Finksburg Corridor Plan - Carroll County Government

Finksburg Corridor Plan
Service and Industry Neighborhood
The Service and Industry area provides local and regional employment opportunities and
convenient, yet buffered, locations for heavy service, manufacturing and processing operations.
Commercial and retail establishments exist only to the extent they serve and are subordinate to
the service and industrial uses in the area. This area is set back from the main arterial
roadways. Structures and landscaping along MD 140, MD 91, and the secondary residential
streets screen the Service and Industry area uses from general view and help to mitigate the
impact of noise, fumes, and traffic, thereby supporting the vision for an attractive
gatewayGateway to the countyCounty. Traffic generated by services and industries in the area
can move freely and safely to and from their destinations because of circulation improvements
made to MD 140 and MD 91. Similarly, circulation improvements eliminate the potential
conflicts between service and industrial traffic, and traffic generated locally or by through traffic
on the highway. The quality of water in Liberty Reservoir and its tributaries is protected from
contamination through vegetative buffers on properties in the area, state-of-the-art stormwater
and wastewater management systems, low-impact site design, and green building technologies.
Finksburg Community’s Goals
In addition to developing a unique distinct set of visions statements within the
community, a set of goals are also developed that are distinct unique to the needs of the
community and that are more specific than the countyCounty-wide goals. The participants in
this planning process identified the following priorities for the Finksburg community.
Land Use
To encourage redevelopment as a way to promote new small-scale business, office and retail
activity within the corridor
To provide opportunities for residential uses along secondary roadways that are compatible
in design and density with historic structures and the existing community character
To strengthen the boundaries of the corridor by supporting resource protection and land
preservation on lands adjacent to the corridor
Transportation
To move traffic through the MD 140 corridor without disrupting the community's economic
and social activities
To spur transportation and design improvements in the MD 140 corridor to promote the
gatewayGateway concept
To maintain the functionality of MD 140 as a major arterial and MD 91 as a minor arterial
To promote the safe and efficient movement of traffic through the corridor
To create opportunities for non-motorized travel in the community and to provide additional
recreational opportunities for all age levels
Environmental Sensitivity
To recognize and respond to the essential need to protect water quality in Liberty Reservoir
and its tributaries
To create development that provides positive environmental impact
Gateway and Design
Approved by Carroll County Planning & Zoning Commission - October 2010Revised Draft – November 2012 ♦ 6