Carroll County, MD Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission, 5 Oct 2022

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From YouTube: Planning and Zoning Commission of Carroll County Work Session October 5, 2022

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https://www.carrollcountymd.gov/government/boards-commissions/planning-zoning-commission/

A

Sorry good evening, I'd like to call the meeting of the october 5th 2022 meeting for the planning and.

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Zoning commission of carroll county um to order um laura, could you establish a quorum? Yes, mr waters.

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Miss kirkner here, mr lester, mr hoff, here mr kane, mr smith,.

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A

He must be having trouble because you.

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Here, commissioner, lance here.

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And I do see mr smith now okay, miss chair, please let the record reflect that four members are present and we do have a quorum.

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Okay, okay, all right can we stand for the pledge.

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I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which.

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It stands one nation, under god, individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

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Okay, secretary eisenberg, um do you want to do your administrative.

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Good evening, everyone, um I don't have any updates for this evening, um other than.

C

Just to keep you informed and we can talk more at a future meeting- that the um bza.

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um Approval of the stabilis property is being appealed, um so we will keep you informed as to.

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What happens in that case moving forward? Just because you were your your original decision.

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um Was to deny bza overturned and improved the site plan so now that approval is being.

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Appealed to um uh the circuit court as a judicial review, so we'll keep you posted.

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As that develops just for your just you're aware, but other than that um we have for you.

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The transportation plan this evening- and this is something that we have been doing over the last.

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Year or so, but now we're going to ramp up now that we're finished all of our company zoning.

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Work on the move that forward in the process. So that's all I have madam chair. Thank you.

A

Okay, thank you. um It seems that I skipped over the review and approval of the agenda so.

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um With somebody like to make emotional net I'll make the motion that we approve the agenda.

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I I saw stephen seconded okay: um are there any um all in favor.

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Aye, okay, any opposed okay, it stands approved them. Okay,.

A

Mary lane can um we start with you for your transportation master plan. Thank you.

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First, make sure that you can see my screens yeah if it could be a little bigger. It might be. Oh, but.

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We can see it and my screen is as big as it gets. Let me okay gina. She may be able to change your.

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Settings um as far as how you view the audience yeah, but it looks good mirror we can see it. Thank.

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You yeah, okay, um thank you. I'm just going to get started with um just a tiny bit of background. Some.

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Of you are aware, because you were here when we began this, but we began this process early in 2020.

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um We met with the towns we met with other counties staff. We hired a consultant to.

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um Through the baltimore metropolitan council to help us with this effort, so we have been to.

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The planning commission several times with updates and we are nearing completion of.

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The plans, so we wanted to provide you with an introduction to what all the chapters will be.

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But you can expect to see over the coming months. The goal is sometime early in 2023 to get you to.

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Approve this plan, so we can send it on to the board of county commissioners early in 2023.

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Okay, um I'm just going to start with the little background. The purpose of this plan.

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It is implementation of the carroll county 2014 master plan, which was amended in 2019.

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um Transportation goal number seven was for enhancement of how the county travels was.

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To provide a safe and functional intra county transportation system that promotes access and.

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Mobility for people and goods through a variety of transportation modes, in furtherance of this.

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Goal one of the principal transportation related recommendations was to update the 1962 major.

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Street plan with this county-wide transportation master plan and believe it or not, that has never.

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Been done since 1962. there's certainly been many plans and programs and efforts, but this is the.

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First time we're looking at it on a county-wide basis, um this is a crucial step in recognizing.

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The changes that have occurred over the past 60 years and implementing the county's land use plans.

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So the first four chapters and we'll just briefly go over what these will be. These are um background.

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Chapters- um and I should also say we've looked at um we're gonna you're gonna, see a different.

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Format for this plan than you're used to seeing with our plans, which um are traditionally rather.

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Word heavy, so the format of this plan is going to be different. It's going to be more illustrative.

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There's going to be more maps, illustrations we're trying not to make it a 250 page plan, but really.

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Just get to what we need to say and what makes it easy. You know: user, friendly and um really.

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Easier for the person that is trying to read it so um the history of transportation in carroll.

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County, we'll just do a brief explanation of that in the introduction- and this is the original 1962.

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Major street plan- and this was developed in recognition of the influence of the automobile.

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With the express purpose of interconnecting the network of state and local roadways that.

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Would provide access and mobility for residents throughout the county and its eight municipalities.

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um A principal focus of their plan was the construction of bypass roads around several.

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Of the incorporated towns, particularly those whose main streets were state highways, as you know, some.

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Of that has happened, some of that has not these bypasses in conjunction with local collector road.

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Construction were expected to divert heavy traffic from the historic towns and create economic.

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Development opportunities throughout the county. um This was set forth in the 1962 major street plan.

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And it has remained really the focus of carroll's transportation planning efforts ever since.

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um And also included in chapter one, the introduction will be a vision which is required.

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Of all plans- and this will be consistent with the goals and objectives of adopted land use plans in.

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The county so chapter two again a background chapter using what is available. It's not even.

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All available yet, but the 2020 census data, um the key metrics that are relevant to transportation.

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Needs- and these are population- the age of the population, household size, housing, housing, values.

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Income, education and jobs, um particularly employment and commuting characteristics.

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um Chapter 3 will talk about other transportation plans and it's important when we get started to.

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Understand that this transportation plan is intended to be a comprehensive analysis of.

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The road network and the improvements which are necessary to accomplish the long-range vision.

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Set forth in the plans, it includes, as I said, a vision, analysis and recommendations for roads.

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In carroll county, it does not include other modes of transportation. It's not saying that we do not.

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Believe those other modes of transportation are important, but the focus of this plan.

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Is um simply a roads plan, so we will be pointing out the other plans and there are a number of them.

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That you're, I'm sure pretty aware of there, is a 2019 uh transit development plan that the county.

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Commissioners, adopt every, I believe, it's every five years, um the 2015 regional airport master.

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Plan the 2019 carroll county, bicycle pedestrian master plan, which you approved several years.

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Ago that has not actually been adopted by the commissioners yet, um but that will be incorporated.

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Into we'll be bringing that with this plan so that they can take one action um recently, they approved.

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Just this spring, the strategic safety plan, which is a plan required by the state and it's a plan to.

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Reduce the number of track traffic related crashes, injuries and fatalities using a comprehensive yet.

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Strategic approach and then finally, a shorter range plan, which is our cip. That's a six-year.

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Plan for the construction of capital projects in the county, including roads and bridges.

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um For regional plans, there is, through the baltimore metropolitan council.

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um With the assistance of members, including carroll county, a fiscally.

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Constrained regional long-range 20-year transportation plan. We are currently in.

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The process- and that is everything- that's not just roads, that's transit as well.

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um In the process of updating that that will be adopted by the bmc board, probably next spring, at.

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The state level there's a highway, needs inventory and that's a fiscally unconstrained. Technical.

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Reference, it includes many many roads throughout the county and then there is also the maryland.

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Transportation plan, which is a 20-year mission for transportation in the state and again the.

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Consolidated transportation program, which is similar to rcip, it's a six-year capital budget.

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um Also, all of the municipalities have their own with their own planning and zoning authority.

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They're responsible for the adoption of their own comprehensive plans, and these include.

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Transportation elements and if we didn't say it before, we did work closely with them in our.

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Plan so that our this new transportation plan will be consistent with all the municipal plans.

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um The last background chapter is just existing facilities informational. Only. This will include.

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A table such as this, I don't think this is quite finalized yet, but of the different types of roads.

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The mileage of those roads and then a map showing all the different roads so again, those first four.

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Are background chapters really? The foundation of the plan is going to be chapter 5 and chapter six.

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And chapter five is the transportation corridor and sub-area analysis and um in 2020, as I said,.

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Earlier the county, with the help of bmc, had a transportation quarter and sub-area analysis.

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Completed for the entire county, this corridor and sub-area analysis provides a framework.

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For recognizing that the long list of previous studies and identified priorities in each of the.

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County's main corridors need to be organized into a rational framework. That was our goal.

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um The county municipal government and mdot have identified through different planning process.

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Processes more than 100 potential transportation improvements, so our consultant reviewed these.

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100 potential transportation, improvements and identified- and I underlined this because you'll.

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Be seeing this through our our discussions with you, the most promising potential improvements.

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Which will have a broad public benefit, improve mobility and are critical to economic development.

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Unlike our master plan and municipal master plans, it's not exhaustive again of all transportation.

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Improvements which are necessary, it does not rely on the major street plan as a starting.

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Point this was a fresh look. It also does not consider projects which have as their primary.

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Focus development projects or opening up new land to development within dgas. This was based.

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On the adopted plans, so really when we began this process with the consultant, the fundamental choice.

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Was faced with limited funding at the municipal and county levels and state investments which.

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Are focused on major interstate bottlenecks in the metropolitan area we can either- and this was their.

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Words, but I thought they were good when good ones um focusing focus on winning state investments.

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In projects which cost hundreds of millions of dollars and hope that one or more advances through.

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The gauntlet of planning, engineering permitting and construction and, as I'm sure you know, that's.

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A very competitive process throughout the state and to get some of our major. If we don't look.

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At them as breakout projects to get these major projects um even in the ctp is extremely difficult.

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So underlined is the choice that was made to focus on slightly more near-term incremental.

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Improvements that improve local mobility, while gaining some larger county-wide benefit.

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And it identifies again the most promising potential improvements to improve traffic.

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Congestion and support economic development um and it's fiscally responsible and conscious of.

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Project delivery constraints such as environmental impacts and right-of-way acquisition, so it was, I.

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Guess another it was more of a down-to-earth look at what could actually be accomplished.

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In this time frame and priority was given to operational improvements, breakout projects.

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And phasing strategies that could actually be implemented in the 20-year time frame, so the six.

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Quarters included in the analysis- and these are not just the municipalities but the greater area.

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Of these eldersburg sykesville finksburg hampstead manchester mount airy, tawny, town and westminster.

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And each corridor analysis each of the six um includes a land use section where.

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We discussed the existing and planned based on the adopted plans.

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um Land use- and that includes projected population and employees. The existing road network, which is.

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A description of the major roads and recent improvements- and I put this in here- this is.

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From the eldersburg sykesville corridor, this table is in there as recent improvements.

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So this just gives you an idea of what you'll see coming and I believe we're going to be on.

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The agenda again for the 18th beginning to look at several of these corridor. Analyzes.

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So number three- and this was this- is not easy to read. I realized that, but it's.

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um It's just showing you. This is a commuter flows, which is a discussion and maps showing.

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Commuting patterns to and from each specific sub area, so on top you see.

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um Where people commuting to eldersburg sykesville are coming from and on the.

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Bottom, where they're going to- and this was done again for all of the sub areas.

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um For each sub-area and quarter, they looked at the local goals and policies.

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um And this was a discussion of historic and most recent plans, including the challenges presented.

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Throughout and traffic conditions- and this includes existing and projected levels of service.

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And travel speeds- and you can see um on this slide here- the on top is again eldersburg sykesville.

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Those are existing traffic conditions, but then on the bottom, it's a no. It's a 2040, no build scenario.

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So it identified what would be the problem in 20 problems in 2040 that need to be addressed.

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So um next is possible and recommended approaches and for each of the corridors.

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We analyze the options and general conclusions based on the data provided and for each one.

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The most promising potential improvements in the six corridors and those are the specific.

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Improvements and you'll see when we bring them to you. These are very specific improvements and this.

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um I mean some of them are really only adding a turn lane and um well you'll see but they're.

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Not they're, not the major projects that you see in our plan, major street section, for instance,.

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um And this map shows all I'm not sure how many of them there are 20.

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27 total improvements that are being recommended throughout the county. Again, not exhaustive of.

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Everything that's needed to improve transportation, but the focus of the quarter and sub-area analysis.

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um And then last they looked at the benefits and impacts which gave a cost range impact on.

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Level of service and travel times, and that's what this is illustrating: that the eldersburg.

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Sykesville traffic conditions: this is with the most promising potential improvements.

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We will get into when we discuss these with you we'll get into the very specifics you can.

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See by some of the red intersections or red areas that every problem has not been solved.

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With this, that would take probably the bigger the bigger picture improvement, but um you can.

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See that some improvements have been made and they were probably doable in the time frame.

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So chapter six is also um a very important part of this plan. It is the plan, major streets and just as.

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A as a background, an inventory of state planned roadway projects, county and municipal plan, major.

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Streets and planned roadway connections has been listed in carroll, county master and comprehensive.

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Plans since the beginning, these serve as a guide for necessary transportation improvements and.

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Connections as the county develops, so all these projects have originated in one of the state or.

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Local planning documents, the alignments and you you've seen these when you've seen development.

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Review come to you they're generally for planning purposes. They connect a to basically the exact.

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Alignments are determined at the time of design, so these are. These are very rough but they're showing.

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What connection is needed so projects such as resurfacing minor intersection improvements.

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Traffic signing lighting and signalization and bridge rehabilitation and enhancement projects.

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Are not included on this list so over the past 18 months, um planning staff with the help of.

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The towns, as well as the public works staff and development review staff, assessed the plan major.

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Streets and roadway connections, which are included in the county and municipal land.

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Use plans each road was reviewed for continued need, and feasibility and recommendations have.

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Been made regarding the continued inclusion in this transportation master plan of the 73 roads.

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Included in the various plans currently 43 have been retained and 30 have been recommended for.

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Removal and some of those are simply that they, a few of them, have actually been completed. Some of.

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Them development has occurred, anyways right in the right of way that there's different reasons.

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And when we bring you this section, we will make sure you understand why all 30 have been taken out.

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And this is just an example of what you'll be seeing for the ones that were retained.

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We have uh basically three to a page of what we are um recommending for the plan.

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Major streets: it includes a description, the purpose and a map um for each one of them.

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And again we will have this county-wide land, major streets map, updated.

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Chapter seven is regarding access management, we're not. This is more going to be a recommendation.

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For future act, action um in the late 2000s sha identified roadway corridors in carroll.

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County that could benefit from quarter-wide access management concepts, 26 and 140 for.

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The two that were identified, these have not been implemented in a deliberate manner, nor.

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Are they legally binding and there's no quarter level agreement on how and where access should.

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Be provided to new development projects, so this plan will recommend the convening of a.

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Quarter level, access management planning process involving the state county and the municipalities.

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um We're also going to have a short chapter, because this is a long-range plan on emerging.

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Trends, alternative and future modes of transportation. This will be a very short.

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Section, but we felt it was important to at least include it, includes electric cars and.

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Buses, autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, delivery, robots, electric bikes and scooters.

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Chapter nine will just be a summary of the findings and recommendations pretty much.

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Related to the most promising potential improvements in the six quarters as well.

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As updating of the plan major streets and then an implementation process, this chapter will lay.

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Out and prioritize the actions necessary to implement the recommendations in chapter 9.

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And the prioritization is is an important um step in this plan. It's an important part of this plan.

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um Going forward so we'll have three appendices: the append the first one is citizen outreach. You.

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May recall that in 21 and 2021 and early 2022 we conducted surveys to solicit public input. We were.

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Pretty happy with, we got 200 people roughly responding to each survey and we got some.

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Good input- um and we did present these to the planning commission- those of you that were on the.

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Commission at the time- um and it was really the one thing we did realize with both of them- is they.

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Validated what we already thought we knew, and also what the consultant study, what the data actually.

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Showed so that was that was good to hear. um We'll also have appendix, b and c, which are two of the.

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Important studies- I won't go into this, but in 2018 there was a maryland 32. It's called the pell study.

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Planning and environmental linkages study that looked at that corridor and then sha in 2020.

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um Conducted a maryland, 26 corridor study and these were the part of the basis of the consultant.

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Study for the eldersburg sykesville area, so these will be available in appendix b and c.

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um Next steps we will be presenting these chapters outlined in this presentation.

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To you at your regular regularly scheduled meetings and work sessions.

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um Again, we'll be bringing them, I think we're going to start on the 18th with bringing several.

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Corridors to you and we'll just work through them, as as it goes, um and then following your approval,.

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Of the plan it will be transmitted to the board of county commissioners for their approval in 2023.

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um Again, we encourage future continued citizen input. You can see the qr code here and here you.

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Also see there is our um our web page and a way to contact us and leave comments. These have been up.

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um Really, throughout the process we have had this devoted web page. I will say that we are going.

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To now be posting, like this presentation will be posted after after tonight and chapters as.

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They come to, the planning commission will also be um will be um put on there. So any questions.

C

I'm good nice job mary. Thank you so much for giving such a thorough.

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Presentation about what we've done um kind of catching everybody up.

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Yes, very informative.

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So um are there any questions about it.

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I think we'll probably have some when we get a little deeper into it.

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But for now it looks like everybody is good, as far as I can see, though,.

C

Well great, because we're going to be coming back to you at the next planning commission meeting.

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With um the next steps on this and where we are today um beyond what you've seen this evening, so.

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That's all we have for you, um since there are no questions, there's nothing else um on the agenda.

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For us for this evening, okay- and I don't see any callers that would be from the public so.

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um I would entertain a motion for um to close the meeting.

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I'll make a motion to adjourn.

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Ing, okay, all in favor.

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Any opposed, okay have a good evening. Everyone thank you.