Greater Hagerstown urges early workforce housing study and 'missing middle' focus in 2040 plan

Jim Kirschfeld, executive director of the Greater Hagerstown Committee, thanked planning staff and the planning commission and urged the county to begin a workforce housing study as a short-term implementation action in Chapter 15. "We strongly support this concept and would like and believe that should be something that started as quickly as possible," Kirschfeld said.

Kirschfeld asked that the study include attention to "missing middle" housing — building types between single-family homes and large apartment complexes, such as duplexes, townhouses and small courtyard apartments — that can provide more affordable options for the local workforce. He said the county's median household income supports affordability for homes around $260,000 using a 30 percent-of-income benchmark, but recent sales and prices have widened the gap and made home ownership challenging for workers.

Paul Frey, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, told commissioners the chamber's board supports the Greater Hagerstown recommendations. "We have a very diverse board ... and, again, reinforcing what Jim turned in with Greater Hagerstown. We'd like to support that as well," Frey said.

Why it matters: Workforce housing and "missing middle" strategies can help align housing supply with local incomes and preserve rural areas by encouraging denser development in urbanized places.

Ending: These comments were part of the public-comment period on the draft 2040 comprehensive plan and did not prompt immediate action during the hearing.