Thanks to all who attended Tuesday night’s public hearing on the zoning text amendment for Warfield. There is still time to submit your comments to the town for the record and for their consideration. See below for details.
It is clear that many of you still have questions and concerns about the project. We at Warfield remain eager to get you more information, develop a common understanding of the facts through respectful public discourse, and help the community develop a full understanding of the project and its potential. This includes solutions to help address key issues like schools and public services, traffic, natural resources, and impacts on Main Street and other businesses.
We were disappointed that public engagement was not encouraged when our proposal was referred to the Planning Commission in January, and that the Planning Commission was not allowed to evaluate our proposal fully and develop a more detailed analysis and recommendation to the Mayor and Town Council in advance of a public hearing. Among other things, the lack of due process took away the public’s voice and denied the developer the ability to hear valuable feedback, address concerns, and perhaps even make adjustments to its proposal and approach.
In short, Tuesday night’s public hearing was premature, and so is the scheduled vote on our proposal at the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting on Monday, May 9th at 7:00 PM.
OUR REQUEST OF YOU: Please write the Town and ask for a deferral on the Town Council vote, and referral of Warfield’s proposal back to the Planning Commission for a full and fair hearing to allow continued community participation in the process. Many of you expressed a desire for a more civil and productive discourse between the Town and developer. We believe that the Planning Commission is the venue for such a discussion that also encourages continued citizen and merchant involvement.
Please send emails to town@sykesville.net by 5:00 PM on Monday, May 9th. Be sure to include your name and address in the email. Feel free to copy us at info@historicwarfield.com.
View the full public hearing here:
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carrollmediacenter/videos/713666469820756
On YouTube: https://youtu.be/ef9LAkoZPXo
Access documents related to the zoning request here: