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Planning Commission approves county Water Resource Element redlines, keeps Frederick connection as an option
Summary
The Planning Commission accepted redline edits to the countywide 2024 Water Resource Element and approved staff recommendations after Frederick County requested removing Mount Airy's option to connect to Frederick water; the option was retained in the redline as a future possibility contingent on Frederick concurrence.
County staff presented the draft 2024 Water Resource Element (WRE) redlines and summarized the 60‑day state review and public comment period. Staff said state comments were mostly clarifying (equity, climate vulnerability, planning principles) and that Frederick County submitted the only substantive municipal comment, asking removal of an option for Mount Airy to interconnect with Frederick County's water system.
Town staff and the county recommended keeping the interconnectivity language in the Mount Airy section as an option for future reference but clarifying that any such connection would require Frederick County concurrence and appropriate infrastructure. Brenda Dennehy reviewed the redlines and noted there were no substantive changes required in Mount Airy beyond that negotiation over the interconnectivity line.
Commissioners discussed a small numeric discrepancy in wastewater totals (section 19.2) and asked staff to correct the sum so the tables are consistent. A motion to accept all redline changes in the draft 2024 WRE with an arithmetic correction to section 19.2 carried; the commission approved transmitting the WRE recommendation to the town council with the staff-recommended redlines.
Why it matters: The WRE is a required element of the comprehensive plan; updating it to reflect state guidance (including equity and climate vulnerability) and county coordination is the procedural step before council review and required public hearings at the council level. The retained language showing interconnection as a potential future source preserves flexibility but does not obligate Frederick County or Mount Airy to pursue construction or purchase agreements without further concurrence.
Next steps: The commission will forward the approved redline WRE and its resolution to the town council, which must hold a public hearing and may adopt or amend the document.
