consistency in November and that planning staff recommended proceeding to public hearing.

Commissioners asked how often the plan is amended; Gray replied there are two amendment cycles a year (fall and spring) and that the spring 2025 cycle closes Feb. 1, 2025. He also noted the system financing document is updated every three years and functions as an implementation tool for the master plan.

A commissioner moved and a second was recorded; the board approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded nays.

The public hearing will allow residents and municipal officials to comment on the proposed map reclassifications and text edits before any final amendments are adopted.