Emmitsburg planning commission approves draft comprehensive plan with amendments, sends it for 60‑day review

The Emmitsburg Planning Commission on March 31 approved a revised draft of the town's comprehensive plan and directed staff to correct a duplicated housing data box, add chapter 10 page numbering and data, and insert brief language acknowledging higher‑education program activity and potential federal changes that could affect the town.

Planning staff summarized edits that include a larger base font for accessibility, added purpose and organization language in chapter 1, revised sustainability and housing descriptions in chapter 3 (including a strategy to incentivize infill through expedited permitting), new transportation and trail‑connectivity strategies, and updates to water/sewer tap availability and wastewater treatment text. The draft also lists local community facilities such as the Seton Center, Seton Village and Lincoln On The Park and adds a goal to work with Frederick County Public Schools on school modernization projects for Emmitsburg Elementary and Catoctin High School.

"So the memo kind of lists all the changes that were made," said the planning staff member presenting the draft, listing chapter‑level edits and saying staff would address comments from the last meeting. The staff member also explained the next procedural steps under state law, saying the planning commission can put the draft up for a 60‑day public review and that, after state and county review, the town's legislative body — the board of commissioners — would adopt or reject the plan.

During public comment, resident Diane Walbrecher urged the commission to acknowledge uncertainty around the federal National Emergency Training Center and its potential effect on grants and town planning. "Because those decisions are not final yet about the National Emergency Training Center," Walbrecher said, "it would make a huge impact" and the town should include a cautionary note and preserve flexibility.

Resident Eric Soter praised the plan's clarity and structure and recommended adding explicit language that the plan remain adaptable to changing federal and state programmatic or land‑use decisions. "This is the town's plan," Soter said, urging the commission to retain the ability to revise the document as circumstances change and offering to help review state comments.

Commissioners agreed to ask staff to draft concise language to reflect both the town's reliance on federally sourced grants and the uncertainty posed by potential federal changes at FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute. Commissioners also requested staff correct a duplicated 2000/2010 data box on page 3‑9 and to add housing‑occupancy information for 2010, plus page numbers and data entries for chapter 10.

A commissioner moved to approve the draft with those modifications and to forward the plan for the required 60‑day county and state review and public comment; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion carried by voice vote. The commission concluded the meeting and noted the draft will return to the town and county/state agencies for review before final adoption by the board of commissioners.

Next steps: staff will make the agreed corrections to the draft, add the requested language about higher‑education programs and federal uncertainties, and submit the draft for the 60‑day state and county review and public comment period. After review and any responses to comments, the town's board of commissioners will take further action on adoption.