Frederick trustees table oil-and-gas land‑use overhaul after church, developers raise project‑specific concerns

The Frederick Board of Trustees on Oct. 22 voted unanimously to table a proposed land‑use code amendment that would reshape how oil and gas production is permitted in town, giving staff two weeks to incorporate industry comments and meet with a congregation and developers who said the rules would impose severe, immediate economic hardship.

The board’s decision followed a technical presentation by special counsel Matt Sura outlining proposed changes meant to tighten local oversight of oil‑and‑gas operations. The draft would expand public‑notice distances, require conditional‑use review, and add layered setbacks including a 2,000‑foot buffer around schools, hospitals and assisted‑living facilities, a 1,000‑foot standard from residences (with a possible homeowner waiver), and a set of “reverse setbacks” limiting new homes within defined distances of existing well sites unless a site assessment shows the well is safe.

Why it matters: Town staff said the changes respond to safety concerns after 27 reported spills within Frederick over recent years and to increased pressure from development near well sites. Trustees and staff said…