Moving Forward:

Chestertown Gateway Master Plan

Work continues on the Chestertown Gateway Master Plan Project and ESLC continues to marvel at the dedication and enthusiasm of the community.   The draft master plan for the Hopewell and Peterson Farms--developed from a weeklong community charrette facilitated by Town Planning and Urban Design Collaborative (TPUDC)- made its debut in early January on the ESLC website with copies available in town and county offices.  This plan includes a variety of architectural designs, development standards, a phasing concept, as well as detailed illustrations to better understand the look and feel of the development.  Intentionally conceptual and flexible in nature, the initial draft from TPUDC provides the groundwork for the Chestertown community to continue the conversation about this property and the master plan.  

The draft plan’s first stop in mid-January was with the Advisory Committee.  Through a set of two meetings, the Committee considered the draft plan and made recommendations to consider as it moved to a public review process:

1. Any development should be situated as close to town as possible;
2. The Master Plan should incorporate the smallest footprint possible necessary to support the density;
3. The Master Plan should reflect an ultimate build-out that is as minimal as possible, while taking into consideration the following:  a reasonable rate of absorption in light of projects happening throughout the region, maintaining the character and pace of Chestertown;
4. The housing stock must be diverse in type and pricing, including affordable housing;
5. The commercial uses should be mixed with residential and be consistent with local, community scale businesses;
6. The development should be phased such that the areas closest to town are developed first;
7. Amenities, such as public open space and trails should be created at the same time as development;
8. Every aspect of the future development must be environmentally responsible and satisfy LEED standards, including the overall site concept design and layout, as well as the individual structures;
9. The Master Plan must incorporate adequate water and sewer to support the anticipated full build-out. Additionally, traffic impacts of the development must be studied and considered.
10. A portion of the property must be retained as active agriculture;
11. The pace of development should span over a minimum of thirty (30) years and should support growth that is reasonable in consideration of the character and pace of Chestertown.  The phasing described in the draft Master Plan by TPUDC which includes Phase 1 (0-15 yrs) and Phase 2 (15-30) years would suffice; and
12. The Advisory Committee embraces the design and character of the development sketches set forth in the draft master plan.

Accompanying the draft plan was with an initial economic analysis with preliminary estimates about the number of units and amount of commercial space.   ESLC'S review of preliminary numbers raised considerable internal concern about the overall scale of potential development in the master plan and a rejection of full build out of all four phases. Along a similar vein, the final master plan summary from TPUDC strongly suggests that large tracts of land such as this should be developed over a long enough time period so that it is harmonious with the Town.  The Advisory Committee chose not to provide recommendations regarding the project scale and determined it is too early to determine specific numbers related to housing units and commercial space for the project.  Further appraisal work is currently underway to provide a deeper understanding of what options exist to regarding scale and timing/phasing. 

The plan’s next stop is to start the public review process.  This began on January 31^st with an information session hosted by ESLC for the town and county planning commissions.  Presented was an overview of the plan, along with a candid summary of the challenges ahead. (To view the presentation, please click here). The Commissions will meet jointly together to discuss next steps on February 20 at the regularly scheduled Chestertown planning commission meeting.   ESLC continues to fulfill contractual obligations by working on the financial pieces of the project, exploring developer interest and creative funding solutions.

While there are still critical questions yet to be answered, the project has traveled far from the November charrette.  There are important successes to celebrate as the community of Chestertown pioneers a new approach to growth decisions, and local officials are exemplifying the best of cooperation and partnership.   ESLC is excited to continue moving this plan forward toward an end that meets the vision of the community. Please look for the final plan to be posted on the ESLC website in mid-February.