Citizens For Walkersville began as a grassroots group and was born during the "parking-lot
talks" that followed the Town Council Meetings of August 2007. So many of us were clearly unified
in our hopes and desires for the Town of Walkersville, Maryland, that we decided to get together
to hold open talks at our local outdoor pavilion in Creamery Park.
After discussions, we easily became an energized "coalition of the willing" and decided to
organize and become active together in order to:
- Work to preserve the quality of life we enjoy today, along with the character of our rural community.
- Maintain the integrity of our vital infrastructure and limited resources.
- Assist the Town in making conservative land use choices that will help to keep our already overburdened roads flowing smoothly,
in order to keep us safe.
We the People of Walkersville are fully representative of our small Town, and are diverse and
non-exclusionary by nature. Our membership contains broad ranks of people including farmers,
engineers, teachers, retirees, retailers, home-makers, community leaders, and the military.
All are concerned citizens and their friends.
Our motto is "Our Openness is our Strength" and we hope you will join us and contribute to our
cause! Frequently Asked Questions
| Q. What exactly is “Citizens For Walkersville”? | A. Citizens For Walkersville is a group of residents of the Walkersville area who
have formed a grassroots movement to preserve the character and orderly growth of the
Walkersville area.
| | Q. Is the opposition to the zoning appeal a case of discrimination? | A. Definitely not. The opposition to the zoning appeal is based primarily on the
scale of the proposed use which would bring in 10,000 or more people to Walkersville for
an annual event. Walkersville is a small community of approximately 5,000 people. This
planned usage would be a major impact to the infrastructure and character of the area.
| | Q. Doesn’t the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (AMC) have a right to practice their religion
in Walkersville? | A. Anyone living in Walkersville has the right to practice their religion of
choice. However, thousands of people who do not live in Walkersville do not have the
right to use property for purposes that do not meet the Walkersville zoning plan.
| | Q. . Isn’t it better to use the Moxley property for a convention center than build
500 houses on the property? | A. Actually this question is rather narrowly framed. Neither of these options is
appealing to the majority of Walkersville residents. These are not the only options for
potential use. However, the property is zoned as Agricultural so the property use is
limited to what is allowed under the zoning laws and ordinances.
| | Q. Is there anything a resident can do in addition to signing the petition opposed
to the rezoning of the Moxley property? | A. Yes, residents of the Walkersville area can come to the Zoning Board of Appeals
meeting on January 8, 2008t at 7:00 pm at Town Hall. People are encouraged to share
their concerns about the impact to Walkersville, especially topics mentioned in the
petition. Letters, email, and faxes may also be sent to Town Hall prior to January 8th.
See the Town of Walkersville web site at Walkersville-md.com for more information.
| | Q. How is the decision made regarding the approval of a “special exception” to the
zoning of the Moxley property? | The Board will only make its decision on the following factors according to 88-65 of the Town Code:
- orderly growth of the neighborhood
- most appropriate use of the land and structure
- facilities for sewers, water, trash collection and disposal and the ability of the town to provide such services
- availability of fire-fighting equipment
- affect of use upon peaceful enjoyment of people in their homes
- number of people residing, working or studying in the immediate area
- type and kind of structures in the vicinity where people are apt to gather in large numbers such as schools, churches and the like
- traffic conditions including facilities for pedestrians such as sidewalks, safety zones, and parking facilities available and the access of cars on highways
- preservation of cultural and historic landmarks
- conservation of property values
- Effects of odors, dust, gas, smoke, fumes, vibrations, glare and noise upon uses of surrounding properties
- Contribution if any such proposed use, building or addition would make toward the deterioration of areas and neighborhoods
- the accordance of contemplated action with an adopted town plan
The application shall not be approved where the health, safety, security, morals or
general welfare would be impaired or where dangerous traffic conditions might result
that would jeopardize the lives of property of people living in the neighborhood.
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