Frederick’s Mayor Says Housing Projects Must Meet Certain Criteria Before Construction Can Begin

He says approval will not be granted if the city does not have adequate water and sewer.Frederick, Md (KM) It may seem that residential development comes along very rapidly. But Frederick Mayor Michael O’Connor says it often takes years before the first house goes up. “One the challenges that you have in these processes that when people see new housing come out of the ground, they think that just happened,” he said. “But those projects have probably seven, ten–in some instances, the Summers Farm up the hill and down the street from this radio station–that project has been 15 years or longer in the visioning process,” he said.The Mayor was a guest on Tuesday on WFMD”s “Morning News Express.” The interview was done inside the WFMD studios on Grove Hill Road.O’Connor said each project must meet certain criteria before it can move forward. “Every development project in the city of Frederick has to pass certain tests for adequacy in terms of water and transportation and schools and parks,” he says.But Mayor O’Connor says one important test these projects must pass is water and sewer adequacy. “The infrastructure is always going to be a driver. The most critical piece of infrastructure from a city perspective is do we have adequate water and sewer capacity. And I can tell you  we are not approving projects when we don’t adequate water and sewer capacity. We will not approve projects,” he says.The Mayor said the city follows its comprehensive plan when it comes to growth.   It determines where residential and commercial development will be located. He says the public has a chance to provide input when the “Comp Plan” is being drafted or updated. “The Comp Plan is a public process that the community needs to participate in as well,” he said. “We have to constantly be evaluating: are we pulling the right levers? Are we putting the right regulatory  structure in place to support the growth that the city wants.”He says there have been some significant changes in Frederick over past several years. “Frederick over the last 20 years has reduced its footprint as a bedroom community, and has become more a destination unto itself. That brings with its own challenges in managing what that looks like,” says Mayor O’Connor.By Kevin McManus