Westminster's plans to annex and rezone the Roop's Mill property - for a subdivision with up to 200 homes - has taken a major step forward with the county commissioners' approval of a zoning waiver.
The commissioners' decision to grant the waiver expedites the development process for Westminster. Without the waiver, the city would have had to wait five years to rezone all of the property for residential use.
The three-member board's action occurred a month after two commissioners raised concerns about how development on the 93-acre site would affect efforts to control growth. Commissioner Donald I. Dell remained opposed to the waiver, but Commissioner Robin Bartlett Frazier voted in favor. Commissioner Julia Walsh Gouge had supported the waiver.
"We are allowing an increase in density in housing and at same time we're trying to manage growth. These two don't click together in my mind," Dell said. "It goes astray from our master plan when towns can reach out and annex a piece of property like this."
The city wants to annex the property off Route 140 on its west side because of water. A well there is capable of producing 135,000 gallons of water per day, and, even with development there, would provide Westminster with additional water to augment its supply.
The well probably will yield a net flow of 80,000 gallons a day for the city beyond what the subdivision -150 to 200 houses - needs. A historic building on the property will be restored.
"What we requested and what we expected was for the county to approve the waiver," Thomas B. Beyard, the city's director of planning and public works, said yesterday. "It's in line with other requests we've received and it moves us forward with water development."
The mayor and Common Council are expected to approve the annexation and introduce a zoning ordinance - to change the property's use from conservation, agriculture and residential to strictly residential - Monday.
The annexation would become effective in 45 days, and construction is not expected to begin until late next month or August, Beyard said.
In considering the waiver last month, Frazier raised concerns about the county's concurrency management ordinance - guidelines to keep residential growth in check with available public services.
"The pressure is removed because what we're really supposed to be looking at is public facilities," Frazier said. "The benefits to this particular annexation being waived is the water. It benefits city and county and our industrial park we're trying to develop."