Thurmont to discuss annexing farmland for residential development

Aug. 23—A public hearing is scheduled in Thurmont next week to discuss a proposal to expand the town's boundaries to include a 16.7-acre property encircled by Apples Church and Graceham roads.

The parcel is zoned for agricultural use by the county. If the town votes to annex the land — and the county approves the change — it would become zoned for high-density residential use.

The possibility has some residents concerned.

Louise Schafer lives beside the property in a community for people at least 55 years old. She is not opposed to annexation or to the town growing, she said. But she worries about what a new high-density residential development would mean for her neighborhood.

For several weeks, she has spoken to neighbors about the proposal and circulated a petition opposing it. She estimates that she has spoken to hundreds of people. Only two have been in favor of the plan, she said.

"This would put a big city development in my backyard," she said. "I really want to make sure people know that."

The parcel included in the annexation proposal is part of a 24.5-acre piece of land known as the Simmers property.

The 7.8-acre piece not included in the annexation proposal is already within town limits and zoned for high-density residential use, Thurmont Town Planner Kelly Duty said in an interview on Monday.

Cross and Company, the developer, wants to build an intergenerational residential community at the site. Cross and Company and Patricia Simmers, the owner of the property, are asking the town for the annexation.

The community would include 172 residential dwelling units — mostly townhouses — a 54-bed assisted-living facility and a day care center that could serve 188 children, according to the developer's concept plans.

David Cross of Cross and Company first approached the town about the project in 2018, Duty said. By then, the town had marked the Simmers property as a potential for annexation. The parcel has been included in Thurmont's municipal growth area in the town's Master Plan since 2009.

Last February, Thurmont's Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended that the town annex the Simmers property and zone it for high-density residential growth, Duty wrote in an email.

The commission members decided that the annexation proposal would mesh with the town's Master Plan and be adequately served by existing public facilities, Duty wrote.

In the town's annexation agreement with Cross and Company, the developer agreed to help improve roads surrounding the site, contribute to the town's water storage and supply capacity, and make other contributions "above and beyond what is necessary," Duty wrote.

During discussions leading up to the most recent update of the Master Plan — which the town adopted in April — residents brought up the need for an assisted-living facility, Duty said. They also talked about wanting more child care resources nearby.

"This would be a great opportunity for young families," Duty said of the day care center included in the plan for the development. "They could essentially purchase a home here, and drop their kids off at day care, without having to hop in their cars to do so."

A traffic study completed in June 2021 found that development plans for the Simmers property wouldn't worsen traffic patterns.

But Brenda and Tom Iaccarino — a married couple who live on Roddy Road in a house that overlooks the Simmers property — worry the study didn't fully capture how development would affect traffic.

The study was conducted on May 19 of last year, between the hours of 6 and 8 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m. But employees at the nearby building products company, NVR, change shifts at 2:30 p.m., Brenda Iaccarino said.

The pandemic may have dampened the usual flow of traffic, she said.

The study also didn't account for the tourism traffic drawn by the nearby historic covered bridge, Iaccarino said. On weekends, the bridge attracts hordes of bicyclists, who travel from around Maryland to bike through Thurmont.

Brenda and Tom Iaccarino have been helping Schafer raise awareness about the proposed annexation and development. The couple estimates they have spoken with 50 to 60 people in the past week.

The town has been transparent throughout the process, and has made documents about the annexation proposal accessible on its website, Tom Iaccarino said. He knows the mayor and commissioners love the town and want to make the right decision.

"They were elected to represent the will of the people," he said. "And I think they'll find out that the will of the people would want them to take another look at all of this."

The annexation public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Thurmont Municipal Offices.

The mayor and Board of Commissioners could vote that night, or delay the vote to gather more information, or for another reason, Duty said.

A vote to approve the annexation proposal would also be a vote to approve the developer's concept plans for the residential community.

"We welcome anybody to the public hearing," she said. "We want to know what their concerns are, and are happy to address them."

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier