After much deliberation and testimony from the community, the Frederick Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) last week overwhelmingly approved a joint application from Plamondon Hospitality Partners, Randall Family Properties, and The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development regarding the Downtown Frederick Hotel and Conference Center. The HPC approval allows for the selective removal of a long-vacant building on the property known as the Birely Tannery Building, on the basis that retention of the building and site would not be in the best interest of the majority of citizens in the community and would prevent the development of the hotel project, which is a major community improvement program.
The decision also requires the development team to work collaboratively with the HPC, Maryland Historic Trust (MHT), Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and “interested parties” to identify strategies to “mitigate” the removal of the building through archeology, documentation, building design, and innovative interpretation of the tanning industry. The HPC will now be considering the design and mitigation techniques through HPC workshops over the next few weeks. For more information go to www.downtownhotelatcarrollcreek.com