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Commission recommends ordinance change to require stable surfaces for special event parking
Summary
The Planning Commission on Dec. 4 voted to recommend an amendment to the county zoning ordinance requiring travelways and parking associated with special event facilities to be on stable ground (gravel minimum) to limit mud tracking and protect roadways; the board motion passed with one dissent.
The Frederick County Planning Commission voted Dec. 4 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors amend the zoning ordinance to strengthen surface‑material standards for special event facilities.
Staff member Steph Steltner explained the proposed change would require travelways (the driveway or routes from the public road to the parking area) to be surfaced with gravel or an approved equivalent so off‑street parking areas remain free of mud and debris that could track onto roadways. The amendment allows the Board of Supervisors, through the conditional use permit (CUP) process, to require alternative surfaces and gives the Fire Marshal authority to require hard surfaces where apparatus access demands it.
Commissioners asked whether the amendment would apply retroactively to existing CUPs; Steltner said it would apply to properties that have not yet put required parking into place and that enforcement against existing, already‑improved parking areas would be limited. Commissioners raised practical concerns about rural farming operations that sometimes use pasture for event parking; staff clarified the rule focuses on travelways and entrances leading to a parking area, not the internal area where cars might temporarily park and later return to pasture use.
A motion to recommend approval of the ordinance amendment passed on a roll call vote. Recorded votes included DeHaven yes; Kern yes; Cozzell yes; Thomas yes; Molden yes; Snedden yes; McKay yes; Brownback yes; Brennan no; Chair yes. The motion carried and staff will forward the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
