Emmitsburg planning staff present draft 2025 comprehensive plan; implementation items adjusted

Town planner Nagila presented an overview of the draft 2025 comprehensive plan, describing its 10 chapters that address population and housing, the economy, natural resources, land use, transportation, community facilities and implementation. The plan incorporates public‑input themes — including demand for housing diversity, support for local businesses, preservation of natural areas and infrastructure improvements — and proposes a growth boundary and growth opportunity area subject to county review.

Nagila explained the draft’s organization and said the plan includes goals, objectives and strategies aligned with the state’s 12 planning visions and three sustainability pillars (social, economic, environmental). Commissioners expressed appreciation for the outreach and asked clarifying questions about demographics, how student residents are counted in census data, and how potential school impacts would be handled through the county school system.

A board member noted an implementation action (an annual survey of housing needs including students at Mount Saint Mary's University) that did not match the body of the draft. Nagila and staff agreed this item was an oversight from earlier drafts and recommended removing it from the implementation page because student housing is already the subject of a separate proposed ordinance and workshop.

Staff said the draft will go to the planning commission and the county for review and that implementation language will be refined before final adoption. No formal vote occurred; the presentation and Q&A continued with staff-directed follow-up items.