Planning commission grants concept approval for Buffalo Ridge subdivision, approves open‑space waiver and APFO certification

The Mount Airy Planning Commission approved the concept plan for the Buffalo Ridge subdivision, a clustered residential proposal of eight lots on roughly 8.3 acres along Buffalo Road. The commission also granted an open‑space waiver and certified the project under the town’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO), subject to conditions.

Staff recommended concept approval and outlined required conditions. Ron Thompson of Van Mar Associates, the applicant’s representative, described the plan as a clustered subdivision that preserves roughly 45–46 percent of the parcel as undeveloped open or environmental space. He said the project includes road improvements to smooth a sharp curve on Buffalo Road, an extension of a water line loop that the town finds beneficial, and sidewalks to connect to Summit Ridge Park.

The commission reviewed an open‑space waiver worksheet required under Town Code Section 25‑5 and debated the quality and usability of the proposed open space. Staff and the applicant said the project provides roughly 2.171 acres of dedicated open space. Commissioners discussed two ways to compute required open‑space amounts (per‑resident three‑acres‑per‑100 metric and the zoning open‑space fraction); after reconciling figures on the record, the commission recorded that the applicant exceeds required open space by a small amount (the staff worksheet recorded the net overage as roughly 0.072 acres relative to the development requirement). The commission voted on use and condition questions and accepted staff’s characterization of the open space as primarily passive (forest conservation and grassed areas) with pedestrian connections to nearby park amenities.

The commission also discussed Carroll County reviews. A forest delineation / forest conservation plan remains contingent on a county variance related to stream‑buffer stormwater facilities; staff made approval contingent on resolution of the county variance before final plan approval.

Conditions recorded in the approval: the applicant must submit corrected and reissued planning worksheet letters (25‑5 c/d/g forms) to correct typographical and calculation errors; all town and county comments must be addressed before final plan submission; and county approvals (including the forest/stream‑buffer variance) must be obtained and documented. The motion to approve the concept plan, open‑space waiver and APFO certification passed unanimously.