Planning Commission — 2019-11-06

These are the minutes of the Queenstown Planning Commission meeting on November 6, 2019. The commission held public hearings on four proposed zoning ordinance amendments: Ordinance 19-06 (allow accessory structures up to 26 feet in R-1 and R-2 provided they do not exceed the height of the principal structure), Ordinance 19-07 (remove the newspaper advertising requirement for Planning Commission public hearings when amending the zoning ordinance), Ordinance 19-08 (clarify the time period for building permit expiration and establish circumstances for permit renewal), and Ordinance 19-09 (require permits for placement of facilities in/over sidewalks and the town right-of-way and adopt regulations for above-ground communications, small cell, and wireless support structures). Public comment was generally absent (one question about the original building permit timeframe during the 19-08 hearing), and each hearing was formally closed. Guests Nancy Scozzari and Steve Chanley presented the County’s vision for trails and municipal connectivity, noting disconnected trail segments (including crossings of Rt. 50), limited funding, and the county’s request for additional input on the Draft Trails Master Plan. Old business listed the Trails Master Plan discussion and the four ordinances (eligible for vote); new business included approval of October 2 minutes, an LED sign request from Queenstown Bank of Maryland, and a Critical Area draft regulatory proposal on siting large solar projects; attendees and distributed documents are recorded in the minutes.