The Hampstead Town Council will consider an ordinance tonight that would limit zoning uses on land designated as industrial property.
The ordinance, suggested by the town's Planning and Zoning Commission, was prompted by the county's plans to market a portion of the 400-acre North Carroll Business Park site, northwest of Routes 482 and 30.
Members of Hampstead's Town Council and Planning and Zoning Commission expressed concern that existing zoning laws allow commercial and retail operations on the land.
The proposed ordinance, which will be addressed at a 7 p.m. public hearing, would prohibit such uses.
"If you have prime industrial property, you need to protect it," said Councilman Wayne H. Thomas. "We can't be allowing it to go to retail, or we'll never get the industrial [tax] revenues we need in Carroll County to offset the cost of houses."
Town officials have repeatedly cited the construction of a Wal-Mart in Eldersburg as a poor use of industrial land -- from an economic and design standpoint.
The North Carroll Business Park site is the county's largest industrial property. The county owns about 75 acres, and Carroll County General Hospital owns an adjacent 325-acre tract. They will be marketed as one parcel.
The county plans to begin infrastructure work on a 30-acre portion of the site to make it more attractive to large manufacturers. The Industrial Development Authority, which markets property for county government, is targeting companies that need 100,000 to 1 million square feet of space.
The Town Council also will consider two other proposed ordinances at the public hearing.
Ordinance 301 would repeal a provision in a town law that permits a development site plan to expire in 18 months if work has not begun on the project.
Ordinance 302 would amend new storm water management regulations adopted last month. The proposal would eliminate an exemption that excludes single-family houses surrounded by existing residential developments from storm water management controls.
Ordinances can be reviewed from 8: 30 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m. today at Town Hall, 1034 S. Carroll St.
Pub Date: 7/08/97
