Building Permit Application: 125 Grove Ave – proposed foundation and front porch repair work was evaluated and determined to qualify as “ordinary maintenance and repair”, thus no Town permit is required. Structural aspects of the repair may require a County permit. No work is permitted on the shed until a boundary survey is completed.
Business License Application: As referred by Mayor Compton, the application for a proposed Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Retail Office in the Commercial Corner was reviewed by the PC. The PC confirmed the proposed use complies with the Town’s Zoning Ordinance as a “business office” and the information provided with the applications indicates business hours consistent with the Town’s Commercial Regulations. The PC notes that a sign for this business would require a permit from the Mayor and payment of a $10 sign permit fee.
Annual Report to State of Maryland: All planning commissions are required to submit an annual report for the previous calendar year to the Maryland Department of Planning. This report for Calendar Year 2018 includes: the status of our Master Plan update including a development capacity analysis; Forest and Recreational rezoning for the entirety of the East Woods; zoning ordinance changes for fences and carports and accessory building setbacks; and establishing a process for sale of land occupied by main buildings initially constructed in part on land owned by the Town. This PC report, completed in a prescribed format, must be approved by the Town Council before submission to the State.
Master Plan Update: On Wednesday, April 24, there will be a Planning Commission work session at 7:30 pm in the Council Room. The PC will be reviewing/revising the 2019 Master Plan Working Draft. In March the PC worked on Section 2.3 and Section 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, and 3.11. Section 3.9 still needs to be re-written. At the April 24 session, the PC will review material recently modified then start on Section 4 (Community Facilities). As time allows, the PC will start on Section 5 (Recreation and Parks). A copy of the latest 2019 Master Plan Working Draft and the draft minutes from each work session are available on the Town website.
Porch Steps at 203 Second Ave: The PC reviewed the status of the 203 Second Ave porch steps that were not approved for construction. First reported to the PC in March 2018, these steps are in violation of Article IV as they were constructed: (1) without a required building permit, and (2) in violation of the terms of the easement granted to Eva Polston to accommodate the porch rebuilt on Town land. At that time Architect Ralph Hurst proposed a solution to reconstruct the steps within the easement area. With no apparent progress since that initial report, the PC voted this month to recommend the Mayor write a letter to Eva Polston to initiate enforcement action with the intent of correcting this violation.
Sale of Town Land: The PC received a report on the Town Council discussion of Ordinance 2019-03 to authorize sale of Town land to Jane Seegal, noting again the PC proposal to reword Section E.2 to read “The conveyed land may not be used to meet minimum building lot square footage requirements, percentage of lot coverage requirements, or set back requirements” and to delete Section E.3. The PC also acknowledged the January request from Bud and Carolyn O’Connor to purchase Town land under a portion of the front porch, noting an expectation that sufficient information was previously submitted for this portion to document its dimensions and material and the current degree of non-compliance. The PC will review and confirm the O’Connor porch information already on file from the earlier easement request, as forward progress on the purchase request awaits resolution of the pending legal and policy issues.