Planning commission certifies multiple water and sewer master‑plan amendments, flags state permit for Shamrock Farm

The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 18 certified a package of amendments to the county’s 2023 Water and Sewer Master Plan and voted to forward those certified changes to the Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation to adopt and submit them to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) following public hearings.

Secretary Daley told the commission staff had packaged four fall amendments — two requested by municipalities and two for unincorporated areas — and asked whether the commission preferred to act on them individually or collectively. Commissioners certified amendments affecting the Freedom Sewer Service Area, an unincorporated proposal tied to the Shamrock Farm training facility, the City of Taneytown, and numerous parcels in Mount Airy. Each certification vote passed with five recorded ayes and one abstention (Commissioner Gordon).

The most contested item was a July request related to the Shamrock Farm training facility, submitted through the Maryland Stadium Authority. Staff said the county’s role was limited to certifying whether the proposed water appropriation and wastewater treatment plant are consistent with the county master plan; the state issues the underlying permits. The application would add a 75,000‑gallon‑per‑day water appropriation to county tables and reflect a proposed package wastewater plant with a 60,000‑gallon‑per‑day design capacity.

Linda Alexander, a consultant with CLSI working with the applicant, told the commission that "the site can secure 60,000 gallons a day" and that perk tests have been completed. "The 60,000 gallons a day is the maximum that we're — that's what the discharge permit went in," she said. Commissioners repeatedly pressed for the state's design and permit documents and voiced concerns about approving county consistency while the state had not finalized permit terms. One commissioner said approving now felt like "writing a blank check" until the state plan and road‑impact information are available.

Staff and the applicant’s representatives responded that the state often requires a county master‑plan consistency determination early in the process so the state can continue permit processing; additional approvals, detailed design work, road improvements and monitoring‑well programs would still be required before construction if permits are issued.

Other certified amendments included requests from the City of Taneytown to move several parcels to a "no planned service" category and a large Mount Airy package to align county water and sewer tables with that town’s newly adopted comprehensive plan. Staff summarized the Mount Airy changes as adjustments to the county demand calculations across multiple tables: removing 76,544 gpd from an existing water category, adding 19,404 gpd to priority water, and adding 23,654 gpd to future water; and increases to sewer demand calculations (46,318 gpd to existing service; 24,404 gpd to priority and future categories).

After certifying the individual amendments, the commission voted to forward the full package to the Board of County Commissioners with a recommendation to adopt and submit the amendments to MDE following a public hearing.

Votes at a glance: 5 ayes, 0 nays, 1 abstain (Commissioner Gordon) on each certified amendment and on the motion to forward the package to the Board of County Commissioners.

What’s next: The Board of County Commissioners will hold public hearings on the recommended amendments; if the board adopts them, staff will submit the changes to MDE as part of the state permitting/approval process. The Shamrock Farm application remains contingent on state permit decisions and additional county reviews for roads, wells, and treatment design.