Back when I first came to Frederick in 1994, I wrote myself a little note that I recently came across. It was the kernel of an idea for a vision statement for Frederick. This vision statement embodied a sustainable approach to community, one that built upon the existing attributes of the City as the thriving center of a primarily agricultural and recreational county. The bullets are as follows:

Increase downtown density. This would expand the tax base by supporting the relocation and creation of businesses in the downtown, also helping the retail market by increasing the need for restaurants and other services. Density in the form of more residents would provide more of a full service retail to complement the existing specialty retail catering to tourists.

As an adjunct build more (or incentivize) moderate cost housing, and specialized units such as artist housing. This would strengthen service retail ( the need for a downtown market, for example) as well as bolster the arts community.

Employ a venture capital mindset to recruit outside businesses to relocate and for others to create new business ventures. This would also serve to reduce the number of daily commutes out of our county.

Create a 22nd century water and sewer system using our existing infrastructure, including creation of a city-wide gray water system and other alternatives to conventional water/sewer systems.

Incentivize a local market system including urban farming and he creation of CSA infrastructure. This would create a stable market for the county’s farmers and supply the community with mostly local food. Work to improve what kids eat in the schools through local agriculture.

Create a Recreation network building on our wonderful assets. We have a linear park that links the city east to west- it should be expanded to connect to the Catoctins so that recreational opportunities can be expanded.

It’s interesting to see how many of these things are either still being discussed or maybe actually being discussed at all, such as the school lunch issue. How do these fit with your vision of Frederick?