Town, developer working through plans to add 48 homes in Emmitsburg

May 8—After years of proposals and multiple developers approaching town officials, a neighborhood addition in northern Emmitsburg may finally be built in the coming years.

Emmit Ridge 2, which would consist of 48 homes, has been part of Emmitsburg's comprehensive plan since at least the 1990s. Town officials said the project is important, not just because it would add homes to the northern part of town but also lead to much-needed infrastructure improvements.

According to Town Planner Zach Gulden, those improvements include:

— Providing another exit for the Northgate community onto Irishtown Road. The exit, which would connect to Irishtown Court and Irishtown Drive, is vital because residents can be trapped in their subdivision during flash flooding at North Seton Avenue and Provincial Parkway, and emergency vehicles are unable to access those homes, Gulden said;

— Replacing a culvert bridge by the developer nearby and adding sidewalks, street lights, street trees and 10-and 8-inch water lines as part of the proposal; and

— Collecting $902,400 in water and sewer tap fees, which could then be used for water and sewer infrastructure improvements by the town. Residents would also pay water and sewer fees on the new homes.

Currently, D.R. Horton, a nationwide builder based in Arlington, Texas, is working with Mayor Don Briggs and town staff to finalize details about the 48-home project. Gulden said he and colleagues need more time to research the property.

It's a good sign D.R. Horton is interested, according to town officials. Gulden said three prior developers have had a contract on the property but backed out, and there have likely been others who considered it but never committed.

During a meeting in April, staff and the town's Board of Commissioners had a lengthy discussion with D.R. Horton representatives about the project. One of the main topics was whether to allow the developer to pay a fee in lieu of building a park.

Thomas Farr, vice president of land in D.R. Horton's Maryland branch, said it would be difficult to build a park given the area's terrain, noting the available space is wetlands, not suitable for that project.

The fee would be $1,200 per unit, or $57,600 in total, Gulden said. Town officials are currently reviewing those fees and impact fees to see whether they should be increased or decreased.

"We developed the fee in-lieu as an option where the mayor/board determines that a park is not necessary in that particular area or where the property has challenges such as wetlands, floodplains, etc," Gulden wrote in an email about the fee in-lieu option.

Mayor Briggs was optimistic when talking about the proposed development this week. He said the infrastructure improvements, along with another developer improving areas north along Irishtown Road, are significant benefits to the town.

During April's meeting, he indicated to the commissioners that developers often take risks when buying land and building homes, whether it be hitting rock during construction or other issues.

"It looks like a linear thing they're doing, but they're doing so many things, they're talking to the town, they're doing title research for the land, all these things are going together at one time," Briggs said.

In an interview, Farr confirmed Briggs' comments that D.R. Horton had gotten extensions to complete the proposed development. He declined to comment on overall infrastructure improvements or how much the new homes would cost — noting the local housing market could change by the time they are for sale.

But D.R. Horton is committed to the project, he said.

"We are actively growing our footprint in the Mid-Atlantic and ... the general public is kind of relocating out of the cities and more into these suburban areas, and so we plan to grow our footprint accordingly, and Emmitsburg is an area we'd like to be in," Farr said.

Commissioner T.J. Burns questioned D.R. Horton officials and town staff about why a fee in lieu was needed instead of a park. Burns said in an interview last month he wasn't against the development — as it would lead to more tax dollars and water and sewer fees being collected — a positive for the town.

He just wanted more clarity when it comes to the in-lieu fee.

"It wasn't necessarily about the money, it was the questions I had: Why did they choose to do this? Why now? What's their plan?" Burns said about whether the fee was enough money. "There was just a lot of uncertainty."

Briggs and Tim O'Donnell, president of the Board of Commissioners, said both the fee in lieu and park are still options at this point. O'Donnell stressed the proposed development is within town limits, not an annexation.

A final decision by the town's Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners is months away, if not longer, Briggs added.

O'Donnell understands some residents have concerns about growth, especially when it comes to local school capacity. But, he added, the road infrastructure improvements are needed, and more homes leads to more revenue for capital projects.

It's balancing those needs versus retaining Emmitsburg's small-town feel, he said.

"We've seen recently, retail [companies] investigate Emmitsburg as a possibility of marketability," O'Donnell said. "Retail follows rooftops ... but you have to do this appropriately because you don't want to lose the standard of living that's in place, you don't want to make it so dense that you make it less attractive."

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