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Commission recommends approval of waiver to omit one Underwood Lane interparcel connection in Raven Point Section 9
Summary
After hearing residents’ concerns about Underwood Lane’s width and safety, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a waiver removing one planned interparcel connection in Raven Point Section 9, with commissioners and the applicant discussing potential longer‑term options such as Inverly Way extension or temporary bollards.
The Frederick County Planning Commission recommended approval of a waiver to remove a planned interparcel connection between Taggart Drive and Underwood Lane for Raven Point Section 9.
Staff described the request as a waiver to the subdivision ordinance’s interparcel connection requirement for a 6.9‑acre RP‑zoned parcel in the Raven Point subdivision. The commission heard from several nearby residents and property owners who opposed a new connection because Underwood Lane is narrow—approximately 20 feet of pavement—and residents park on both sides. Commissioners and residents said the street is used by children and pedestrians and that connecting Taggart Drive to Underwood Lane would create a through route inadequately sized for the traffic it might carry.
Staff and the applicant discussed the comprehensive plan’s long‑range alignment for Inverly Way, a planned minor collector that would route traffic to existing arterial infrastructure when developed; both staff and the applicant noted that Inverly Way’s construction or an adjacent parcel’s future development could provide a more appropriate long‑term solution than widening Underwood Lane immediately.
Applicant representative David Frank and developer J.P. Carr said the waiver responds to practical constraints and that constructing a full connection now would impose safety and neighborhood impacts. Commissioners discussed potential interim measures—such as making the stub a temporary dead end with bollards until Inverly Way is extended—and noted that any future widening or VDOT acceptance of Underwood Lane would require separate engineering and funding.
After debate the commission voted to recommend approval of waiver 03‑25; the recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for its June 11, 2025 meeting.
