STOP A "COUNTRY INN" ON DEER SPRING ROAD IN MIDDLETOWN, MD

We, citizens of Frederick County, are ADAMANTLY OPPOSED to the pending Special Exception application seeking approval for a “Country Inn” in Frederick County’s Agricultural Zoning District by the owners of 4502 Deer Spring Road, Middletown, MD 21769, a property commonly known as “Seven Ponds Farm”. If approved, the owner will be permitted to construct and operate a large year-round wedding and event venue, permanently altering the agricultural characteristics of the property and our community.

Seven Ponds Farm is surrounded on three sides by communities that house HUNDREDS of residential neighbors. On the fourth side, directly across the street, two large farms (272 acres combined) are protected by Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) programs and continue to operate. Seven Ponds Farm is located centrally within an area at the bottom of Braddock Mountain (elev. 912 ft) that produces acoustics like an amphitheater.

The property owner, WLR Residential Properties, Inc., states that “the property is unsuitable for traditional agricultural uses,” yet argues the Special Exception to their Agricultural Zoning will promote agricultural land use and the agricultural heritage of Frederick County. The Frederick County Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan of 2022 calls for protection of the agricultural industry through the preservation of agricultural lands and calls on the County to limit the intrusion of development and its impacts on rural resources and resource-based industries. If approved, this proposed use will effectively remove this land from future agricultural use.

The Seven Ponds Farm property has been and is still suitable for bona fide agricultural activities. Instead, if approved, the Special Exception will allow for a DISRUPTIVE AND OBJECTIONABLE commercial enterprise amid a tranquil residential and agricultural area. There will be a SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT to its numerous neighbors and other people visiting and traveling through the Middletown and Braddock Heights communities.

This proposed use will NOT BE IN HARMONY WITH THE APPROPRIATE AND ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT of the neighborhood and town in which it is located. The property owner is calling this a “Country Inn”. WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE MAJOR ADVERSE IMPACTS their proposed "Country Inn" will have to our area and all surrounding residences, such as:
• This proposed use will increase traffic on Deer Spring Road, a narrow, winding road with sharp curves, steep hills, no shoulders, drop-offs, and homes mere feet from the side of the road, jeopardizing the safety of Frederick County residents, farmers, and vehicles that traverse it. Deer Spring Road was neither designed nor built to handle this type of activity.

• The roads leading into Middletown and Braddock Heights are inadequate to handle the influx of traffic this venue will create. This proposed use will have a significant negative impact on the overall traffic flow through and around Middletown and Braddock Heights.

• The sound of large crowds, music, and celebration will reverberate off Braddock Mountain and amplify throughout the area. The hundreds of neighbors surrounding Seven Ponds Farm will be unable to quietly and peacefully enjoy their homes and properties.

• Weddings and other events increase the risk of accidents from impaired drivers and drivers who lack the familiarity to navigate our narrow and winding roads leading to and from the property.

We are opposed to the threat of stormwater drainage issues that could arise from the addition of significant parking and other hardscape.

We are opposed to the potential for ground water contamination from the installation of a super-sized septic system and drain field that would be required to accommodate potential daily use by over 300 people.

We are opposed to the potential for failed water supply for existing wells on nearby properties.

We are opposed to the ecological and safety threats this proposed property use creates for the various animal species that inhabit Seven Ponds Farm and the surrounding area.

A Special Exception for properties zoned Agricultural should promote the agricultural heritage of Frederick County. The requested use of this property will do the opposite. The owner’s request utterly disregards the agricultural characteristics of Seven Ponds Farm and, at this location, will INTRODUCE HIGHLY INCOMPATIBLE ACTIVITIES into the community. It will neither support nor serve the needs of this rural community and it will DESTROY THE PEACEFUL ASPECTS of our neighborhood that people find most enjoyable This proposed property use will CONTRIBUTE TO DEVALUATION of all properties in the area, IRREVERSIBLY IMPACT the agricultural viability of the Seven Ponds Farm property, and DISRUPT THE HARMONIOUS, RURAL AMBIANCE of this area of Frederick County.

For the above reasons and more, we are STRICTLY OPPOSED to the approval of the Special Exception permit requested for 4502 Deer Spring Road, Middletown, MD 21769.

We call on The Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals to DENY the property owner’s application, and we urge the Frederick County Planning Commission and County Commissioners to fully support the Board of Appeals in its denial.

Please sign the petition and ask all adult members of your household to do the same. Then, forward the link to your family and friends who live in Frederick County, MD.

Thank you so much for your support!
Friends of Deer Spring
P.O. Box 263
Middletown, MD 21769
email: FriendsOfDeerSpring@gmail.com
www.friendsofdeerspring.com