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Home My WebLink About7-1-09THIS MEETING WAS CANCELED. THE HDC APPROVED PERMIT #2009-02328 VIA E-MAIL. MR. GOODRICH APPROVED THE PERMIT IN THE PERMITS PLUS SYSTEM ON 6/30/09. I PHONED THE HOSE'S AND LEFT THEM A MESSAGE THAT THE MEETING WAS CANCELED BUT THE APPROVAL WAS GIVEN TO THE PERMITS DEPARTMENT ON 6/30/09. THE PROPOSED CELL TOWER - THE HDC WILL RESPOND WITH A LETTER TO THE BZA WITH A REQUEST FOR BALLOON TESTING PICTURES. Eckard, Debra S. From: Goodrich, Steve Sent: Sunday, June 28, 2009 5:23 PM To: Chip Stewart; Chris Horst; David Wiles; Merry Stinson; Mike Gehr; Rob Bowman; Sandy Izer Cc: Eckard, Debra S. Subject: July meeting Hello All, The agenda for the July meeting was mailed on Friday. I'm hopeful you will have it by Monday. You'll see that there are only two items on the agenda. Since there are only two items there may be an opportunity to handle these two items by e/mail if you are inclined. If there is consensus by Monday to do that, you may not need to meet on Wednesday. I'm not encouraging you one way or the other, just want to give you a chance to avoid another night meeting if everyone is agreeable. The 1st item is a building permit for a new deck and garage in the Antietam Manor subdivision ( 60's and 70's era ranch style houses in the Tilghmanton Rural Village, but not in the historic portion). You've approved at least four other similar permits without much discussion in the same subdivision in the last six months. There is a drawing enclosed in the agenda that shows the existing house and the design of the new deck and garage. Again, if you are iniclined, please vote to approve , deny or table so that the owner can revise the portions that you feel are inconsistent with the standards. 2nd item is a notice of an intent build a cell tower. I've provided maps to show you the location and the inventory forms for the inventory listed properties within 1/2 mile. My routine would be to respond to the applicant and advise that approval of a special exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals is required. I would enumerate the inventory sites and request photographs of balloon tests and photo -simulations of the tower be provided before the HDC could evaluate effects on inventory sites and that the same info should be provided to the BZA. The applicant will have to provide lots of other info to the BZA as part of that application, which, to my knowledge has not been made yet. When it is, it will be routed to the HDC, with all of the supporting information, again. In other words, you will get another chance to review this with much more information about the proposed tower. It seems your choices are: to review what you have now and comment to the applicant in addition to what I intend to provide (the need for a special exception, the historic inventory sites within 1/2 mile and request the balloon test photos) or wait for the BZA application and it's supporting documents, or both. Let me know what you'd like to do at your earliest convenience(Monday afternoon). A decision not to meet should be unanimous. Thanks, Steve Stephen T. Goodrich Chief Planner Washington County Department of Planning and Community Development 80 West Baltimore Street Hagerstown, MD 21740 240-313-2430 240-313-2431 FAX sgoodrich@washco-md. net Eckard, Debra S. From: Michael L Gehr [mgehr@bmgmarchitects.comj Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:54 PM To: 'Mr DAVID WILES'; Goodrich, Steve; 'Chip Stewart'; 'Chris Horst'; 'Merry Stinson'; 'Rob Bowman'; 'Sandy Izer' Cc: Eckard, Debra S.; Thompson, Michael Subject: RE: July meeting -A wrench in the works I'll second the b option. With out the balloon test its hard to argue that it is not offensive to historic properties. The balloon shows truer simulation. Michael Gehr BMGM architects p.c. 18129 Oak Ridge Drive Hagerstown, Maryland 21740 301 797 9520 -----original Message ----- From: Mr DAVID WILES [mailto:dwileshistory@verizon.net] Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 11:49 AM To: Goodrich, Steve; Chip Stewart; Chris Horst; Merry Stinson; Mike Gehr; Rob Bowman; Sandy Izer Cc: Eckard, Debra S.; Thompson, Michael Subject: Re: July meeting -A wrench in the works Put me down as a "b." If we do decide to meet, I can be there. And, there will be fabulous fireworks, food, music at Plumb Grove Friday night. DW ----- Original Message ----- From: "Goodrich, Steve" <SGoodric@washco-md.net> To: "Chip Stewart" <charles@lawofficestewart.com>; "Chris Horst" <chris.horst@volvo.com>; "David Wiles" <dwileshistory@verizon.net>; "Merry Stinson" <merryland3@myactv.net>; "Mike Gehr" <mgehr@bmgmarchitects.com>; "Rob Bowman" <rwbrestore@verizon.net>; "Sandy Izer" <sizer@myactv.net> Cc: "Eckard, Debra S." <deckard@washco-md.net>; "Thompson, Michael" <mthompson@washco-md.net> Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 10:44 AM Subject: July meeting -A wrench in the works Good Morning everyone, I've heard from 6 out of 7 members, all agreed that it was OK to approve the building permit in Antietam Manor for the garage and deck addition and to respond to the notice of the proposed cell tower with information and a request for balloon testing pictures which would allow a more complete response to the required application to the BZA in the future. I was all set to cancel the meeting pending hearing from the last member. HOWEVER, in Merry's response to me, she indicated she was aware of an application to the BZA for another cell tower in the Leitersburg area and asked me to check on it. There is an application, AP2009-032, for a 155 foot cell tower and setback variances, on the Veil property, north and east of the Leitersburg-Smithsburg Road and southeast of Leitersburg. It was not sent to me by the Permits and Inspections office for forwarding to the HDC for review and comment for the BZA July 8 hearing, of course if I had received the application it would have been included on the July meeting agenda and we wouldn't be faced with this dilemma. We have an "almost cancelled" July meeting (I need the last members response) and this Leitersburg cell tower application that I suspect the HDC 1 will want to (and should) comment on. It's located between the Leitersburg National Register District/Rural Village district and another NR site known as Rockledge at 13535 Foxfire Lane. The BZA hearing is July 8. Although the July meeting hasn't been officially cancelled, I suspect some of you have already made plans for your night off or were at least looking forward to an evening off. Not the best reason to cancell a meeting in light of the situation but there may be a less confusing and stressful solution. The choices seem to be: a) have the July meeting where I will distribute the information I have from the BZA application on the cell tower. In my opinion, the applicants information is incomplete. It contains no photo -simulations or balloon test results or even a mention that any of this preliminary evaluation was done. (I've attached part of it) OR b) not have the July meeting and allow me to respond to the BZA in time for the July 8 hearing noting that the application was not received in a timely manner, list the NR sites, Rural Village and other inventory sites in the vicinity with supporting inventory information and strongly recommend that the BZA delay any decision until the applicant provides balloon test results and photosimulations of the tower as viewed from the NR sites. I would include some type of statement that a tower could be intrusive to the pristine viewsheds of these NR sites but the HDC (or the BZA) cannot evaluate fully without the additional information and a decision should not be made without this important information. I would cc the MI -IT. (I'm predicting this would be your response if you reviewed this during a meeting) . I apologize for this confusion at such a late date but this was beyond my control. Please let me know what you want to do, have a meeting and review the limited information about the cell tower OR direct me to write the letter requesting more info and recommending no decision until it is reviewed and commented upon. If at all possible I would appreciate hearing from everyone by the end of the day. If you can't respond until after 4:30, you could reply to my home e/mail address , goodrichx4@msn.com . I'm hoping to be able to make a final decision and notify everyone no later than 1st thing wednesday morning. Thanks ! Steve Goodrich Stephen T. Goodrich Chief Planner Washington County Department of Planning and Community Development 80 West Baltimore Street Hagerstown, MD 21740 240-313-2430 240-313-2431 FAX sgoodrich@washco-md.net 4