EMMITSBURG, Md. – Specific plans are yet to be made
public regarding a possible annexation of 100 to 200 acres
of land adjacent to the western boundary of Emmitsburg.
However,
Andrew MacIntosh, MacIntosh Inc. Realtors, Mt. Airy, confirmed
Jan. 26 that an informal meeting with town staff has been
planned to discuss the annexation conceptually, but would
give no specifics about the meeting or the project.
MacIntosh
told The Dispatch, “We have a meeting set
(with the town) to discuss (the annexation plans) informally.
We have a lot of ideas that we feel would be beneficial
to the town, and we would like to come in with a unique
plan … something that might be a little bit different.”
“We
have met with Michael Lucas (former town planner) and we
just want to go at a very slow pace,” he said, emphasizing
that those involved are “just discussing” a
proposal at this point. “We want to do it right,”
MacIntosh said. “We don’t want to be the bad
guys on the block.”
Lucas
confirmed the earlier meeting and told The Dispatch
that MacIntosh had presented a draft sketch plan, which
he left with the town.
MacIntosh
said he was not prepared to discuss any details at this
time, pending the meeting with town staff, but did confirm
that Gary D. Baker, Baker Architects, Frederick, was the
architect on the project. Baker did not return a call from
The Dispatch by deadline for this article.
According
to information received from an informed source wishing
to remain anonymous, the land involved lies in the vicinity
of Mountain View Road, and consists of 100 to 200 acres.
Another realtor contacted speculated that the property might
be, at least in part, the 114-acre Braverman property bounded
by Frailey and Annandale roads.
As
development on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line has increased,
many commuters use roads through and around Emmitsburg to
get back and forth.
Town
staff recently recommended that the comprehensive plan,
presently undergoing revisions, include provisions to help
establish a by-pass to the west of town. According to their
recommendations, a by-pass could become a reality if properties
in that area being annexed to the town were required to
allocate land for that purpose.
This
proposed revision to the comprehensive plan to allow a way
to create a by-pass was presented to the town commissioners
at their Nov. 7 meeting. There has been no formal acceptance
of the plan by the board to date.
