Public Hearings - CHR 1-2016 Sign Provisions

PUBLIC HEARING
CHR 1-2016 SIGN PROVISIONS

A public hearing was held today at 6:09 p.m. in the County Commissioners’ Hearing Room, County Government Center, 400 High Street, Chestertown, MD, for the purpose of discussing the proposed amendment to CHR 1-2016 Sign Provisions which is AN ACT to amend Article IV, Special Provisions, Section 2.5 Permitted Signs, and Section 2.7 Criteria for Bonus Sign Area of the Kent County Land Use Ordinance. The purpose of this amendment is to provide greater consistency with the Statements of Intent within the impacted Village Zoning Districts.

County Commissioners, William W. Pickrum, Ronald H. Fithian and William A. Short were in attendance as well as Shelley Herman, County Administrator and Thomas Yeager, County Attorney.

Commissioner Pickrum read the notice of public hearing into record.

Ms. Herman read the rules for the public hearing into record.

Commissioner Pickrum invited comments and questions from the audience. Howard Crossan, President, Oxford Chase Development, Inc., and Dan Saunders, Esquire, signed the testimony log. Mr. Crossan stated that Mr. Saunders would speak on his behalf.

Amy Moredock, Director, Planning, Housing, and Zoning, was present to discuss any concerns with the Bill. Mr. Saunders stated that the applicant and the Planning Commission worked together to massage the language in the Land Use Ordinance to give greater size to a sign in the Village Districts in order to attract businesses. Ms. Moredock stated that when the Planning Commission reviewed the text amendment as originally submitted, the Planning Commission found the amendments to be unfavorable but was able to compromise with the Applicant. The Commissioners received a letter dated January 14, 2016, from Elizabeth H. Morris, Chair, Planning Commission. The amendment allows for an increase in the Village District from a 15 sq. ft. sign to a 25 sq. ft. flat sign (which is affixed to a building) and a limit on a detached sign (a pole sign or a monument sign) from 9 sq. ft. to 25 sq. ft. The applicants also proposed to enhance the bonus signage criteria found in Article VI, Section 2.7 of the Ordinance.

Written comments will be accepted in the County Commissioners’ Office until Friday, March 11, 2016, at 12:00 p.m.

The hearing was taped for reference and the Commissioners adjourned the public hearing at 6:17 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,



Sondra M. Blackiston, Clerk

Approved:
William W. Pickrum, President
The County Commissioners
of Kent County, Maryland