I am a resident of Opequon and live on Wise Mill Lane. Last year my flock was attacked by one or more loose dogs. We lost five lambs as a result. My guess is that one or more of these new neighbors might let their dogs out loose at night which may trespass on my land and injure my animals. We will post our land, but we are also worried that children will trespass without their parent's knowlege and a farm can be a dangerous place. Finally, with the recent droughts this part of the county has had, we are worried about how these additional homes will stress the aquifer.
As a resident of Opequon and a near neighbor of the land under consideration, I request that the proposed change of zoning be denied. Our family moved from Winchester to the country within the last two years and we thought we were leaving traffic and subdivisions behind. We appreciate the rural atmosphere of the surrounding farms and enjoy walking and biking along the peaceful country roads. The agricultural zoning was meant to protect this irenic scenery and ensure that urban sprawl doesn't encroach into the valuable farmland and green space. We sympathize with the desire many people have to move to Frederick County, and respectfully suggest that if they cannot afford a house in the country, they buy or build homes on land already zoned for denser neighborhoods. On a practical note, we don't want the congestion, pollution, or infrastructure suburbia will bring; on a fiscal note, we don't want the additional tax burden of paying for all these "improvements" and "amenities." Please do not change the current zoning.
My husband and I are from the Opequon district and want to leave this comment for Jason Aikens. We live on Grim Road and oppose the request to remove our neighbor's farm from the Double Church Agricultural and Forestal District. Removal is being asked so residential development can occur. Grim Road already has a high volume of daily traffic on it. It is very narrow with no center line or shoulders, is hilly, and has several blind curves on it that would be around the area of the proposed development for Springhill Estates. There have been several accidents on it already, and we experience weekly near misses with oncoming traffic. Adding more congestion is a safety issue.
We also worry about adding more homes to the aquifer in our area. We are surrounded by open farm fields and a mostly quiet and peaceful environment. This new development will affect many families and the value of their properties. We think that there are already many areas near us on Fairfax Pike and Double Church Road that are already zoned for the kind of development that Mr. Stezel wants to create. We do not want to set a precedent for switching Agricultural Zoning to high-density Residential Zoning in our area.
Please do what you can on behalf of the residents in our area to stop this rezoning. Thank you!
I am opposed to this because of the impact this will have on our already stressed roadways and rural quality of life. It was my understanding that when this was put in Double Church Agricultural and Forestry District that this was a lifetime assignment. Many other neighbors were highly encouraged by John Stelzl to join this district as well. I live on Wise Mill Lane that barely has passable gravel road in very poor condition I can only imagine the impact with 18 more homes in the area. What about the water runoff that will occur to the surrounding farmland? Has anyone considered the impact this will have on the environment? I have lived here for 13 years and don't want this area to be destroyed by greed of individuals and the love of money. I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to this becoming just another housing development in our great rural area. This is not a good and reasonable cause to be allowed to be removed from this district.
I am a resident of Opequon and live on Wise Mill Lane. Last year my flock was attacked by one or more loose dogs. We lost five lambs as a result. My guess is that one or more of these new neighbors might let their dogs out loose at night which may trespass on my land and injure my animals. We will post our land, but we are also worried that children will trespass without their parent's knowlege and a farm can be a dangerous place. Finally, with the recent droughts this part of the county has had, we are worried about how these additional homes will stress the aquifer.
As a resident of Opequon and a near neighbor of the land under consideration, I request that the proposed change of zoning be denied. Our family moved from Winchester to the country within the last two years and we thought we were leaving traffic and subdivisions behind. We appreciate the rural atmosphere of the surrounding farms and enjoy walking and biking along the peaceful country roads. The agricultural zoning was meant to protect this irenic scenery and ensure that urban sprawl doesn't encroach into the valuable farmland and green space. We sympathize with the desire many people have to move to Frederick County, and respectfully suggest that if they cannot afford a house in the country, they buy or build homes on land already zoned for denser neighborhoods. On a practical note, we don't want the congestion, pollution, or infrastructure suburbia will bring; on a fiscal note, we don't want the additional tax burden of paying for all these "improvements" and "amenities." Please do not change the current zoning.
My husband and I are from the Opequon district and want to leave this comment for Jason Aikens. We live on Grim Road and oppose the request to remove our neighbor's farm from the Double Church Agricultural and Forestal District. Removal is being asked so residential development can occur. Grim Road already has a high volume of daily traffic on it. It is very narrow with no center line or shoulders, is hilly, and has several blind curves on it that would be around the area of the proposed development for Springhill Estates. There have been several accidents on it already, and we experience weekly near misses with oncoming traffic. Adding more congestion is a safety issue.
We also worry about adding more homes to the aquifer in our area. We are surrounded by open farm fields and a mostly quiet and peaceful environment. This new development will affect many families and the value of their properties. We think that there are already many areas near us on Fairfax Pike and Double Church Road that are already zoned for the kind of development that Mr. Stezel wants to create. We do not want to set a precedent for switching Agricultural Zoning to high-density Residential Zoning in our area.
Please do what you can on behalf of the residents in our area to stop this rezoning. Thank you!
I am opposed to this because of the impact this will have on our already stressed roadways and rural quality of life. It was my understanding that when this was put in Double Church Agricultural and Forestry District that this was a lifetime assignment. Many other neighbors were highly encouraged by John Stelzl to join this district as well. I live on Wise Mill Lane that barely has passable gravel road in very poor condition I can only imagine the impact with 18 more homes in the area. What about the water runoff that will occur to the surrounding farmland? Has anyone considered the impact this will have on the environment? I have lived here for 13 years and don't want this area to be destroyed by greed of individuals and the love of money. I am STRONGLY OPPOSED to this becoming just another housing development in our great rural area. This is not a good and reasonable cause to be allowed to be removed from this district.