Board Of Zoning

Before a radio station builds six towers on farmland in Carroll County, it will have to reckon with residents who say they don't want their views of the sky altered.WCBM-AM Radio in Owings Mills in Baltimore County has purchased a 389-acre farm on Hoods Mill Road near Route 97 and the Howard County line, and plans to build six 350-foot towers on about 55 acres at the east end of the property."The towers will stretch across an area similar to the South Carroll High School campus," C. Michael Wheeler, an area resident, told about 125 residents of Carroll and Howard counties who met at the school last night.

WALKERSVILLE -- The Board of Zoning Appeals of this Frederick County town turned down last night a request by a Muslim group to put a mosque and retreat center on 224 acres of farmland. Though the request has raised issues of religious freedom and tolerance, the board mentioned much more mundane reasons -- problems with traffic and water and the details of the town's master plan and wording of its zoning regulations. The decision came on the third night of the board's public deliberation on the second floor of Walkerville's Town Hall, an event that attracted about 100 residents each night.

In their latest attempt to slow residential growth in the southern end of the county, the Carroll County commissioners announced last week that they had appointed a new member to the Board of Zoning Appeals.Claude Rash, a farmer and longtime chairman of the appealsboard, was not reappointed.Woodrow Raver and Karl Reichlin, both nonfarmers, will continue on the board.TTC "We view this as another way to address the growth problem," Commissioner Richard T. Yates said.Commissioner Donald I. Dell, a farmer, disagreed with thedecision, much as he did with the ouster of Dennis Bowman, another farmer, as planning commission chairman.

Wicomico woman sentenced in theft A Mardela Springs woman was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for stealing $120,000 from her employer. Christine Foote, 31, pleaded guilty to felony theft scheme charges in Wicomico County for thefts that spanned 18 months at Able Roofing in Salisbury, where she worked as a secretary. She was accused of keeping money owed to creditors. Owner Mike Houck says Foote's crime nearly sank his business. Foote had a prior conviction for stealing money from a Fruitland distributor.

Three members of Westminster's Board of Zoning Appeals and two members of the city's tree commission have been reappointed to their posts by city officials.With the unanimous approval of the Westminster CommonCouncil, Mayor Kenneth A. Yowan reappointed Romeo L. Valianti, Gary W. Beard and J. Stewart Zendgraft to the Board of Zoning Appeals on June 22.Joseph R. Barley and Jay Bogash were reappointed to the tree commission by Yowan and the five-member Common Council the same day.Pub Date: 7/01/98

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals has given permission for Pro-Source Hardware to open in Eldersburg Business Center at 1430 Progress Way.The store is owned by Northeastern Plumbing and Heating Supply Inc. of Westminster and will be located in a building with the supply company.

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals has given two Silver Spring residents permission to open a kennel at 3915 Boteler Road in Mount Airy.Gary and Susan Matlock want to keep five to nine purebred adult dogs on the premises and plan to build portable runs and dog houses.

Landscaper charged in theft of equipmentState police arrested a Manchester man who owns a Randallstown landscaping and tree service after finding two pieces of heavy-duty equipment reported stolen in Baltimore County and Harrisburg, Pa., at his shop.James L. Yirka 3rd of the 2900 block of Patricia Court in Manchester was charged with two counts of felony theft after police seized a 1989 Melroe Bobcat front-end loader, valued at $23,800, and a 1991 Brush Bandit wood chipper, valued at $15,000, from his business in the 4700 block of Old Court Road.

The city Board of Zoning Appeals has granted an exception to membersof First United Presbyterian Church, allowing them to expand their current facility on Washington Road.Church members had to apply tothe board since city zoning ordinances consider churches special exceptions in residential areas. Any changes to the original site plan must be approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.The expansion, planned for three phases, will include a new 400-seat sanctuary, office space and an activity wing.

2 Sykesville men win bid to open storage yardThe Carroll Board of Zoning Appeals has ruled that Alvin Lee and Doug DuBois of Sykesville may open a contractor's equipment storage facility at 6150 and 6160 Hidden Hollow Drive in Sykesville.A maximum of six pieces of equipment may be stored there, theboard ruled.Zoning appeals board OKs Eldersburg bankThe Carroll Board of Zoning Appeals has ruled that the SDC Group Inc. of Ellicott City may open a bank on 2.75 acres at the corner of Routes 26 and 32.FIRE* Hoods Mill: Sykesville responded to a transformer fire on Kabik Court at 11:06 a.m. Thursday.

Maryland's second-highest court gave its go-ahead yesterday to a contested 4,300-home development on a scenic stretch of highway in mountainous Allegany County, renewing debate about whether the project represents the best or worst of the state's Smart Growth policy. The Court of Special Appeals declared that the Allegany Board of Zoning Appeals acted appropriately in approving Terrapin Run, which a Columbia-based developer wants to build on 1,000 partly wooded acres off Scenic Route 40 near Green Ridge State Forest.

A Uniontown dog kennel still has a few more hoops to jump through before getting approval to expand its business to handle up to 200 canines. Earlier this month, the Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission raised questions about Camp Yuppie Puppy's request to construct a kennel in the 3400 block of Uniontown Road, where the dog boarding and grooming business has operated since 1994. County officials told kennel co-owner William Quinn that he would need to provide more details about the project and account for discrepancies between plans he supplied to the commission recently and those presented in 2004 to the county Board of Zoning Appeals.

CLARIFICATION An article in yesterday's editions might have created an erroneous impression regarding an Allegany County Circuit Court judge's order concerning Terrapin Run, a proposed development in Western Maryland. The judge ordered the county Board of Zoning Appeals to reconsider Terrapin Run, using a tougher standard for deciding whether the project is consistent with the county's comprehensive plan.

The fight against sprawl in Maryland is so uphill that any victory deserves to be heralded. Such is the case with the decision last week of an Allegany County Circuit Court judge to send approval of the Terrapin Run project back to the county for reconsideration. Terrapin Run would put 4,300 homes for long-distance commuters on 935 acres by the Green Ridge State Forest 50 miles west of Hagerstown. As we noted last week, the project was approved by a split vote of Allegany's Board of Zoning Appeals, despite its land being zoned for agriculture and conservation.

Opponents of a proposed 4,300-home community near Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County say they are heartened by a judge's ruling that sent the project back to the county Board of Zoning Appeals for reconsideration. In a decision issued late last week, Allegany Circuit Judge Gary G. Leasure found that the appeals board erred in declaring the Terrapin Run project "in harmony with" the county's comprehensive plan, said William C. Wantz, a lawyer for opponents of the development. The judge ruled that the three-member board should have weighed whether the project was "consistent with" the county master plan, a more rigorous standard, the opponents' lawyer said.

TOMORROW Carroll County Planning -- 6:30 p.m. meeting of the Grassroots Gathering in Room 003 of the County Office Building, 225 N. Center St., Westminster. The meeting will cover the main information provided as part of the fall 2005 Grassroots Gatherings. 410-386- 2145. Sykesville Town Council -- 7 p.m. meeting in the Town House meeting room at 7547 Main St. 410- 795-6390. Westminster Common Council -- 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane. 410-848- 9000. Union Bridge Town Council -- 7 p.m. meeting at Town Hall, 104 W. Locust St. 410-775-2711.

James Norvell, administrator for the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals, has accepted responsibility for the county liquor board as well, the county commissioners confirmed this week.The liquor board administrator's position became open when J. Ronald Lau retired in March. Mr. Lau had been the administrator for six years."We're combining both positions," said Commissioner Julia W. Gouge. "We're going to try this for a three-month period to see if it works."The commissioners decided to merge the positions because the workload for the Board of Zoning Appeals diminished recently, she said.

The Hampstead Board of Zoning Appeals affirmed the town Planning and Zoning Commission's approval of the Oakmont Green Retail Center, Hampstead Town Attorney Richard C. Murray said Thursday.At a Tuesday meeting, the board "said Ordinance 230 was valid," Mr. Murray said.Ordinance 230 is the rewrite of the town's zoning code. The council adopted the ordinance in January.Before Ordinance 230 was adopted, the town's Board of Zoning Appeals had said construction of the Oakmont Green Retail Center could not proceed because its storm water management pond did not meet the existing code's requirements.

Misty Ridge Assisted Living Facility Location: Terrapin Drive, east of Klees Mill Road in Sykesville Owner: Abar Partnership, Sykesville Developer: Same Engineer: Maryland Land Design, Hanover, Pa. Zoning: Agricultural Acreage: 4.3 acres Description: A proposed 16-bed assisted living home for residents 55 years and older. Living units will each have a single bedroom and bath and will be located in an addition to an existing brick home on the property. The house will be renovated to serve as the kitchen, dining and living rooms and library.