DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

Mission: The Division of Development Review is entrusted with the mission of providing development review and planning services in a fair and cooperative manner to the city residents and development community that will enhance the quality of the built environment within the City in concert with adjacent neighborhoods, businesses, and natural resources. Regulations for development projects can be found in the Land Management Code (LMC).

The Division of Development Review, (a division of the Planning and Community Development Department) coordinates and reviews land development plans for the City of Frederick. The division’s staff provides technical planning, analysis, research and clerical support to enable the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), Planning Commission (PC) and the Planning Department to carry out their responsibilities effectively and meet the Federal, State and City development regulations and mandates.

The Development Review process is the implementation phase of the comprehensive planning process. It is a regulatory-based function that utilizes regulations from the Forest Conservation, Subdivision, and Zoning ordinances in conjunction with other City ordinances that are incorporated in the Land Management Code (LMC). Development Review planners review and analyze development projects while focusing on positions of the involved parties in a consistent and timely fashion.

Development Review planners join with the Comprehensive planners to provide general information relative to the Planning Process via the telephone at 301-600-1499.

For specific information about submitted projects, please contact the project planner.
For preliminary consultations before a project is submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning Commission, or Planning Department, please contact the appropriate planner. For information on the comprehensive update of the development ordinances, please contact Catherine Parks.

TO CONTACT US RELATIVE TO DEPARTMENT PROJECTS

You may contact us by e-mail, telephone, or visit our new offices at Municipal Office Annex, 140 West Patrick Street, Frederick, Maryland 21701. Hard copies may be mailed to the address above.

General Information

Development Review planners join with the Comprehensive planners to provide general information relative to the Planning Process via the telephone at 301-600-1499.

Preapplication Meetings

To schedule a pre-application meeting, please call Catherine Parks for a brief discussion of the project to enable staff to determine what agencies must be present. If at all possible, submit a copy of a plan before the pre-application meeting so that the staff may review the proposal and help you make the most out of the time period for which you are scheduled.
The actual scheduling of your meeting will take place after a planner is assigned. The time frame in which we are scheduling pre-application meetings are Tuesday afternoons from 1-6 and Wednesday mornings from 9-12. Generally large projects may take up to one hour; however, smaller projects may be scheduled for as little as 20 minutes. This time depends on whether a sketch plan has been submitted before the pre-application meeting.
Lea Ortiz schedules the pre-application meeting after a planner has been assigned. She will be contacting you at such time that the City Staff has given her their availability. Preapplication meetings should be scheduled within approximately ten days after you have made contact with Catherine.

Formal Submittals

For specific information about submitted projects, please contact the project planner. Generally, the planner who was assigned at a pre-application project will be the same planner for the formal submittal. If you were not required to have a pre-application conference, our secretary: Lea Ortiz may assist you in determining who the assigned planner is on a recently or previously approved project.

For consultations before a project is submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals, please contact the appropriate planner. This year we will be rotating the ZBA development review planners on a quarterly basis. If you are not sure who the planner is for your case, contact Linda Gravitt @ 301-600-2995.

For information on the update of the development ordinances, please contact Catherine Parks.