It seems like every few days, residents write letters condemning the proposed development of the Brickworks property in East Frederick.

“It doesn’t belong, or match” our city, we say. The parking lots, giant block-like buildings of expensive residences and big-box retail spaces don’t meet the city’s needs and goals of increasing walkability, building connected neighborhoods, providing urban public spaces, strengthening our city’s climate resilience, providing affordable housing, etc.

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(5) comments

petersamuel

The NAC11 meeting Tuesday 7pm Brewers Alley 2nd Floor has the Form Based Code on the agenda. It's an opportunity to say: "Apply it to the Brickworks site."

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CaringCommunity

Thanks Heather for the describing the situation so clearly.

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petersamuel

Spot on. People just don't like the first plan proposed for the Brickworks site. Or else they hate it. It's big boring boxes in a sea of surface parking -- everything that's unattractive, unadaptable and dysfunctional about strip malls. A Form-Based Code won't work everywhere but it is essential for this site. That's because it is the last large unbuilt area adjacent to the downtown historic district. And being located on the major 'gateway' to the downtown it will function as the Introduction to the City. The Form-Based Code is needed to ensure that any development draws on what works and is attractive about the historic downtown: townhouse scaled buildings, narrow lots, buildiings starting at the sidewalk, some very small housing some larger, carparking under or behind buildings, mainly brick and metal, live/work, flexible between residential use and small retail/office, alleys, shared driveways, parcels of lots for small developers to provide variety. Almost all of this is prohibited or discouraged by the old Land Management Code and the associated Zoning that spawned this monstrosity of a proposal.

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Piedmontgardener

Exactly, Peter. Heather, thanks for the excellent letter.

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Dwasserba
Dwasserba

“It seems like every few days, residents write letters condemning the proposed development…” I wish there were links to these letters.

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