Locals Protest Substantial Land Development in Frederick County

FREDERICK COUNTY, MD - The Frederick County Planning Commission met today and spoke about moving forward with plans to develop nearly 1,500 acres of land over the next few decades.

Nearly 3,000 families could be moving into homes that will be built in Frederick County.

The Frederick County Planning Commission met with developers and discussed plans to move forward with building on nearly 1,500 acres of land, in Monrovia and Oakland, that have been rezoned.

"We're open for business, we are business friendly, we want to get the economy going
again, we want to create local jobs," says Board of Commissioners President Blaine Young.

While the commission met inside Winchester Hall, protesters were out on market street. They say they want to be heard.

"We want our community to be involved, and we want people to know the commission has taken lots of substantial money from the developers, that they're going ahead and putting this development through for us, and that's a concern for us," says Pam Abramson, of Monrovia.

A concern that brought these residents to form "Residents Against Landslide Expansion," after hearing of the plans they say will forever change their community... by over populating it.

"If they say there giving money for a school, a library, a fire department, I want to see the money first," says Abramson.

"I realize there has to be some growth, but not out of control, and not to ruin our community," says Sharon Buntman, of Monrovia.

Commissioner Young says, the projects and plans are for several decades to come, in an area of opportunity, and that the future is in his best interest.

"There's some that do not want to see Frederick County grow, they don't want this to be another Montgomery County, Prince Georges, I'm born and raised, and I don't want that either, and the only way you do that is through proper planning," says Young.

The Comission says they will hold public hearings in the future, but no dates have been set yet.