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H_1981_ComprehensivePlan
Comprehensive Plan for the' County N /'S Vt,71-/ c '0 Washington Count,. aryland '"N�' CERTIFICATE OF RESOLUTION I, William E. Wolford, Jr., Chairman of the Planning Commission for Washington County, Maryland, do hereby certify that the following is a true and correct copy of a Resolution passed by the Planning Commission in regular session on November 3, 1980, approving and recommending for adoption the revised Plan for the County, and that a true copy of the same is attached hereto and is made a part of this Resolution by reference. RESOLUTION WHEREAS, The Board of County Commissioners for Washington County, Maryland, on October 12, 1971, adopted the Plan for the County, Development Analysis Plan Map and Policies; and WHEREAS, The Planning Commission for Wash- ington County, in 1975, recognized the necessity to revise the Plan in order to more fully provide for the long-term needs of the citizens of the County consistent with orderly growth; and WHEREAS, In 1975, The Planning Commission began an extensive revision to the Plan that in- volved the citizenry of the County, and the result of that five-year effort is a policy document that reflects the advice 'and assistance of many consci- entious and dedicated citizens; and WHEREAS, Pursuant to the authority prescribed in Article 66B of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Planning Commission referred to all adjoining jurisdictions the recommended Plan and subsequently presented the proposed, revised Plan for the County in Public Hearing on November 29, 1979; now, be it RESOLVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR WASHINGTON COUNTY, That the Commission does hereby approve the revised Plan for the County and the same is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and made a part hereof; and be it further RESOLVED, That the entire Plan for the County and the entire text of same and accom- panying maps be certified and attested to by the Chairman of this body on said entire text as required by Section 3.07 of the Annotated Code of Maryland; and be it further RESOLVED, That a certified and attested copy of the Plan for the County incorporated herein by reference shall be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners for Washington County, Maryland. William E. W$lfifrd, Jr., Chairman APPROVAL AND ADOPTION This Comprehensive Plan for the County is hereby approved and adopted by the Board of County Com- missioners for Washington County this 17th day of February, 1981, and shall become effective the lst day of April, 1981. Martin L. Sn©ok, President Board of County Commissioners for Washington County ATTEST: mw- - ... U ..ate/En rf • TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE i I. INTRODUCTION I - 1 Location and Physical Characteristics . . . . . . . I - 1 Population . . . . . . . . . . . I - 2 The Economy . . . . . . . . . . . I - 4 Housing . . . . . . . I - 6 Past and Current Trends in Land Development . . . . . . . I - 6 The Planning Process . . . . . . I - 11 II. THE GENERAL PLAN II - 1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II - 1 Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . II - 7 Implementation . . . . . . . . . II - 13 III. LAND USE POLICIES INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . III - 3 Growth Promotion . . . . . . . . III - 3 Site Selection . . . . . . . . . III - 3 Governmental Regulation . . . . . III - 4 Capital Programming . . . . . . . III - 6 ::overnmental Review . . . . . . . III - 7 MINING . . . . . . . . . . . III - 9 Economic Development . . . . . . III - 9 Site Selection . . . . . . III - 9 Establishment of New Industrial Mineral Rights . . . . . . . . III - 9 Compatibility With Surrounding Land Uses . . . . . . . . . . III - 11 Program Recommendations . . . . . III - 12 IV. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT . . • • • . • . III - 13 Land Use Classifications III - 13 Land Reservation for Commercial Centers . . . . . . . III - 15 Site Development . . . . . • . . . III - 17 Existing Commercial Development . . . . . . • . . . III - 17 Tourism Development . . . . . . . . III - 18 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . III - 21 General Guidance . . . . . . . . . III - 21 The Urban and Town Growth Areas . . . . . . . . . . III - 21 The Rural -Agricultural Area . . . . III - 26 Rural Villages . . . . . . . . . . III - 28 Special Planning Areas . . . • . . III - 29 AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . III - 31 Agricultural Development III - 31 HISTORIC FEATURES . . • . . • . . • • . III - 33 Inventory of Historic Sites . . • . III - 33 Land Use Protection . . . . . . . . III - 33 Restoration and Adaptive Use. . . . III - 37 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IV - 1 INTRODUCTION . . . . • . . • . . . . . IV - 1 Water Resources • . • . . . • • . • IV - 1 Air Resources . . . . . . . . . • • IV - 4 Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 5 WATER RESOURCES . . . . • • . . . . . . IV - 7 Stormwater IV - 7 Stormwater Management Plans . . • • IV - 8 Floodplain Management . . . • . • . IV - 9 Surface Water Impoundments and Public Supply . . . . . • . . IV.- 9 Surface Water Quality . . . . . . . IV - 11 Recreational Use . . . . . . . . . IV - 12 Groundwater . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 12 AIR RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 15 Air Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 15 ki THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . . IV - 17 Street and Highway Graphics IV - 17 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 17 High Structures . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 17 Waste and Outdoor Storage . . . . . . IV - 18 Alternatives to the Physical Environment . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 18 Landscape Features . . . . . . . . . . IV - 21 ENERGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 23 Energy Conservation Plan . . . . . . . IV - 23 Energy Conservation in Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 23 PUBLIC FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 1 The Need for Intergovernmental Cooperation. . . . . . . . . . . V - 1 Agreements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 1 Annexation Policies . . . . . . . . . V - 2 Defining Growth Area Boundaries. . . . . . . . . . . . V - 3 Service Agreements . . . . . . . . . . V - 4 Financing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 5 SEWERAGE SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 7 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 7 Housing Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . V - 7 Sprawl and Increased Costs of Other Services . . . . . . . . . . V - 8 Water Pollution Potential . . . . . . V - 9 Relation to the General Plan . V - 11 Implementation of Facilities Plan V - 13 Land Subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . V - 15 WATER SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 17 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . V 17 Contaminated Wells . . . . . . . . . . V - 19 Geohydrologic Study . . . . . . . . . V - 19 Extension and Improvement of Public Systems . . . . . . . . . . V - 20 Public Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 21 TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 23 Unified Transportation Systems Program . . . . . . . . V - 23 Highways . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 24 Pedestrian Systems . . . . . . . . V - 29 Mass Transit . . . . . . . . . . . V - 29 Air Transportation . . . . . . . . V - 30 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES . . . . . . . . V - 33 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . V - 33 Adequacy of Facilities . . . . . . V - 33 Overcrowding . . . . . . . . . . . V - 34 School Site Selection . . . . . . . V - 34 Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 35 Multiple Use of Facilities . . . . V - 35 Higher Education . . . . . . . . . V - 35 Planning Commission Review . . . . V - 35 HOUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 37 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . V - 37 New Housing Construction . . V - 37 Low and Moderate Income Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 38 Housing Assistance . . . . . . . . V - 39 Housing Rehabilitation . . . . . . V - 40 Equal Opportunity Housing . V - 41 Coordination of Local Housing Efforts . . . . . . . . V - 42 HEALTH FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . V - 43 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . V - 43 Health Planning . . . . . . . . . . V - 43 Primary Care Delivery . . . . . . . V - 44 Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 44 PUBLIC SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 45 Introduction . . . . . . . . . V - 45 Public Safety Facilities Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 46 Site Design . . . . . . . . . . . . V - 47 Water Supply . . . . . . . . . . . V - 47 GOVERNMENT OFFICE SPACE, CIVIC AND CULTURAL FACILITIES . . . . . . V - 49 Government Office Space . . . . . . V - 49 Civic -Cultural Facilities . V - 49 VI. PARKS AND OPEN SPACE . . . . . . . . . V - 51 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . V.- 51 Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . V - 52 Park Planning Process . . . . . . V - 52 Recreational Resource Priorities . . . . . . . . . . V - 53 Recreational Facilities V - 54 Recreational Programming V - 54 Bikeway Planning . . . . . . . . . V - 54 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . V - 57 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . V - 57 Public Awareness Campaign . V - 58 Landfill Acquisition and Planned Re -Use . . . . . . . . V - 58 Solid Waste Management Plan . . . V - 58 SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS VI- 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . VI- 1 EDGEMONT AND SMITHSBURG WATERSHED AREAS . . . . . . . , . VI- 1 Identification as a Special Planning Area . . . . . . . . . Vi- 1 Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI- 2 Environmental Resource Management . . . . . . . . VI- 3 Public Facilities . . . . . . . . VI- 6 APPALACHIAN TRAIL . . . . . . . . . . VI- 7 Identification as a Special, Planning Area . . . . . . . . . VI- 7 Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI- 7 Environmental Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . VI- 8 Public Facilities . . . . . . . . VI- 8 UPPER BEAVER CREEK BASIN AND BEAVER CREEK (ALBERT M. POWELL TROUT HATCHERY . . . . . . . . . . VI - 9 Identification as a Special Planning Area . . . . . . . . VI-- 9 Land Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . VI- 9 Environmental Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . Vi- 9 VII. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII- 1 FIGURES Page 1 Organization of the Comprehensive Plan and Planning Process . . . . . . iii 2 Location Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I - 1 3 Soil Associations . . . . . . . . . . . . I - 3 4 Washington County Population Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I - 5 5 1972-1977 Residential Subdivision Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I - 7 6 Generalized Existing Land Use Faces I - 8 7 Mineral Recovery Operations . . . . . . . III- 10 8 National Register of Historic Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . III - 35 9 Major Watersheds . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 2 10 Aquifer Productivity . . . . . . . . . . . IV - 13 11 Washington County Highway Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Faces V - 26 12 Community Facilities . . . . . . . . . Faces V - 34 PREFACE The Comprehensive Plan for Washington County is basic- ally a policy guide that provides for government and private decisions to be made concerning future growth and development over the next twenty years. It is a County -wide plan that directly applies to all of Washington County and indirectly to the areas within Hagerstown and other municipalities. Al- though it focuses on the County's physical development, it also addresses public policies for government spending and for the provision of services that will affect the social and economic climate. The Plan itself is the result of background studies made over the past several years; these studies provided data rel- ative to the various elements presently in the Plan that are designated to guide future growth. The physical development of Washington County could occur in a number of different ways, and options were analyzed in these background studies for directing growth so that it brings the most benefits to the County's citizens. With the advice and assistance from many interested citi- zens and advisory groups, goals and objectives for the Plan were formulated that address the quality of life, the protec- tion and enhancement of natural and man-made environment, and the promotion of economic growth. Policies were then developed which suggest positive courses of action for achieving these goals. The Plan itself does not predict any particular outcome. This will depend on the willingness of elected officials, other public bodies, and private citizens to commit themselves to the programs neces- sary to implement the Plan. The Plan is organized into six chapters. The Introduc- tion, Chapter I, contains information describing the County and the trends influencing its development. The information provides background for the establishment of goals, and a rationale supporting the policies which follow. Chapter II, The General Plan, defines Goals for the Coun- ty and establishes major policies. It includes the General Plan Map which divides the County into Policy Areas referred to in statements of policy throughout the Plan. For each of these areas, different approaches to growth and development have been established. The General Plan also includes discussion of some i of the principal issues affecting implementation of major pol- icies. This chapter can be read by itself as a summary of the Comprehensive Plan. The following chapters provide more specific policy guidance: Chapters III, IV, and V each deal with a specific aspect of development --Land Use, Environmental Resource Manage- ment, and Public Facilities. Chapter VI, Special Planning Areas, focuses on specific areas of the County where it is particularly critical to maintain a balance between development and natural resource protection. Each of these chapters begins with its own introduction and is divided into sections as shown in Figure 1. Within the sections, General Plan Goals and Policies are restated and more fully developed in paragraphs introduced with a numer- ical heading. Policies which give direction for implementation are identified by alphabetical sub -headings. ii INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION GENERAL PLAN GOALS AND MAJOR POLICY DIRECTION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION FIGURE I ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE PLANNING PROCESS iii LAND USE ENVIRONMENTAL. PUBLIC SPECIAL RESOURCE FACILITIES_ PLANNING MANAGEMENT AREAS Industry Water Sewerage Edgemont And Mining Smithsburg Air Water Watersheds Residential Transportation Development Visual Education Appalachian Trail Environment Agriculture Housing g Commercial Energy Health Facilities Upper Beaver Creek Basin & Development Public Safety Trout Hatchery Government, Civic Historic And Cultural Features Facilities Parks a Recreation Solid Waste PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION FIGURE I ORGANIZATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE PLANNING PROCESS iii I N T R O D U C T I O N C H A P T E R INTRODUCTION Location and Physical Characteristics Washington County, that triangular portion of Maryland whose shape is nearly like that of the State, lies immediately south of the Mason-Dixon Line with South Mountain serving as its eastern frontier, Sideling Hill Creek as its western bor- der, and the Potomac River its common boundary with West Virginia. Hagerstown, the County seat, is approximately 70 miles northwest of Baltimore and Washington, D. C. and 165 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Encompassing some 467 square miles, the County is characterized by rolling, productive agricultural lands that are enclosed on the east and west by forested mountains. l A THE REGION In terms of geology, the County is located in both the Blue Ridge and Ridge -and Valley Provinces which includes the Great Valley (referred to locally as the Hagerstown Valley), that expanse of land within the County where elevations range from 300 to 600 feet above sea level. Overall topographic elevations throughout the County range from 300 to 2145 feet above sea level. I - 1 The most extensive soils throughout the Valley within the County are well -drained, deep, and medium textured and are contained within a central belt running from north to south between the mountain ranges, as shown in Figure 3. They are highly productive for agriculture when not limited by steep slopes or by aggravated erosion. They are also suit- able for most non-agricultural uses. The geology of the County is complex. The Hagerstown or Great Valley is underlain by limestone and shale. Rock out- cropping is extensive not only on the resistant mountain crests, but it dominates the -landscape in many of the limestone areas. Because limestone is a soluble material, it contains sinkholes and caverns as well as underground channels through which water may flow. Groundwater is abundant within the limestone, and as a result of the geologic structure there is a potential for groundwater degradation from septic tanks and other waste disposal systems that does not exist to the same degree in most other parts of Maryland. As the County grows and develops, protection of the geohydrologic system will con- tinue to be very important. Population Washington County is the home of over 100,000 people. Its residents enjoy the advantages of its scenic beauty and diverse environment as well as the opportunities for a vari- ety of lifestyles. Those who live in and around Hagerstown enjoy many urban services and facilities, as well as proximity to employment, while they retain easy access to the rural countryside. Those who live in the agricultural and mountain- ous areas of the County benefit from the services and industry available in the urbanized area. The County includes many small towns and rural villages which retain their character and charm. Those who live in these towns enjoy the quiet atmos- phere and other amenities offered by a small community. As the County grows and develops, it will be important to retain these advantages, to achieve a balance between the need to change and the need to preserve. The rural character of many areas of the County and the individuality of its small towns should be maintained while still allowing for growth. Between 1950 and 1970, the population in Washington County increased from 78,000 to 104,000, an expansion of thirty- three percent in a twenty-year period. This growth during those twenty years is characteristic of the population trends I - 2 4 $ 15 1 1 13 f1133 � 1 1 4 1 9 14 414 1213 3 14 4 9 11 9 11 0 FIC IRE 3 14 14 4 1 10 1t 1 11 11f3 14 SOIL ASSOCIATIONS 11 12 6 WELL DRAINED, STONY AND VERY STONY SOILS 11 10 1 Dekalb-Leelonia-Edgemont- Laidig association: 1 MODERATELY WELL TO WELL DRAINED, I Very stony, mountainous soils DEEP, MEDIUM TEXTURED SOILS 2 Dekalb-Highlield association: 9 Holston- Monongahela-Huntington-Lindside association: 11 10 Very steep, stony soil Soils on broad flood plains and terraces 3 Highlield-Fauquier association: Deep, stony soils 13 I WELL DRAINED, DEEP, MEDIUM TEXTURED SOILS WELL TO EXCESSIVELY DRAINED, SHALLOW, 10 Braddock -Thurmonl-Edgemonl-Laidig association 5 MEDIUM TEXTURED SOILS Gravelly soils 1 11 Waynesboro association: Soils on high terraces 1 4 Berks- Montevallo association: along the Potomac River 12 Soils on shale 12 Fouquier- Myersville- Highlield association: 3 S Hazel- Chandler association: Soils on greenslone 10 Shallow soils on schist 13 Murrill association: Well drained soils on colluvial 2 6 Talladega association: deposits that contain lime Moderately deep soil on schist 14 Hagerstown- Dullield- Ffankslown association: 5 7 Litz - Teas association: Soils of limestone valleys Shallow, sleep soils or shale 6 Calvin- Berks- Litz- Montevalloassociation: Shallow soils on shale, limestone, or sandstone 0 2 4 miles Seale I i I i I FIC IRE 3 throughout the County since the end of World War II and is a clear indicator of the continuing demand for community ser- vices. Current projections show that the total number of people living in the County by the year 2000 will be 142,000, an -increase of 80 percent since 1950. Results of the 1980 Census along with building permit records will allow continued population growth monitoring over the twenty year planning period. Such monitoring will be a useful tool in determining needs for new housing, em- ployment, and public and commercial services. The Econom Many major industries have been attracted to Washington County because of a number of factors favorable to economic growth such as labor resources, availability of land, the interstate highway system, air service, rail service, prox- imity to metropolitan areas and the quality of the living environment. The non -metropolitan character of the area -- its open countryside, rolling hills, natural features, recreational opportunities, slower pace, environmental qual- ities --is a major asset that attracts individuals and businesses alike who desire to escape the rigors of the metropolitan climate Between 1950 and 1970, employment in the County rose from 29,925 to 39,199, a gain of nearly 10,000. In the past, Washington County has depended more on the manufacturing segment of the economy than has the United States as a whole; in 1968, 300 of the total personal income of the County came from the manufacturing sector while for the United States it was 23%. These statistics are meaningful in that they indicate the degree of reliance within the County on manufacturing, and a high dependence on any one sector of the economy will from time to time be reflected in the unemploy- ment figures. The significance of this comparison is that diversification in the economy is preferred over specializa- tion. While tourism, recreation, and agriculture represent a small percentage of total employment in the County, they make a significant contribution to the health and stability of the economy. Many of the jobs in wholesale and retail trade and service classifications are related to these industries. The potentials of recreation and tourism have not been fully de- veloped. However, during 1979, tourist expenditures in Washington County were reported to be over 53 million dollars with 2000 jobs related to this industry. I - 4 WASHINGTON COUNTY POPULATION GROWTH HISTORIC AND PROJECTED 155,000 145,000 133,000 125,000 II! )o 105,000 95,000 9'5,000 75,000 65,000 55,000 431OOC 1900 - 2000 HISTORIC POPULATION GROWTH WASHINGTON COUNTY PROJECTIONS — — — — — 1910 1930 1950 19TO 1990 FIGURE 4 1 _5 Sales of agricultural products from County farms totaled more than 41 million dollars in 1978. Washington County is the principal producer of orchard products in the State and has remained so since 1954, and in addition has become increas- ingly important as a producer of dairy products in the State, second only to Frederick County. Despite the importance of Washington County's agricultural industry to the State and nearby metropolitan areas, the number of acres in farms has declined substantially over the past twenty years. Some of this decline can be attributed to definitional changes in the agricultural census, while some may be attributed to marginal land being removed from production. However, continued loss of farms and farmland is becoming an increasing concern since productive land is a limited resource; once it is lost to other uses it cannot be replaced. Housing With a growing population and an expanding economy, needs for housing are also increasing in Washington County. The beautiful countryside and quiet character of the County are attracting people from metropolitan areas. Complicating the need for housing is the fact that many existing dwellings are older, in need of rehabilitation, or are lacking modern plumbing facilities. The number of adequate housing units needed by the year 2000 will be 48,155. In 1970 there were 29,645 housing units in the County with all plumbing facilities, an indication of the number of adequate units. Thus, between 1970 and 2000 an additional 18,510 units would need to be added to meet housing demands, either through rehabilitation (3,182) or new construc- tion (15,328). Results of the 1970 Census indicate that there is a short- age of adequate housing in the County, particularly in the low-income category. Past and Current Trends in Land Development The early history of land use in Washington County was shaped by a pioneering reliance on the natural resources of the Hagerstown Valley, the rich soil, and abundant supplies of tim- ber and water. Agriculture was the predominant land use. Villages provided necessary supporting services to the farmer and created a market for his goods, but poor roads kept the outlying villages relatively isolated from the Hagerstown com- munity. As production increased and improvements in transportatioi I - 6 H J FIGURE 5 E were made, however, Hagerstown began to develop as the seat of commerce in the region. Trade with other parts of the State became feasible on a larger scale, with the railroads helping to establish Hagerstown as an important distribution center. Until the first part of this century, urbanization was substantially confined to Hagerstown. The rural villages maintained their identities and agricultural pursuits were still the primary way of life in the outlying areas of the County. The "urban -town" growth pattern was contained. It has been only within the relatively recent past that this pattern of land use and way of life in the County have experienced major change. The two World Wars were significant in advancing industry in Hagerstown. With the advent of the automobile, radial highways were extended from the city that in turn influenced the location of new suburbs and provided an alternative to urban living. At the same time, unplanned linear suburbs emerged, often without adequate water, sewerage, or street systems because they were unprepared for growth. Still, the rural areas of the County did not experience significant growth or development pressures until the 1960's when Interstate Highways 70 and 81 were constructed. The com- pletion of these major transportation corridors vastly improved the accessibility of the County to and from the metropolitan areas of Baltimore and Washington, and for the first time Wash- ington County began to experience an influx of population, particularly in the rural environment as people from the metro- politan areas sought the amenities of country living. At the same time, there was an expansion of the highway transportation related industries in the community that resulted in increased employment. Demand for housing was increased and this led to a heightening of land speculation particularly where the land was most abundant: the rural countryside. Throughout the past decade, an increasing share of suburban growth has been in these rural areas where urban services are lacking. To date, the final results of this growth have not been fully realized or assessed. Subdivisions of land in the County, whether occurring one lot at a time or in the form of major subdivisions, have yet to reflect the ultimate impact upon the County's environment. Figure 5 shows the location of new subdivision activity taking place throughout the County between 1972 and 1977. Figure 6 illustrates the pattern of land use which existed in 1975. E�:3 GENERALIZED LAND RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTIONAL EXISTING USE 0 0 (Parks, Schools, Community Facilities, Correctional Institutions, Military Bases, Etc.) It is difficult to visualize the impact of future growth, but such results must be anticipated and planned for since development, once committed, will preclude the consideration of alternatives. Washington County still has the potential to avoid many of the negative features associated with rapid growth and unplanned suburbanization. If the 15,000 new dwel- ling units projected for the year 2000 are built on lots averaging two acres in size, then thirty thousand acres of land will become committed to residential use over a 30 year period, approximately one-fourth of the 138,000 acres of de- velopable land remaining in the County. The median lot size during 1979 was, in fact, two acres. If this trend continues, the County will soon be suburban in character, and the rural fabric of Washington County will be irreplaceably lost. The costs of providing public services to a wide area of low density development are prohibitive. The initial costs of housing in the rural area are lower due to the lack of ur- ban services, but the subdivision of land into 1, 2, or 3 acre lots has become increasingly common with the result that such density constitutes subprbanization. Such subdivisions will eventually create demands for increased public and com- mercial services, including schools, recreation facilities, road improvements, utility and communication networks, drain- age improvements, increased public road maintenance, shopping facilities, and greater use of law enforcement and fire department services. While subdivision platting typically occurs a few lots at a time, the cumulative effect is suffi- cient to create financial and service problems for the community. The drain on the financial resources of the County to provide these services results in the inability to support other health, social, economic, and resource development pro- grams or to improve or maintain services to existing developed areas. Scattered development is wasteful to the extent that it does not direct new housing to those areas of the County where facilities with adequate capacity already exist; new develop- ment contiguous to present development, rather than scattered across the countryside, is more economical to serve. When homeowners in rural areas must replace failing septic systems and wells with sanitary sewers and public water,they pay twice for the same systems, but the extra costs of these ser- vices are not borne by the owners of scattered housing alone. Many of the costs are spread throughout the County and State in the form of higher taxes, utility fees, and gasoline taxes for road improvements. I - 9 Scattered suburbanization throughout the countryside carries additional negative effects by displacing agricul- tural uses that in turn will eventually eliminate the' pastoral character of the rural areas. The agricultural industry will suffer as will other segments of the County's economy such as mineral extraction, tourism, and recreational related uses. Unfortunately, premature and unplanned devel- opment often occurs in sensitive rural areas where the necessity for protecting natural features such as watersheds and potential park sites is not recognized until it is too late. The Plannina Process Washington Countians are becoming increasingly aware that unplanned and unmanaged growth can result in a reduction in the quality of the living environment. At the same time, Countians do not wish to discourage growth that can bring improvements in social and economic opportunities. The plan- ning process itself is an attempt to strike a balance between the protection of individual rights and the public good. In the past, when the population of Washington County remained relatively stable and was rural and agriculturally oriented, people shared a common stake in the primary use of the land as a resource for production. Conflict with other uses was minimal. But times have changed, and they have changed faster in some localities than in others. The deci- sion to adopt land use controls and to exercise planning indicates a recognition that the changes occurring in Wash- ington County will continue and will eventually effect everyone. With the adoption of the 1971 Plan for the County, Washington Countians began cautiously to exercise their right to control future environment. The Washington County Commissioners appointed a Planning Commission in 1957, adopted a Subdivision Ordinance in 1964, a Water and Sewer Plan in 1970, a Comprehensive Plan in 1971, and a Zoning Ordinance in 1973. The Plan for the County, adopted in 1971, proposed that new growth and development should be guided in a series of "New Communities" that eventually would be located in desig- nated sections of the County that were rural and undeveloped. The capability, however, for providing services and facili- ties to these planned growth centers outside of existing development patterns was lacking, and without services there was little market incentive for new development in these planned growth centers. I - 10 Increasing concerns about growth and development and the preservation of the quality of life enjoyed by Countians prompted questions about the capacity of the 1971 Plan to effectively deal with changing conditions. As a result, the Planning Commission embarked upon a program for analyzing the various aspects of the County's economic and social structures. Revisions to the Plan began as early as 1974 with detailed Background Studies that addressed all facets of the community's history and future needs in the form of exhaustive data. These studies, then, form the basis for the goals and policies that are expressed in this Plan and provide the substance for recommendations set forth in this document. Subjects considered in these background studies include: Historical Preservation The Natural Environment Population Economic Base Housing Transportation Community Facilities Open Space, Parks and Recreation Hillside Development The Use of Land Some of the information contained in these studies has been included in this Introduction. It points to a need to expand housing opportunities, to diversify the economic base, to conserve the viability of commercial agriculture, and to protect the natural environment. With an increase in popu- lation of 39,000 expected over the next twenty years, the County is now at a critical point. It must plan to provide the services and facilities which will be needed to accom- modate population and economic growth. Experience has been gained in growth management, and the County is better pre- pared now than at any other time to guide its future development in a way which will be both economically and ecologically sound. THE GENERAL PLAN CHAPTER ii Ten goals for a result of the P1 current growth tre; and the projection vide the basis for developed with the visory groups. THE GENERAL PLAN Washington County have been developed as anning Commission's analysis of past and ads, the factors that influence development, of future trends. These goals, which pro - policies set forth in the Plan, were assistance and cooperation of citizen ad - Many of the goals, however, are interrelated and may be summarized into five basic principles: 1) Efficiency, economy, and timeliness in public expenditures for services and facilities which promote or support growth; 2) Expansion and diversification of cultural, housing, and economic opportunities; 3) Maintenance of distinct alternative urban, suburban, town, and rural environments; 4) Protection of natural resources and the function of vital natural systems; 5) Preservation of the viability of agriculture in Washington County. Each of these ten goals is discussed at some length below in order to clarify their purpose: I. IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND STANDARD OF LIVING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. The terms quality of life and standard of living mean different things to different people. To those of working age, they may mean an opportunity for educa- tional and career advancement, and economic mobility. To families with young children, they may mean a quiet residential neighborhood where children can play safe- ly, a good school system, and child care facilities. To the elderly, they may mean affordable housing, health care, and opportunities to remain active in the commun- ity. To some, they may mean a good library system and cultural activities, a well -stocked fishing stream or unspoiled hiking trail, or the chance to make a go of a new business or farm. There are many things which con - tribute to the quality of life and standard of living for each individual, and these vary with family and social traditions, stage of life, educational back- ground, economic status, family structure and other factors. The key word in attaining these goals is diversity, both in living environment and in the econ- omy. People of all ages, income levels and background should have choices available in housing, jobs, -and their living environment and should have the option of urban, town, suburban, or rural lifestyle. A plan is necessary in order to ensure that a variety of social, economic, and cultural opportunities are made available. II. PROMOTE AND DEVELOP OUR HUMAN RESOURCES In addition to the physical environment, a number of other factors are important in determining the quality of life: job training programs, opportunities to expand educational levels, cultural activities, and other programs designed to help people attain their full potential or to meet special needs. If costly public financial resources are required for keeping pace with scattered, unplanned development, then money may not be available for job training, social programs, education,and health. Growth and development coordinated with public facili- ties planning is more efficient and economical to serve, and therefore will allow the County to manage the pub- lic's financial resources so that social needs can be met. III. CONSERVE OUR NATURAL, CULTURAL AND ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES AND PRESERVE THE COUNTY'S SCENIC BEAUTY Open, rolling farmland, mountain woodlands, streams and wildlife areas offer important recreational opportuni- ties and give Washington County a beauty which should not be lost as it grows and develops. With an increased population these resources must be retained if the County is to remain an attractive and enjoyable place to live. The natural, scenic, and cultural resources of the County provide it with an identity lacking in the metropolitan suburbs. The historic resources of the County help to impart to individuals an understanding of traditional values for maintaining personal perspectives in times of social and economic instability. Conservation of these II - 2 resources also has important economic benefits. The environmental and cultural amenities of the area are often a determining factor in the locational decisions of new firms, or decisions by local firms to stay and expand. The natural, historic, scenic and recreational opportunities that characterize the County are an attrac- tion to tourism. IV. ASSURE THAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BENEFIT BOTH THE GENERAL ECONOMY, THE TAXPAYER, AND THE COUNTY Wise management of public investments is essential for ensuring that growth and development will result in bene- fits to the County's economy and its citizens. The guidance of growth can prevent needless expenditures of millions of dollars for public facilities. The cumula- tive effect of scattered, unplanned growth results in a need for a county -wide network of services provided on a piecemeal basis; it does not allow for the wisest management of County funds, but instead causes wasteful allocation of limited land resources. Adequate land is available to allow for industrial, commercial, and resi- dential development over the next twenty years without straining financial resources or sacrificing environ- mental quality if a planned supply of land is targeted to meet the forecasted demand for housing and jobs, and, if urban growth is guided into areas served and planned to be served by public facilities and services. Raw land prices should not increase significantly if there is enough land available at all times to meet the de- mands of urbanization. V. DEVELOP PLAN POLICY BY WHICH TO GUIDE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY SOUND The way in which the County develops will have a major impact on the environment. The County's need for land for development must be balanced with environmental preservation. Natural features, together with the avail- ability of urban services, should be the primary 'guides for land use. VI. PROVIDE FOR HOUSING NEEDS IN QUALITY LIVING ENVIRONMENTS A large proportion of people in the County are unable to afford new housing, and older houses are beyond the fi- nancial means of many. Practical means must be found to II - 3 help slow the rising costs of housing and to provide assistance for those who have been priced out of the conventional housing market. While many contributing factors are beyond local control, local actions that tend to increase the cost of housing should be care- fully evaluated in terms of their costs and benefits. Streamlined governmental review of development proposals should reduce consumer costs while still protecting the public interest. A more than adequate supply of land with urban services should be available at all times to prevent excessive increases in land prices due to short- ages of land with basic facilities to support development. Efforts are needed to preserve and maintain the housing resources suffering from age and physical deterioration in Hagerstown and the fully developed portions of the County. Another need is to overcome the shortage of decent housing, without overcrowding, for families un- able to afford standard shelter. VII. CONSERVE THE VIABILITY AND QUALITY OF OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE AGRICULTURAL LANDS Agriculture is an important industry in Washington County, and farming is both an occupation and a way of life which should be preserved. Conservation of farms and farmland benefits everyone in the County, both directly and indirectly. The continued loss of farms and farmland through purchase of farms for speculation and develop- ment will have tremendous impacts on supporting industries and on the stability of the local economy as a whole. In addition, agricultural land conservation preserves valu- able open space and scenic resources enjoyed by the entire community. The conservation of farmland can also help to maintain natural systems and natural processes by pro- tecting wetlands, small watersheds, aquifer recharge areas, floodlands and special wildlife resources. Washington County is the principal producer of orchard products in the State of Maryland, and the second largest producer of dairy products. The agricultural industry's continued ability to produce to meet demands for these pro- ducts is essential not only to the County, but to the State, region, and metropolitan areas as well. II - 4 It should be recognized that agriculture is an important land use which is particularly vulnerable to urban pres- sures. Land use regulations and development policies should not contribute to increasing the pressures for urbanization of rural farmland and the inflation of land values. Provision of an adequate supply of developable land in identified growth areas, and ensuring that public facil- ities will be provided in these areas to meet projected population and economic growth, is necessary in order to take some of the development pressure off farmland. In addition, land use regulations should support farming and agricultural related industry as the principal use of land suitable for agricultural production by re- straining the conversion or division of agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses. VIII. ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE FOR A HEALTHY, DIVERSIFIED AND SOUND ECONOMY Diversity in the types of industry in the County and balanced growth between jobs and residents is important in order to keep money spent within the County circu- lating for as long as possible within the local economy, and also to provide broader job choices and opportunities. The County's ability to attract quality industries of many different types depends not only on such factors as the available labor force and transportation access, but on equally important elements such as visual appearance, availability of basic services, housing, compatibility of physical development patterns, capacity to accommodate industrial locations, and the attitudes of community leadership. Efforts to encourage economic growth cannot be focused on a single function such as land use, water and sewerage or industrial development, but must include all consider- ations which relate to securing and maintaining a healthy economy and an attractive living environment. Care must be taken to protect valuable industrial sites from adjacent land uses that are incompatible with future industrial development. Future demands for public ser- vices should be anticipated so that when these demands arise, the services and facilities are available. II - 5 Economic development should not be restricted to growth in manufacturing and related industries alone. Retail activities, consumer, and business services have signif- icant growth potential as well. Agriculture and tourism are also major industries in the County now, and their protection and expansion will contribute to the stability and balance of the local economy. IX. RECOGNIZE THAT LAND IS LIMITED AND MUST BE USED WISELY The quality of life and standard of living in Washington County are as much dependent on the natural amenities of the area as on the stability and diversity of the local economy. The style of living in Washington County is distinguished by extensive use of its open space, including the mountains, streams, riverfront and parks. Development in Washington County has been sprawling for a number of years, and the growth trends have begun to extend beyond Hagerstown's suburbs to the County's rural and farming areas. This trend toward unplanned scat- tered residential growth has adverse social, environmental, and economic impacts. If it continues, it threatens to destroy the very amenities and opportunities which characterize the style of living in Washington County presently taken for granted. Wise use of land requires that it be viewed as a limited resource and allocated and managed with the same degree of planning and foresight usually applied to limited financial resources. X. IMPROVE AND EXPAND THE FACILITIES NEEDED FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHERE PLANNED. PROMOTE A DEVELOPMENT PAT- TERN WHICH CAN BE SERVED EFFECTIVELY AND WITHOUT EXCESSIVE COSTS BY ROADS, WATER AND SEWERAGE SYSTEMS, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, POLICE AND FIRE PRO- TECTION, SCHOOLS, OTHER FACILITIES AND ENERGY SYSTEMS Planning can help assure that the County is able to an- ticipate future demands for public services so that when these demands arise, the services and facilities are available. While this may appear a logical process, it is in contrast to the manner in which public services and facilities are often provided. At present, many such decisions are now made only after a critical need has developed. Under such pressure, the long-range implications of these decisions cannot be appropriately II - 6 assessed. once it is recognized, however, that demands for local services and facilities may exceed available funds, it will become apparent that the allocation of these limited financial resources through long-range guided growth policies will help establish priorities for public facilities investments that encourage growth. Priority areas should be established where basic sys- tems and services such as sewers., highways, adequate roads, transit, parks, fire and police protection and schools will be provided. Growth and development should be encouraged to occur in these priority areas to ensure that maximum use is made of public and private investment. It is uneconom- ical to provide services to a widespread area without consideration of overall impacts. In addition, it is wasteful to build new services and facilities in areas of scattered development when existing services have adequate capacity that is not fully utilized. Not only does such a policy divert financial resources at the expense of the maintenance and redevelopment of existing community services, but the increased cost of services is reflected in the cost of housing, taxes, and special assessments. Pol_inie.q The General Plan Map (found at the end of this document) and the following policies illustrate how development consis- tent with the goals for the County can be achieved. Recognition of the key role that public services play in determining the pattern of development and the quality of the living environ- ment was a significant factor in the development of a General Plan for growth and management in Washington County. 1. Areas where public facilities and services either exist or can be cost-effectively planned and programmed over the next twenty years should be designated as "Growth Areas". These areas have been delineated on the General Plan Map. The Urban Growth Area includes the municipalities of Hagerstown, Funkstown and Williamsport as well as surrounding established and developing areas. The Town Growth Areas in- clude Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Hancock and Smithsburg and their suburbs. Each of these communities contain the basic set of public services necessary to attract and support further devel- opment: sewers, a water system, schools, good road access, an economic center capable of providing an acceptable level of employment and shopping, and operational services such as law enforcement and fire protection. II - 7 Growth and development should be guided to these Growth Areas in order to maximize the use of existing investments in sewers, highways, parks, transit, and other services and to permit reasonable economy in the provision of new services. This should be done through cooperative community, county, and city planning to define growth area boundaries and to pro- vide the necessary public facilities and services; through ordinances that promote community development; through stream- lined governmental processes that minimize delay while still protecting the public interest; and through economic incentives. Growth areas shown on the General Plan Map are generalized and the exact boundaries are undefined. The establishment of the precise boundaries must be a future joint effort on the part of the incorporated municipalities and County government. Clear lines of responsibility for providing public facilities should be formally agreed upon by the involved governments, and the resulting boundaries should define the agreed area within which public expenditures will be allocated to accom- modate future growth. A. The Urban Growth Area around Hagerstown should accommodate the expected growth in population over the next twenty years. The County should encourage efforts to redevelop and revitalize established neighborhoods and commercial areas in order to preserve and maintain existing housing and services resources. An adequate supply of land with urban services should be available at all times within the Urban Growth Area to meet needs of land for new development. Local services such as schools, police and fire protection, public streets, water and drainage facilities should be planned to be adequate for the projected population and em- ployment growth. Development within the Urban Growth Area should offer as much living diversity and choice as possible by providing for a wide varieth of housing types and costs. The attractiveness and livability of the community should be ensured by adherence to sound principles of community design. Prime sites should be identified and reserved for industry. Employment, shopping, health care, library, entertainment and other services should be clustered in activity centers conven- II - 8 ient to the transportation system, in locations where traffic in residential neighborhoods will not be a problem, and where transit service can be provided. B. Town Growth Areas should offer an alternative to urban or suburban living by accommodating residential growth in small town environments where services, including schools, can be provided. Town Growth Areas are designated so that public investments can be concentrated in a limited number of outlying centers that can potentially absorb what would otherwise occur as scattered suburban growth in rural areas. Town Growth Areas should serve as a focus for the distribution of basic services to the out- lying rural -agricultural areas in the eastern, western and southern sections of the County. Designation of Town Growth Areas is based on the selection of communities best suited to offer an alternative to scattered urban devel- opment. Criteria include geographic location, existence of a basic set of public services, schools, and an economic center which provides or has the capacity to provide an acceptable level of employment and convenience shopping. Community development should provide for a range of small scale residential, commercial, insti- tutional, and industrial uses. New development in Town Growth Areas should be planned and designed to preserve the small town character of the existing community, and should function as an extension of the town rather than as a distinct and separate community. 2. The remainder of the land in the County, outside of the boundaries of the Urban and Town Growth Areas, is designated on the General Plan Map as the Rural -Agricultural Area. Of highest priority in this area are the goals of preserving agricultural land, and conserving open space, water supply sources, mountain and woodland areas and other natural and scenic resources. Development within the Rural -Agricultural Area should be in keeping with the rural character of the environment and should not require public investments in services or facilities which would result in increased growth pressures and divert priorities from the Growth Area. II - 9 A. Within the Rural -Agricultural Area, land which is of high quality for agricultural use or which has substantial agricultural investment should be identified and protected from con- version to non-agricultural use. Revisions to the Zoning Ordinance should encourage development of residential uses in clusters on a small percentage of the:total parcel, reserving the balance of the land for agricul- ture and related uses. B. Agricultural land conservation policies should also be coordinated with governmental spending and taxation policies. Public works projects that are unrelated to agriculture should be restricted, and ways of providing relief for agricultural lands from urban value tax assess- ments and special assessments explored. C. Criteria should be established to ensure that residential development, on either agricultural or non-agricultural parcels, will not increase needs for new public services, diminish agri- cultural potential or result in environmental and traffic problems. 3. Rural Villages are generally smaller than flown Growth Areas. Their ability to support new growth is limited to some extent by one or more of the following conditions: geographic location, lack of a sizable employment base, lack of existing sewer or water facilities, or severe topography. Small residential and commercial developments should be encouraged in Rural Villages where protection of the natural environment and availability of adequate public services can be ensured. Major public investments by the County in public facil- ities and services to support new development should not be made in Rural Villages. Priority should be given to correcting existing public health and safety problems that result from failing septic tanks or polluted groundwater. Rural Villages, particularly those with existing problems of groundwater contamination, should be considered as prior- ity areas for the application of innovative alternatives to community waste water treatment. 4. Throughout the County, natural features, together with the availability of urban services, should be the primary guides to land use decisions. Land uses should generally be planned and designed to be compatible with the existing or planned character of the local and the natural environment, and should not interfere with the functioning of vital natural systems. Three areas have been identified by the Planning Commis- sion as being particularly critical at the present time for natural resource protection. These areas are the Edgemont and Smithsburg Reservoir Watersheds, the Beaver Creek Water- shed, including the Albert M. Powell Trout Hatchery, and the Appalachian Trail. They have been designated as Special Planning Areas and are identified on the General Plan Map. Policies for the Rural -Agricultural Area should also apply in the Special Planning Areas, subject, however, to the provisions of Chapter VI. In these areas the potential impacts of development on the environmental balance should be specifically addressed by public policy. IMPLEMENTATION The General Plan growth management policies guide growth to areas where it can be most efficiently and economically served with existing public services and facilities through the orderly expansion and extension of these systems and ser- vices. Growth Areas and Rural Villages will accommodate growth which would otherwise occur as scattered suburban development in the rural environment. Valuable open space, agricultural, and scenic areas will thus be preserved and land not needed for development in the 1980-2000 planning period can be reserved for future growth. This approach is necessary for maximizing the benefit derived from capital investments, and would enable essential public services to be planned and delivered to the widest possible service area at a reasonable cost to the taxpayers of the County. However, the Growth Areas center around munic- ipalities and incorporated towns, and thus successful - implementation of the General Plan policies will require much more than a regulatory process on the part of the County. Implementation will require a high degree of coordination and cooperation among County, State and local governments and special purpose agencies. Governmental processes necessary to effectively coordin- ate development must be established. This will require that, among the County and municipalities in Growth Areas, there be: 1) An agreement on Growth Area boundaries; 2) Clearly defined lines of responsibility for the provision of facilities and services; 3) Agreement on method of financing and payment for services; 4) Agreement on taxation and annexation policies; 5) Agreement on assumptions used to project population, employment and households within the Growth Areas and on assumptions used in the preparation of facilities plans for water, sewer, solid waste, transportation, parks, and schools; 6) Coordination of development planning and regulation, public facility planning and capital programming, economic incentives and tax policy. A program statement should be prepared to establish the structure for a process of negotiation and resolution of these issues. Certainly this will not be an easy pro- cess, nor can solutions be easily expected. It will require a commitment to the goals of the General Plan by public officials to initiate and pursue negotiations until agree- ment can be reached. The municipalities are expected to absorb what would otherwise occur as scattered rural subdivision. The costs to the County and to the taxpayer in general for provision, maintenance, and operation of facilities and services will be lower as growth is guided to these areas. For this reason, it will be advantageous in the long run for the County to examine and propose means of equitably sharing the costs of services provided by municipalities to the Growth Areas beyond their jurisdictional limits. Some alternatives suggested by this Plan are schemes such as local revenue sharing, tax base sharing and tax differential. At the same time, both the preservation of open space in the County and the economies to be realized through the pro- vision of public services will benefit residents of the municipalities as well as their rural neighbors. Thus, it is also to the advantage of the municipalities to pursue equitable agreements. A considerable amount of local planning assistance will be needed if municipalities in the Town Growth Areas are to be able to accommodate the projected growth. Developing areas must be related to existing development through circu- lation systems, both pedestrian and vehicular, and in the scale and design of land uses. Additional growth beyond the jurisdictional boundaries will have impacts on commercial areas and the maintenance of facilities in the town center. For this reason, joint planning within the Growth Area is essential and assistance should be provided by the County, whether through its own planning staff, or through aid in securing planning grant funds. Coordination of development policies among the County and municipalities is the fundamental means of implementing the General Plan. The Growth Area concept and the goals on which the Plan is based cannot be realized if agreements in the six principal areas outlined above cannot be achieved. The General Plan establishes the basic goals and policies for guiding growth over the next twenty years in Washington County. More detailed sections of the Comprehensive Plan fol - low and address specific proposals for Land Use, Environmen- tal Resource Management, Public Facilities, and Special Planning Areas policies to implement the General Plan through ordinance regulations and governmental initiative. Land Use Policies address each of the major land uses such as industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, and mineral extraction. The Environmental Resource Management section addresses the relationship of land use with the natural environment. The Public Facilities Plan elements focus in turn on functional areas, including transportation, water, sewer, solid waste, parks and open space, and housing. Special Plan- ning Areas focus on particular geographic areas which, because of their unique function or characteristics, require special attention to land use, resource management and facilities development. The objective in land use regulation should be to stream- line, rather than complicate, the governmental regulation process. Zoning, subdivision review, and capital programming authority should be the principal tools in growth management by the County. L A N D U S E P O L I C I E S C H A P T E R III LAND USE POLICIES The General Plan, with its designated Growth Areas and Rural -Agricultural Area, embodies the general policies. Each of the General Plan Policy Areas is designed to con- tain some of the growth expected in Washington County over the next twenty years, but the development within each area will differ in character, scale, form and intensity. This Policies section describes each of the different types of land uses and for each of the uses establishes specific policies. It specifies, through these policies, the consid- erations designed to govern the location of land uses, their relation to each other, to public facilities, and to the natural environment. The Land Use Policies relate directly to the Goals and Objectives of the General Plan. They include criteria that should be used to determine the appropriateness of a partic- ular site location for a particular use, plus standards of site design and performance to ensure that the development of the land will be compatible with the characteristics of the area in which it is located. These criteria and standards must be implemented in development decisions if the Goals of the General Plan are to be achieved. The implementation of Land Use Policies will involve both private and public action. Land Use Policies must be incorporated in the process of governmental review of devel- opment proposals. Private investors should use the policies to guide them in the selection of site locations and in the design of their developments. Public facility planning and capital invest- ment program policies, presented in a later chapter, should be designed to implement the Land Use Policies. Land Use Policies should also be incorporated in local regulatory ordinances. Implementation studies are recommended. After the necessary studies have been completed and cooperative agreements reached among governmental jurisdictions, a land use map should be prepared as a more detailed guide for review of development ordinances and zoning map amendments-, Economic incentives, tax policy, and public participation are also tools which may be used to implement Land Use Policies. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT Growth Promotion 1. Industrial development should reflect the need to attract firms which diversify the industrial mix, which are compatible with high standards of environmental qual- ity, and which will provide increased opportunities for economic mobility to the labor force. A program of industrial growth promotion should be undertaken. The program should involve: A. An inventory of the number and types of existing industries in Washington County and identification of new indus- tries most suitable for development in Washington County. B. The analysis of factors either inhibiting or encouraging the development of these industries in the County. C. Identification of opportunities or potentials for local development of new business and supporting industries. D. Strengthening of industrial development planning functions including: promotional programs, improved economic data research capability, design of programs to overcome factors inhibiting to the desired industrial development, closer coordination of economic development, and planning functions for local government. E. Monitoring of the status of railroad aban- donment to'assure continued rail access } to existing and planned industrial operations requiring such access. Site Selection r 2. Prime sites for industrial development should be Iden- tified within the Urban Growth Area and in close proximity to Town Growth Areas. Sufficient land should be identified i/ and reserved for industry to meet employment projections —/ over at least the twenty year planning period and to allow for a variety of choice in site location and size. The selection of prime industrial sites should be based on the following criteria: A. Site requirements, facilities, and service needs typical of those industries identified as having significant potential for develop- ment in Washington County. B. Direct access to the interstate system over arterial highway routes and not requiring the movement of heavy traffic through resi- dential neighborhoods or commercial areas. C. The absence of fragile or sensitive environ- mental features or historic or cultural landmarks of significance to the interpretation of local, state, or national history. D. Physical characteristics which will minimize site improvement costs. E. Sufficient land area to accommodate the pro- posed use, parking area, and auxiliary structures with adequate buffering from adjacent non -industrial uses. Utilities service, either available or capable of being provided at reasonable cost. G. The absence of existing land uses in the immediate vicinity which would be adversely affected by industrial development. Governmental Regulation 3. The Zoning Ordinance should be reviewed and amended as necessary to ensure protection for industrial sites from encroachment by uses incompatible with their future indus- trial development, and to ensure that industrial development will not adversely affect the environment or uses permitted in the surrounding area. A. Zoning district classifications in highway inter- changes which permit industrial uses should be defined more specifically to include only those uses which are functionally compatible. B. Industrial Zoning District classifications should be reevaluated. Some of the uses now included in Business Districts are more com- patible with a light industrial classification, or have locational requirements in relation to the transportation system more similar to industrial than commercial activities. As a result, commercial classifications should also be redefined to include shopping services and other activities compatible with the concept of unified commercial centers and with the loca- tion of these centers in proximity to residential areas. The following general categories of uses provide a guide to those that should be included in industrial districts: i. Heavy manufacturing; ii. Wholesale trade, equipment and repair services, construction, transportation, communication and utilities industries; iii. Light manufacturing; iv. office industry, research and development. C. Light manufacturing, office industries, and supporting commercial uses should be located to provide transition between residential districts and heavier industrial uses. D. Site design requirements should emphasize and promote the attractive appearance of industrial areas in relation to the roadways and adjoining lands. Requirements should include distance, landscaping, and screening on the periphery of industrial areas. E. Industrial developments should meet all appli- cable local, state, and federal environmental performance standards. Local approval of proposals for industrial development should be contingent upon review and approval by appro- priate state and federal agencies to ensure that applicable regulations will be met. F. Site requirements should ensure that parking to meet demands of peak employee usage will be provided within the industrial site itself. G. Land use regulations should be revised to per- mit greater flexibility in interior site design and layout and to encourage responsiveness to natural features of the site. Yard distance requirements on the interior of industrial areas should be reviewed and modified as necessary. Capital Programming 4. Public facilities requirements of prime industrial sites including water, sewer, and road access should be identified. Capital improvements should be planned and budgeted and carried out on a priority basis to ensure that at all times adequate industrial land is available for opening new sites for development in a staged, sequential manner over the twenty year planning period. A. Coordination of the governmental processes of industrial development planning, land use planning, and capital improvements programming should be of utmost importance. B. The County Water and Sewerage Plan should be reviewed to specify the timing, location, and capacities of facilities needed to support an industrial site development program. C. The Water and Sewerage Plan should be tied directly to the Capital Improvements Program and Capital Budget in order to ensure that facilities and services are available as sites are developed. D. Clearly defined guidelines should be estab- lished which provide for the expansion of utility services including sewer and transportation improvements which may be made either by the private sector or by the private sector in cooperation with govern- ment. These guidelines should apply consistently to all developments and should define the arrangements for planning, coordin- ation with public agencies, financial, service, and operating responsibilities. Governmental Review 5. Governmental review procedures should ensure that the above criteria and standards will be met with the Planning Commission coordinating the review process. Site selection criteria should be applied in determining the appropriate use of land in rezoning cases. MINING Economic Development 1. Several major Industrial Mining Districts are currently established in the County. Figure 7 shows the location of these districts, as well as the principal mineral deposit of existing and abandoned quarry operations. Industrial Min- eral Districts should be protected from encroachment by land uses which would be incompatible with their continued operation or with future expansion of activities in the dis- trict. Site Selection 2. Mineral extraction should occur only within the Indus- trial Mineral District. Temporary small volume borrow operations, not exceeding twelve months duration, should be the only exceptions. Establishment of New Industrial Mineral Districts 3. Application for amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to establish new Industrial Mineral Districts should satisfy the following requirements: A. Mineral extraction, with the exception of shale, should not take place within the Urban Growth Area. The review for appro- priateness of a given area for mineral extraction should take into consideration the potential loss of high quality agri- cultural land and the potential impact upon unique or highly sensitive geohydro- logic features or wildlife habitats. B. Certification should be received from ap- propriate state regulatory agencies that the proposed extraction will comply with all applicable environmental criteria and standards. N 0 POTENTIAL Tonoloway Ridge Boonsboro - Seedysville am EXISTING OPERATIONAL QUARRIES Greenspring ( Rte. Se) 4 J Pinesburg Station - Martin `�✓ Williamaport - Victor Cushwa & Sons Security - North American Cement Corporation Beaver Creek - H.B. Mellott Benevola - Martin Marrietta Rockdale - H.B. Mellott FIGURE 7 C. The Planning Commission should be satisfied that impacts of the proposed use, both off and on site, will not conflict with existing or planned land use in the vicinity. D. Certification from the County Engineer should be obtained that adequate road access exists on routes with the capability of withstanding traffic from the site without incurring exces- sive road damages, and assurance that traffic emanating from the site will be restricted to those routes. Compatibility With Surrounding Land Uses 4. The Zoning Ordinance should be reviewed and amended as necessary to incorporate the following standards in site design requirements: A. Detailed site plans and long-term staged reclamation plans for all mineral extraction operations required by the state should also be submitted to the County for information purposes. B. Mining operations should, where practicable, be visually buffered and should conform to Department of Natural Resources regulations as they pertain to effects upon nearby road- ways, residential dwellings, and structures of historic significance and value. Addi- tional factors that should be considered are the landscaping of existing features so as to reduce visual and noise impact; staged reclamation; and the distances between mining operations and nearby public roads or residential areas. C. Mineral extraction operations should not draw traffic through residential neighbor- hoods, commercial areas, or tourism attractions. Program Recommendations 5. Washington County should institute public programs to accomplish the following: A. Monitor the status of railroad abandonment to assure continued rail access to existing and planned mineral extraction operations. B. Establish a joint public-private program to monitor roadway damages where mineral ex- traction operations have access solely to a local road. The County should explore the possibility of using the results of the monitoring program to justify increased redistribution from the state to the County of road taxes and payments made by mineral extraction operations. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Land Use Classifications 1. Land use policies should encourage and support commer- cial development by ensuring that sufficient land is reserved for commercial use to provide for the shopping and service needs of the population of Washington County. However, land use regulations should also guide commercial development to those locations most appropriate to the type of use and where such uses can be adequately provided for. Land use regula- tions should encourage and should certainly do nothing to discourage the revitalization and reinvestment in existing commercial areas. Commercial development should result in well-defined and coordinated centers of activity. Land use regulations should differentiate between those commercial developments servicing residential areas with local shopping and service needs, and other types of commercial land uses that are oriented to a wide trade area or specialized needs. The Zoning Ordinance should be reviewed and amended using the following policies as a guide: A. Commercial development serving residential areas should provide neighborhood shopping needs and should serve as a focal point for providing bus- iness and professional services to the local community. Commercial developments located on collector streets should be classified as neighborhood centers. Those located on arterial highways in areas of existing or planned residential development should be classified as community centers. Neighborhood and community centers should be located only within Growth Areas and Rural Villages. The neighborhood center classification should provide for medium density residential uses, and planned residential development should provide for commercial uses. Public service conveniences, including health care, library, civic space, information centers, banks and post offices, and other uses related to the function of the commercial center as a focus of community activity, should be located within Community Commercial Centers. Neighborhood and Community Commercial Centers should include office uses which are compatible with the func- tion and service area of the center. B. Commercial developments, including large retail stores, specialty goods, and a variety of re- lated uses which serve the entire regional community, should be classified as Regional Centers. Regional Centers should be located only within the Urban Growth Area and should be easily accessible by a number of major highways. Existing regional centers should be maintained and strengthened. New regional centers should be located within interstate highway interchange areas and should not draw traffic through resi- dential areas. C. Commercial zoning districts should include shop- ping, business, and service uses which are compatible with each other, and should provide for their locations in relation to the transpor- tation system and with residential development. Certain uses presently permitted by the Zoning Ordinance in business districts should be clas- sified as light industrial uses. These uses include major office developments such as applied research and development, light proces- sing operations, wholesale trade, larger equipment sales and repair service, warehouses, construction, and related activities. Plan policies for industrial development in this Plan include a reevaluation of industrial zoning so'as to place these types of activities in locations where they will allow a transition between heavier industry and residential districts. D. Highway oriented uses including restaurants, ho- tels, motels, service stations, vehicular sales, service sales, service repairs, and rental uses should be provided for within a highway oriented commercial classification. Automobile and vehic- ular related commercial uses should develop within specialized sales and service parks. Uses included within the highway oriented commercial classification should be located within interstate highway interchange areas and should not draw traffic through residential areas. E. Limited home occupations and professional home offices should be permitted within residential areas. Funeral establishments, child care cen- ters, public pools, nursing homes, and medical or dental clinics should be provided for in locations peripheral to a corLmercial center classification and in planned unit residential developments. F. Commercial uses in the Rural -Agricultural Areas should include the following: i. Recreational enterprises that are in harmony with the environment; ii. Commercial enterprise oriented to local culture, including agricultural pro- duction and craftsmanship, the adaptive use of historic structures, home occu- pations incidental to residential use, and produce stands, markets, and restaurants; iii. Lodging and eating facilities for pri- vate membership organizations and clubs; iv. Public recreational park concessions; V. Agribusiness and business primarily engaged in agricultural goods and services; vi. Major commercial resorts, recreational communities, RV campgrounds and related developments should require a special permit for development. Such a permit should be provided for in the Zoning Ordinance, to be issued by the Planning Commission only after a determination is made that social, environmental, and economic impacts of the development will be consistent with all policies for the Rural -Agricultural Area. Land Reservation for Commercial Centers 2. The establishment of Commercial Center Districts should be based on standards that relate to the parcel size, the proximity of the commercial site to residential development, the distance between commercial sites, and -the projected pop- ulation growth in the surrounding community. These standards, once developed and implemented through the Zoning Ordinance, will assure that commercial uses will develop at a scale ap- propriate for the location and area of the community being served. A. Sufficient land should be reserved in commercial classifications to support the shopping and service needs of the projected population. The amount of land to be reserved should be deter- mined by the application of standards including intercommercial site distances, projected community growth, and similar factors. Such standards should apply to Neighborhood Centers, Community Commercial Centers, and Regional Com- mercial Centers alike. These standards should also assure that minimum acreage is provided for a neighborhood, community, or regional center so as to adequately serve the area; by the same token, maximum area limits should be set for commercial sites consistent with op- timum community needs so as not to generate unnecessary costs for public facilities through capital improvements. B. Regional commercial activities should be plan- ned with the City of Hagerstown and in the area around the existing Valley Mall and should be coordinated with existing development. Proposed new Regional Centers in any other lo- cation should be subject to land use plan map amendment in which economic, social, and environmental impacts of the proposed develop- ment would be carefully evaluated. C. Land designated for commercial development should meet minimum requirements as follows: i. The required acreage should be available in single or contiguous parcels; ii. The road classification should be appropriate and access should be ade- quate for the proposed type of development; iii. Necessary public utilities should exist or should be planned to be available to serve the proposed development in a timely manner; and iv. The site should not historic features or tal characteristics. include significant fragile environmen- Site Development 3. Site design standards should ensure the functional unity of commercial areas and their compatibility with sur- rounding development. A. Commercial centers should be designed with safe, integrated pedestrian systems to accom- modate the average pedestrian as well as the handicapped and bicyclist so as to avoid pedestrian -vehicular conflicts. Such systems should also be integrated with the pedestrian systems planned for the adjacent residential community. B. Land uses within commercial districts should be unified by a vehicular circulation system independent of through traffic on the main roadways. Commercial development proposals should provide for and establish: i. Legal mechanisms necessary to ensure the construction and maintenance of interior roads to serve the commercial development; ii. Only that amount of impervious cover which is consistent with stormwater management standards. C. In Growth Areas and Rural Villages, commercial development should be designed to integrate both visually and functionally with existing development patterns. D. Mixed residential -commercial uses may be de- signed in neighborhood centers. Other types of commercial centers should exclude residential use within the center. Existing Commercial Development 4. Action should be taken to alleviate congestion, traffic conflicts, stormwater runoff, and other problems and defi- ciencies in areas of existing commercial development. A. Areas of existing commercial development should be designated in the commercial classification appropriate to the location, and further development in the area should be subject to the policies for land reser- vation in commercial center classifications. B. Where strip commercial development exists, every effort should be made to channelize and consolidate public road access and con- solidate existing signage, especially as these areas redevelop and commercial areas change. C. Downtown Hagerstown and the Valley Mall -Plaza area should be specifically designated for detailed future long-term and short-term economic development and planning and pro- gramming of urban systems, i.e. traffic circulation and improvements, stormwater management, water and sewerage systems, impacts of development on existing residen- tial neighborhoods, and urban design. Tourism Development 1 5. The development of tourism potentials in Washington Coun- ty should be supported by public policy because of the importance of diversification to a healthy and balanced economic base. Tourism development should be based upon the natural attractiveness of the County's rural, riverfront, and mountain areas for recreation, and should preserve and pro- tect the County's historic, cultural, and architectural resources. A. The following projects should be encourage or supported by public actions: 1. Many policies related to Tourism are incorporated more fully in land use polcies for ccmrercial and residential develoFment, and in environmental resource management and public facilities policy statements. These policies are summarized here in order to emphasize their importance to tourism develoFimelt. i. Development of a Washington County Farm Museum; ii. Establishment of working historic museums using early industrial struc- tures (gristmills, iron works, and the like); iii. Annual special events and accommodation of new regional special events; iv. The restoration of historic structures and the establishment of adaptive cul- tural and compatible commercial uses. Washington County should initiate and assist in the revitalization and res- toration of appropriate areas to provide for adaptive and limited commercial use; V. The inventory and promotion of County and Tri-State area tourist attractions; vi. The use of the Maryland Industrial Finance Act (MIDFA) for public facil- ities development related to tourism, including such projects as information centers at freeway interchanges, tourism promotion, and regional con- vention center facilities if found to be economically feasible; vii. An active, cooperative role among eco- nomic development, planning, and tourism agencies in Washington County. t3. In order to maintain the maximum long-term potentials for tourism development, policies for commercial use in the Rural -Agricultural Area are designed to provide for uses attrac- tive to tourism but which ensure the protection of aesthetic and environmental qualities. A highway -oriented Commercial Zoning District is proposed to be provided for such uses as res- taurants, service stations, and hotels and motels in freeway interchange locations which will be accessible by primary highway routes to major tourist attractions in the County. Major commercial resorts, recreational communi- ties, RV campgrounds and related uses in the rural environment should be subject to review by the Planning Commission and should be per- mitted only after a determination is made that social, economic and environmental impacts of the development will be compatible with goals and policies for the Rural -Agricultural Area. C. Policies and design standards for Residential Development in the Rural -Agricultural Area should be applied to recreational second -home development as well as permanent -home residen- tial growth. Development should preserve the scenic open spaces and natural features of the rural environment, should not interfere with the functioning of vital natural systems or continued agricultural uses, and should not create demand for public services and facil- ities which would be a burden on local government. III - 20 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT General Guidance 1. One of the principal objectives of the Comprehensive Plan is to provide guidance for public investments in services and facilities that are needed to support the pro- jected population growth for the next twenty years. To accommodate this end, two separate planning areas have been designated within the County: 1) The Urban and Town Growth Areas that encompass Hagerstown and the major towns of the County, and 2) the Rural -Agricultural Area that includes all rural sections of the County, the smaller communities (refer- red to in this Plan as Rural Villages), plus the Special Planning Areas. Investments in sewers, highways, transit systems, parks, and similar facilities, shall be given the highest priority in the Urban and Town Growth Areas as opposed to the Rural - Agricultural Area, and development of all types --residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial --will be encouraged in the Urban and Town Growth Areas to ensure that maximum use is made of both private and public investments. As a corol- lary, such investment in the Rural -Agricultural Area will not be encouraged for apparent reasons: such investments would not be cost-effective, and the resulting development would, over a period of time, degrade the rural environment. The opportunity should always be available for those preferring a rural lifestyle, but it must be recognized that the lesser density in the rural areas will carry less demand for the expenditure of funds for public facilities. The Urban and Town Growth Areas 2. The Urban Growth Area includes the municipalities of Hag- erstown, Funkstown, and Williamsport as well as surrounding developed suburbs. The Town Growth Areas include Boonsboro, Clear Spring, Hancock, and Smithsburg and their suburbs. The boundaries or limits to the Growth Areas have not been finally determined but should be jointly defined by the County and the municipalities to include the areas experiencing suburban development and for which urban services are planned to be extended over the next twenty years. The County and the muni- cipalities should coordinate development policies and annexation procedures and should cooperate in the financing schedule of services within the Growth Areas in order to ensure that facilities to support new growth are provided in the most timely, efficient, and economical manner. Land use regulations in Growth Areas should be flexible enough to encourage creativity in site planning and design of residen- tial developments. A broader mix of housing opportunities should also be encouraged while still ensuring the protection of sensitive natural areas and the quality of the living environment. Development in Growth Areas should be guided by the following policies; A. Growth Areas are planned to include enough land for meeting development needs over the next twenty years, and the extension of sewer, water and transportation systems should be programmed over that period. At all times there should be enough land available for development with these basic facilities to allow ample choice in site selection and to prevent shortages in develop- able land which could affect housing costs. In order to ensure that maximum use is made of public and private investments in facilities, development should be encouraged first in areas where services exist, and then in conjunction with planned extensions of utility and trans- portation systems. Other local services, such as schools, law enforcement and fire protection, drainage facilities, and parks and recreation should be provided in a coordinated program of public services in newly developing areas. B. Within the Growth Areas, the County and munici- palities should work together to coordinate land use and development policies, establish the limits of Growth Areas, and reach agreements on the timing, financing, and service responsibilities for public systems. It is extremely important that agreements be reached on the timing, location, financing, and capacity of service expansion to avoid scattered development patterns. While it may be necessary and even desirable for annexa- tion to be a mechanism for implementing policy, piecemeal annexation of areas adjacent to munici- pal boundaries can result in random development patterns which bear little relation to the land use plans of either the municipality or the County. Such piecemeal annexation may also make it nearly impossible to anticipate and provide for future service demands in the area. Orderly III - 22 annexation procedures should be established in which the municipality and County jointly agree on the areas to be programmed for service ex- pansion, and annexation of an area should occur as it develops and can be provided with municipal services. Other alternatives to random piecemeal annexation of newly developing areas should be explored, including negotiated service agreements, tax base sharing or tax differentials, consolidation of services, and other possibilities. C. A specific mechanism to implement the above should be established by the Board of County Com- missioners and by municipal elected officials. A Joint Study Committee or Task Force should be appointed for each growth area to include County and municipal representatives. Such groups should include citizen members, public agency members, and elected officials. Among the func- tions of these groups should be: i. Identify issues and areas of mutual con- cern related to growth management; ii. Identify areas of conflict and produce a statement of each point of view; iii. Evaluate alternative approaches to resolve areas of conflict; iv. Report findings and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and to municipal elected officials. Recommendations may include but need not be limited to: a. Delineation of growth areas; b. Agreements on extension of facilities; C. Revisions to tax policies; d. Proposed procedures for development review and annexation; e. Needed changes in state and local laws. D. Land use regulations for newly developing sec- tions of the Growth Area should provide for greater flexibility in order to encourage innovation, improved site design, staging of development in conjunction with services, and responsiveness to current market demands. III - 23 Included in this policy should be the pro- vision of a variety of housing types for all income levels where locations are con- venient to employment, public transportation and shopping centers. In addition, both the density and site design should be compatible with features of the natural and man-made environment, including soils, the hydrologic system, the capacities of planned utility and transportation networks, and existing development. Provisions for Planned Unit Residential De- velopment should be expanded in the Zoning Ordinance. In this type of development the entire project is comprehensively planned and a unified site plan prepared. This type of planning allows for more creative site design, the protection of sensitive natural areas, and a mix of housing types and land uses. Provisions should be estab- lished in all residential zoning districts to encourage the Planned Unit Development concept as an alternative to conventional development that is regulated by standard- ized lot size, setbacks, and yard dimensions. In addition, variations in housing type, land use and density within planned developments may be permitted under conditions outlined in the following policies: i. District specifications for lot di- mensions and building space may be varied for Planned Unit Developments in order to allow for site variations and building arrangements; such var- iations can in turn lower the costs of utility lines, street construction, plus increase the amenities of the development. Criteria should be es- tablished to provide for adequate and innovative recreation and open space, pedestrian and traffic circu- lation, and flexibility of building arrangement. Environmental design criteria should establish standards necessary for the protection of sen- sitive natural features. III - 24 CHousing units in planned developments may be in attached, detached, semi- detached or multi -story structures when the design of the development en- sures compatibility with adjacent established land uses on the perimeter of the development. iii. Non-residential uses including commer- cial, light industrial, religious, educational, or recreational type uses should be provided for in planned developments when there is a need for these to serve the development itself or the general area. The development proposal should demonstrate that a need exists for commercial or light industrial uses if these are proposed, and that the amount of land proposed is needed and can realistically be sup- ported. The proposal must also demonstrate that residential and non-residential areas relate well to each other and that the phasing and timing of each type of development is appropriate. Non-residential develop- ment should be integrated with the total design of the project, irrespec- tive of its location within the site. It should complement surrounding residential development and avoid conflicts with pedestrian and traffic circulation and other activities; iv. Increases in residential density above that permitted by present zoning stan- dards should be provided for through measurable criteria such as surrounding development conditions, amount of open space, traffic and capacity of services. Density bonus criteria should be aimed at increasing the amenity of the develop- ment, and greater densities should be granted for a number of considerations such as minimized grading and the preservation of natural features, the inclusion of low and moderate income housing, recreational facilities, and overall design of the total site.. III - 25 The Rural -Agricultural Area 3. The Rural -Agricultural Area is characterized by a pre- dominance of open space where conservation and agricultural land uses are accompanied by an overall low density of de- velopment. The General Plan Map indicates the extent of the Rural -Agricultural Area throughout the County and shows that it comprises approximately 80 percent of the total County area in contrast to 20 percent designated for the Urban and Town Growth Areas. The policies on Page recommend that public services should not be programmed for the Rural -Agri- cultural Area but should instead be directed toward supporting the Urban and Town Growth Areas where development is to be guided. The pursuit of these policies will assure that the land use objectives such as the continuation of the County's agricultural industry, the conservation of natural resources, and the control of unnecessary public expenditures for unplanned services can be met. In addition, these poli- cies, instead of curtailing the choice of a rural lifestyle, will foster it by controlling scattered, unplanned growth that results in the degradation of the rural environment and the agricultural industry. A. Minimum Lot Size: Present standards for residential development throughout the County are rigid and inflexible; the Zoning Ordinance establishes minimum lot sizes of 40,000 square feet in the Agricultural District and three (3) acres in the Conservation District. These two districts comprise those areas of the County designated in this Plan as the Rural -Agricul- tural Area and, as shown above, contain the majority of the total County lard area. Min- imum lot sizes, while assuring adequate spacing, may result in the unnecessary diverting of valuable agricultural lands to residential use, and, because of linear development, can rause added expense for utilities and public services. By providing for greater latitude in minimum lot size and subdivision site arrangement, economies can be achieved and agricultural lands can be preserved. In order to meet the objectives referenced above, land use regula- tions should be provided more flexibility in minimum lot size requirements in order to minimize the amount of agricultural land con- verted to non-farm uses or to parcels too small to be of any agricultural value. III - 26 B. Prime Agricultural Lands; Agricultural land is an important asset to the County and every effort should be made to provide for the con- tinuation of the agricultural industry. The County should begin by identifying land to be considered as prime agricultural and worthy of preservation efforts in the Rural -Agricul- tural Areas. This determination may be made on the basis of such factors as land capabil- ity, parcel size, present use, agricultural potential and surrounding land use. Prime agricultural lands having been determined, land use policies should then be developed which will encourage its preservation. Such policies should encourage the design of rural development projects to retain prime agricul- tural lands for permanent open space or farming use and to discourage the subdivision of prime agricultural lands into parcels that may be too small for farming use. C. Stripping of Public Roads: The location of a series of adjacent residential building lots each having direct access to a public road is sometimes referred to as stripping. This practice can be undesirable in several respects. It may create traffic conflicts where vehicles move from residential driveways into a public throughway. It encourages development along rural roads in those areas where increased de- velopment is contrary to the intent of this Plan. It may also be seen as having a negative effect upon the visual attractiveness of rural areas. Land use policies should discourage the further stripping of public roads throughout the County. Following the subdivision of a given number of lots from a parcel of record, incentives should be provided to the land owner to provide access to future subdivided lots by means of interior road systems. D. Standardized Development Review: Where substan- tial development is proposed for a parcel of land within the Rural -Agricultural Area, a standardized set of criteria should be applied to assure that the development does not impose an unnecessary demand on required services nor negatively impact the environment. Such cri- teria should be incorporated into local land use III - 27 controls as requirements for development ap- proval. The purpose of applying standardized criteria to such developments in the Rural - Agricultural Area is to assure that: i. Capacities of roads and highways will be adequate to serve the proposed de- velopment and the location and number of proposed access points will not be detrimental to traffic flow or public safety; ii. On-site sewerage systems will be lo- cated where surface and groundwater pollution is unlikely; Unique environmental features, steep slopes, woodlands, wildlife habitat and other sensitive natural features will be adequately protected; iv. The location and density of proposed residential development will not con- flict with continued agricultural use in the area; V. The need for parks, recreation areas, schools, law enforcement, fire protec- tion, road improvements, utility systems and other public services to the area will not be increased beyond the capa- city of existing services. E. Rural Villages: Small communities which are scattered throughout the Rural -Agricultural Area are considered Rural Villages. All, to varying degrees, are limited in their capability to serve new growth. Two of these communities, Sharpsburg and Keedysville, are incorporated towns where the policies of this Plan will not apply, but the remaining small communities as well as the unincorporated areas surrounding the two chartered towns all possess similar characteristics such as small clustered popula- tions, private on-site water and/or sewer systems, local businesses, and perhaps a fire station. Residential development policies for Rural Villages should be generally the same as for the rest of the Rural -Agricultural Area. Residential and limited commercial uses of a function and scale appropriate to the character of the communities should be permitted. III - 28 F. Special Planning Areas: Special Planning Areas are identified in order to protect critical natural resources. Development policies in Special Planning Areas should be the same as in the rest of the Rural -Agricultural Area except that particular attention must be paid to the environmental constraints in these areas as identified in Chapter VI. III - 29 III - 30 AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Agricultural Development 1. Agriculture is an important and basic industry in Wash- ington County with sales of agricultural products of over 41 million dollars in 1978. Over one-half of the total orchard land in the entire State of Maryland is located in Washington County, and the County is the second largest pro- ducer of dairy products in the State. Farming is also a way of life for many people in the County. Ninety percent of the farms are individual or family operations. Agriculture is also a productive use of land which contributes much more to the County in income and taxes than it demands in services. It also can contribute to the preservation of valuable open space and the protection of natural areas. Investments in agriculture in Washington County are high. Of the twenty- three counties in Maryland, Washington County ranks third in terms of value of farm machinery and equipment. Despite Washington County's present position as a ranking producer of agricultural goods, there is no assurance that this position can be maintained without control of unplanned growth and other environmental pressures that combine to jeop- ardize the farming industry. If farm families are to make the heavy investments and to take the risks necessary to keep farm business viable, governmental policies must help to cre- ate a climate of confidence for the future of the agricultural industry in the County. Zoning, government spending, tax assessments, and environmental regulations should be reevalu- ated to ensure that they encourage agriculture and related land uses and discourage suburban development of farm areas. The following policies outline the approach to preserving agricultural land while still providing rural housing oppor- tunity. Policies discussed previously in the Residential Development section of this Plan are summarized below: A. Land in Growth Areas should be identified and designated to accommodate future growth in both population and employment. The use of utility and other services should be maximized with new development guided to these areas and to Rural Villages. B. Rural housing opportunities should be avail- able. Residential development policies should ensure that the density and location of non- farm development does not conflict with agricultural uses and that the amount of agri- cultural land converted to non-farm uses is minimized. New development should not create demands for public services that would adversely affect the tax assessments of agricultural land. C. Local planning and economic development agencies should address the .problems confronting agri- culture and related industries. Studies should be undertaken to identify obstacles or barriers to agricultural development and how these might be overcome, ways in which the agricultural economic base could be diversified, as well as other issues of concern to the health of the agricultural industry. D. Washington County should fully support the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program by providing support to administer the program locally and by insuring that information on the program receives the widest public dissemination. The feasibility and desirability of initiating a Local Matching Program -in which local funds are used to support the purchase of agricultural easements under the State program should be investigated. III - 32 HISTORIC FEATURES Inventory of Historic Sites 1. The pattern for Washington County's future growth and development should include the preservation of significant historical sites that represent the social and architectural heritage of the people of the County. Washington County's historic sites make a significant contribution to tourism. The County's Historic Sites Survey should be maintained and those sites of most significant value should continue to be identified.l Washington County government should support and provide assistance for tine conduct of historic sites inventories in the County's municipalities upon request. Figure 8 shows the location of properties in the County currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Land Use Protection 2. Historic land uses of significant importance should be protected from incompatible structural and visual encroach- ment. Means of protection should include, 1) consideration of impacts on historic sites in the design and review of both public and private developments, 2) Historic District Zoning on a voluntary basis, 3) acquisition and purchase of scenic easements, and 4) assistance through State and Fed- eral programs for the preservation of sites of national significance. A. Land use proposals in the vicinity of sites identified as having significant historic value should not adversely impact on the historic land use. The protection of his- toric sites should be considered in the zoning of surrounding land, and in the establishment of specific site densities and design standards such as buffering, landscaping, and the location of structures and paved areas on adjoining lands. The 1. The Washington County Historic Sites Survey was prepared during the years 1973 to 1978 and includes descriptions of over 1300 sites. The most unique and significant sites in the inventory have been nominated for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. III -33 H H NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 1 Antietam Furnace and Village 30 2 Elliott Bester House 31 3 Magnolia Plantation 32 4 The Maples 33 5,5a, National Pike Milestones 34 6 Trovinger Mill 35 7 Washington County Court House 36 8 Washington Monument 37 9 The Willows 38 10,11,12 C & O Canal 39 13 Harpers Ferry Park 40 14 Antietam Battlefield 41 15 Brightwood 42 16 Valentia 43 17 Hager House 44 18 Rose Hill 45 19 Fort Frederick 46 20 Keedy House 47 21 Springfield Farm 48 22 Bowman House 49 23 Colonial Theatre 50 24 Maryland Theatre 51 25 Old Washington County Library 52 26 Price -Miller House 53 27 Western Maryland Railway Station 54 28 Ditto Knolls 55 29 Long Meadows B&O Railroad, Potomac River Crossing B&O Bridge Geeting Farm Baker Farm Doub Farm Samples Manor Chapline, William, House Sprechers Mill House Dorsey -Palmer House Houses at 16-22 East McCauley, Henry,Farm Ingram-Schipper Farm Bell -Varner House Tammany -Mt. Tammany Antietam Hall Snively Farm Manhiem Stone House Doub's Mill Historic South Prospect Street Old Forge Farm Rohrer House Hogmire-Berryman Farm Wilson -Miller Farm Paradise Manor Rockland Farm Hitt's Mill and House Lee Street District Historic District H H H w Ln NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES FIGURE 8 z::�,Ll, 4 0 4 12 !3 0 3M rural character of the area around the Antie- tam National Battlefield is important to its historical interpretation. The boundaries of the Rural Village development area for the Town of Sharpsburg should be defined with this in mind, and new non-residential development in sight of the Battlefield should be visually buffered as practicable. Any proposed develop- ment in the vicinity of the C & 0 Canal National Historical Park should be compatible with the protection of the natural environment and with the adequacy of public facilities, including the capacity of roads to handle additional traffic. B. The protection of sites and structures of his- torical significance should be an integral factor in the planning and detailed alignments of public facilities such as highways, pipelines, and electric transmission lines. Where practical, Washington County's exceptional stone arch bridges should be preserved. C. An ordinance for historical and architectural preservation in Washington County should be evaluated and implemented through the Zoning Ordinance. Inclusion in the Historic Zoning District should be voluntary. The purpose of Historic Districts should be to protect, enhance, and perpetuate those structures and areas in Washington County which are of historic, archi- tectural, archeological, or cultural merit. Land uses provided for in Historic Districts should include agricultural, residential, edu- cational, limited recreational, cultural, interpretive, and institutional uses and selected adaptive commercial uses as they may be appropriate in the particular district. D. Sites of outstanding scenic, natural, or his- toric value should be identified and acquired, as economically feasibile, for use as parks by the County. Maximum use should be made of 100% State funding assistance for park acqui- sition through Program Open Space, and of assistance available through other Federal and other State programs. Any important structures on the site should be stabilized to prevent deterioration until such time as the park is III - 36 developed. The design and planned use of the site should be in harmony with historic fea- tures and the natural environment. Development plans should include the restoration and use of the facilities for government office space, cultural activities, and other uses. The County should explore the feasibility of grant funding for easement acquisition for the protection of historic lands and properties in private owner- ship. E. State and Federal agencies should be encouraged to assist the County in such endeavors as pre- serving historic sites of national importance through easement acquisitions or purchase. Historic settings throughout Washington County may be endangered by incompatible development, and means of protection should be explored with Federal and State officials. Restoration.. and Adaptive Use 1. The County should assist owners of private sites of historic significance in obtaining funding for preservation and restoration by providing information on Federal and State grants. Funding assistance may also be available through the County's housing program. The operation and maintenance of major historic and cultural facilities which are owned by private non-profit organizations or quasi -public groups, but which serve the general public, should be eligible for public financial support. Existing structures of historic, cultural or agricultural significance which are owned by boards or agencies of County government should be stabilized, maintained and, if feasible, restored and made available for public use. The implementa- tion of this policy may require the establishment of new agency responsibilities or the transfer of historic sites or structures to an agency to which these responsibilities have been expressly assigned. When an historic structure is acquired in the future by an agency of County government, a plan should be developed for its stabilization and maintenance. In addition, the feasibility of its restoration and potentials for public use should be examined, along with the establishment of responsi- bilities, and the exploration of sources for historic preservation funding. The restoration and adaptive use of historic sites is also addressed in policies for tourism development. III - 37 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CHAPTER IV ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION Several primary goals of the General Plan are the con- servation of the County's natural resources, the retention of its natural beauty and rural character, and the develop- ment of recreational potentials. These goals are reflected in land use policies which should guide suburban development, employment, and commercial services to defined Growth Areas. Within the Growth Areas, policies which encourage planned developments should result in protection of sensitive natural features as sites are developed. However, the interrelationship of natural systems is complex. The effect of land development on the natural environment is not limited to the development site, but may have a direct or indirect impact on water supply and quality, air quality, wildlife populations, flooding, geologic stabil- ity, plant and timber resources, and agricultural production well beyond the immediate vicinity. It is often very diffi- cult and expensive to trace the causative factors of pollution or environmental degradation after it has occurred. Corrective efforts are equally difficult. Thus, prevention of these problems must be addressed in public policies for environmental resource management. The following material is presented as introduction and background to the policies which follow. Water Resources Washington County is located entirely within the Potomac River Basin. Major Potomac tributaries in Washington County include the Antietam, Conococheague, St. James -Marsh Run, Israel, Tonoloway, Little Tonoloway, Sideli.ng Hill and Licking Creeks which generally flow southwesterly to their confluence with the Potomac. Figure 9 illustrates the major drainage areas in Washington County. The Potomac River is the source of approximately half of Washington County's water supply. The balance of the public water supply sources are principally forested watersheds and reservoir storage. Sources are supplemented by wells and springs in several of the County's municipalities and small communities. The Potomac River and the Edgemont Watershed Reservoir are the principal water supply sources for the Hagerstown area. IV - 1 H C N ' LITTLE M`} i `ir. 41 ,` I LICKING Il�'�. NO C C E E E K �7 MAJOR WATERSHEDS WATENSHED D N A I N A G E A 2 E A (SQ. MILES) WITHIN TOTAL WASHINGTON COUNTY Anliolom Creek 292 167 $1. Tomer - Ido<ih Aun 20 20 Conecocheague Creek 563 65 Little Conorocheague IB 16 Licking Creek 214 27 Tonoloway 114 2 Lithe Toneloway 26 16 Sideling Hill Creek 104 9 brad Creak 14 14 0 ] 4 miles Scale L I I I I FIGURE 9 4 4w The management of stormwater runoff is an important aspect of the planning process. In the past, land development has generally been accompanied by unwritten principles which resulted in stormwater being channeled or piped away from a development site as rapidly and conveniently as was possible. This approach has generally resulted in increased fre- quency of downstream flooding, has necessitated development of expensive downstream engineering works to prevent flood damage, and has eroded stream courses and caused both inconvenience and property loss. In Washington County, literally millions of dollars have been spent correcting downstream impacts of unmanaged storm - water runoff after development. The County's new emphasis toward dispersion, absorption, retention, and detention of stormwater, both on land development sites and comprehensively within each major watershed, must be formulated in policy to assure continued reduction in both capital and environmental costs. The potential environmental hazards of floodplain develop- ment have been realized as Washington County has in recent years experienced several storms in the 10-100 year frequency range. The results of these storms have included considerable property damage and loss. Floodplain management regulations have been in effect in Washington County since 1973. Since then, several Federal and State legislative and regulatory measures have under- gone amendment to provide for flood insurance availability and the broadening of floodplain management criteria which becomes mandatory for local jurisdiction eligibility for flood insurance. The protection of floodplains relates not only to major rivers and streams but to tributaries and minor drainageways in the upper reaches of the watersheds. Groundwater is abundant in Washington County. The lime- stone substrata of the Hagerstown Valley is the most productive bedrock aquifer in the State and is characterized by high yield springs, the geohydrologic complexities of its formations, wide variations in seasonal fluctuations of groundwater levels, and a very high susceptibility to groundwater pollution. The failure of septic systems and bacteriological contamin- ation of groundwater resources in limestone areas is a serious problem. The Washington County Health Department's tests have found that as many as 500 of the County's private water supply wells, both old and new, may be contaminated. The mountainous areas of the County and other areas not underlain by limestone generally have much less productive aquifers and, in fact, may lack adequate groundwater supplies to support intense land uses reliant on well water. IV - 3 Surface and groundwater resources, in terms of quantity and quality, are very much interrelated. Water resource pol- icies must be devised accordingly. Air Resources Air pollution in the Hagerstown, Williamsport and Han- cock areas during the 1950's and early 1960's was a relatively serious problem. Industrial, power plant, and open burning pollutant emissions contributed unsatisfactory levels of par- ticulates, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide and objectionable odors. The adoption and enforcement of statewide air quality regulations have reduced those problems significantly. Today, Washington County's principal sources of local air pollutant emissions are: 1. Transportation 2. Residential, Commercial and Industrial heating 3. Industrial emissions The area is also adversely affected by summer season stagnant air masses which transport heavy metropolitan area pollutant levels. Locally, the relationships between land use policy and Air pollution potentials are important. It is currently estimated that Washington County transportation alone contrib- utes approximately 8000 tons of hydrocarbons, 18,000 tons of carbon monoxide and more than 3000 tons of nitrogen oxides annually to the atmosphere. Problems arise when auto emissions are concentrated geographically and climatic conditions trap the air mass. Such concentrations of traffic in metropolitan areas, on a much larger scale than Hagerstown will experience, are resulting in serious air pollution conditions detrimental to health. We have an opportunity to avoid major traffic con- centrations through guiding land use decisions and maintaining acceptable transportation corridor service levels. A local example of land use and transportation decisions is the Washing- ton International Raceway, proposed to be located in the Beaver Creek Valley in 1972. An impact study prepared for the Beaver Creek Valley Citizens Association projected that the total additional concentration of contaminants, in a 12 square mile area, would be more than 22 tons/day in an area which frequently experiences air temperature inversions. IV - 4 Space heating and cooling, while not as significant a contribution to air pollution as when coal was a principal fuel, still contribute to'contaminate levels, especially sulfur,oxides,and particulates from heating oil fuels. Industrial process emissions have been significantly cleaned up through regulation but still contribute to par- ticulate, sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide levels. Air pollutant abatement in Washington County has been a great success and an evident one for long-time residents. Energy Washington County's future growth pattern will have an impact on energy resources. The General Plan recommends the avoidance of sprawl and the containment of urban growth and development. The implementation of these basic growth directions, including the containment of energy intensive industrial and commercial land uses, support the objective of minimizing community energy consumption and costs in trans- portation and distribution systems. Energy resources must be conserved by the public sector through energy efficient design and operation of public facilities, the availability of energy efficient alternative transportation modes, and maximum utilization of waste materials for reuse, energy conservation, and energy produc- tion. IV - 5 IV - 6 WATER RESOURCES Stormwater 1. Washington County's Stormwater Management Ordinance is designed to minimize the adverse impacts of storms on property and human life, to prevent stream erosion resulting in up- stream development, and to maintain as nearly as possible natural stormwater characteristics. The ordinance incorporates the following policies and provides stormwater design criteria: A. All land development proposals in Washington County should include stormwater management plans which both anticipate and provide for the effects of up- stream development potential and mitigate potentially adverse effects on downstream areas. B. Stormwater management system approaches should prin- cipally include design which results in on-site absorption, detention and/or retention to the extent that after development the quantity and rate of water leaving the site would not be significantly different than if the site had remained undeveloped. C. A major new emphasis should be placed on the applica- tion of natural engineering techniques to preserve and enhance the natural features of a site and to maximize both environmental and economic benefit. Engineering design should be used to fully utilize the effectiveness of natural systems rather than negate, replace, or ignore them. D. The design of stormwater detention or retention facilities should be an integral part of the site planning process. E. Stormwater management systems should be designed to facilitate aquifer recharge when it may be advan- tageous to do so. Conversely, in developed or developing areas where seasonal groundwater levels are high, downstream retention should be considered to avoid harmful effects of aquifer recharge. F. The design of stormwater storage facilities should consider safety, appearance, possible recreational use and effective, economical maintenance operations, in addition to the primary storage functions. All storage facilities should include public easements for access and maintenance. IV - 7 G. In the design of stormwater drainage systems, natural open channels and broad swales should be preferred over closed drainage systems. The only locations in which this policy should be excepted are areas in which stormwater must be channelized in closed systems to mitigate the impacts of past mistakes in development siting or stormwater manage- ment, not just dispose of it. H. Existing stream courses, natural open drainage channels and closely associated topography and soils, indicative of natural ponding and sedimenta- tion should remain substantially in a permeable state. Where impermeable coverage of these areas is necessitated by development site size, configura- tion or other unavoidable design constraints, any potential stormwater impacts should be addressed in the design and capacity of on-site detention facili- ties. I. Erosion and sedimentation from stormwater runoff should be minimized by the construction of sediment ponds at the start of construction. J. Stormwater runoff, especially from intensely devel- oped urban areas and industrial outdoor storage, carry many pollutants which eventually contaminate surface and groundwater. In these areas stormwater out -flow should be monitored and corrective measures taken. K. Legal responsibilities for ownership and perpetual management of lands set aside for stormwater reten- tion in residential development should be defined as a condition of development approval. Stormwater Management Plans 2. Washington County should develop Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plans in the following areas: A. Portions of the Antietam, Conococheague, and St. James - Marsh Run basins which are within the Urban Growth Area. The development of the Plan should include the partici- pation of the City of Hagerstown and the Towns of Williamsport and Funkstown. IV - 8 B. Washington County should initiate the cooperative development of sub -basin stormwater management plans for: i. Tonoloway and Little Tonoloway Basins - Hancock; ii. Toms Run Basin - Clear Spring; iii. Beaver Creek Basin - Smithsburg, and iv. Other Town and Village Growth Areas. C. At present, Rural -Agricultural development in Wash- ington County occurs substantially at low densities and in a piecemeal manner. Therefore, attention to long-range site development plans and ultimate needs for stormwater management should be addressed in the review of development plans with considerable atten- tion to staged natural engineering techniques and advance reservation of areas required for future detention, if necessary. Floodplain Management 3. The management of development in floodplain areas is necessary to alleviate threats of flooding to life and health, reduce private and public economic losses and, to the extent possible, preserve the biological and other natural values associated with the land and water resources of floodplains in Washington County. Eligibility requirements for the Federal Flood Insurance Program should continue to be met in order that this insurance remains available to Washington County residents and businesses. Surface Water Impoundments and Public Supply 4. The following factors should guide public decision making with regard to development in watersheds which provide public water supplies: A. Each of the following surface water impoundments, serving as storage for public water supply in Wash- ington County, should be preserved and maintained to assure continued storage capability of potable water supplies: i. Edgemont Reservoir - Hagerstown area water supply; IV - 9 ii. Potomac Edison Dam Slackwater - Hagerstown area water supply; iii. Smithsburg Reservoir - Hagerstown area and Smithsburg water supply; iv. Hancock Reservoir - part of town water supply (closed system); v. Boonsboro Reservoir - Boonsboro and Keedys- ville water supply (closed system); vi. Clear Spring Reservoir - Town water supply. B. Major flood control, water storage, or river flow augmentation impoundment projects should be subject to thorough review and analysis by local as well as State and Federal agencies. This policy is designed to ensure that local needs and priorities receive adequate attention and will require voluntary cooperation of other levels of government. C. Additional water storage capacity should be examined for the Boonsboro-Keedysville water system. Washing- ton County should cooperate in exploring surface water impoundment potentials and associated watershed management techniques for any new reservoir. D. The Potomac Edison Dam should be preserved to assure the maintenance of the existing water intake eleva- tion at the Wilson Water Treatment Plant. E. The sources of water supplying several of the County's reservoirs are springs and streams on the forested slopes of small watersheds. These include: the Edgemont Reservoir Watershed (South Mountain -Little Antietam headwaters), the Smithsburg Reservoir Water- shed (South Mountain -Beaver Creek headwaters), the Clear Spring Reservoir Watershed (Fairview Mountain - Camp Spring Run headwaters), and the Hancock Reservoir Watershed (Northwest of Hancock -tributary watershed of Little Tonoloway Creek). Special attention should be given to the management of land development in watersheds which provide pub- lic water supplies in order to ensure that high levels of water quality are maintained. Each of these water- sheds should be fully protected from land use incompatibilities; both forest cover and topography IV - 10 should be preserved, new road construction should be of lowest priority, and public land acquisition to preserve the natural features of the watershed should be of high priority. Two areas of particularly vital significance are the Edgemont and Smithsburg Watersheds. The Edgemont Watershed, on the western slope of South Mountain, is the largest of the public supply watersheds in Wash- ington County. Comprising 4,850 acres, the watershed supplies up to 50% of the Hagerstown area's water needs and is substantially in -private ownership and is subject to development pressures. Development in the watershed may contribute to tributary problems that potentially may adversely affect water quality. The Smithsburg Watershed is immediately adjacent to the Edgemont Watershed and supplies the Town of Smiths - burg. Land is substantially in private ownership and is also subject to land use incompatibilities. Because of the importance given in General Plan Policy to protecting the functioning of vital natural systems, the Edgemont and Smithsburg Watersheds have been desig- nated as Special Planning Areas. Resource Management and land use policies are addressed comprehensively for Special Planning Areas in a separate chapter of this Plan. Surface Water Quality 5. Washington County should take action in the following areas in order to protect the quality of its surface water; A. Highly concentrated, existing urban area stormwater outflows should be monitored for pollutant loads and treatment should be provided where necessary. B. Land uses such as junk yards and industrial outdoor storage uses can potentially result in chemical con- tamination of stormwater runoff. Site design requirements for such uses should provide for elimi- nation or treatment of potential contaminants. C. The principal non -point source of surface water pol- lution in Washington County is sediment. Washington County farm operators should be encouraged to participate in the Soil Conservation District's voluntary conservation program, the applicability of the Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance should be broadened to include all development, and land areas not in agricultural use nor under construction should be maintained in vegetative cover. D. Parks and Open Space acquisition programs should give priority to the acquisition of stream valley "open space" in the Urban Growth Area and the Town and Village Growth Areas. These areas would contribute to preserving natural hydrologic conditions and providing for natural habitats and passive recrea- tional potential. Recreational Use 6. The recreation potential of the Potomac River should be realized to the fullest extent but saturation levels and con- flicts between activities should be avoided. Allowable densities for river use should be established by the agency having jurisdictional control in cooperation with Washington County residents and public officials. It is recommended that Washington County encourage the National Park Service, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the State of West Virginia to cooperatively establish a program to monitor and control the intensity of recreational activities in slackwater areas of the Potomac River. Groundwater 7. The following policy considerations should guide the decisions of public agencies regarding development proposals in areas where public water and sewer facilities are not available to the development: A. Potential groundwater quantities available for community and domestic use can be assessed generally by aquifer classifications, illustrated in Figure 10. In Class I aquifers groundwater resources are available in abundance and quantities suitable for domestic use. Class I aquifers hold significant potential as a public water supply source in Washington County. However, proposals for high volume pumping of the groundwater table in con- nection with mineral extraction or surface flow augmentation must be analyzed with regard to undue interference with nearby groundwater users. IV - 12 E H LI) PRODUCTIVITY Secondary 0 2 miles Scala l . j FIGURE 10 In addition, in karst terrain, substantial land form changes can result in the closing of aquifer recharge areas and affect groundwater levels. Any such pro- posed land form changes should be analyzed in this regard. Groundwater quality in Class I aquifers (principally the limestone valleys) is highly susceptible to biological contamination from various sources. Large-scale development that may be reliant upon septic system waste disposal should be avoided in areas of geohydrologic sensitivity. B. Subsurface waste disposal should not be permitted in closed depressions (sags in surface topography having no lateral drainage outlet or double terminating intermittent stream reaches) nor should these features be subjected to any substantial land form changes. C. Land uses and waste disposal systems which may gene- rate chemical or biological contaminants should not be located on principal aquifer recharge areas. D. Urban area stormwater retention facilities should not be located in natural closed depressions or other re- charge land features. Iv - 14 AIR RESOURCES Air Pollution 1. Application of the'following principles in the review of development proposals should protect air quality in Washington County so as to alleviate threats to public health and welfare from air- pollution and contaminants: A. Review of development proposals should ensure that acceptable levels of traffic flow will be maintained on streets and highways in order to prevent con- centrations of exhaust fumes from building up to a level which could endanger public health. The permissibility of land use proposals which would generate enough traffic to result in traffic stand- ing and backed up through multiple signal cycles on adjacent streets or highways should be predicated upon: i. Programmed public investments to improve the service level; or ii. Committed private investments to improve the service level. B. A framework should be established to take into account air quality impacts of development and in- corporated in ordinances as necessary. C. Both on a regional basis and a very localized basis, tree cover plays an important role in enhancing air quality and in minimizing environmental noise. Landscaping, including trees, should become an integral part -of the designs of major transportation corridors, concentrated commercial centers, and industrial sites. D. Major land uses likely to generate high volumes of traffic or emit concentrated levels of contaminants should not be located in deep valleys or isolated topographic lows where these areas are subject to natural inversions. This policy is especially rele- vant to the Pleasant Valley and the ridges and valleys of the Hancock area. E. Washington County should continue to encourage the use of mass transit, carpooling, and other alterna- tives to single occupant auto trips. IV - 15 IV -- 16 THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENT Street and Highway Gra2hics 1. Street and highway graphics regulations should be devel- oped that will provide for a comprehensive and balanced array of street graphics. Such provisions should provide for con- siderable design innovation and should encourage the use of graphics that will be compatible with surroundings while still allowing for appropriate advertising to the general public. Lighting 2. Review of both private and public development proposals should include consideration of the impact of lighting and glare on residential areas. A. Local design and impact review of major public investments in highway lighting systems should be assured. B. Residential neighborhoods and institutions should be protected from glare from commercial lighting and traffic through guiding the location, intensity, design, orientation, screening and shielding of night lighting. C. The location and design of public facility lighting should be guided to result in neighborhood compati- bility. High Structures 3. The intrusion of high structures on the visual environ- ment should be minimized through incorporation of the following requirements in local ordinances: A. Scenic observation towers should be subject to design approval by the Planning Commission. Specific standards should be incorporated in the Zoning Ordinance. B. The review of major power transmission lines and the location of power sub -stations should include active participation by the County in close coopera- tion with the Maryland Public Service Commission and other State and Federal agencies responsible for review. Power sub -stations should meet screening IV - 17 and site development requirements to ensure their compatibility with adjacent land uses. Waste and Outdoor Storage 4. Programs and standards should be developed and implemented to ensure that adequate provisions are made to minimize the negative impacts of waste disposal and storage. A. Junkyards should be provided for only in areas characterized by heavy industrial uses. State implementation of the Highway Beautification Act should be supported and encouraged with regard to junkyards. B. Junkyards should be screened by a wall, fence, or plant material so that the interior of the premises as well as the contents stored therein should not be visible from the highway adjoining the premises. C. Open dumping should be eliminated through increased enforcement activity of existing law, replacement of dumps with "green boxes" and rural area solid waste transfer stations, and expansion of rural solid waste collection services encouraged. D. Support should be given to community action programs to remove litter and junk from roadside and stream beds with assistance provided to coordinate commun- ity effort. E. Outdoor storage areas for materials, equipment, supplies, scrap, and machinery should be screened from public view in areas with a close relationship to residences or institutions. Such screening should consist of plant material, fencing, or both, on the periphery of storage areas, whether public or private. Alterations of the Phvsical Environment 5. The adverse impacts of land alterations on surrounding property values, physical and environmental damages, and potential threats to public safety resulting from erosion and sediment should be minimized. Controls on quarrying operations are addressed in policies for mineral development. Floodplain policies and parkland acquisition priorities should provide for the prevention of sediment and erosion problems in floodplains through maintenance in their natural vegetated state. Addi- IV -18 tionally, all development should be guided by the following resource conservation measures: A. Special Geologic Features: Washington County's outstanding geologic features, including major sur- veyed caves, ridgetop geologic sections, and Devil's Racecourse, should be preserved in their natural states and should be protected from incompatible land use encroachment. An evaluation should be made to identify appropriate means of land use control. B. Surface Instability: In stone valley, especially areas, surface stability of these areas should be of subsurface conditions. many locations in the lime - in highly developed karst is very poor. Development preceded by an understanding Surface stability in the Urban Growth Area is variable from site to site and dependable, comprehensive infor- mation is not available. The development of major, intense urban uses should generally be preceded by assurance of surface stability prior to construction, and if stability problems are evident, construction techniques should be employed that will result in structural strength and permanence. C. Hillside Development: Hillside soil, geologic, and hydrologic conditions vary considerably in Washing- ton County. Where soils and topographic information indicate potential hazards of slippage or erosion, development proposals should demonstrate that these conditions can be successfully overcome as a condi- tion of approval. D. Forest Resources: The following policies for pres- ervation and improvement of Washington County's forest resources should be addressed in the review of development proposals and in programs for forest management: i. Development should be designed to minimize the removal of forest cover; ii. Harvesting of timber in Washington County is currently unregulated. The preparation and review of Forest Management Plans is a volun- tary process. The District Forestry Board and Planning Commission should cooperatively explore the potential for more compelling pub- lic guidelines for large-scale timber harvesting; IV -19 iii. Stream valley forest cover should be preserved to the greatest extent possible in order to assure the balance of natural eco -systems. The reforestation of agricultural area stream banks should be encouraged. Several areas in the western part of the County exhibit severe impacts of erosion through both natural and induced processes and the reforestation of these areas is in the County's best interest and should be encouraged; iv. The use of Federal and State seedling programs should be encouraged in development projects. E. Wildlife Resources: The design of both public and private development projects should preserve wild- life habitats to the maximum extent possible. Review of development projects in areas of unique wildlife habitats or preserves should include the following considerations relative to wildlife popu- lations and migration patterns: i. The design of development in the Rural - Agricultural Area should incorporate the preservation of existing wildlife habitats including forest cover and as much as possible its understory, the natural flora of stream valleys, vegetated fence rows, and unique habitats which may exist on a development site; ii. The design of public capital projects should incorporate an understanding of and respon- siveness to wildlife habitats and migration patterns which may be affected; iii. State Wildlife Management Areas at Indian Springs and Sideling Hill and the various lands conserved by sportsman's clubs should be protected from encroachment by incompatible uses and adverse environmental impacts; iv. The Albert M. Powell Trout Hatchery located at Beaver Creek should be fully protected from encroachment and adverse impacts on water quality upon which it depends. The hatchery area should be subject to the Environmental Resource Manage- ment and Land Use Policies for Special Planning Areas presented in a separate chapter of this Plan. IV - 20 Landscape Features 6. The scenic beauty of the landscape, open space, and valued historic features in Washington County should be pro- tected. Commercial, industrial, and residential development designs should respond sensitively to natural features of the site and should include landscaping of interior off-street parking areas, site peripheries, and open spaces. Policies for the protection of historic properties and the preservation of stream valleys, open space and scenic vistas through public action are included in the Land Use and Public Facilities chapters of this Plan. In addition, the County should support the protection of open space and his- toric features through private action. Establishment of a private Washington County Land Trust should be encouraged as a means of preserving in perpetuity land and property of significant value, but which are beyond the capabilities of the public sector to acquire. Iv - 21 IV - 22 ENERGY Enerqv Conservation Plan 1. The General Plan and Land Use Policies are designed to minimize transporation costs and fuel consumption by guiding growth in a pattern where residences are conveniently located to shopping centers, recreation facilities, and jobs. Energy intensive industrial uses are guided to the Urban and Town Growth Areas where power is readily available. Provision is made for neighborhood oriented commercial uses either within or within walking distance of residential neighborhoods and also provides for development of safe and cost-effective pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Urban Growth Area. Effective planning for future energy requirements depends largely on the effectiveness of land use planning. Therefore, Washington County should develop an Energy Conservation Program to address both public and private conservation of energy resources and to coordinate plans for the generation and dis- tribution of energy as it relates to economic development. The following types of programs should be considered in the development of the Energy Conservation Plan: A. Encouragement for the formation of carpools for employment trips. B. Improvements in mass transit service to accommodate peak -hour employment. C. A long-range program for energy conservation in County government including guidelines for the energy-efficient design and operation of public buildings, the reduction of public sector trans- portation related energy consumption (mass transit, school buses and motor pool) and planning and programming for future solid waste conversion. D. Exploration of the potentials of the County's existing landfill sites for future use in energy production/conservation (solar, biomass conversion or solid waste conversion). The now abandoned Williamsport landfill site should remain in pub- lic ownership for possible future use. Energy Conservation in Housing 2. Opportunities for energy conservation in housing should be -.sought by all reasonable and practical means available. IV - 23 The following measures are recommended: A. Consumer information on energy and resource conser- vation techniques should be widely disseminated. This effort should be coordinated between private enterprise, public utilities, community groups, and State and local agencies to avoid duplicating or conflicting programs. B. Technical information on energy and resource con- servation should be made available to local builders, developers, architects, planners, and surveyors by means of workshops and seminars. IV - 24 P U B L I C F A C I L I T I E S CHAPTER V PUBLIC FACILITIES INTRODUCTION The Need For Inter overnmental Cooperation In order that the General Plan goals and objectives may be successfully implemented, it is essential that policies for providing public facilities to the Growth Area be coor- dinated between the municipalities and County government. Cooperative agreements should be prepared and adopted. The boundary of each of the Growth Areas should encompass a realistic geographical area that can ultimately be served by the municipality, and which the city or town feels is a log- ical growth boundary for the twenty year planning period. 'she following policies pertain to community facilities for Growth Areas: Agreements 1. The municipalities and County should agree on responsi- bilities for providing public services to the area outside the corporate limits. This policy is based upon the following assumptions: A. Since the city or town will assume responsibility for services to the new area if annexation occurs, it will appear reasonable that the municipality should have both initial and continuing partici- pation in the decisions for facility service. B. People living within the proposed Growth Area have common interests with the residents of the municipality whether they live inside or outside of the present city limits. C. Residents living within Growth Areas need urban services such as sewer, water and storm drain- age facilities, street lighting and fire and police protection. D. Future urban or suburban development should be contained within the geographical limits of the delineated Growth Areas boundary where community services can be economically and efficiently provided. V - 1 E. The city or town is the logical provider of services within the Growth Areas. Sewer facilities are a fundamental factor determining urban densities. Because sewer facilities are so fundamental to urban development, the planned extension of sewer service should -be a major factor in establishing area boundaries. There should be adequate land within the boun- dary to meet the projected land use needs. F. Adequate local services should be planned for the Growth Areas to meet the needs of projected population and employment growth. Sufficient land with utilities should be available at all times to allow for develop- ment with ample choice of location. New facilities should be provided in a staged manner within the economic capability of the jurisdictions. Existing facilities should be used to full capacity. Invest- ment in all facilities should be consistent with adopted local and County plans. Annexation Policies 2. It is important that municipalities can expand beyond their present boundaries if necessary to supply municipal services. However, piecemeal annexation of areas adjacent to municipal boundaries can result in random development patterns which bear little relation to the land use plans of either the municipality or the County and make it nearly impossible to anticipate and provide for future service demands in the area. Orderly annexation procedures should be established in which the municipality and County jointly agree on the areas to be programmed for service expansion, and annexation of an area should occur as it develops and can be provided with municipal services. Other alternatives to random piecemeal annexation of newly developing areas should be explored, including negotiated service agreements, tax base sharing or tax differentials, and consolidation of services. v - 2 Defining Growth Area Boundaries 3. Limits for the Growth Areas should be established jointly between County and municipal planning commissions and officially adopted by both jurisdictions. The following factors should be considered in establishing Growth Area boundaries: A. Service District Boundaries: i. Sewerage service areas established in the 1201' Facilities Plan defining the limits of areas to be served by central sewerage systems; ii. Modifications to 1201' Service Areas to include areas where alternative land disposal systems might be appropriate; iii. Established water distribution ser- vice areas; iv. Economy and efficiency in districting for the provision of other public facilities. B. Major Highways. C. Natural features such as rivers, soils, flood - plains and drainage areas: i. The Growth Areas should contain a mini- mum of land unsuitable for development because of terrain, geology, or floodplains; ii. The Growth Areas should minimize en- croachment upon lands of high value for long-term agricultural use. D. Governmental jurisdiction: i. The boundary should not be in conflict with the expansion of other municipal- ities. E. Land use and development goals and policies: i. The Growth Areas should be large enough to accommodate projected residential, commercial, and industrial growth; V - 3 ii. The area should be small enough to be "manageable" and of such a size that a feeling of unity and identity may be maintained by present and future resi- dents; The boundary itself should be in pre- dominately undeveloped areas so that protective measures such as land use control are well within the realm of feasibility on most of the periphery. Service Agreements 3. Basic policies for coordinating the provision of public services and facilities within Growth Areas should be nego- tiated and agreed upon with each affected municipality. Committees should be appointed to study all aspects of co- ordinating planning on a long-range basis, including but not limited to the following areas: A. Streets and Highways: Financing policy; Capital improvements priorities; Design; Assessment of costs; Items such as signing, markings, sig- nalizations, setbacks, vision clearance, traffic safety, transit landscaping and others as may be deemed appropriate. B. Water and Sewer: i. Service district boundaries; ii. Design, capacity and location of major facilities; Financing; iv. Capital improvements priorities; V. Operation and maintenance responsibilities. C. Stormwater management standards such as pre- sented in Environmental Resource Management. D. Solid waste management. V - 4 Financing 4. Financing mechanisms should be developed and formally adopted to allow the County to share costs with municipal- ities in investment programs for public facilities in order that General Plan objectives for growth management can be achieved. Possible mechanisms which should be evaluated include: A. County supported block grant programs (local revenue sharing). B. Tax base sharing. C. Tax differential. D. Cost reimbursements. V - 5 V - 6 SEWERAGE SERVICES The significance of sewerage services in the planning process is twofold. First, the location of future growth and development will largely depend upon the location of existing sewerage facilities. Second, the type and inten- sity of development will depend upon the capacity of sewerage facilities to serve it. The importance of the availability of adequate land to accommodate demands for growth and development with sewerage facilities cannot be overemphasized. If facilities are not available, are not provided in a timely manner, or do not have adequate capacity to serve the Planned Growth Areas, there are at least three likely consequences, discussed below, none of which are compatible with the goals and objectives of the General Plan. These consequences relate to housing im- pacts, the costs of sprawl development, and the potential for water pollution. Housing Impacts If an adequate supply of land with access to sewerage fa- cilities is not available within Growth Areas to accommodate demands for housing and industrial development and to allow for locational choices, or if sewerage system capacities are inadequate, the costs of housing will be affected. In addition, the County may jeapordize its ability to attract desired indus- tries as the result of a lack of prime sites for development. With regard to housing, developers would face two choices in this situation, a) either install a private community treat- ment system or, b) construct individual septic systems. In the first instance, the capital cost of installing the plant must be borne by the developer, since private developers are not eligible for federal construction grant funds. This additional cost will be incorporated into the sale price, or the rent, of the housing. Once completed, the operation and maintenance of the plant will be the responsibility of County government and the associated costs may be higher than would be the case in a larger central system. Also, at such time as the public system is extended to the area, the residents will bear the additional costs of the transition. V - 7 In the second instance, if the development is initially served by septic systems, the larger lots required will result in making certain types of housing infeasible. Pos- sibilities for innovative design will be diminished as will many options for the development of housing types of low and moderate cost. At such time as the public system is extended to the area, the residents will be required to pay the costs of connection. In addition, the expense of sewering the developed area will be higher than if this were done at the time the land was ini- tially developed. S rawl and Increased Costs of Other Services If adequate land is not available within the Urban Growth Area to allow for choice in location, or if the timely avail- ability of access to sewer facilities cannot be guaranteed, developers will then continue to avoid these problems by building in the Rural -Agricultural Area. Such a decision, however, is clearly contrary to the General Plan Growth Area concept, because it results in the low density pattern of scattered suburbanization that the Plan is designed to discour- age. The character of the rural areas will be radically altered, and the opportunities which it now offers for scenic enjoyment and a rural life-style will eventually be lost. In addition, the required low density of development served by septic systems will mean that land will be consumed at a faster rate than if higher density were possible. As prime sites for development become increasingly limited, land prices will continue to rise, and in consequence the costs of housing in the rural area will increase also. Again, the low density of development will eliminate many possibilities for variation in housing costs, type, and community design. The costs to the taxpayer of providing other necessary public services, including police and fire protection, road improvements, schools, and parks, will increase since these services must be spread over a wider and more scattered area. Existing services become more costly in terms of the number of persons served when development is scattered and services are not fully utilized. Cid Water Pollution Potential The lack of adequate land for development with sewerage facilities can also result in health and pollution problems. The irregular limestone region in Washington County contains sinks, underground seams,and caverns. These areas can serve as passageways for septic tank effluent to contaminate drinking water supplies. Eventually, after development has occurred, public investments in sewerage systems must be made to correct these problems. However, the corrective mea- sures may be much more costly than prevention, particularly due to the low density of the development being served. In order to achieve the goals of the General Plan, these problems must be avoided. The planning of sewerage facilities should be consistent with Land Use Policies that are designed to meet future land needs and for meeting standards for pro- tecting water quality. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1977 made im- proved water quality a national priority and authorized funding for the planning, design and construction of sewerage facilities. The planning and construction grants programs established by this Act have provided the means by which the County and municipalities can meet many of the local objec- tives for the development of sewerage facilities. Under Section 303(e) of the Water Pollution Control Act, the Water Resources Administration of the State of Maryland prepared the Upper Potomac River Basin Water Quality Manage- ment Plan in 1976. This plan evaluates existing water quality, sources of pollution, and recommends management ap- proaches for the Basin, which includes all of Washington County. While the scope of the plan is much broader that the need for sewerage facilities, the plan classifies streams according to the degree of water quality to be achieved, and thus determines either directly or indirectly the type of treatment works and operational efficiency required for sew- erage facilities. The inventory of existing systems and problem areas is useful in establishing priorities for the construction or improvement of sewerage facilities. Section 201 of the Water Pollution Control Act established a construction grants program for public sewerage facilities. Funds are allocated by EPA to local areas on the basis of state- wide priorities in a three step process. In Step I, Facilities Planning, the specific sewerage requirements of a planning area designated by the State are investigated, and a particular solution recommended. The Antietam Basin Facilities Plan for V - 9 the Hagerstown metropolitan area, including the incorporated towns of Funks.town, Williamsport, and Smithsburg, was prepared with a Step 1 grant. Facilities planning for Clear Spring, Smithsburg, Hancock and the Boonsboro, Keedysville, Sharpsburg, and Greenbriar State Park area are either in preparation or planned for the near future. Steps 2 and 3 of the construction grant program fund the preparation of detailed engineering plans and specifications and the construc- tion of facilities respectively. The completion of a Facilities Plan under Step 1, although a prerequisite for further funding, does not auto- matically lead to a grant under Step 2 (Engineering Design), or Step 3 (Construction). These must be applied for separately. Before these grants are awarded there are many decisions which should or must be made, including the estab- lishment of specific capital improvements priorities for the staged implementation of portions of the Facilities Plan, the capability of financing the local share of costs, and the completion of service agreements where more than one gov- ernmental jurisdiction is to be served by the project. In each of the Step 1 Facilities Plans which have been or will be prepared, the planning area for sewerage facilities encompasses land within the municipality and within the County. Thus, decisions on the implementation of the system which is recommended in the Facilities Plans requires coordination be- tween the two levels of government which should take the form of negotiated agreements based on respective needs, priorities for the system, land use plans and financial capabilities. In Maryland, state law provides for the preparation of a Comprehensive County -wide Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Plan to include all facilities whether publicly or privately owned, encompassing all towns, municipal corporations, and sanitary districts. State funding is available for the preparation of County plans on a cost-sharing basis. The preparation of this County Plan provides the logical connection for linking facil- ities, construction priorities, and financial and administrative considerations to implement the Facilities Plan with General Plan policies for the Growth Areas. The policies for sewerage facilities presented here are intended to serve as a guide for thorough review and amendment of the Sewerage Facilities chap- ter of the County Water, Sewer and Solid Waste Plan. The following policies are intended to guide future public and private decisions with respect to sewerage system planning: V - 10 Relation to the General Plan 1. The boundaries of the designated Growth Areas should include sufficient land to accommodate projected population and employment growth over the twenty year planning period, but should also encompass a realistic geographical area which can be served efficiently and economically with public services over that time. Sewerage facilities should be con- sidered as a critical factor in establishing Growth Boundaries, but no one type of public facility can be considered indepen- dently of other services and facilities. The provision of sewerage facilities beyond Growth Boundaries will eventually result in increased demands for other urban services, in- cluding transportation system improvements, schools, police an"' fire protection, parks, recreation programs and community services. Growth Boundaries should accurately represent the area within which public commitments can and will be made to the provision of urban services to accommodate new growth and development based upon consideration of public financial capa- bilities and realistic geographic limitations. To the extent that services are extended to areas where they have not been planned, the ability of the public to meet its commitments in the Growth Area will be jeopardized, along with unanticipated increases in taxes, fees, and assessments to the general pub- lic. If urban or suburban development occurs in areas where it has not been planned, the result will be diminished qual- ity of the living environment. A. 1201' Facilities Plans should be completed to include all designated Growth Areas. The boundaries of the Growth Area should establish the limits of the area within which extensions s to the public sewerage systems may be made. Sewers should not be extended from the central municipal system serving the Growth Area into or through the Rural -Agricultural Area. 1. This policy does not imply that all development within Growth Areas . must necessarily be planned and be served by conventional sanitary sewerage and treatment systems. Alternatives to conventional systems may be pre- ferred where they can be shown to be more cost-effective or more compatible with the function of natural systems. However, in ccanparing the cost - benefit of conventional and alternative systems consideration should be given to the contributions of federal and state grant funding to reducing not only local public costs but private costs of facilities to the housing consumer., V - 11 B. Public sewerage facilities should be planned, designed and constructed where necessary to correct existing health and pollution problems resulting from failing septic systems in the Rural -Agricultural Area, and in Rural Villages should allow for moderate residential and com- mercial growth consistent with the Land Use Plan. Grant funding should be actively pur- sued and alternatives to conventional sanitary sewer and treatment works should be given serious consideration in the planning process. Alternative systems should be preferred in rural areas where there are existing problems when they are found to be economical and en- vironmentally sound. All plans for the correction of wastewater management problems in these areas should incorporate measures to assure adequate maintenance of new facilities and to reduce sewage generation. C. Within the Rural -Agricultural Areas where public sewerage facilities are not planned, every ef- fort should be made prior to subdivision approval to determine that soils and topographic features of the site, and the proposed placement, design, construction and maintenance of on-site sewerage systems will be adequate to ensure satisfactory performance without pollution for an indefinite period. A geohydrologic study of Washington County is underway in order to provide more accurate information regarding sub -surface conditions and groundwater constraints. Information re- sulting from the study should be used to identify potential problem areas for the use of septic systems. Alternative on -lot disposal systems, approved by the State Health Department, may be used in these areas where site-specific investigations indicate that such systems will be environmentally sound. Assurances should be given that such systems will be designed, in- stalled, operated and maintained to function properly. V - 12 Implementation of Facilities Plans 2. Following completion of Facilities Plans in each of the Growth Areas, construction priorities should be assigned to each element of the selected system, grant funding applied for, a construction schedule prepared annually for each suc- ceeding ten years over the planning period, and local expenditures budgeted in the Capital Improvements Program. A. Construction priorities should be assigned giving highest priority to those areas ex- periencing current septic system failures. However, major new facilities should also be planned to be available in a staged sequential manner to open new land for de- velopment in accordance with anticipated demands for land to support projected residential, commercial and industrial growth. Construction priorities to imple- ment the '201' Facilities Plan should be included in the Water and Sewerage Plan. B. Agreements on financing system improvements and construction priorities should be nego- tiated by the County with each municipality providing service to the Growth Areas. These agreements should be clearly specified and adopted as part of the County Water and Sewer- age Plan. C. The grant application process for all projects should be initiated in accordance with state and federal procedures in order to obtain eligibility on the state priority list for funding. The application and administration of grants should be the responsibility of an authority mutually agreed upon between the County and the concerned municipality. This responsibility may be assigned to either a regional agency of the municipality or of the County government, but the applicant must be a public body created under state law and must have authority for the disposal of sewage, industrial or other wastes and also have author- ity to plan, design, finance, and maintain sewage treatment works. The County Water and Sewerage Plan should clearly define agreements establishing the authority for grant applica- tion and administration. V - 13 D. A construction schedule should be prepared which reflects as accurately as possible the timing of new facilities construction or improvements in order to minimize the degree of uncertainty in the land development process regarding sewerage availability. The County Water and Sewerage Plan defines geographic service areas in relation to planned sewerage facilities according to the following system of classification: S-1: Facilities existing or under construction; S-3: Facilities to be given immediate priority (available within 5 years); S-5: Facilities programmed to be available within 5 to 10 years. The classification of areas for sewerage service in the County Water and Sewerage Plan should be reviewed and amended as necessary to accurately reflect construction priorities, the status of grant funding, and the Capital Improvements Pro- gram. In areas where the design or construction of system extensions or improvements is dependent on grant funding, the Service Area Classification of S-1 should not be assigned until grant approval is assured. E. Funding to implement sewerage facilities plans should be of high priority in the County Capi- tal Improvements Program. In general, federal and state grants for sewerage facilities are not available for portions of the system which must be built to serve developing areas. No priority is given by the state to sewage treat- ment plants, interceptor sewers and collector systems where the primary purpose of the project is sewer extension to serve largely undeveloped land. While the County should actively pursue attempts to gain federal and state funding for these necessary projects, it should be prepared 2. The use of interim systems which are serviced by a public agency is provided in proposed sewer service areas until such time as public sewer is available. V -14 to finance the sewerage project locally if this funding does not become available. In establishing priorities for system construc- tion, the elected officials should consider the amount of land required to support projected development through the twenty year planning period, and construction should be staged accordingly. The justification for sewerage facilities expenditures can be found through the orderly growth pattern provided in the General Plan, through the elimination of pollution and health problems, through the elimination of extending sewerage to remote developed areas, through the savings of land resources, and through increased densities of development allowed by available facilities in the Growth Areas.3 Land Subdivision 3. The responsibility for design, construction and financing collector sewers and lateral lines required to serve developing areas should be the responsibility of the land developer. All sewerage facilities should be operated and maintained by a public body, and operating and maintenance costs of all new systems should be included in the budget of the appropriate governmental agency. Review of proposals for the use of alter- native systems should include consideration of the impacts of such approval on implementation of the 1201' Facilities Plan. Where such systems are judged to provide a cost-effective and environmentally sound alternative, and where they offer a realistic alternative to conventional facilities for serving an entire geographic or drainage area, the 1201' Facilities Plan should be amended. The County Water and Sewerage Plan should also be revised to reflect that the provision of sewerage service in the area will be the responsibility of land developers. , 3. The local share of a more expensive project to serve a developed area may conceivably end up costing the County as much as it would to provide the facilities initially entirely at local expense, while the benefits of a development pattern which conserves land and minimizes the costs of providing other services will be lost. v - 15 v - 16 WATER SYSTEMS The availability of safe and adequate water supplies is a serious consideration in planning because of its importance to public health. In areas of extensive development the pro- vision of public water systems becomes extremely important and can affect the ability of the area to continue to grow and support new development. Water quality in surface streams is also vitally important for protection of recreation potentials, fish, and wildlife. Washington County possesses ample surface and ground- water resources. The Potomac River's minimum safe yield at the Hagerstown plant intake is estimated to exceed 130 MGD, roughly sufficient to provide for the needs of a population of 1,000,000. Additionally, major aquifers are found through- out the Hagerstown Valley, and South Mountain offers realistic sources for both spring and surface impoundment supplies. Pub- lic water supply systems exist in all Growth Areas and several Rural Villages, though needs exist for improvements to be made in capacity, water treatment, and distribution systems in some areas. The City of Hagerstown Water Department serves more than 70,000 residents living in Hagerstown, Funkstown, Williams- port, and suburban areas in Washington County. The sources of this water supply are the Potomac River and the Edgemont Reservoir at the foot of South Mountain. Current needs in the Hagerstown system are for increased capacity and improvements to the water treatment plant and for the reconditioning of pipeline. The Mt. Aetna system, owned and operated by the Chesa- peake Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, presently serves Highland View Academy, and some of the residences in the Village of Mt. Aetna. A Sanitary Subdistrict (No. 7) has been established and approved by the Board of County Commis- sioners, but subdistrict residents have rejected the Sanitary Subdistrict's proposal to upgrade and operate the Mt. Aetna system. In the southeastern corner of Washington County, the Weverton area is served by the water system of the City of Brunswick in Frederick County. Private and institutional sys- tems are at Camp Louise, Fort Ritchie, Greenbriar State Park and St. James School for Boys. V - 17 The Town of Smithsburg is served by its own reservoir and its facilities are considered generally adequate. The Town of Boonsboro is served by springs and a reservoir which also provides water to the Town of Keedysville. The Washing- ton County Sanitary Commission provides water to the Town of Sharpsburg (Subdistrict 4) from the Potomac River. The Town of Clear Spring is served by springp and a reservoir. The Town of Hancock water supply is taken from a reservoir and from Tonoloway Creek. While the quantity of water resources available in Washington County is more than adequate to meet anticipated needs, the quality of water supplies is a more immediate and difficult problem. The quality of water in many areas of the County will necessitate treatment in order to assure pot- ability. Contaminated well water is a widespread problem in the County. Although upgrading municipal and industrial sewerage treatment works and rehabilitation of sewers will prevent stormwater overflows, a high potential for contamination of ground and surface waters will still remain. On -lot disposal systems are utilized extensively, not only in Washington Coun- ty, but throughout the Upper Potomac River Basin. The problems are aggravated by the limestone formations in the County and high, fluctuating groundwater tables which inhibit acceptable renovation of effluents. Underground sinks, seams, and caverns serve as passage- ways for the subsurface water and are difficult to detect. They provide the means by which septic tank effluents can contaminate drinking water supplies. Not enough is known about the geohydrology of the Upper Potomac River Drainage Basin to specifically identify the potentials for or sources of contamination. Two studies have been proposed for identifying the causes and for alleviating the problems of water pollution from these "non -point" sources. The first study concerns the second phase of the Upper Potomac River Basin Plan, to be funded under Sec- tion 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and is scheduled to address controls on non -point sources and storm - water. Secondly, the geohydrologic study for the County, which is referred to with respect to its importance to sewerage system policies, should provide much needed information on the detection of subsurface geologic structures and groundwater flow patterns. v -18 Policies relevant to protection of water quality are also addressed in the Environmental Resource Management sec- tion of this Plan. The policies that follow address issues more directly related to facilities development. Many of these policies should provide guidance for review and revision of the County Water and Sewerage Plan. Contaminated Wells 1. Immediate attention should be given to addressing the problems of contaminated wells. A long-term program for public facilities development to provide a permanent solution for existing problem areas should be formulated in the process of revision of the County Water and Sewerage Plan, and implemented through the Capital Improvements Program. Sources of federal and state funding should be sought. Interim measures necessary to protect public health should be explored cooperatively by the County Planning Department, the State Health Department, and other concerned agencies, and rapidly put into effect. Geohydrologic Study 2. The geohydrologic study that began in 1979 is designed to provide information about the subsurface structure and groundwater flow patterns as they relate to potentials for groundwater contamination. Emphasis has been placed on studying the effects of on -lot sewage disposal systems on groundwater and on the relationships between the karst rock formations, soils and groundwater. Prototype study areas have been selected that represent the several physiographic pro- vinces in the County particularly in those sections of the County where there are either existing subdivisions or where new subdivisions are likely to develop. It is expected that this geohydrologic study will result in meaningful data that can be used in establishing management techniques for on -lot sewage disposal systems which in turn can lead to the abate- ment of groundwater contamination. Beyond this immediate study, however, priority should be given to establishing data and findings in those areas of public water supply 4 including the 4. The need for more specific monitoring of water pollution problems and information on pollution potentials is addressed further in the discussion of the Edgemont and Smithsburg Watersheds under Special Planning Areas. V - 19 Smithsburg and Edgemont Watersheds, and community wells. Secondly, priority should be assigned to Growth Areas where development is planned but not scheduled for extension of public water or public sewer systems until later in the plan- ning period. In Rural -Agricultural Areas, geohydrological information should be gathered as funding permits. The low density of development planned for these areas should help to protect against groundwater contamination. However, the results of geohydrological data as well as specific site testing, should be used to determine specific site densities, and to aid in the location of development with regard to underground aquifers as discussed in the Environmental Resource Management Policies of this Plan. Extension and Improvement of Public Svstems 3. Extension of the public water supply system should be planned to serve the Growth Areas. Needs for system rehabil- itation and construction should be anticipated and staged in conjunction with the provisions of sewerage service in developing areas. Construction priorities should be assigned to each element of the planned system and included in the Water and Sewerage Plan. Grant funding should be applied for and a construction schedule prepared annually for each succeeding ten years during the twenty year planning period. The construction schedule should reflect as accurately as possible the timing of construction or improvements in order to minimize the uncer- tainty of developers regarding service availability. The construction schedule should be included in the Water and Sewer- age Plan. Geographic Service Area -Classifications shown in the Water and Sewerage Plan should be reviewed and amended as necessary to realistically reflect actual construction priorities and the status of grant funding. These classifications should serve as a guide in allocating funding through the Capital Improvements process. The County Water and Sewerage Plan defines geographic areas to planned water systems according to the following clas- sifications: W-1: Facilities existing or W-3: Facilities to be given (available within W-5: Facilities planned to five to ten years; W-7: No Planned Service. V - 20 under construction; immediate priority 5 years) ; be available within Public Safet 4. Future planning and facility programming, particularly in more built-up areas, should include an analysis of storage, transmission and distribution capabilities for fire fighting purposes. V - 21 V - 22 TRANSPORTATION Unified Transportation Systems Program 1. A comprehensive Unified Transportation Program should be prepared in order to integrate functional planning for high- ways, rail, air, transit, bikeways, and pedestrian systems in Washington County. Current state, local, county and federal plans and standards for these systems should be evaluated for consistency with each other, with the Comprehensive Plan, and with sub -area projections of population and employment density and distribution. A. Program recommendations should be consolidated into a unified document which addresses all transportation system needs over the twenty year planning period. Recommendations should be shown on maps and prioritized within six year periods in order to serve as a guide to the County's Capital Improvements Program and Capital Budget. Estimated costs for projects within the immediate six year period should be shown with funding sources. The Unified Trans- portation Program should be adopted by the County Commissioners, with provisions for annual review and amendment of the document. B. The annual review process should ensure coordin- ation with the State Department of Transportation and affected municipalities prior to the adoption of the unified program, amendments, and budgets. State plans should be reviewed for compatibility with local needs. The policies of the Comprehensive Plan, and rec- commendations made in the following documents, should be considered in the development of a Unified Transportation Program: i. Hagerstown -Washington County Transportation Study; ii. Mass Transit: A Five -Year Plan, Washington County, Maryland, FY -1976/1980: iii. Mass Transit Development Plan; iv. Master Plan Report, Hagerstown Regional Air- port, 1975; V. Maryland Twenty -Year Highway Needs Study; V - 23 vi. Maryland Consolidated Transportation Program; vii. Transportation Development Program Technical Study. B. Sub -area plans should be prepared as necessary and included in the Unified Transportation Plan for the Town Growth Areas, developing areas in the Urban Growth Area, and for interior com- mercial and industrial street systems. i. The purpose of sub -area plans should be to ensure system adequacy and con- sistency throughout the development areas; ii. The approximate alignment for all con- struction and reconstruction for streets and roads unifying the development area should be established for the planning sub -area; iii. In Town and Urban Growth Areas the developmental street system should be integrated with existing and planned systems of the municipalities. The Subdivision Ordinance should be reviewed and amended to ensure construction and dedication of subdivision and local industrial and commercial area streets consistent with the sub -area plan; iv. The Subdivision Ordinance should be amended to ensure that transit waiting areas, bikeways, and pedestrian systems which may be included in the sub -area plan will guide the location of open space reservations in subdivisions where there is an open space requirement. Highways 2. The Highway Plan for Washington County should be reviewed and amended as necessary to ensure consistency with the goals, objectives and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. Within Growth Areas, County and municipal policies should be coordin- ated. A committee should be appointed to study all aspects of coordinating street planning on a long-range basis, and nego- tiated agreements should be reached on financing policy, V - 24 capital improvement priorities, design standards, cost asses- sment and other aspects of the Highway Plan as discussed in the Introduction to Public Facilities, A. Land Use Interrelationships: The interrelation- ships between highways and land development patterns are significant. The following policies should guide the development of highway systems in Washington County in order to ensure that the principles of the General Plan are supported. i. Major growth -supportive highway improve- ments (construction -reconstruction) should be of high priority in the Urban and Town Growth Areas; ii. The highway system should provide linkage between Town Growth Areas and the Urban Area and should accommodate inter -regional travel and tourism in the rural area; iii. The road network in the Rural -Agricultural Area should collect traffic from the rural villages and local roads, linking the rural area to the services and facilities centered in the Town and Urban Growth Areas. Public improvements should be made to the extent necessary to correct design defi- ciencies resulting in traffic hazards. Densities of development in the Rural - Agricultural Area should be established within the existing capacity of the trans- portation system. Current dificiencies are now so extensive that the ideal level of improvements is not attainable with projected local resources. Land develop- ment should not result in increased demands for upgrading rural roads at public expense. B. Construction/Reconstruction: Highway construction, reconstruction and improvement projects should be included in the Unified Transportation Program. The Unified Program document should be developed as a means of coordinating information and planning of transportation projects over the twenty-year plan- ning period, and should serve as a guide to the allocation of public funds through the Capital Im- provements Program. v - 25 C. Highway Plan: The Washington County Highway Plan Map showing the functional classifications of existing and planned roads is shown on Figure 11. Highway standards associated with each functional classification are shown in the Table on the re- verse side of Figure 11. These standards are used as a guide to assigning the most appropriate functional classification to each public road. They are also used by the Planning Commission to provide for appropriate access spacing and right- of-way width for each road through the development review process. The Washington County Highway Plan is intended to do the following: i. Show the functions of and relationships between existing and proposed public roads, streets, and highways within the County by means of a uniform system of functional classifications; ii. Identify the general location and clas- sification of proposed new roads which result from needs studies conducted at the state and local levels. This identi- fication provides the basis for more detailed engineering studies to assess environmental impact and to determine specific alignments. Priorities and funding for each project should then be set by means of the Unified Transportation Program and the Capital Improvements Program; iii. Relate functional classifications of existing and proposed new roads to stan- dards which are required for the roads to ultimately function at full potential. Through the development review process, the Planning Commission ensures that right-of-way and access standards can be met before granting development approval. This is an important service which mini- mizes.future public costs and private inconveniences associated with public road construction and improvement. The Highway Plan is not intended to represent a commitment on the part of the County or State to construct or improve any road shown on the Plan Map. However, it serves as a guide for indivi- dual projects which appear in the Unified Transportation Program and Capital Improvements Program. V - 26 -- --- ----- �� [ -----�r--- _. • .her Y y� ill A • � � /� S ! HEARTH-STONE MOUNTAIN EkwfW/I Ml[ALi1q' f ' d a• ,� it+pepttpMrrr !� IFpATMr r, f •; yc'�` �i S, AW I�• I C ISA OILHENS 1 MILLtiPNL s ugawrkr KNOB y J w t rOR/tFTHE r� r s y oro Eam LKj o II�TNUT a. ovE pP`•I �np''A. 1 ■y�JI �/' SCALE MILES 6 I 2 3 STATE WASHINGTON COUNTY HIGHWAY PLAN FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS EXISTING ROAD PROPOSED ROAD Principal Arterial M O E N Intermediate Arterial Minor Arterial Major Collector Minor Collector li Local (2) (1) County Functional Classifications are not applicable within Municipal Limits (2)Proposed Local roads & streets are not shown as they are proposed only on an individual development basis Lew LTOfA �'r-On* 1 110 Y tanpr kL ptt lKr+E pOH MCiB,l119 wBLvoer .SWIBL� /R A, NI; K.YY A[kti WAWA i E � - �� r • snre wAW,r j i SIT�R/TOWN W- Mtn {LLyEa}4 � � XLEB I MCO MILL kiNO HILL s ugawrkr M4, oro Eam LKj o II�TNUT a. ovE pP`•I �np''A. 1 ■y�JI �/' I OATNL AND / STATE PAWA' WEVENTON SCALE Feet 4000 0000 12000 16000 20000 24000 Miles o 2 A FIGURE 11 HIGHWAY PLAN STANDARDS (1) FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPAL INTERMEDIATE MINOR CLASSIFICATION ARTERIAL ARTERIAL ARTERIAL MAJOR COLLECTOR MINOR COLLECTOR LOCAL Design Type Freeway Freeway/Expres sway Expressway /Two Two or Multi -Lane Two Lane Highway Two Lane Highway or Multi -Lane Highway (Occasionally Multi - Highway Lane) Character of Interstate or Statewide Inter -Regional Intra -Regional Intra -County Inter -Community Intra -Community Travel Type Generators Interstate -Urbanized Small Urban Areas Major towns Com- Towns & Small Com- Villages 4 Neighbor- Individual Properties Served (Popu- Areas > 50,000 of 5000 - 25,000 munities of munities of hoods of 100 - 500 lation) Intra -State > 25,000 1000 - 5000 500 - 1000 Typical Mean (2) Rural > 10,000 ADT Rural > 5,000 ADT Rural 2000 - 5000 Rural 1000 - 3000 Rural 500 - 1500 Rural < 1000 ADT Traffic Urban > 25,000 ADT Urban >20,000 ADT ADT ADT ADT Urban < 2000 ADT Urban 5000 - 25,000 Urban 2000 - 10,000 Urban 1000 - 3000 ADT ADT ADT 55 - 70 MPH Rural 45 - 60 MPH Rural 40 - 45 MPH Rural 40 - 45 MPH Rural +30 - 40 MPH Typical Operating Rural ± 40 MPH Speed Urban 35 - 50 MPH Urban 30 - 40 MPH Urban 25 - 35 MPH Urban ± 25 - 30 MPH Urban -25 MPH (3) No direct property Minimum 500' Minimum 500' Minimum 300' Minimum 100' distance No restrictions on Access Spacing access. Grade separated distance between distance between distance between between property access new property access interchanges only. all new access all new access all new access points. Minimum 250' points. Street points. points. points. between public street jogs less than 125' access points. not permitted. Right -of -Way (3) Variable 150' 100' 80' 60' S0' Width 150' to 300' 1 - NOTES: (1) Additional geometric design standards are found in "Road and Street Standards and Specifications" (Washington County Engineering Department, January, 1976). (2) Mean Traffic is expressed in ADT (Average Daily Traffic) or the number of vehicles passing a given point in both directions within a 24-hour period. (3) Standards for access spacing and right-of-way width are currently enforced by the Washington County Planning Commission through the Subdivision Ordinance. D. Subdivision Streets; The review of the proposed layout and design of interior subdivision streets is the responsibility of the Planning.Commission. The Subdivision Ordinance should be reviewed and amended as necessary to incorporate the following guidelines: i. Functional design requirements, of interior residential neighborhood streets in the Urban Growth Area should be minimized to reduce costs to the consumer and provide for innovative design concepts, while still ensuring safety, accessibility, and pedestrian compatibility; ii. Collector streets through a subdivision should be continous, providing two points of ingress and egress from the subdivision and ensuring system contin- uity. Local streets should be required to provide through connections for emergency access; Access -ways through cul-de-sacs and dead- end streets need not be constructed for through traffic but right -or -way may be required to be reserved for emergency access. Standards for construction of access -ways should be formulated and in- corporated in the Highway Plan and Subdivision Ordinance; iii. Each subdivision developer should be responsible for construction and dedica- tion of subdivision streets to standards established in the Highway Plan and incorporated in the Subdivision Ordinance. E. Right -of -Way: Additional right-of-way may be planned above that which is required to serve a subdivision. A consistent and uniform policy should be adopted to provide for financing and construction in this situation, and these poli- cies should be clearly stated in the Highway Plan and Subdivision Ordinance. The Subdivision Ordinance should also be revised to provide for a more reasonable time period within which the County must establish a centerline and acquire the right-of-way for any major highway proposed through a developing subdivision. v-27 F. Design Standards; Standards established by the Highway Plan should apply to all land develop- ment regardless of whether the land is being subdivided. These standards should be reviewed and amended as necessary,to incorporate the policies of the Land Use Plan. Criteria should be developed which relate to the potential of a proposed development to generate additional traffic to the adequacy of the road system in the area. Existing roads should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine realistic capability based upon the surface condition, width, alignment, and sight distance associated with the road. The potential for traffic gener- ation in the development should be based upon average values determined by studies completed by the State Highway Administration until better data becomes available. The County Roads Department should conduct traffic counts for representative type developments to provide more localized trip generation standards. This policy should be primarily aimed at ensuring that the density and access of development in rural areas provides for adequate safety of the roads. G. Stripping of Public Roads: The location of a series of adjacent residential building lots each having direct access to a public road is sometimes referred to as stripping. This prac- tice can be undesirable in several respects. It may create traffic conflicts where vehicles move from residential driveways into a public throughway, and it encourages development along rural roads in those areas where increased de- velopment is contrary to the intent of this Plan. It may also be seen as having a negative effect upon the visual attractiveness of rural areas. Land use policies should discourage the further stripping of public roads throughout the County. One approach to this problem is to amend the Subdivision Ordinance so as to provide incentives to developers to construct an interior road sys- tem in all subdivisions that are in excess of a given number of lots. V - 28 Pedestrian Systems 3. Pedestrian systems including sidewalks and pathways are generally lacking in suburban Washington County. Even in more densely developed neighborhoods, pedestrians and ve- hicles compete for space, In these areas especially, the need for pedestrian systems has become evident. Pedestrian systems should be planned in the design of residential de- velopments since the costs of publicly constructed systems in existing developed neighborhoods, in a comprehensive manner, is prohibitive. A. It is recommended that Maryland enabling legis- lation for Washington County Road Improvement Districts be expanded to include voluntary establishment for pedestrian systems. The existing program provides for the establishment of special taxing districts. B. It is recommended that all new residential de- velopment in the Urban Growth Area of greater than four dwelling units per acre be required to provide pedestrian systems. Mass Transit 4. County Commuter bus service should become an increasingly significant aspect of transportation services in Washington County and should be given considerable attention in the de- velopment of a Unified Transportation Program. The following policies should guide transit system planning: A. With continued financial support from the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Federal Urban Mass Transit Administration, the County Commuter system should remain operationally supplemented by local resources as an important major public service for as long as service demand continues. B. Major new residential, commercial, industrial and institutional developments located or existing as planned transit service routes should incorporate transit waiting areas through reservation of space and provision of safe and efficient transit access. v - 29 C. Washington County should work closely with major employers in the Hagerstown area to explore opportunities for improvement of employment-related ridership, and,mass transit service should be increasingly oriented to providing for work-related trips to major employment centers as demand develops. D. Mass transit scheduled service should unify the Hagerstown Urban Growth Area to link with the Urban and Town Growth Areas. Ex- tensions of the system into the Rural -Agricul- tural Area should in general not be subsidized by the public. E. The County Commuter system's equipment and service levels should be analyzed periodically to assure maximum utilization and convenience to the elderly and handicapped. F. Bus shelters should be placed along major transit routes in locations of greatest population density through easement acquisition, placement in existing rights-of-way or through site reservation in con- junction with new development. Air Transportation 5. Air transportation is provided by the Hagerstown Regional Airport and by several small privately owned utility airports throughout the County. The following policies apply to air transportation: A. The "AP", Airport Zoning classification should be retained in the Zoning ordinance, geographically expanded and amended to provide for transportation industry related land uses, height limitations in accord with federal rules and regulations and appropriate residential guidelines to minimize potential noise impacts. B. All proposed major developments in the airport vicinity should be subject to site plan review and approval. C. The Airport District should be considered an area of planned economic development effort. V - 30 D. Washington County should support efforts to preserve, maintain and improve the Hagerstown Regional Airport. E. Provisions should be made in the County Zoning Ordinance to allow utility airports within the rural area zoning districts. Such provisions should include setback requirements from resi- dential areas based upon guidelines provided by the Federal Aviation Administration. V -31 V - 32 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES Washington County's public school facilities total some 47 schools and 1,000 acres of land. Recent construction has provided the County with a number of modern, completely equipped facilities. At the same time, some schools suffer from age, obsolete design, restricted site size_, and over- crowded conditions. While the County -wide population is expected to increase, it is projected that public school enrollment in the County will continue to decline through 1990 thereby relieving over- crowding at some schools, though in developing areas enrollments may increase. It will require considerable innovation in plan- ning and design of educational facilities to keep up with the needs of a shifting distribution of school age population and still provide elementary schools with a minimum of bussing beyond the neighborhood. It will also be necessary to put excess classroom space in schools with declining enrollments to constructive new uses. There will be continuing needs for capital improvements to public schools. There may be long-term needs for new schools in Growth Areas near Hagerstown. There will also be a need for periodic renovation of older schools. Existing educational facilities are shown along with other major community facili- ties on Figure 12. Hagerstown Junior College is housed in modern facilities on a 188 -acre campus east of Hagerstown in the area of the pro- posed New Community. The College anticipates moderate enrollment increases to continue. A four-year college program in Washington County would pro- vide improved educational opportunities much needed in Western Maryland. Perceived economic advantages include the ability of a four-year college to attract professional, high income families as residents, to attract industry, and to generate service jobs to support the college. Educational concerns are addressed by the following policies: Adequacy of Facilities 1. The general condition and degree of obsolescence for each public school building should be periodically and regularly V - 33 evaluated. Of primary importance is the effect of physical facilities on the education program offered. Such evalua- tions should serve as the basis for decisions to reconstruct, renovate,. or make additions to deficient schools. Top priority for the relocation of obsolete schools should be given to those which are located on excessively restricted sites, unless such sites can be expanded. Overcrowding 2. Remedial measures should be taken when the enrollment of a particular school creates an over -crowded condition which adversely affects the educational program. Such measures may include adjustment of enrollment district lines, installation of moveable classrooms, scheduling of special sessions, or new construction. School Site Selection 3. Public school sites should be selected on the following basis: A. Site sizes should be in conformance with State recommended standards. B. Middle and high schools should be located within educational parks where recreation and other facilities may be shared. In general, schools should be located within population concentra- tions and construction coordinated with the timing for provision of public utilities. Middle and high school sites to serve the population living in the Rural -Agricultural Area should be selected within the Growth Areas. C. Elementary schools should be located in residen- tial neighborho.ods,'and pedestrian systems in the residential development process should be planned and integrated to allow children to walk safely to the school. Necessary street and inter- section improvements to provide greater safety should be made. V - 34 b%4_160.41 SCALE MILES 0 --- ----- e usAMi'vd ,I __ + ti r �.+_ IY 6 MINN YON OROVE LrlAvga NNM1^I+ ORi • [, E 4 tdY^ a } NEA HE...HSTONE MOUNTIIN � +is Metly,llf � I it al ORY NVp •�:;+ W.M. IIEo WILL + y f ISMF[C $ so N996R q l z NI�ONTR mi. t {I [4"1 "k r LKEE RLri f^'l4 -h � c%, CI VN.rIYx6 4+ WL ■ 4rLLT}0hl STATE PARK oft, 1 i aM1Os jj NT. am S ERXY .,, EIVET • Ni TkCod � ' [ �':� IlRLlei a00ER. "A I ACRRI riCAWlRF CIFbrF6VILLE Y W.%5t1 r Pon ? 4. ay ETA" • 7 ¢t 4mff l2 [r y C.IIpTMut CLEAR. SPRI aii 9E1•_E 5 OAWLA N �iir°°.R9r.Tw J wIIAW p Ra 44 MI - ,`+i [npgTNvLLC�1 I S 19-0[ IYAARa"w" BROWNBNLLE n1�eIMCpL� JL4+N0" 61 L6x+ll A t1T y ItRRL np owyp 0,0 E ,PAWD CNIRLTO^i M11166Vi "Mlnt + A+qV [AMSrOf[ 6I00"f6 r . ANNA 1 raw ocK2 4 _. oo s 1 1 ►f BALLS ROAD` d "for STATE / 1I RI S, A91E i PARK ...� //I 1 •�..�+ [ MILL IN, "C EIIT9W1f� glly� 6T. +A"LI' MI e 1 WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMUNITY FACILITIES LEGEND O PUBLIC SCHOOLS Q HEALTH FACILITIES 0 FIRE STATIONS Q LIBRARIES ® PARKS & RECREATION AREAS BIKEWAYS 6WJ=LAAM1r, aK2M ■ ^" ■ SYLVAN e usAMi'vd ,I wn[LYAk – k0. �� �.+_ IY 6 MINN YON OROVE LrlAvga NNM1^I+ aN[ExhN'I[T l 1. rM." +r E'NL11 6YNEI tdY^ a 6,Aft + I+ RR NEA XVYETT9 CN0S6NOA06 Rf CArtl,C! C. .. •�:;+ W.M. IIEo WILL I T T; $ so N996R q l z NI�ONTR mi. t {I [4"1 "k r LKEE RLri f^'l4 -h � aaMlRlA,?YaN MON!/MEMT RCEnRVILL ■ 4y1+ STATE PARK oft, 1 i H AGEi� `Fsyw7k NT. am S ERXY .,, EIVET • Ni TkCod � ' [ �':� IlRLlei a00ER. "A I ACRRI riCAWlRF CIFbrF6VILLE Y W.%5t1 r RIU�L—Et• ETA" pC{ X4Y 4mff l2 [r y C.IIpTMut aii 9E1•_E 5 OAWLA N �iir°°.R9r.Tw r I - i 19-0[ IYAARa"w" BROWNBNLLE n1�eIMCpL� JL4+N0" " LE t1T ItRRL tlr� dWTUNN "Mlnt + [AMSrOf[ 6I00"f6 r . ANNA 1 "++++ 4 - BALLS ROAD` d RI S, A91E i KAY[R CREEK [ - MILL IN, "C EIIT9W1f� glly� 6T. +A"LI' MI e 1 � INLi1M L N 040 �A � 014Ae6als6wal WAPYYn } °NAX9 d/ R. ! KEE,+YSVILLF MONPCLL �^G e usAMi'vd ,I wn[LYAk – LVIxV11 �.+_ ``F MINN YON RY LrlAvga NNM1^I+ aN[ExhN'I[T l 1. rM." RL �RIW3 6YNEI MIA. a 6,Aft + I+ RR - II �• � I NITA2.Mta �9v 9AlT[fllYyp�NT Rf CArtl,C! •�:;+ W.M. IIEo WILL y la $ so N996R q l S mi. t NET [4"1 "k r LKEE RLri f^'l4 -h � aaMlRlA,?YaN MON!/MEMT RCEnRVILL ■ 4y1+ STATE PARK +/' ! KEE,+YSVILLF MONPCLL �^G e •� � – : �.+_ "pY RY NNM1^I+ CL VEL MIA. - II �• � I NITA2.Mta �9v 9AlT[fllYyp�NT Rf CArtl,C! •�:;+ SMM1RrBB. s6 e+ IIEo WILL y HILL S mi. t r LKEE RLri . s ` PRRI[ 1 oft, 1 i . NT. am S W1.6 CnR %fix [a I TkCod IL RIU�L—Et• ETA" VV 1 _+ l2 [r y C.IIpTMut ..We 5 OAWLA N �iir°°.R9r.Tw r v {+ CARMAN IYAARa"w" BROWNBNLLE JL4+N0" RN + Aub A Y + ..LL ; 11 1EE Vt RTON r Q,k I SCALE Feet 0 4000 6000 12000 16000 200oo 24000 I Mlles o 1 2 a 4 FIGURE 12 Acquisition 4. Site selection for future school construction should be accomplished through the cooperative efforts of all relevant community groups and public agencies. County and town plan- ning commissions should be given the opportunity to comment on proposed school site locations within their jurisdictions as such locations relate to their community plans. Site plans for school construction should be subject to review and distribution to all relevant agencies for comment. Multiple Use of Facilities 5. School facilities should be made available for community use when not scheduled for educational activities. Opportu- nities for the use of excess classroom space by community groups and by public agencies should be explored as such space becomes available. Cooperative arrangements with local recrea- tion groups for the joint use of facilities should be encouraged. Higher Education 6. Washington County should pursue and support the expansion of cooperative advanced degree programs through Hagerstown Junior College, and should participate with State and local education officials and citizens to determine the feasibility of establishing a four-year college program in Washington County. Planning Commission Review 7. The Planning Commission should review site plans for all major institutional uses such as public schools and colleges. Future public school site locations should be reviewed by the Commission for conformance with the Comprehensive Plan. V - 35 V - 36 HOUSING Standards,, plans, and programs should be developed to ensure the provision of adequate housing opportunities and a choice in living environment for persons of all racial, income, and age groups in Washington County. Policies for Residential Development contained in the Land Use Policies Section are aimed at maintaining choice of urban, town, or rural living environments and providing a broad range of housing types in sufficient quantity to allow for maximum consumer choice. In addition, proposed ordinance revisions are intended to provide increased flexibility in density and design, consistent with adequate provisions for open space and privacy. The availability of utilities to support planned development within Growth Areas is emphasized. Ac- tions that tend to increase the cost of housing should be carefully evaluated in terms of their costs and benefits. Governmental regulations, taxes, financing and industry practices which add to the costs of housing should be exam- ined and practical means sought to reduce rising costs. Additional public action will be necessary, however, to overcome the shortage of low and moderate income housing, to assist families unable to afford standard shelter, to encour- age private investment in the maintenance and rehabilitation of the stock of existing housing, and to increase choice in housing opportunities for low-income persons, the elderly, handicapped, ethnic minorities,and others. The following policies address the housing problems in the County: New Housinq Construction 1. New housing construction should provide a broad range of marketable housing types to allow for maximum consumer choice. Land use controls should allow for flexibility in the location of various types of housing in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. A. Streets and utilities for new developments should be constructed to support future development in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. Where streets and utilities are required to be signif- icantly greater than minimum standards for new residential development, the costs involved V -37 should be assumed by the new development on a pro -,rated basis. New developments should pay for only that percentage of improvements which will actually be used by the residents. The additional costs to accommodate planned future growth should be funded by local government for an interim period to be recovered later from future developments. B. The City of Hagerstown and Washington County should pursue all possible alternatives to provide timely water and sewer service to devel- opable areas in the Hagerstown metropolitan area. Such alternatives include the management of pub- lic water and sewer systems by a Board of Public Works -or other independent agency, the shared bonding of capital improvements to water and sewer systems, and joint use agreements. C. Sewage treatment alternatives should be actively pursued to determine what methods will be effective in Washington County. Demonstration projects to test the feasibility of particular systems for this area should be undertaken as a joint effort between the public and private sec- tors. The use of interim community systems which are serviced by a public agency should be con- sidered for proposed seWOr service areas until such time as public central sewer is made avail- able. vail- able. D. The County and the municipalities within the growth areas should adopt common subdivision design criteria for improvements such as roads, water and sewer systems,and drainage. These criteria should assure that the improvements are adequate to accommodate a higher residential density in the growth areas consistent with the maintenance of a high quality of life and at the same time should assure that the resulting design standards do not establish disincentives for development. Low and Moderate Income Housin 2. County policies should encourage and assist in the con- struction of housing for low and moderate income families. l R A. Incentives such as density bonuses and technical assistance,should be provided to private devel- opers and non-profit sponsors of low and moderate income housing. B. Use of County surplus property for development of low and moderate income housing should be con- sidered when such property becomes available. C. Mobile home development at the densities of resi- dential development within the Policy Areas of the General Plan, and establishment of a mobile home park zoning district in Growth Areas, will allow opportunities for more low and moderate income housing and housing for the elderly via the private market. Housina Assistance 3. Housing assistance programs refer to Federal, State, and local programs which offer some form of financial aid for the rehabilitation or construction of housing, or which through rent or income subsidies supplement the ability of a family or an individual so as to afford available housing in the conventional market. A. Housing assistance programs should emphasize scattered site development of low and moderate income housing. Assisted developments should include a diversity of income levels and avoid large scale concentrations of low income families in one area. Public housing units sponsored by a County Housing Authority should be developed with emphasis on small scale projects for elderly and scattered -site housing for low and moderate income families. B. Developers of conventional housing should be encouraged to set aside a portion of their units for low and moderate income families through voluntary participation in available assistance programs. C. Maximum use should be made of Community Develop- ment Block Grants and other State and Federal Programs to assist in housing rehabilitation and V - 39 and to provide basic facilities to serve new housing construction. Homeowners and landlords should be encouraged to make use of the avail- able rehabilitation loan programs. D. Priority should be given to those assistance programs, such as Section. 8 Rent Supplements, which promote consumer choice and flexibility for low and moderate income families. E. The County should supplement Federal funds such as Block Grant money with local funds for the operation of a completely local housing program for low and moderate income families. These funds might be used to provide low interest loans, loan guarantees, and/or mortgage improve- ment financing for low and moderate income developments. Housing Rehabilitation 4. Housing which is well maintained and in plentiful supply represents a substantial community asset. Efforts need to be made to preserve and maintain housing resources suffering from age and physical deterioration in developed portions of the County. The following publicly supported measures should be taken to stimulate neighborhood revitalization and to encourage private investments in maintaining the existing housing supply: A. Upgrading the condition of such public facilities as water and sewer systems, roads and streets, pedestrian systems, and public parks and open spaces within older developments to encourage the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing hous- ing. B. Abatement or deferral.of tax assessment increases which are directly attributal to certain struc- tural, plumbing, heating, electrical, or energy conservation improvements. This action will remove the financial penalties associated with property improvements which serve to discourage property owners from performing needed rehabili- tation. A formal proposal to the County delegation for a change in State tax law will be required. V -40 C. Modification of existing codes or establishment of a separate rehabilitation code which will allow some departure from new construction stan- dards so that rehabilitation may be more easily accommodated. Only those changes should be made which will not compromise health or safety stan- dards. D. Consumer education programs sponsored jointly by public and private housing rehabilitation special- ists to provide information and technical advice on rehabilitation to interested property owners. E. Government acquisition of blocks or units of substandard housing for the purpose of low-cost resale to groups or individuals interested in rehabilitation. F. A self-help program to provide technical, finan- cial, or other assistance to homeowners who wish to perform their own rehabilitation. This pro- gram might include local government guarantee of private home improvement loans. Equal Opportunity Housing 5. It is the policy of Washington County to promote equal opportunity housing and to discourage discriminatory prac- tices which are based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, or physical or mental handicap. A. Existing and proposed government policies, pro- grams and regulations should be reviewed to ensure that their effect is not to discriminate, segregate, or exclude anyone from equal opportu- nity housing. B. Positive action should be taken to ensure that low income and minority citizens are informed of available housing assistance programs and are afforded the opportunity to participate in these programs. C. A Fair Housing Group should be established and made operational to serve Washington County, including the City of Hagerstown and other in- corporated towns. This group would be similar to the Hagerstown Human Relations Commission but would serve the County as a whole. V - 41 Immediate. responsibilities of the proposed Fair Housing Group would include reviewing proposed public actions which may impact on equal oppor- tunity housing, disseminating information of the legal rights of prospective homeowners and renters to equal opportunity housing, receiving and in- vestigating reports of housing discrimination, and resolving reported discrimination by means of conference, conciliation, injunction, or litiga- tion. Coordination of Local Housinq Efforts 6. Because of the multiplicity of groups and organizations involved in housing at the local level, there is a great need for coordination and communication among these groups. A. Local organizations concerned with housing should be given the opportunity to participate in pro- posed government plans and programs related to or impacting upon housing in Washington County. B. Wherever possible, City and County housing pro- grams should be consolidated or at least coordinated so as not to be in conflict. Public agencies in- volved in housing programs should not duplicate services. It is recommended that City and County staff personnel engaged in similar work activities be shared on joint projects as a first step in determining what activities would lead to consoli- dation. C. Technical assistance should be provided to the small incorporated towns to coordinate their com- munity development activities with those of the County. V - 42 HEALTH FACILITIES The location of existing health facilities in Washington County are shown on Figure 12. A full range of health services are offered by the Wash- ington County Hospital, the Western Maryland Hospital Center, Brook Lane Psychiatric Center, the Washington County Health Department, the Little Antietam Medical Clinic of Keedysville, nursing homes, and facilities for the mentally retarded, such as the Western Maryland Mental Retardation Center I. Important trends which may have an effect on health care facilities should be -noted. Aged persons are expected to represent a greater percentage of the County population and will make proportionately greater demands on health care facilities. Large increases in patient visits to Washington County Health Department Clinics may be expected to continue, especially among the rural poor. The emergency room at Wash- ington County serves as the primary source of health care for many people, although it is designed for the provision of service to acutely ill or seriously injured patients. At the same time, new doctors who move into the County are locating not in the poor rural areas but in and around metropolitan Hagerstown. The above trends have important implications for adequate health care in Washington County. In response to these trends, the following policies are proposed: Health Planning 1. The County Planning Commission should work cooperatively with health services agencies and organizations in the County and the Regional Health Systems Agency to provide information necessary in the preparation of plans to meet health service needs, and for funding applications for health facilities and programs. A health resources document should be prepared which will provide information on existing health needs, service resources, and the projected relationships between population trends and health facilities and service requirements. The Planning Commission should provide information and assistance as required to coordinate plans of various agencies and to insure compatibility of facilities planning with the General Plan and Land Use Policies. V - 43 Primary Care Deliver 2. The County should encourage and assist the Washington County Hospital in its efforts to provide out-patient clinic services and follow-up care to the large number of persons who now rely on the emergency room as their only source of health care. In addition, permanent Hea-lth Department branches should also be established in Town Growth Areas. Various alternatives for the provision of primary care clinics to serve the Rural -Agricultural Area of the County should be evaluated. Where feasible, clinics should be established in Town Growth Areas to serve the population of the surrounding rural areas. Transportation services for the low income, elderly, and handicapped should be incorporated in plans for service deliv- ery. Federal and State grant funding should be sought and various payment mechanisms evaluated to ensure that services are available to the medically indigent. Land Use 3. The Zoning ordinance should be reviewed and amended as necessary to provide for medical and dental clinics, nursing homes, and health related facilities, all of which are pres- ently Special Exceptions in Residential Zoning Districts, in locations peripheral to commercial centers and with access from secondary or collector streets rather than local resi- dential streets. V - 44 PUBLIC SAFETY FIRE, RESCUE, AND POLICE FACILITIES Figure 12 illustrates the location of fire, rescue, police and detention facilities existing in 1978. Washington County is served by 23 volunteer fire companies, 6 ambulance companies, and one civil defense department. Fire and rescue facilities are manned and operated by volunteers with the exception of some paid fire personnel in the City of Hagerstown. This means that the financial burden of facility expansion and equipment purchase must be borne primarily by the fund raising efforts of volunteers. In Washington County, police and detention responsibility is divided among six agencies, including the Maryland State Police, the Washington County Sheriff's Department and munici- pal departments in Hagerstown, Boonsboro, Hancock, and Williamsport. Police protection in the Town of Smithsburg is provided by a Resident State Trooper. State Police headquar- ters are located in a new facility south of Hagerstown. The Sheriff's Department is housed in a small building adjacent to the Detention Center. All municipal departments maintain offices in relatively old structures although the City of Hagerstown Police Department has recently moved to new quarters in the Western Maryland Railway Station. Washington County has experienced a substantial increase in reported crimes within the last ten years at a rate higher than the national average. This trend, along with a desire to provide the most comprehensive and cost-effective police ser- vices available, has led to a recommendation from several sources for a consolidated, county -wide system. Should a county -wide system become feasible, the renovated Western Mary- land Station would be adequate to serve as headquarters. The Washington County Detention Center is a structure over 100 years of age which is desperately in need of replace- ment. Overcrowded conditions, together with serious defi- ciencies in locking mechanisms, the electrial system, and recreation facilities for inmates have been noted for some time. Fire, rescue, and police operations are sometimes hindered by impassable roads, bridges, and at -grade railroad crossings. The improvements to such facilities should be done with due consideration to fire and rescue vehicle access. Likewise, the planning of residential, commercial, and industrial development V -45 must account for emergency vehicle access, the availability of water to fight fires, and the use of ladder trucks to service multi -story buildings. Public safety concerns in Washington County are addressed by the following policies: Public Safetv Facilities Plannin 1. Growth projections, land development patterns, trans- portation plans, and other data directly relevant to the advance planning of public safety facilities and services should be periodically reviewed and evaluated by the Washing- ton County Planning Commission. Information and assistance should be provided to those agencies and citizens groups directly responsible for planning and public safety. The Washington County Planning Commission should provide assis- tance to these agencies in coordinating plans for the various types of services. A. Fire and rescue stations should be located so as to provide a minimum response time in most emer- gency situations. A general response time standard of 10 minutes may be used as a guide for station location. B. In Growth Areas, parcels of land should be set aside in advance for use as fire, rescue stations and police substations. Where evaluation of growth trends indicates a need for new facilities the Planning Commission should work closely with affected public safety agencies and organizations to determine the most appropriate approach to reserving such facility sites. C. The efficiency of dispatching emergency vehicles to rural areas should be increased by establishing a rural house numbering system and by changing the names of rural roads which are duplicated in different areas of the County. The Washington County Planning Commission should provide informa- tion and assistance in coordinating work by local volunteer fire companies for the purpose of developing a Washington County Fire Protection Master Plan in cooperation with the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration of the U. S. Department of Commerce. V - 46 D. While planning for public safety should ensure that services are adequate to meet standards in the rural areas of the County, proposals for new devel- opment should demonstrate that existing public services are adequate to serve the proposed develop- ment and that the subdivision will not need more public services than are presently available. E. The upgrading of County roads, bridges, and at - grade railroad intersections should be conducted with appropriate consideration given to those which are marginally accessible to emergency vehicles. An evaluation of rural road adequacy should provide the basis for establishing priorities and the scheduling and budgeting of improvements to be incorporated in the Unified Transportation Systems Program. F. The Washington County Detention Center should be replaced. The new facility should meet minimum State requirements in terms of security and health- ful living conditions and should take into account recent Federal Court Decisions on the rights of inmates to living and recreation space. Site Design 2. The design of new residential, commercial and industrial developments in Washington County should facilitate the pro- vision of services to the development in the event of emergency. The site plan review process should ensure that emergency vehicle access is provided and that water supply and pressure are adequate. The County Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regu- lations should be reviewed to ensure that fire -fighting and rescue standards are incorporated which protect public safety without necessitating excessive costs or imposing unnecessary or unreasonable constraints on the development. Water Supply 3. Within the Urban Growth Area, the County Water and Sewer Plan should be reviewed to ensure that water supply will be adequate to support planned development. In rural areas, large developments should be planned which can be adequately served by available water supply for fire protection purposes. V - 47 V - 48 GOVERNMENT OFFICE SPACE, CIVIC AND CULTURAL FACILITIES Government Office Space 1. Central offices of County government should continue to be located within Hagerstown in proximity of the County Court House. Service branches should be located in Town Growth Areas. 2. Washington County should develop a comprehensive long- range program for energy conservation in County government including guidelines for the energy efficient design and oper- ation of public buildings. Federal grant funding for this project, including the reduction of public sector transporta- tion energy consumption (mass transit, school buses, and motor pooling) as well as planning and programming for future solid waste conversion, should be pursued. Civic -Cultural Facilities 1. County museums, libraries, and historic sites should con- tinue to be partially supported by public funds to provide quality opportunities for the enjoyment of civic and cultural activities by County residents. 2. Branch libraries which may be proposed in the future should be located only within the Urban and Town Growth Areas and should be designed to provide service to the population of the surrounding Rural -Agricultural Area. V - 49 V - 50 PARKS AND OPEN SPACE Figure 12 illustrates the location of existing parks, open space, and bikeways in Washington County. Parks are characterized as Neighborhood, Community, County, Regional, or Special Use according to differences in function, service area, and service population. The following descrip- tions are helpful in understanding these categories: A Neighborhood Park is a small park (2 to 5 acres) which includes play areas for children but also features areas of interest for adults such as sitting areas and flower gardens. As in the case of all parks serving the neighborhood, limited parking facilities are required since the parks are within walking distance (11 mile or less) of potential users. The Neighborhood Park should serve a population of about 2000 within a larger community located in the Urban Growth Area. A Community Park may include playfields and a recreation center as well as facilities for more passive pursuits such as picnicking and nature study. A Community Park is designed to serve the population of several neighborhoods within a rad- ius of two or three miles. In Washington County, a Community Park would serve a population from two to ten thousand people. Acreage standards vary from about fifty acres within the Urban Growth Area to ten acres in a Village or Town Area. A County Park is designed to serve the people of the en- tire County. The size of the County Park is not as significant as the fact that it offers facilities attractive enough to draw County residents from a three to ten mile radius. Such facilities may include a pre-school play area, sports fields, paved courts, picnic areas, and sites for day or weekend camping. A Regional Park is similar to a County Park, though per- haps larger and more diversified. A Regional Park in Washington County would be designed to attract visitors from the Western Maryland and Tri-State areas. It would include those recrea- tional facilities featured in County Parks, as well as certain historic, cultural, and spectator sports attractions which might influence out-of-town visitors to travel up to twenty miles to see them. Special Use Parks may be included as part of a larger County or Regional Park or may stand alone. Special Use Parks follow specific themes and are located in areas of opportunity. Exam- ples include arboreta, zoos, botanical gardens, historical farms, nature centers, roadside overlooks, basketball courts, tennis courts and skateboard parks. V -51 Acquisition 2. Various means for the acquisition of parkland or open space should be provided through innovative approaches that need not necessarily be limited to outright purchase. De- pending upon the situation, one form of acquisition or reservation may be more appropriate than another. The dif- ferent means of acquisition should be used in a way that will be most cost effective and provide the most parkland. These may include outright purchase, long-term lease arrange- ments by the County with the owner, or the dedication of open space by a developer. It is anticipated that there will be continued dependence upon the 100% funding assistance of Program Open Space. Other contributions to the total acre- age of locally -oriented parks and open space may come from donated land, new school sites, local Ruritan Club parks, and excess public property. Maximum use should be made of 100% State funding assistance for park acquisition through Program Open Space and of assistance obtained through other programs. ParkPlannin Process 3. Inasmuch as all park and recreational needs for the twenty-year period cannot be presently foreseen, specific recommendations for park acquisition and development will not be presented here. However, a park planning process should be developed by which park acquisition and development needs are addressed on a continuing basis. In general, this process should give overall responsibility for park and open space site selection to the Planning Commission in cooperation with the Park Board. It should also give overall responsibility for park design and development to the Park Board in cooper- ation with the Planning Commission. A program for acquisition and development should be prepared as a joint effort of both bodies in which long and short range needs are identified. Funds for short-range projects should be set aside through the Capital Improvements Program. The Park Planning process should allow for maximum cri- teria input in various forms such as surveys and advisory committee action. V - 52 Having established a clear understanding of.the purpose and function of the above parks and open spaces, the following policies are intended to guide their location and development: Recreational Resource Priorities 1. The availability of land reserved by the public for recre- ational use, relaxation, and enjoyment of the out-of-doors will become increasingly important over the twenty year planning period. As the population of the County grows, as housing costs rise and land is developed for urban uses, the proportion of County residents who own or who can afford to own large tracts of land will continue to decline. The reservation of land for parks and open space will continue to require public action, and is an important function of local government. A. A long-range plan for park acquisition should be prepared through the joint efforts of the Washing- ton County Park Board and Planning Commission and should be adopted by the Board of County Commis- sioners. Such a plan should investigate establishing such priorities for park and open space acquisition as small neighborhood parks within the Urban Growth Area and public open space within stream valleys throughout the County. B. Washington County policies should provide for the acquisition and reservation of parkland and outdoor recreation space within planned resi- dential areas before an area is fully developed and before it becomes prohibitively expensive. Common open space should be set aside by the developer of a subdivision within the Urban Growth Area based upon density and the number of dwelling units. C. Washington County's process of planning, pro- gramming, and acquiring Special Use Parks should emphasize sites and structures of historical significance, and, wherever possible, combined scenic, historic and recreational resources should provide impetus for park and open space acquisition. V - 53 Recreational Facilities 4. Recreation facilities of a local nature should be plan- ned, to the greatest extent possible, in conjunction with existing and planned school facilities so that they may complement each other in function, thus avoiding costly and wasteful duplication of facilities. Maximum community use should be made of school recreational facilities such as playgrounds, playfields, basketball courts, tracks, and in- door recreation facilities. All facilities must be accessible to the handicapped and aged. This requirement is now a part of Maryland law. (Maryland Building Code for the Handicapped and Aged). Recreational Programming 5. As the Washington County Park System continues to develop, there will be a need to schedule the use of park facilities such as playfields and tennis courts. Looking beyond the de- velopment of County Parks, there will be a need to see all available recreation facilities, whether in County and municipal parks, at public schools, or privately owned, as a system of recreational resources. It is recommended that a -recreation program be explored with appropriate public and private organizations to implement a County -wide organized recreation program for all citizens utilizing existing school, park, and private facilities and equipment. Bikeway Planning 6. Planning a bikeway system is an extended process which requires on -the -site evaluation and wide citizen involvement. Bikeway planning in Washington County should conform to the following process: A. Identify major corridors and loops throughout the County which offer potential as bikeways for recreation and utilitarian (commuting, school, shopping) purposes. B. Select small planning areas (two to four square miles in size) in which bikeway potential may be evaluated in detail, and expand the system of small area planning to loops and corridors and other potential areas throughout the County. v - 54 C. It is recommended that State bikeway officials from the Maryland Department of Transportation be encouraged to evaluate priority planning areas for bikeways at Halfway and the New Com- munity Area and that approved bikeway plans for these areas be incorporated into State and local capital improvements programs. V -55 V - 56 SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT Solid waste disposal in Washington County occurs prin- cipally at a 62 acre landfill located on Resh Road west of Hagerstown. This landfill will soon be replaced by a 148 acre County -owned site north of the present location on Resh Road. The new facility is expected to be adequate un- til about 1997. A second, smaller landfill is operated in the western part of the County by the Town of Hancock. In addition, there are three solid waste transfer stations or "green boxes", two of which are located in the southern part of the County and one to the east near Smithsburg. At present, solid waste collection is carried out by private contract haulers, with the exception of the Town of Hancock, which utilizes municipal employees. All other County municipalities execute contracts with private haulers, and other County residents contract directly with private haulers. Some critical issues will be facing Washington County regarding the collection and disposal of solid waste in the future. Extending the life of landfill operations through such measures as shredding or incineration is being considered. Alternatively, if the landfill capacities remain fixed at the currently estimated limits, the acquisition of future sites must be planned. Specific plans should be made for the recla- mation and re -use of landfill sites after active operations have terminated. The County currently has little or no capability for the separation of wastes. This capability will be needed if solid waste is ever to be used for energy or resource recov- ery. It will also be important when and if alternative technologies are used to dispose of certain types of wastes in order to replace or extend the life of landfill operations. Finally, waste separation will be important to properly iden- tify and safely dispose of hazardous materials. These issues should be addressed in the annual review of the Solid Waste Management Plan. The adoption and review of this plan is required by law. The following policies are intended to deal with solid waste planning issues identified above: v - 57 Public Awareness Campaign 1. Issues concerning source separation, material recovery, and energy generation must be effectively brought to public attention. Commercial and industrial concerns and indivi- duals especially must be encouraged to adopt more efficient and conservative disposal habits. In addition to making the public aware of the issues, efforts such as community clean- ups, can drives, paper drives, etc., should be encouraged through organized campaigns. By developing a public demand for high standards, more effective management will be insured. Landfill Acauisition and Planned Re -Use 2. Uses should be considered for all closed landfill sites with a future re -use designated. Solid Waste Management Plan 3. The annual review of the Solid Waste Management Plan should be a part of a coordinated process included in the review of the County Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Plan.l The annual review should address the following solid waste issues: A. The need for improved administration and organization of the solid waste management system. Improvement measures may include: i. Hiring a solid waste administrator; ii. Reorganizing solid waste collection processes and establishing a more coordinated collection system, espe- cially within Urban and Town Growth Areas; iii. Instituting a system of record keeping in which information on volumes and clas- sification of wastes and recoverable material is compiled. 1. A solid waste management plan is required by Maryland State law to be part of the County Water, Sewer, and Solid Waste Plan. Regulation 10.03.34 of the Health Department governs its format and content. V -58 B. The need for a Solid Waste Ordinance which will require the separation of materials prior to acceptance at the landfill and will institute more stringent penalties for illegal roadside dumping. C. A long-range planning program to assure that future landfill sites will be available to accommodate future growth in the County. Alternative methods for obtaining disposal sites such as leasing private land should be considered. D. A survey of roadside dumps and abandoned cars and a plan of action to eliminate or mitigate these conditions to the degree possible. V -59 SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS CHAPTER VI SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS The concept of Special Planning Areas has evolved from concerns among Washington Countians for areas within the Coun- ty which may require more specific policy attention than is provided by other elements of this Comprehensive Plan. Special Planning Areas are geographic areas of unusual or significant importance; special policies and land use management techniques are proposed for addressing concerns for the future use or development of these areas. The implementation of these proposed policies and tech- niques is intended to be accomplished in a number of ways. These may include amendment of the local Zoning Ordinance to establish Special Districts, amendment of the local Subdivi- sion Ordinance, resequencing Capital Improvement Program priorities, and establishing formal agreements with other governmental agencies and organizations with regard to regu- latory processes, programming and/or action programs. Three areas were initially selected as critical for Special Planning Area designation: A. Edgemont and Smithsburg Reservoir Watersheds. B. Applachian Trail Corridor. C. Upper Beaver Creek Basin and Beaver Creek (Albert M. Powell) Trout Hatchery. These areas are shown on the General Plan Map. A des- cription of their importance as areas of public concern follows along with policies to be specifically applied: EDGEMONT AND SMITHSBURG WATERSHEDS Identification as a Special Planning Area 1. The Edgemont and Smithsburg Watershed lands provide a vital contribution to the water supply needs of a substantial number of people in Washington County. The receiving waters of the Edgemont and Smithsburg Reservoirs account for approx- imately 40 percent of the annual County production and provide more than 50 percent of the daily consumption of potable water in the Hagerstown area. VI - 1 This source of water supply has the clear advantage of requiring neither extensive treatment nor expensive pumping facilities to provide potability. In addition, this source is required for the needs of service areas between Smithsburg and Hagerstown which are located above the topographic limits of the Potomac River supply. The City of Hagerstown Water Department has noticed some recent degradation in water quality in the watershed areas, but it has been difficult to determine if the source of the problem is existing development, new development, or natural causes. The Hagerstown Water Department does perform a rou- tine sampling of raw water for bacteriological analysis and for two principal streams before it enters the reservoir and for the pipeline before it is discharged into Smithsburg's res- ervoir. Daily measurements are also performed for turbidity, stream flow volume, alkalinity. pH, mineral content, rainfall, temperature, water levels, and a wide range of other factors necessary for operation and records. Under the recently enacted Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, water.supply from the watershed areas must now be main- tained at more stringent quality levels. Since this water supply system depends so strongly on the natural processes in the watersheds, it is vital that the balance between man and nature in these areas be maintained and improved. Special attention in planning for the area is necessary in order to: A. Maintain and improve the watershed as a source of high quality water as the prime objective. B. Minimize public expenditure on costly treatment processes and facilities. Land Use 2. The following policies governing land use and development within the watersheds should help to ensure that development is compatible with the natural environment, and that the functioning of the hydrologic system will not be impaired: A. The present existing natural conditions within the watersheds should be maintained and stabil- ized. Any new development which requires a permit and which involves a change in the VI - 2 natural conditions of the watersheds such as grading and waste disposal must be reviewed by the Hagerstown Water De- partment for comment, among other applicable agencies, and approved by the Washington County Planning Commission. B. The Edgemont and Smithsburg watersheds should be delineated on a map circulated to all pub- lic agencies and identified as a priority area of overriding importance for any future work conducted by those agencies within the limits of the watersheds. The area shown within the watershed limits should also be designated as a priority for the collection of water quality and land use data needed to arrive at appropriate watershed management techniques. Signs should be posted, advising travelers and hikers that they are entering a watershed area. C. Residential development in the watershed should be subject to the density policies of the Rural -Agricultural Areas. The location and density of proposed residential develop- ment should take into account the importance of limiting the extent of land development in order to prevent pollution and preserve the vital natural functioning of the hydro- logic system. As more specific technical data become available which indicates a threat to the water quality resulting from development, the density policy in the water- sheds should be reviewed to ensure its continued applicability and effectiveness. Environmental Resource Management 3. Management of the natural environment of the watershed requires that an information base be developed from which to evaluate pollution levels and impacts of development. In addition, known sources of pollution should be controlled. A. An information base should be established to guide future action regarding the water- sheds. Needed information should be developed in the following areas: VI - 3 i. Surface water quality through long- term, periodic monitoring of the mainstem and tributaries of the Raven Rock and Warner Hollow stream courses; ii. Input and output water quality at the reservoir; iii. Sources of non -point pollution such as failing septic systems, road -side erosion, agricultural run-off from land sprayed with herbicides and pesticides; iv. Pollution traced to point discharges into major streams; V. Groundwater quality from analysis of wells and,springs; vi. Location, type, and extent of any man- made changes to the natural physical environment such as new residential development, road stabilization, or installation of public utilities; vii. Impact and effectiveness of alternative watershed management techniques in other localities. The experience of other watershed protection efforts should be applied, where appropriate, to the Edgemont and Smithsburg Watersheds. This study should be done concurrently with the data collection cited above and completed for recommendations to be made based upon the local situation as reflected in water quality and as- sociated data. B. Erosion and sediment control measures should be enforced in the watersheds. i. The Washington County Erosion and Sedi- ment Control Ordinance should be amended to apply to any development related earth disturbance within the watershed areas regardless of lot acreage; ii. It is recommended that the Board of County Commissioners request the Soil Conserva- tion District to give special attention to soil conservation activities on agricultural land within the watersheds. It is further recommended that landowners within the watersheds be encouraged to VI - 4 develop and follow soil conservation plans. They should also be advised that technical assistance and cost sharing information for soil conser- vation and animal waste disposal projects are available through the Soil Conservation Service; iii. The Washington County Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance should be amended to require forestry man- agement plan approval by the Project Forester for any commercial timber cutting within the watersheds on publicly owned land. The Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance should be amended to require that an erosion and sediment control plan be approved prior to the disturbance of more that 5000 square feet of land for forestry oper- ations on privately owned land. The practice of timber cutting and hauling should be monitored to ensure that the proper permits and plans are filed with the Soil Conservation District as required by the Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance. C. Runoff pollutants from highways should be elim- inated. The Board of County Commissioners should formally request the State Highway Administration to evaluate its snow removal policies in the watershed area relative to possible polluting effects upon the public water supply. Specifi- cally, the State Highway Administration should be encouraged to substitute some relative non - pollutant for chemicals which are currently used on Route 491 and Route 77. D. Littering and dumping should be controlled. i. Dumping and littering laws should be strictly enforced. Numerous, highly visible signs should be posted to warn of fines resulting from illegal dumping and littering; ii. The watershed areas should be designated priority areas for anti -littering projects; iii. A central phone number should be available for local residents to report polluting or trash dumping activity which is VI - 5 observed in the watershed area. No Dumping warning signs may be used to prominently display this number and further discourage illegal dumping. Public Facilities 1. Any County agency, State agency, or public utility pro- posing projects within the watersheds that disturb natural conditions should be subject to the same restrictions and procedures as apply to various private developers. In addi- tion, the following policies should guide public actions within the watershed areas: A. Public acquisition from willing sellers within the watersheds should be continued. The funding of acquisition should be shared by the City of Hagerstown and the Board of County Commissioners. This policy is based upon the fact that County residents both inside and outside the City of Hagerstown are served by this public water supply and benefit from the maintenance of a high level of water quality. County revenue sources for this acquisition may include Program Open Space funds and General Revenue funds. The economic benefit derived from any type of development within the watersheds such as fees and taxes on utilities should be applied directly to funds for additional public acquisition. B. The tax advantages resulting from the donation of land for public use should,be widely adver- tised among landowners within the watersheds. Other sources should be sought for contributions of land and money to the acquisition fund such as conservation foundations and private indivi- dual bequests. C. It is recommended that the Board of County Com- missioners consider adopting the policy of development rights purchase within the watersheds in lieu of fee acquisition. vI - 6 APPALACHIAN TRAIL Identification as aSpecial Planning Area 1. The Appalachian Trail is a recreational and scenic foot trail, 2000 miles in length, extending from Mr. Katandin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The trail traverses Washington County from Pen Mar to the Potomac River near Har- pers Ferry generally following the crest of South Mountain near the boundary of Washington and Frederick Counties. A corridor of 600 feet in width running the 35 -mile length of the Appalachian Trail in Washington County has been identified as a Special Planning Area. This width was selected on the basis of physical -environmental characteristics adja- cent to the trail, the level of potential impacts of incompatible land uses upon the trail within this distance, and precedence established by Department of Natural Resources acquisition priorities. Because of the importance of the trail as a recreational resource for area residents, special attention should be given in planning and public policy to: A. Preserve and protect the scenic, environmental, recreational and historic character of the Appa- lachian Trail and its immediate environs in Washington County, and B. Minimize the potential future incompatible land uses and activities in the vicinity of the Appalachian Trail. Land Use 2. Responsibilities for the Appalachian Trail should con- tinue to be realized by private property owners, voluntary organizations and Federal, State and local governments which own trail land. A corridor 600 feet in width should be established along the trail adjusted on the basis of natural characteristics, and the following policies should apply: A. All development should maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from the bed of the Appalachian Trail. VI - 7 B. The use of motorized vehicles on the Appala- chian Trail is incompatible with the hiking experience and should be prohibited on public land. Environmental Resource Management 3. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources should con- tinue to acquire land within the Appalachian Trail corridor from willing sellers and, in addition, should acquire ease- ments on other parcels in the corridor which remain in private ownership. Public Facilities 4. No new public streets should be constructed or accepted in the Appalachian Trail corridor unless incorporated in the Washington County Highway Plan. VI - 8 UPPER BEAVER CREEK BASIN BEAVER CREEK (ALBERT M. POWELL) TROUT HATCHERY Identification as a Special Planning Area 1. The Upper Beaver Creek Basin consists of 10`E' square miles and extends from near the I -70 -Md. Route 66 interchange north to Md. Route 64 and the Town of Smithsburg. It is bounded on the east by the ridge of South Mountain and on the west by a natural drainage divide in the valley which parallels Md. Route 66 approximately one mile to the west. The Beaver Creek Trout Hatchery is owned and operated by the State of Maryland and is the only trout propagation -facil- ity in the State. Trout from this facility are stocked'in all of Maryland's trout waters with seven designated areas in Washington County. The protection of water from pollution in the Upper Bea- ver Creek Basin is necessary to maintain the quality of the Trout Hatchery springs. In addition, the Smithsburg Reservoir Watershed is included in the basin, so protection of water quality is also vital to the public supply. T.anr9 TTcP 2. New development (including both public capital invest- ments and private enterprise) in the basin should be limited to those uses for which environmental compatibility can be demonstrated. For small scale land uses (several residential lots, etc.), standard on-site testing and reference to compat- ibility with geohydrologic conditions should be required. For larger scale development (residential, institutional, public facility, recreational, commercial, industrial, and mineral extraction), extensive geohydrological testing and analysis should be conducted and any potential relationships between the proposal and water resource impacts in the basin should be fully assessed and compatibility demonstrated. Environmental Resource Manaqement 3. Within the Upper Beaver Creek Basin, a number of geohy- drologic features may have a direct relationship to groundwater quality. These features include: VI - 9 - The contact between the Waynesboro formation, Tomstown dolomite and Elbrook limestone for- mations in the vicinity of Beaver Creek; Caves (Houpt, Jugtown, and Mt. Aetna) developed in both Tomstown dolomite and El - brook limestone; - Sinkholes, especially prevalent in Tomstown dolomite north of Pondsville; - Double terminating drainage reaches; and - Springs. These features should be preserved in their natural states and any proposed land use or land form changes which may affect them should be subject to stringent water quality impact testing requirements. These requirements should result in no degra- dation of water quality and no change in natural runoff rates. A. Wherever possible, point and non -point sources of water contamination in the basin should be carefully controlled or eliminated. Several targets in this regard should include: i. The elimination of direct sub -surface or surface domestic waste discharge to the waters of the basin; ii. Prohibition of dumping and land filling of solid waste in the basin, most im- portantly in abandoned quarries (this may require making the Cavetown Quarry inaccessible to the public); iii. Provision of guidance for the use of agricultural pesticides (especially orano-phosphates because of their acute toxicity to trout) and herbicides in the basin; iv. Strict management in the use of salt and other chemical agents in road and highway maintenance in the basin; V. Close monitoring of the relationship between active quarrying in the basin and potential seismic impacts on ground- water flow and quality; vi. Strict control of commercial storage of chemicals, petroleum and other poten- tially contaminating substances; vii. Prohibition of new point source dis- charges of waste in the Upper Beaver Creek mainstream or tributaries. VI - 10 B. In addition, the geohy4rologic study and a water quality monitoring program are needed to provide informationkb,y which to guide the formulation of public- policy. i. The provision,of-geohydrologic data in the watershed'should`be of priority in studies sponsored by' -the County; ii. The Maryland Water Resources Adminis- tration should establish a surface and groundwater quality monitoring program in the Upper. Beaver Creek Basin; iii. The U. S. Geological Survey and the Maryland Geological Survey should con- duct a compkehensiv.o geohydrological evaluation of the Upper Beaver Creek Basin in conjunction with the Upper Potomac River Basin Water Quality Management Plan (208 Plan) process. This study should result in an inclu- sive information base from which the relationship between land use activities and water quality can be more effectively and efficiently addressed. VI - 11 CONCLUSION' CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION Preceding sections of the Comprehensive Plan outline -a balanced approach to growth management in Washington County. The Plan does not predict the likelihood of development of any specific property, nor doe's it attempt to foresee every development issue which.may arise in the future. It estab- lishes a set of goals to be achieved in the development process and provides guidance for development decisions through land use, environmental, and public service -objec- tives which are consistent with these goals. The Plan does not detail a public investment -.program. It outlines an approach to planning:;a coordinated program of public -facil- ities and services. It provides a framework-for,coordination between public and private sectors. It establishes the basis for cooperative relationships between County and municipal - governments which are essential if future growth is to result in benefits to most people. Implementation of the Plan will depend upon a series of actions which must be taken following the presentation of pro- posals to the public. The first of these is the adoption of the Plan itself. Legal adoption of the Plan requires, under Maryland law, a 60 day period for review of the draft Plan by County and State agencies, followed by. at least one public hearing before the Plan is adopted by resolution of the County Commissioners. Once adopted "the'Plan will provide a unified statement of County policies concerning development. Legal adoption expresses a commitment by the County~to follow the course of action outlined in the Plan. This in itself does not mean that every recommendation in the Plan will,,be implemented immediately. Some of the proposals can be implemented -independently -of others and relatively soon. However, many of the other proposals in the Plan are interdepen- dent, require a commitment or redirection of financial resources and staff responsibilities-within'County agencies, or depend upon inter -governmental cooperation agreements which are ulti- mately political in nature. Priorities must be established among the many proposals and be incorporated in the work program of County agencies and departments. Recommendations on priorities by the Planning Commission should reflect the general ease with which a pro- posal can be implemented, the degree of importance of a particular policy to achieving Plan goals, and the sequence in which some efforts must proceed or follow others. For example, a change to the Zoning Ordinancp4 t6 provide for -Planned Unit Residential Development can be,init ated relatively ea,s.ily following an initial analysis and preparation of guidelines. Then after public ,.hearing on the proposed,amendment and sub- sequent' legislative body approvah ,"the Ordinance change would become effective-. On the other hand•, munnicipal and County coordination in Growth Areas requires further,.plann�ng., deliberation, and time. Policies toward negotiating service;zgreements in .the Growth Areas, however, are vital toa rat"ia'al and orderly growth policy. It is critical that basic community facilities, in- cluding sei4pt and water, be available in the Growth Areas. Zoning and annexation policies must b.e;coordinated with the Capitalhitiproverimnts Pr.ogeam.. once a program for the provision of services is established, funding must be sought from federal and state agencies, as well as within local budgets, and pro- cedures'established for participation by the private sector. Rural, -Agricultural policies are dependent upon land availability in Grov.th Areas necessary to support development. Policies aimed at preserving the agricultural economic base, avoiding unnecessary public expenditures, and protecting the environment can only be implemented if there is an alternative provided to relieve some of the development pressure in rural areas. In summary, the Plan itself is a:guide which sets a clear, positive course for future action.- It must be implemented through ordinances, regulations, the Capital Improvements Pro- gram, and cooperative agreements between County and municipal governments. Ultimately, the Plan through its policies will result in meani ngful. programs implemented by elected officials with public support. VIl - 2