Action Framework

The Action Framework is a collection of goals, initiatives, and supporting initiatives that describe community actions to support of Our Vision. It constitutes a complex whole of high-level concepts feeding into low-level actions that systematically describes a means of moving from the abstractions and general aspirations of the vision to the operational and functional details of implementing the vision. This approach connects things to do with to their purpose, with the ultimate purpose of any of the items in the Action Framework being the realization of Our Vision. Policies articulated in the Action Framework are organized to reflect the following four vision themes: Co-Our Community, He-Our Health, Ec-Our Economy, and Ev-Our Environment.

A list of all policies in the Action Framework that can be sorted by keyword is available here: ACTION FRAMEWORK DATABASE

Tap/click the headings below to expand each topic and explore policies.

Vision Themes

1. Our Community

The Our Community theme supports the following State of Maryland Visions: Quality of Life and Sustainability, Public Participation, Growth Areas, Community Design, Infrastructure, Transportation, Housing, Economic Development, Environmental Protection, Resource Conservation, Stewardship, Implementation
- 1.1. Infrastructure Design
  
  Goals in this category concern the planning, collaboration, and technical problem solving that ensures that the design of the physical form and spatial patterns of our transportation and public infrastructure provides the best match for the desired function, behavior, or outcome.
  - 1.1.1. Settlement Patterns
    
    Create a system of land use, transportation and public infrastructure that prioritizes access through diversified mobility and integrated land use planning.
    - 1.1.1.1. Diversified Mobility
      
      Support, initiate, and plan for changes to the physical form of our transportation and public infrastructure systems that enable a balanced mixture of transportation choices that emphasize walking, biking, and public transit.
      - 1.1.1.1.1. Develop a street type classification system for local street networks that augments the traditional highway functional classification system of the Comprehensive Plan. This can be supported through development of a complete and green streets manual and implemented through "small area" community and corridor planning. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.2. Update the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) to address and incorporate the goals and initiatives of Livable Frederick. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.3. Support the development of fixed heavy rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit including connections between existing and proposed local and regional residential and commercial development centers. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.4. Continue the implementation of a countywide spoke-hub distribution system for transit shuttle services connecting growth areas throughout the county to Frederick City. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.5. Support the implementation of the Transit Friendly Design Guidelines for development at all levels of review. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.6. Re-conceptualize the Bikeways and Trails Plan as a non-motorized transportation plan, with specific emphasis on the inclusion of planning for pedestrians and walkability throughout the transportation system. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.7. Employ the ‘road diet' strategy to create systemic transportation improvements through lane reductions or road re-channelization to address how on-street bicycle and pedestrian improvements can be retro-fitted to existing roads, while thoughtfully integrating practical design elements to maintain a viable local transit system. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.8. Create a complete and green streets policy that is supported by an ordinance and by design guidelines that augment or replace the Streets and Roads Design Manual. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.9. Provide opportunities for bicycle and pedestrian safety education and enforcement. More Information
      - 1.1.1.1.10. Prepare for the mobility growth and travel pattern changes resulting from the anticipated rise of mobility services and autonomous vehicles. More Information
    - 1.1.1.2. Mixed Use and Density
      
      Promote land use patterns that support accessibility and diversified mobility through the geographic concentration of multi-functional uses, activities and destinations.
      - 1.1.1.2.1. Support policies that direct growth to Growth Areas and that correspond to the growth strategies described in the Thematic Plan.
      - 1.1.1.2.2. Support policies and capital expenditures that result in the creation and enhancement of central public places within growth areas through the centralization and concentration of public community facilities, mixed land uses, and private development. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.3. Support the use and appeal of transit and non-motorized transportation options through art projects, in any media, sited in community places that are open to the public that enhance public spaces and communities.
      - 1.1.1.2.4. Develop environmentally protective design guidelines and best practices documentation for high density, mixed use, and transit oriented development that can be supported and reinforced by the county code and development review process. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.5. Identify opportunity sites and determine impediments to mixed use development through consultation with the county's economic and environmental agencies and representatives of the development industry. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.6. Establish appropriate Transit Oriented Development (TOD) zoning regulations in growth areas that are served by or could be served by rail service, local and regional bus transfer points, shared-use paths and ride-sharing facilities, maximizing both residential and employment densities at these prime locations. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.7. Prioritize development - especially infill development and redevelopment - that maximizes the use of, or extension of, existing infrastructure systems while minimizing the creation of new infrastructure and loss of existing natural resources. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.8. Prepare corridor and community plans for the redevelopment of targeted areas and provide appropriate zoning strategies, such as redevelopment overlay zones and form-based codes, to support implementation of plans. More Information
      - 1.1.1.2.9. Develop the park system with a variety of park sizes and types that balance active use and passive use, while supporting the provision of smaller, centrally located parks within neighborhoods. More Information
    - 1.1.1.3. Interconnectivity
      
      Promote the interconnectivity of the transportation system for all travel modes and at all levels of the transportation network and public infrastructure, especially for schools and libraries.
      - 1.1.1.3.1. Develop connectivity standards and supplement with guidelines to assist in development review. More Information
      - 1.1.1.3.2. Focus non-motorized connectivity improvements to services, schools, parks, civic uses, regional connection and commercial uses, with an emphasis on interconnections between central places to residential areas. More Information
      - 1.1.1.3.3. Create community and corridor plans that focus on the development of cross-parcel local street networks that support and emphasize non-motorized transportation and that minimize fragmentation of natural resources and habitats. More Information
      - 1.1.1.3.4. Require, where practicable, new development and redevelopment projects to provide interconnected street networks with small blocks and external inter-parcel connections.
      - 1.1.1.3.5. Consider stream corridors within Community Growth Areas for development as public linear parks to allow for greenway/trail linkages both within and between these areas.
  - 1.1.2. Planning Methods
    
    Employ and develop up-to-date and appropriate methods to provide accountability as well as effective, efficient, resilient, and innovative planning and design.
    - 1.1.2.1. Small Area Planning
      
      Implement small area planning through the Community and Corridor planning process that targets areas that are within growth areas or along transportation corridors between growth areas.
    - 1.1.2.2. Multi-Modal Accessibility
      
      Maintain a travel demand model of the existing and proposed highway network to assist with identifying and assessing highway needs and analysis of corridor and community plan recommendations.
      - 1.1.2.2.1. Incorporate multi-modal analysis and modeling tools and methods to augment the impact and effectiveness of the roadway demand model. More Information
    - 1.1.2.3. Community and Economic Modeling
      
      Incorporate the use of planning, environmental, and economic modeling tools in future corridor and small area planning.
    - 1.1.2.4. Metrics
      
      Develop and maintain a system of metrics for measuring Livable Frederick Master Plan progress and accountability.
    - 1.1.2.5. Collaboration and Coordination
      
      Foster cooperation, participation, and coordination within and between government agencies including municipalities, citizens, and other interested organizations when developing plans.
      - 1.1.2.5.1. Establish a bicycle and pedestrian advisory group in the county and coordinate with private organizations. More Information
      - 1.1.2.5.2. Establish a central role for the Livable Frederick Master Plan in the development of the Capital Improvements Program.
      - 1.1.2.5.3. Foster a collaborative process between the county and municipalities when developing plans and capital budgets.
      - 1.1.2.5.4. Maintain a close working relationship with all organizations that have an impact on the quality of public and community environments, including the Frederick Arts Council.
      - 1.1.2.5.5. Maintain consistency between municipal comprehensive plans and the county's Comprehensive Plan.
      - 1.1.2.5.6. Include the preparation of a Municipal – County Planning Agreement that would address concurrence on annexation areas, water/sewer service and other relevant issues as part of updates of a municipal comprehensive plan as coordinated with the county.
      - 1.1.2.5.7. Initiate a review and update of the county portion of Growth Areas around municipalities concurrent with the respective municipal comprehensive plan update.
      - 1.1.2.5.8. Ensure frequent and appropriate collaboration between the Frederick County Planning Commission and municipal planning commissions in Frederick County.
    - 1.1.2.6. Smart Community Technology
      
      Use information and communication technologies to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness.
  - 1.1.3. Appearance and Usability
    
    Design and plan infrastructure to support the character and cultural history of the county in a way that is satisfying to the user.
    - 1.1.3.1. User-Oriented Design
      
      Support the design of transportation and public facilities that addresses human oriented and public space attributes of streets and public buildings, that contributes to "spatial problem solving," and that attracts, engages, and widely appeals to users.
      - 1.1.3.1.1. Advocate for and support the design of street systems that afford use as shared community spaces, through the incorporation of pedestrian amenities, comfortable exterior spaces, and art projects in any media that are sited in community spaces that are open to the public. More Information
      - 1.1.3.1.2. Encourage a countywide wayfinding program that builds on the wayfinding program developed by the City of Frederick. More Information
      - 1.1.3.1.3. Update the county Zoning Ordinance section addressing signage to support research-based design and safety criteria. More Information
      - 1.1.3.1.4. Develop and encourage tree planting, screening, and landscaping projects using native species along roads and public facilities. More Information
      - 1.1.3.1.5. Develop standards and requirements for new development that support usable open space.
      - 1.1.3.1.6. Support programs that integrate artists into the design process of public facilities and infrastructure.
      - 1.1.3.1.7. Support the public art master plan recommendation to use public art such as landmark features, gateway features, and sculpture exhibitions in planned developments and by supporting programs that integrate artists into the design process for public facilities and infrastructure.
    - 1.1.3.2. Context Sensitive Strategies
      
      Employ context-based strategies to ensure that transportation and public infrastructure developments are compatible with and sensitive to adjacent land uses, communities, and development.
      - 1.1.3.2.1. Continue to support the preservation and use of rural roads in agricultural and resource conservation areas through the application of context sensitive design and the consideration of the local context.
      - 1.1.3.2.2. Revise the design requirements of the Zoning Ordinance to provide context dependent requirements for landscaping and lighting along streets, bridges, and roads and encourage flexibility where feasible.
      - 1.1.3.2.3. Continue to support the preservation and continued use of historic bridges. More Information
      - 1.1.3.2.4. Support deviations from standardized building designs for schools and other public buildings in context-specific cases and when practical. More Information
      - 1.1.3.2.5. Develop parks in a manner that is sensitive to and protective of natural resource and environmentally sensitive features and that prioritizes the preservation of archaeological and historic sites and structures.
      - 1.1.3.2.6. Incorporate the Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byways Corridor Management Plan and Corridor Partnership Plan for the Historic National Road recommendations into appropriate ordinances, programs, and plans, and retain the natural and historic character of state and national scenic byways through landscaping using native species, preservation, and maintenance. More Information
    - 1.1.3.3. Compatible Uses
      
      Minimize or eliminate adverse ambient environmental impacts on people, sensitive land uses, and the natural environment that are caused by transportation, industrial uses, or building operations.
      - 1.1.3.3.1. Update regulations to address transportation, industrial, and construction noise sources as appropriate. More Information
      - 1.1.3.3.2. Consider the development and implementation of a Highway Noise Overlay District that addresses noise-sensitive land uses adjacent to highways. More Information
      - 1.1.3.3.3. Locate new transportation or new industrial noise-generating uses in areas where impacts to sensitive land uses would be minimized.
      - 1.1.3.3.4. Consider the development and implementation of appropriate land use tools that address environmental impacts in the vicinity of the Frederick Municipal Airport. More Information
      - 1.1.3.3.5. Address the need to consider the impacts of noise on community character, agricultural conservation and preservation areas, parklands, habitat preservation areas, and residential neighborhoods and develop noise abatement strategies if needed.
      - 1.1.3.3.6. Reduce the impact of air pollution by supporting the reduction of per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) , as well as the use of alternative, non-polluting fuel sources for transportation and building operations. More Information
- 1.2. Infrastructure Capacity
  
  Goals in this category deal with the practice of ensuring that the supply of and the demand for our transportation and public infrastructure are continually in balance.
  - 1.2.1. Supply
    
    Reduce the congestion and overcrowding of transportation and infrastructure through a diversified approach of short-term and long-term strategies to improve capacity.
    - 1.2.1.1. Needs Identification
      
      Employ ongoing capacity needs identification and prioritization processes for transportation and public infrastructure.
      - 1.2.1.1.1. Update the Master Transportation Plan to better integrate a decision making process that is based on evidence to prioritize assessed needs and recommendations.
      - 1.2.1.1.2. Develop a roads needs inventory to list and prioritize capital improvements such as spot safety improvements, intersections, and new road alignments.
      - 1.2.1.1.3. Consider existing and projected traffic volumes, crash history, level-of-service, and planned land use patterns in prioritizing roadway and bridge improvements in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
      - 1.2.1.1.4. Systematically prioritize bicycle and pedestrian network implementation as identified in the Bikeways and Trails Master Plan (or future non-motorized transportation plan), based on providing safe and functional transportation connections between complementary uses such as: housing, workplaces, parks, shopping, schools and transit centers.
      - 1.2.1.1.5. Address barriers to accessibility in county maintained public rights of way through supporting the implementation of the American's With Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan.
      - 1.2.1.1.6. Assess needs and identify locations for existing and future park and rides, intermodal transportation centers, and carpool lots.
      - 1.2.1.1.7. Work with the State Highway Administration (SHA), the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), local transit, municipalities, and surrounding jurisdictions to prioritize funding for those capital projects that remedy existing deficiencies.
      - 1.2.1.1.8. Update the pupil yield factor study every two years.
      - 1.2.1.1.9. Establish comprehensive standards for the provision of recreational and natural environment amenities for residential development, as well as amenities servicing commercial and employment projects. More Information
      - 1.2.1.1.10. Periodically undertake comprehensive reviews of public safety needs based upon future growth projections to establish minimum standards for police and fire/rescue protection. More Information
      - 1.2.1.1.11. Establish acceptable criteria and planning processes for school sites – including the development of a protocol for the early identification of prime school sites - as recommended by the Frederick County School Construction Work Group (SCWG).
    - 1.2.1.2. Conflict Mitigation
      
      Maintain optimal capacity in our transportation and public infrastructure systems by identifying and reducing conflicts and functional impediments to operations.
      - 1.2.1.2.1. Improve safety, flow, and efficiency along roadways by employing access-management and transportation system management principles. More Information
      - 1.2.1.2.2. Support optimal travel conditions by creating an outreach campaign to raise awareness, acceptance, and knowledge about urban and rural cycling among drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
      - 1.2.1.2.3. Support the accommodation of freight rail and trucking to enhance development of a broad base of industrial and commercial uses by providing adequate infrastructure and the designation of industrial or freight rail dependent land uses along the rail lines.
      - 1.2.1.2.4. Consider the development and implementation of appropriate land use tools that address safety and conflict mitigation in the vicinity of the Frederick Municipal Airport.
      - 1.2.1.2.5. Continue to cooperate with the State of Maryland, The City of Frederick, and other local municipalities on planning and implementing the transportation network.
      - 1.2.1.2.6. Study methods to mitigate the conflict between wildlife and motorists by examining the concentration of wildlife crash incidents along county and state roads, and by examining potential solutions implemented by other jurisdictions, to determine if these may be effective and efficient solutions.
    - 1.2.1.3. Capacity Expansion
      
      Improve and expand capacity in our transportation and public infrastructure systems where needed and where strategically targeted. This may include roads, transit, charging stations, rail, bikeways, schools, and other supporting infrastructure.
      - 1.2.1.3.1. Support expansion and improvement of local and regional multi-modal commuter options, especially efforts to provide commuter relief along Interstate 270 in the form of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), as well as possible express toll lanes and rail-based solutions. More Information
      - 1.2.1.3.2. Support TransIT's vision for future service provision surrounding Frederick City. More Information
      - 1.2.1.3.3. Prioritize transit-based road improvements as supported by TransIT. More Information
      - 1.2.1.3.4. Support the expansion of the electric and alternative fuel vehicle fleet, including Transit fleet vehicles, and explore the expansion of covered charging stations for fleet as well as private electric vehicles.
      - 1.2.1.3.5. Explore and coordinate scheduling improvements and stop options for MARC trips at Frederick, Point of Rocks, Germantown, Gaithersburg and Rockville; and make direct links between MARC and Metro at Shady Grove. More Information
      - 1.2.1.3.6. Pursue the shared use of existing and proposed publicly and privately owned utility right-of-ways for the purposes of establishing shared use path facilities.
      - 1.2.1.3.7. Ensure commercial and residential development constructs shared-use paths and on-street bikeways designated in county non-motorized transportation plans that pass through or are adjacent to their proposed development site.
      - 1.2.1.3.8. Create options and incentives that encourage voluntary landowner participation in the establishment of greenways and trails.
      - 1.2.1.3.9. Evaluate the Zoning Ordinance regulation changes regarding reductions in the required number of parking spaces, a range based requirement for number of parking spaces, the provision of on-street parking, and permitted reductions in redevelopment areas or in areas where Transportation Demand Management strategies are employed. More Information
      - 1.2.1.3.10. Develop realistic metrics to gauge the overall capacity of the school system at each level and throughout all geographic areas of the county, in cooperation with FCPS.
      - 1.2.1.3.11. Revise the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) to fully support concurrence of public facilities with development.
      - 1.2.1.3.12. Support policies for the systematic and integrated identification of suitable development sites for public facilities, especially sites that can accommodate standardized school designs and colocation criteria, and sites that can accommodate future expansion, where appropriate.
      - 1.2.1.3.13. Maximize the use of school sites through the construction of multi-use and multi-story buildings when feasible, to reduce building footprints and environmental impacts, and emphasize bicycle and pedestrian access to minimize parking needs and bus transportation.
      - 1.2.1.3.14. Support partnerships with municipalities for funding the design and construction of transportation and public facilities such as libraries, parks, and public safety buildings.
      - 1.2.1.3.15. Work collaboratively with all municipalities to adopt APFOs that complement the county APFO and that support incentives for development to locate within municipalities.
      - 1.2.1.3.16. Pursue opportunities for the renovation, upgrade, and reuse of existing buildings.
      - 1.2.1.3.17. Prepare preliminary planning and feasibility studies for priority county and state highway corridor upgrades.
      - 1.2.1.3.18. Ensure that the provision of water and sewer infrastructure fulfills county planning goals and policies and that expansion of water and sewer system capacity maximizes efficiency, addresses public health issues, enhances opportunities for sustainable economic development, and respects the stewardship of natural resources.
  - 1.2.2. Demand
    
    Reduce congestion and overcrowding of transportation and public infrastructure systems by managing and diversifying demand and flow characteristics.
    - 1.2.2.1. Demand Management
      
      Employ Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies to increase transportation efficiency by influencing changes in travel behavior.
      - 1.2.2.1.1. Create a Transportation Demand Management Plan. More Information
    - 1.2.2.2. System Management
      
      Use demand-based transportation system management (TSM) opportunities to reduce congestion.
- 1.3. Infrastructure Operations
  
  Goals in this category deal with the continual practice of providing reliable, safe, efficient, and well-maintained public infrastructure.
  - 1.3.1. Safety
    
    Provide public infrastructure systems that minimize the risk of injury and maximize protection from harm.
    - 1.3.1.1. Education
      
      Educate and encourage citizens about public and transportation safety and make a commitment to support a culture of safety.
      - 1.3.1.1.1. Work with county agencies to promote public education programs that teach people safety skills for public spaces and for using transportation systems.
      - 1.3.1.1.2. Create a Community Traffic Safety Task Force charged with promoting traffic safety.
    - 1.3.1.2. Evaluation
      
      Assess risks, identify and control hazards, and continually evaluate and improve our transportation and infrastructure systems.
      - 1.3.1.2.1. Consider the development and implementation of appropriate land use tools that address safety issues in the vicinity of the Frederick Municipal Airport.
      - 1.3.1.2.2. Continually identify and monitor safety problems and issues for transportation and public space by using data from the Maryland Highway Safety Office, local law enforcement, and through public input and coordination with municipalities.
      - 1.3.1.2.3. Maximize the opportunities to manage the safe and efficient movement of trucks through coordination with municipalities, the State of Maryland, and local businesses.
      - 1.3.1.2.4. Support the "Toward Zero Deaths" vision of moving towards zero traffic related deaths by developing a local highway safety plan that supports safety through a combination of legislative action, police enforcement, and public education as a way to end driver, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths. More Information
      - 1.3.1.2.5. Create a Community Traffic Safety Task Force charged with evaluating traffic safety in the county.
      - 1.3.1.2.6. Evaluate the feasibility and, where appropriate, conduct pilot installations of enhanced traffic signal lighting to aid deaf drivers in situations where emergency vehicles are approaching an intersection.
      - 1.3.1.2.7. Evaluate the feasibility and, where appropriate, conduct pilot installations of enhanced crosswalk signaling devices, providing visual, tactile or auditory interfaces to ensure full accessibility for the safety of all pedestrians.
    - 1.3.1.3. Design and Operations
      
      Include and encourage safety in the design and operations of all transportation and public infrastructure projects.
      - 1.3.1.3.1. Support the design and restructuring of the physical layout of communities and public buildings to allow greater occupant control and surveillance of their surroundings. More Information
      - 1.3.1.3.2. Ensure that public spaces have adequate and appropriate police presence.
      - 1.3.1.3.3. Assess and update the neighborhood traffic calming policy. More Information
      - 1.3.1.3.4. Protect air safety by permitting expansion of public general aviation operations only at Frederick Municipal Airport.
      - 1.3.1.3.5. Support the "Safe Routes to School" initiative and require Safe Routes to School planning for all existing and proposed county schools to address coordinated education, enforcement, encouragement, design, and school siting to provide for safe bicycling and walking options for students.
  - 1.3.2. Optimization
    
    Ensure that transportation and public infrastructure investments provide maximum value, sustainability, and resilience to citizens through responsible stewardship and continuous, deliberate improvement.
    - 1.3.2.1. Efficiency
      
      Maximize efficiency and seek opportunities for cooperation to minimize operating costs for transportation and public infrastructure.
      - 1.3.2.1.1. Revise language in the roads and bridges ordinance to preclude the responsibility of sidewalk maintenance (as well as the grass strip between the sidewalk and the road curb) requirements by abutting property owner(s) in certain cases where there is no nexus between the need of the land owner and the service that the sidewalk provides. More Information
      - 1.3.2.1.2. Assess the efficiency benefits of alternative energy sources for fleet and facility operations and implement alternatives as warranted.
      - 1.3.2.1.3. Support standardized designs to accommodate additions, support colocation, and reduce design and construction costs in county facilities where appropriate.
      - 1.3.2.1.4. Identify a process for executing road transfer agreements between the county and municipalities when annexations occur.
      - 1.3.2.1.5. Assess efficiency gains and cost savings in roadside management that would result from employing alternative landscaping and sustainable roadside mowing practices.
      - 1.3.2.1.6. Promote the development and operation of revenue-producing public facilities.
      - 1.3.2.1.7. Reuse, redevelop, or liquidate obsolete or surplus public buildings (such as unused schools) or sites.
      - 1.3.2.1.8. Support efficiency gains and community investiture gained through volunteerism in all forms, especially in the coordinated volunteer and professional system of fire and rescue services.
      - 1.3.2.1.9. Support value engineering in county projects to reduce construction and life cycle costs while maintaining quality and efficiency, and limiting environmental impact.
    - 1.3.2.2. Maintenance
      
      Prioritize preventive maintenance and strategic capital resource replacement practices to ensure that our public infrastructure, including roads, rail, schools, libraries, parks and other public infrastructure, remains operational and keeps pace with state-of-the-art technologies and practices.
      - 1.3.2.2.1. Employ preventive maintenance of fleet and public transit vehicles to preserve continuity of operations, minimize potential future capital costs, and maintain resale value as part of an overall life cycle management strategy.
      - 1.3.2.2.2. Enable effective road resurfacing and reconstruction by supporting the County's Pavement Management Program and apply Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Low Impact Development (LID) guidelines where appropriate.
      - 1.3.2.2.3. Maintain and improve the quality of schools, libraries, parks, and other community facilities.
    - 1.3.2.3. Environment
      
      Support environmentally responsible management and maintenance practices.
      - 1.3.2.3.1. Identify and employ appropriate green building standards to guide the development and renovation of county facilities. More Information
      - 1.3.2.3.2. Support regional air quality conformity efforts by participating in the regional air quality conformity assessment process based on Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
      - 1.3.2.3.3. Continue to purchase alternative fuel vehicles to replace aging diesel Transit fleet vehicles.
      - 1.3.2.3.4. Support public health emergency preparedness through the re-evaluation of policies for the provision of public water and sewer to address failing well and/or septic systems.
      - 1.3.2.3.5. Evaluate infrastructure projects in terms of their capacity to facilitate wildlife survival by preserving contiguous habitats and connecting habitats that are fragmented.
- 1.4. Housing Diversity
  
  Goals in this category concern the effort to build a varied housing stock in order to support fairness, equity, and resilience for our community and that serves the needs of present and future residents.
  - 1.4.1. Resilience
    
    Improve the ability of the county to respond to changing long-term economic and demographic conditions by ensuring that a wide range of housing types are preserved and developed.
    - 1.4.1.1. Maintenance
      
      Encourage and incentivize the maintenance and restoration of existing housing to support the longevity of decent and affordable housing stock.
      - 1.4.1.1.1. Maintain the distinct characteristics and scale of our existing traditional, urban, suburban, village, and rural neighborhoods.
      - 1.4.1.1.2. Invest in targeted rehabilitation programs that increase the livability and longevity of existing homes and neighborhoods in older suburban and rural communities.
      - 1.4.1.1.3. Consider strategies that enhance the usability of existing residences for multi-generational living.
      - 1.4.1.1.4. Promote long-lasting and resilient new home construction through materials, techniques, and craftsmanship that prevents obsolescence and deterioration - today's new homes are tomorrow's affordable dwellings.
      - 1.4.1.1.5. Provide technical support to homeowners seeking to renovate existing older housing. More Information
      - 1.4.1.1.6. Assist with weatherization programs/energy efficiency improvements to reduce utility bills in older, poorly insulated homes.
      - 1.4.1.1.7. Continue to provide funding or consider tax credits for installing or upgrading accessibility for seniors and disabled citizens in older housing.
    - 1.4.1.2. Housing Options
      
      Support the development of a broader and richer mix of dwelling types, unit sizes, and tenancy conditions throughout the county.
      - 1.4.1.2.1. Provide design guidance for new development on housing type diversity that specifically addresses the housing needs of Frederick County.
      - 1.4.1.2.2. Reorganize and recalibrate regulatory documents to place a greater emphasis on alternative housing types.
      - 1.4.1.2.3. Utilize comprehensive and community planning efforts to demonstrate the benefits of alternative residential forms.
      - 1.4.1.2.4. Seek developer assistance in creating a marketplace conducive to housing types other than just single-family detached dwellings.
      - 1.4.1.2.5. Explore amendments to zoning and other regulations to increase the number of accessory apartment dwelling units and to allow for a greater variety of dwelling types.
  - 1.4.2. Equity
    
    Ensure that housing options are available to all county residents, regardless of income, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, familial status, source of income, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
    - 1.4.2.1. Affordability
      
      Close the affordable housing gap in the county through the continued development of affordable housing options.
      - 1.4.2.1.1. Expand public and private development efforts across the county to create housing that is affordable to working households earning low to moderate incomes.
      - 1.4.2.1.2. Explore the ability to reduce the burden of land cost for low to very low income housing through public or private subsidization of land acquisition.
      - 1.4.2.1.3. Discourage the displacement of existing affordable rental and ownership housing units during the development or redevelopment of neighborhoods.
      - 1.4.2.1.4. Incentivize homeownership and rental housing opportunities for police, fire fighters, emergency services, teachers, nurses, and other essential workers in the community.
      - 1.4.2.1.5. Work to change negative public perceptions about affordable and rental housing.
      - 1.4.2.1.6. Deploy Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) resources strategically by using available funds, as well as the dwelling units constructed by developers under MPDU regulations, to target all households earning between 50% and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
      - 1.4.2.1.7. Increase access to land for affordable housing through the exploration of inclusionary housing programs that focus on land donation or long-term lease agreements in order to acquire appropriate affordable housing sites.
      - 1.4.2.1.8. Review fees, policies, and programs for impacts on housing affordability in areas with substantial infrastructure capacity.
      - 1.4.2.1.9. Update local codes to permit for the use of alternative building systems such as the ‘container building' concept.
      - 1.4.2.1.10. Allow for the aggregation of MPDU developer obligations that would permit for the construction of affordable units both on-site and off-site.
      - 1.4.2.1.11. Establish a ‘fast track' permitting and review system for residential projects meeting critical housing needs as identified by the county.
      - 1.4.2.1.12. Explore the establishment of an affordable housing clearinghouse.
    - 1.4.2.2. Special Needs Housing
      
      Ensure that households and individuals who require special considerations are supported.
      - 1.4.2.2.1. Support development of transitional housing that provides housing for citizens as their needs change over time and through circumstance.
      - 1.4.2.2.2. Identify gaps in specialized housing for citizens with special needs and work with private and non-profit partners to fill these gaps.
      - 1.4.2.2.3. Work with the state delegation to address the need for low-income housing for targeted special needs populations and recommend that Maryland's Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) incentivizes related development.
    - 1.4.2.3. Home Stability
      
      Support comprehensive efforts to end homelessness and provide safe and stable housing for both parents and children to improve overall well-being, health, education, and future employment opportunities and to strengthen our community.
      - 1.4.2.3.1. Embrace the "Housing First" strategy adopted by housing advocates nationwide to provide stable, safe, and permanent housing followed with supportive services.
      - 1.4.2.3.2. Support non-profits in their efforts to provide clothing, funding for extracurricular activities, and emergency shelter to homeless children in the county school system.
      - 1.4.2.3.3. Support the strategies outlined in the Strategic Plan for Ending Homelessness in Frederick County, or evaluate the need to develop a county plan for ending homelessness. More Information
      - 1.4.2.3.4. Provide support services to homeless individuals to overcome barriers to housing, such as poor credit history, housing discrimination, lack of regular and consistent income, transportation, and poor tenant history.
      - 1.4.2.3.5. Expand the supply of affordable, supportive housing.
      - 1.4.2.3.6. Support creative ways for people experiencing homelessness to transition to stable housing and keep their personal belongings throughout this transition.
      - 1.4.2.3.7. Support the prevention of homelessness through the development of programs providing rental, utility bill, and eviction or foreclosure prevention assistance, as well as budget and debt counseling.
    - 1.4.2.4. Generational Housing
      
      Support housing for older adults that supports the present and future needs of seniors.
      - 1.4.2.4.1. Expand the Emergency Rehab Fund program to include non-emergency universal design improvements in existing residential units.
      - 1.4.2.4.2. Ensure that appropriate support services are available to low-income seniors in proximity to their homes.
      - 1.4.2.4.3. Work with the state delegation to amend Maryland's QAP (Qualified Allocation Plan) to incentivize development of targeted low-income senior housing. More Information
      - 1.4.2.4.4. Seek changes to state or local regulations that might prevent or complicate the development of low-income senior housing in conjunction with mixed use development.
      - 1.4.2.4.5. Identify and remove barriers to enable caring for seniors in housing that accommodates extended and multi-generational families.
    - 1.4.2.5. Housing Justice
      
      Support a housing market in Frederick County where a person's race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, familial status, source of income, sexual orientation, or gender identity does not arbitrarily restrict access to safe, decent, and affordable housing.
      - 1.4.2.5.1. Support the Frederick County Human Relations Department to ensure fair and just access to housing.
      - 1.4.2.5.2. Support affordable housing for Frederick County residents with an emphasis on special needs populations, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and low to moderate income workforce households.
      - 1.4.2.5.3. Support the enforcement of the Frederick County minimum livability code to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents.
      - 1.4.2.5.4. Support preventative strategies that help residents avoid eviction and provide tools and information to help navigate the process.
    - 1.4.2.6. Visitability
      
      Promote home design standards which ensure full mobility for people with disabilities to remove barriers and prevent isolation from the community.
      - 1.4.2.6.1. Support efforts to increase the percentage of new and rehabilitated homes meeting the visitability standard set by the International Code Council (A117.1, Type C).
  - 1.4.3. Aspirations
    
    Pursue the development of housing alternatives that provide flexible and affordable options for an array of targeted populations including creative professionals, emerging small-business owners, on-site caretakers, and others whose living spaces need to be located in proximity to work spaces.
    - 1.4.3.1. Creative Colonies
      
      Encourage creative colonies of artists and creative professionals by working with the private sector to establish housing close to workshop and studio spaces.
      - 1.4.3.1.1. Encourage development of live-work artists' housing near creative centers.
      - 1.4.3.1.2. Support the development of housing and work spaces provided in the same structure following traditional models as well as newer incarnations.
      - 1.4.3.1.3. Consider additional regulatory flexibility to provide opportunities for vertical and horizontal mixed use development in growth centers, existing villages, and suburban re-investment centers.
      - 1.4.3.1.4. Support artist-in-residency programs in conjunction with the public art master plan.
    - 1.4.3.2. Housing Continuum
      
      Establish a Housing and Supportive Services Continuum (HSSC) - a local collaborative structure for managing a holistic approach to sustainable housing in Frederick County.
      - 1.4.3.2.1. Encourage the HSSC consortium partners, including county agencies, to work with the housing development community to establish design, type, form, and financing attributes of housing that is best suited to meet the needs of constituents.
      - 1.4.3.2.2. Encourage multidisciplinary service providers to work toward the common goal of building and nurturing educational, healthcare, economic, employment, social, and housing opportunities within challenged or emerging neighborhoods.
      - 1.4.3.2.3. Encourage HSSC partners to work with DHCD to ensure that new, redeveloped, or preserved housing units are meeting the needs of local residents.
      - 1.4.3.2.4. Encourage HSSC partners to design and implement care and service continuums for constituent populations including seniors, veterans, former offenders, mentally or physically impaired citizens, persons with HIV/AIDS, and other special needs populations requiring housing and supportive services.
- 1.5. Housing Design
  
  Goals in this category concern the planning, technical methods, and forecasting that ensure the provision of appropriately configured housing types and allocation of housing throughout the county.
  - 1.5.1. Communities
    
    Ensure that the location and layout of housing development in the county supports the creation of diverse, accessible, and efficient neighborhoods by implementing planning policies that support a diverse housing stock, multi-modal transportation networks, energy conservation and efficiency, and open space.
    - 1.5.1.1. Proximity
      
      Ensure that a range of affordable housing is located near transportation centers and mixed use areas offering a variety of public and private services within walking distance.
    - 1.5.1.2. Streetscape
      
      Promote the design of communities that employ housing types that create walkable street frontages.
    - 1.5.1.3. Active Living
      
      Promote community design that encourages physical activity by providing walkable, interconnected streets where multiple modes of transportation are available and where non-motorized modes of travel are emphasized.
    - 1.5.1.4. Sustainability
      
      Design communities that support sustainable development/redevelopment and the reduction of ecological footprints through design strategies involving layout, smart infrastructure, behavior, and environmental context.
      - 1.5.1.4.1. Pursue small-scale energy production at the block or neighborhood level to reduce the costs of utilities while supporting energy resiliency by assuring a continuous supply of energy for residents.
      - 1.5.1.4.2. Explore the implementation of the ecodistrict strategy in defined areas of the county.
      - 1.5.1.4.3. Pursue opportunities to apply for the Sustainable Communities designation through the State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to support sustainable communities and to enable application to state programs such as Community Legacy and the Strategic Demolition Fund.?
    - 1.5.1.5. Accessibility
      
      Promote the adoption of universal design standards to allow accessibility in residences and neighborhoods.
      - 1.5.1.5.1. Consider providing resources for aggressive universal design retrofit for pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods.
      - 1.5.1.5.2. Study the viability of escrow accounts for a universal design neighborhood infrastructure retrofit program (similar to APFO roads escrow system).
  - 1.5.2. Buildings
    
    Support innovative designs for housing in the county that are efficient, reflect community values, and ensure quality construction.
    - 1.5.2.1. People, Planet, and Profit
      
      Account for the full cost of housing construction by considering triple bottom line sustainability (social costs, environmental costs, and financial costs) in the design of new housing in the county.
      - 1.5.2.1.1. Encourage the construction of homes that are designed to minimize the long-term cost of inhabitation by incorporating, to the extent feasible, green building characteristics with the highest return on investment.
      - 1.5.2.1.2. Adopt green building incentives such as tax credits/abatements, "fast track" plan review and approval, and the provision of green building technical assistance, to encourage the use of environmentally-responsible and energy/material efficient design and construction strategies.
    - 1.5.2.2. Universal Design
      
      Promote the adoption of universal design standards, even where not required by regulation, to allow diversity in residential environments.
      - 1.5.2.2.1. Consider expansion of Emergency Rehab Loan Program to reach households with broader income qualifications.
      - 1.5.2.2.2. Continue to provide funding or consider tax credit for installing or upgrading housing accessibility.
  - 1.5.3. Methods
    
    Employ evidence-based design and planning methods that emphasize participatory processes and regional cooperation.
    - 1.5.3.1. Evidence-Based Decisions
      
      Encourage evidence-based decision making for determining housing needs in the county through the development of a housing database and demand forecasting model.
    - 1.5.3.2. Design Review
      
      Explore the expansion of design review procedures in the county to ensure quality development and lasting aesthetic appeal.
- 1.6. Housing Economy
  
  Goals in this category concern the regulatory and financial context of managing the production and risk of providing new and future housing stock in the county through construction, ownership, and occupancy.
  - 1.6.1. Cost
    
    Support the mitigation and subsidy of housing costs in the county for the development of new housing stock, the rehabilitation of existing housing stock, the acquisition of property, and the acquisition of units, where appropriate.
    - 1.6.1.1. Homeownership
      
      Expand the range of housing and homeownership opportunities for county residents.
    - 1.6.1.2. Development and Rehabilitation
      
      Support the development and rehabilitation of housing so that it remains affordable, through subsidies, grants, and public financing options.
      - 1.6.1.2.1. Explore the provision of a waiver of regulatory fees for group homes.
      - 1.6.1.2.2. Revise the subdivision ordinance to create provisions for condominiums.
      - 1.6.1.2.3. Analyze the regulatory context in the county to identify possible revisions needed to support innovative alternative affordable housing options such as "granny flats" or "tiny houses."
      - 1.6.1.2.4. Require the provision of a mixture of residential dwellings in the Euclidean and floating Mixed Use zoning districts, with emphasis on providing multi-family housing and with exceptions for small sites, infill, and redevelopment.
    - 1.6.1.3. Workforce Housing
      
      Expand rental housing opportunities that are affordable to the workforce in the county by leveraging state and federal funding programs.
      - 1.6.1.3.1. Continue a yearly review and audit of the Maryland Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) conducted by the Affordable Housing Council and the Department of Housing and Community Development.
      - 1.6.1.3.2. Develop standard eligibility criteria for Frederick County's tax abatement policy, an established process for approval, and provide an as-of-right tax abatement policy for all Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects.
      - 1.6.1.3.3. Continue Frederick County's policy of exempting impact fees for affordable housing.
      - 1.6.1.3.4. Consider dedicating at least 50% of the collected Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU) fees to support LIHTC projects and award funding on a schedule that aligns with the State's scoring of LIHTC proposals.
      - 1.6.1.3.5. Explore additional local sources to support affordable housing, such as a variety of available tax credit programs.
      - 1.6.1.3.6. Expand the tax credit program for renters in the county to apply to a broader range of incomes.
    - 1.6.1.4. Outreach
      
      Support programs and events that educate citizens on managing housing costs.
- 1.7. Tradition
  
  Goals in this category concern the notion that the county's heritage and traditions remain rooted in its agricultural past and natural landscapes, while understanding that other forces in the region have "set the table" for a lucrative, healthy, and inspiring future in Frederick County.
  - 1.7.1. Distinctive Identity
    
    Ensure that the places, buildings, and environments that exemplify the distinct identity of Frederick County continue to thrive as important elements of our community.
    - 1.7.1.1. Physical Identity
      
      Locate, designate, and then protect and maintain Frederick County's most important historic structures and districts, archaeological sites, distinctive natural features, and cultural landscapes.
      - 1.7.1.1.1. Update the historic preservation ordinance to provide better protection for critical historic and archaeological resources.
      - 1.7.1.1.2. Encourage nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and increase listings on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places.
      - 1.7.1.1.3. Encourage nominations to the county Register of Historic Places and set a goal of increasing the number of listed properties to 30 by the year 2025.
      - 1.7.1.1.4. Incorporate the preservation of important historic buildings, structures, archaeological resources (including historic burial sites and cemeteries), and contextual environments into all planning and development processes.
      - 1.7.1.1.5. Develop processes and guidelines for development proposals to ensure that the evaluation and documentation of potentially historic above-ground and archaeological resources is made part of the application process for new development seeking development review approval by the county.
      - 1.7.1.1.6. Ensure that, if preservation of the historic or archaeological resource is not physically possible, the history and local significance of the resource is preserved through documentation, interpretation, and other approved methods or techniques.
    - 1.7.1.2. Differentiation
      
      Strengthen efforts to differentiate Frederick County from other communities through the maintenance and promotion of its distinct historic character.
      - 1.7.1.2.1. Market and promote the county's historic places, not only for heritage tourism purposes but to embrace local historic character as an attractant for economic and institutional investment in the community. More Information
      - 1.7.1.2.2. Embrace our agricultural roots and take necessary actions to maintain future farming activity in the county. More Information
      - 1.7.1.2.3. Celebrate small town culture, building on existing strong community ties to inoculate our neighborhoods from the "placelessness" infecting many communities in the region. More Information
      - 1.7.1.2.4. Maintain local possession of our traditional material culture. More Information
      - 1.7.1.2.5. Support public art projects to highlight our unique historic and cultural character per the Public Art Master Plan.
  - 1.7.2. Remembering History
    
    Inspire and educate residents and visitors through investing in new and creative ways to communicate our stories to future generations and reinforce their value and meaning through vigorous documentation.
    - 1.7.2.1. Creative Communication
      
      Find new and creative ways to tell our stories to future generations.
      - 1.7.2.1.1. Promote local history efforts that tell local stories to future generations through oral histories, personal diaries, presentations, or new media (digital film, social media, and animation).
      - 1.7.2.1.2. Develop and support private sector, non-profit, and local government efforts to identify, document, and archive local history.
      - 1.7.2.1.3. Promote and support the efforts of local partners - such as the Heritage Frederick, the C. Burr Artz Library (Maryland Room), and the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation - to share information and resources.
      - 1.7.2.1.4. Partner with local artists to find creative ways to educate about preserving the presence of our local traditions, such as music and handicrafts.
      - 1.7.2.1.5. Use art projects, in any media, sited in community places that are open to the public as a tool for promoting local history and to tell local stories for future generations.
    - 1.7.2.2. Comprehensive Documentation
      
      Comprehensively document our county's physical heritage and places of historic significance.
      - 1.7.2.2.1. Continue to update and improve the quality of information included in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places (MIHP) to bolster local understanding of historic and cultural resources.
      - 1.7.2.2.2. Produce a geographically complete Inventory of Historic Places (MIHP) and Frederick County Register database that would allow the county to identify significant historic structures and resources that remain unacknowledged.
      - 1.7.2.2.3. Support efforts to document the recent past to build a local historic record of events such as the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Great Depression, and places such as Camp David, Fort Detrick, and our post-war suburbs.
      - 1.7.2.2.4. Engage in outreach efforts which target under-represented county populations, seeking to broaden our knowledge of local experiences while telling a more complete and truthful story about who we are as a community.
      - 1.7.2.2.5. Work with county and state agencies to protect and digitally archive primary historic documents under county ownership.
      - 1.7.2.2.6. Evaluate potential funding sources to be used for documenting Frederick County history.
  - 1.7.3. Teaching History
    
    Foster public education and greater appreciation and understanding of historic and archaeological resources, and public support for heritage preservation in Frederick County.
    - 1.7.3.1. Educating the Public
      
      Work with our libraries and the Office of Economic Development to provide opportunities for public education and appreciation of our history, heritage, and culture.
      - 1.7.3.1.1. Encourage the study of the history of Frederick County and its architectural and historical resources in our public and private schools.
      - 1.7.3.1.2. Integrate new technologies into the history education environment to allow for a broader sensory experience.
      - 1.7.3.1.3. Develop a historical and cultural preservation outreach plan for key community events.
      - 1.7.3.1.4. Support the Frederick Arts Council as a primary partner in providing opportunities for public education and appreciation of our history, heritage, and culture.
    - 1.7.3.2. Experiential Learning
      
      Capitalize on the "power of place" to illustrate and teach how our places and physical surroundings have shaped our thoughts, actions, and emotions throughout our history.
      - 1.7.3.2.1. Provide on-site opportunities for education and appreciation of historic, natural, and archaeological resources by integrating field trips into the local educational curriculum.
      - 1.7.3.2.2. Encourage educational programming at historic sites to provide critical context for older structures and landscapes.
      - 1.7.3.2.3. Investigate collaborative efforts between local students and local historic sites to combine on-site learning and project-based participation in the restoration of older buildings, structures, and landscapes.
      - 1.7.3.2.4. Nurture a life-long appreciation for local Frederick County history by providing opportunities for older residents to participate in local preservation and interpretation efforts.
      - 1.7.3.2.5. Provide technical assistance to the historical societies and museums in Frederick County in their public education and preservation efforts.
      - 1.7.3.2.6. Provide additional opportunities for older residents to share personal experiences with young students in order to build a stronger connection between our friends and neighbors and the events of historic import that they experienced and helped to shape.
  - 1.7.4. Heritage Tourism
    
    Support tourism geared toward experiencing the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present in Frederick County, including cultural, historic, and natural resources, while maintaining the integrity of those irreplaceable resources.
    - 1.7.4.1. Building on Assets
      
      Maximize the use of our historic and natural assets toward the economic benefit of our county through investment, access, and marketing.
      - 1.7.4.1.1. Invest in the heritage tourism economy by protecting and maintaining the integrity of local historic resources.
      - 1.7.4.1.2. Promote tourism associated with Maryland's Scenic Byways program, the Historic National Road, and the multi-state "Journey Through Hallowed Ground" initiative.
      - 1.7.4.1.3. Promote tourism associated with the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA). More Information
      - 1.7.4.1.4. Support efforts to provide a robust infrastructure for heritage tourists visiting Frederick County, including the development of educational programs in the hospitality sector through Frederick County Public Schools and Frederick Community College.
      - 1.7.4.1.5. Nurture strategic partnerships between private sector, non-profit, and local governments to enhance heritage and ecotourism tourism efforts.
      - 1.7.4.1.6. Support local small-business development in the tourism sector while maintain the integrity of local historic resources. More Information
    - 1.7.4.2. Small Business Support
      
      Maintain a thriving ecosystem of small businesses serving the heritage tourism industry in Frederick County while maintaining the integrity of local historic resources.
      - 1.7.4.2.1. Invest in the people that are the foundation of our heritage tourism economy by providing educational and training opportunities through our local schools (Frederick County Public Schools Career and Tech Center and Frederick Community College).
      - 1.7.4.2.2. Ensure that county regulations, when feasible, provide flexibility for heritage tourism-related businesses operating within an historic structure or site, while maintaining clarity of purpose.
      - 1.7.4.2.3. Encourage the adaptive re-use of older and historic structures to provide an economic means by which owners can invest in their continued maintenance and upkeep.
    - 1.7.4.3. Viewsheds and Corridors
      
      Protect and maintain the integrity of the grand views and critical corridors within our working and historic landscapes.
      - 1.7.4.3.1. Document and assess the quality of viewsheds that are critical to the heritage tourism industry in Frederick County. More Information
      - 1.7.4.3.2. Support the protection of the most important viewsheds. More Information
      - 1.7.4.3.3. Work with public and private partners such as the National Park Service and Civil War Trust to leverage local resources in the preservation and protection of critical landscapes.
  - 1.7.5. Food and Drink
    
    Celebrate Frederick County's rich heritage of food production, meal traditions, and the culinary and fermentation arts.
    - 1.7.5.1. Food History
      
      Document and preserve our "edible past" composed of the recipes, local historic food dynamics, stories, and experimentation that have characterized our food history.
      - 1.7.5.1.1. Celebrate local traditions centered on food preparation and the family table, and support the documentation of recipes and cooking techniques passed down through the generations. More Information
      - 1.7.5.1.2. Promote and nurture a rich and innovative restaurant culture in Frederick County to build upon the success of Frederick's downtown "foodie" culture.
    - 1.7.5.2. Local Fermentation Economy
      
      While ensuring the protection of adjacent farms and communities, provide policy support for local breweries, distilleries, and vineyards throughout the county. The maximization of economic gain must meet the test of the triple bottom line of social, environmental, and financial factors.
      - 1.7.5.2.1. Support local food and drink tourism in Frederick County by encouraging events, marketing, and programming that links local producers to eager customers.
      - 1.7.5.2.2. Support efforts that celebrate our local traditions of fermented beverages, as well as those traditions arriving in recent years from around the nation and the world.
    - 1.7.5.3. Food Preparation Traditions
      
      Teach local traditions surrounding the preparation of food and drink.
      - 1.7.5.3.1. Establish or support programs and initiatives that teach local food preparation skills to hobbyists and professionals through mentorship, community kitchens, church feasts, FCC/CTC educational programs, Frederick Farm To School initiatives, and cultural organizations.
      - 1.7.5.3.2. Exploit the interest in food culture in Frederick County to teach related lessons in local history and heritage by using food and drink as an alternate gateway to learning.
      - 1.7.5.3.3. Support regulations that encourage food-based businesses in historic structures through policies and regulations that encourage and incentivize adaptive re-use.
      - 1.7.5.3.4. Create greater opportunities for hands-on experiential learning regarding food production, meal traditions and the culinary arts to enhance classroom education related to food, health, agriculture and nutrition in area schools through Frederick Farm to School initiatives.
- 1.8. Expression
  
  Goals in this category concern providing the fertile ground to allow further development of the visual, industrial, and performing arts communities and to differentiate Frederick in the regional economy.
  - 1.8.1. A Place for the Arts
    
    Maintain and build upon Frederick as a center of arts and culture in the region.
    - 1.8.1.1. Culture Plan
      
      Support the development of a county-wide arts and culture plan to map creative and cultural assets and develop steps to facilitate neighborhood cultural initiatives and expand neighborhood cultural assets.
    - 1.8.1.2. Creative and Cultural Spaces
      
      Work to fill the gaps in the current array of cultural arts venues, performance venues, and other creative spaces to provide a diversified and sustainable arts economy in the county.
      - 1.8.1.2.1. Seek and develop a permanent local museum collection of fine art to supplement local galleries. More Information
      - 1.8.1.2.2. Investigate the demand for a mid-size regional music venue that does not require a trip to Washington, Baltimore, Columbia, or Fairfax
      - 1.8.1.2.3. Encourage the establishment of a full range of models for community creative spaces, such as maker spaces, that may be led by artists and other creative professionals.
      - 1.8.1.2.4. Investigate public or private interest in the development of a tool and technology center that would create opportunities for professional mentoring, business skill development, and innovation incubation while also serving the demand for hobbyist access to equipment and workspace that remains out of reach for many citizens.
    - 1.8.1.3. Arts-Based Revitalization
      
      Utilize the energies of local creative professionals to spearhead arts-based neighborhood revitalization.
  - 1.8.2. Experiencing Culture
    
    Create an economic and social environment where the fruits of our creative endeavors are shared with visitors, available to our own citizens, and representative of both old and new culture in the county.
    - 1.8.2.1. A Regional Niche
      
      Explore and develop a strong regional market niche in the cultural arts while maintaining a broad array of opportunities for artistic expression and consumption.
    - 1.8.2.2. Playing to the Home Crowd
      
      Work to maintain a loyal "home crowd" for local arts venues and programs.
    - 1.8.2.3. Increasing Arts Consumption
      
      Provide a broader and deeper array of cultural arts programming to increase overall arts consumption, create a "deeper bench" of future artists, and nurture local creative upstarts.
      - 1.8.2.3.1. Broaden opportunities for casual arts expression (see it, hear it, touch it) in the community by supporting programming geared to non-artists and hobbyists.
      - 1.8.2.3.2. Support public policies that encourage the blending of cultural arts and culinary arts.
    - 1.8.2.4. Public Art
      
      Support the development of art projects in any media sited in community places that are open to the public to represent Frederick County as a place where creativity and innovation are celebrated as part of our communities and culture.
      - 1.8.2.4.1. Utilize the Public Art Master Plan to identify, develop, and support potential public art projects.
  - 1.8.3. Nurturing a Local Creative Economy
    
    Provide a practical framework of support for a local industry of artists, performers, and creators.
    - 1.8.3.1. Spaces for Creators
      
      Support the local creative economy through policies that induce the production of affordable spaces for the arts community for gathering, teaching, exploration, and living.
      - 1.8.3.1.1. Encourage development of affordable work spaces (studios, rehearsal rooms, workshops) for creators.
      - 1.8.3.1.2. Establish affordable housing opportunities for creative professionals.
      - 1.8.3.1.3. Support development of "maker spaces" that serve as business incubators for burgeoning creative professionals.
    - 1.8.3.2. Marketing A Place for the Arts
      
      Support marketing efforts that frame Frederick County and its communities as "a place for the arts."
    - 1.8.3.3. Critical Mass of Creativity
      
      Establish policies that support the maintenance of a critical mass of creative enterprises.
  - 1.8.4. Life-Long Learning
    
    Promote educational opportunities in the creative arts for citizens of all ages.
    - 1.8.4.1. Hobbyist Spaces
      
      Establish a local community "maker space" for hobbyists and professionals that can function as an incubator for the local creative economy.
    - 1.8.4.2. Creative Arts and Schools
      
      Increase the presence and relative standing of creative arts in public and private school systems (K-12).
    - 1.8.4.3. FCC Arts Training Hub
      
      Build upon the existing resources at Frederick Community College (FCC) and create an arts training hub that targets new business development.
    - 1.8.4.4. Adult Learning
      
      Expand public and private adult learning opportunities in the creative arts.
    - 1.8.4.5. Emerging Creators
      
      Establish mentoring systems for emerging artists and creators.
  - 1.8.5. Diverse Expressions
    
    Increase the opportunities for creative expression in the broader community.
    - 1.8.5.1. Participation in the Arts
      
      Increase all forms of public participation in the visual, performing, and industrial arts.
    - 1.8.5.2. Part-Time Creators
      
      Encourage the development, and realize the benefits, of part-time creators.
    - 1.8.5.3. Our Newest Cultures
      
      Create a welcoming environment for the expression of Frederick County's new and emerging cultures while maintaining existing cultural institutions and traditions.
    - 1.8.5.4. Creativity in Retirement
      
      Mine the rich skills, knowledge, and resources of our post-retirement population.
- 1.9. Preservation
  
  Goals in this category concern the identification and protection of Frederick's historic places, landscapes, and valuable heritage resources to provide economic and cultural opportunities that might otherwise be lost to future generations.
  - 1.9.1. Documenting History
    
    Support the county's efforts to document our historic resources.
    - 1.9.1.1. Local Resources
      
      Acknowledge, identify, and protect locally important historic and cultural resources.
      - 1.9.1.1.1. Identify and protect historic structures under county ownership or management. More Information
      - 1.9.1.1.2. Provide full and adequate staff support for historic preservation efforts in Frederick County.
      - 1.9.1.1.3. Expand the digital media presence of county register and local historic districts, including the development of a publicly-accessible, digital, county inventory of historic places.
      - 1.9.1.1.4. Establish a Frederick County cemetery commission.
    - 1.9.1.2. Local Archives
      
      Locate, preserve, and expand local history collections.
      - 1.9.1.2.1. To expand and promote the collection policies of the Maryland Room (C. Burr Artz Library) to encourage information sharing among our citizens, such as through the donation of original or scanned copies of privately held photos and documents related to local culture and history.
      - 1.9.1.2.2. Support collecting and archiving efforts at the Maryland Room (C. Burr Artz Library) through adequate funding and staffing.
      - 1.9.1.2.3. Focus effort on the documentation of the history of the African-American community in Frederick County.
      - 1.9.1.2.4. Support and utilize as a resource local genealogical collecting efforts.
      - 1.9.1.2.5. Partner with local preservation organizations to develop a program and process to document and monitor older burial grounds and cemeteries. More Information
    - 1.9.1.3. Archival Resilience
      
      Ensure that local historical records have adequate archival protection and the necessary tools to enhance accessibility and preservation, especially through the backing up and future-proofing of digital assets.
      - 1.9.1.3.1. Digitize historic records and ensure off-site back-up of data. More Information
      - 1.9.1.3.2. Preserve and archive historic items that document local material culture. More Information
      - 1.9.1.3.3. Provide access to historic records for those with disabilities.
      - 1.9.1.3.4. Determine Frederick County's needs for archival storage and consider partnerships with public and private organizations that can enhance the county's ability to preserve, and make publicly-accessible, its historical/cultural resource collections.
    - 1.9.1.4. New Media
      
      Explore new ways to share history with citizens and visitors.
      - 1.9.1.4.1. Enhance online access to local historic material.
      - 1.9.1.4.2. Identify creative ways to educate citizens and share local history in our day-to-day lives.
      - 1.9.1.4.3. Partner with hobbyists to connect local history themes to thriving recreational pursuits. More Information
      - 1.9.1.4.4. Explore the provision of local history based art projects in public places and at tourist destinations.
  - 1.9.2. Economics of Preservation
    
    Support the preservation economy by amplifying the economic growth benefits of history and culture as a quality of life enhancement and driver for attracting residents and businesses.
    - 1.9.2.1. History and Economy
      
      Leverage Frederick County's unique historic character and environments as a magnet for business investment by fostering economic development strategies that support history as an economic asset.
    - 1.9.2.2. Local Preservation Expertise
      
      Nurture local preservation expertise - keep preservation jobs in the county.
      - 1.9.2.2.1. Establish a preservation training center geared to the specific needs of the local work force and the types of restoration work prevalent in Frederick County. More Information
      - 1.9.2.2.2. Maintain publicly accessible registry of preservation professionals working in the region, with differentiation by location and expertise. More Information
      - 1.9.2.2.3. Support training for volunteers in historic preservation, archeological documentation, document conservation, and as docents for museums, historic sites, natural areas, and tours. More Information
    - 1.9.2.3. Food and History
      
      Support the creation of venues for dining and drinking in historic settings and structures.
      - 1.9.2.3.1. Provide regulatory incentives for adaptive reuse of historic structures for the purpose of establishing a restaurant, tavern, bar, or food shop. More Information
    - 1.9.2.4. Financial Incentives
      
      Encourage the preservation of historic resources through the use of tax credits and property tax abatements.
      - 1.9.2.4.1. Increase public education about existing public and private programs.
      - 1.9.2.4.2. Consider establishing dedicated local sources of revenue for the purpose of enhancing preservation efforts in the county.
    - 1.9.2.5. Low-Impact Preservation
      
      Minimize citizen displacement due to historic preservation efforts.
      - 1.9.2.5.1. Establish a program to support residents and businesses displaced through such historic preservation efforts as adaptive reuse and the establishment of historic districts.
  - 1.9.3. The Importance of Place
    
    Adopt policies which emphasize and bolster the importance of place.
    - 1.9.3.1. Distinctive Places
      
      Maintain and enhance the historic and unique character of the county's rural towns, villages, neighborhoods, and corridors.
      - 1.9.3.1.1. Re-tool local land use ordinances to more aggressively protect distinguishing features of smaller communities that are the focal points for infill and redevelopment activity.
      - 1.9.3.1.2. Adopt plans, policies, and programs that result in the maintenance of the historic or traditional physical context of a place – avoid preserving the exceptional structure at the expense of its immediate surroundings.
      - 1.9.3.1.3. Explore ways in which the county may identify and sign the smaller crossroad villages and forgotten places located throughout our community.
      - 1.9.3.1.4. Support art projects, in any media, sited in community places that are open to the public as a tool to create an experience of place that celebrates the individual distinctiveness of locations while enhancing the unity of the county.
      - 1.9.3.1.5. Protect the scenic, agricultural, and historical qualities of rural roads and the adjacent landscape.
      - 1.9.3.1.6. Develop a comprehensive, countywide inventory of rural/scenic roads.
      - 1.9.3.1.7. Provide appropriate continuing maintenance of gravel roads, allowing for context-sensitive, localized, and necessary safety accommodations that do not degrade the historic character of rural roads.
    - 1.9.3.2. Place-Based Experiences
      
      Encourage historic experiences in the county that illustrate and emphasize the connections between historic events and physical places.
      - 1.9.3.2.1. Seek to interpret historic resources in the places where they originate; avoid off-site interpretation when feasible. More Information
      - 1.9.3.2.2. Continue to strengthen Frederick County's heritage tourism efforts by providing adequate resources to ensure continued maturation of the industry.
      - 1.9.3.2.3. Support art projects in any media that are sited in community places that are open to the public as a key place-making tool and primary contributor to the communication of history.
    - 1.9.3.3. Growth Policies
      
      Encourage growth policies that are respectful of local history.
      - 1.9.3.3.1. Balance historic character of growth area neighborhoods while encouraging infill and redevelopment in areas served by existing infrastructure. More Information
    - 1.9.3.4. Value For All
      
      Acknowledge, strengthen, and preserve the human connection to our physical history by avoiding the use of strategies that result in the displacement of residents, businesses, and institutions at the center of an historic site of neighborhood.
  - 1.9.4. Protecting Resources
    
    Be vigilant in preserving and protecting our historic sites and structures.
    - 1.9.4.1. Critical Heritage
      
      Preserve critical historic and archaeological resources.
      - 1.9.4.1.1. Establish the county's first historic district (within the county's program and jurisdiction) by 2020. More Information
      - 1.9.4.1.2. Retain those elements of the county's farm landscape that contribute to the aesthetics, historic character, and economy of agricultural areas.
      - 1.9.4.1.3. Set target to grow the County Register to include 30 sites by January 1, 2025. More Information
      - 1.9.4.1.4. Establish an easement program to secure preservation of key historic features of a building or site (façade easement, frontage easement, etc.). More Information
      - 1.9.4.1.5. Create a viewshed easement program (temporary and perpetual). More Information
      - 1.9.4.1.6. Develop recognition programs that publicize the county's preservation programs and that acknowledge the efforts of property owners who undertake outstanding preservation activities.
    - 1.9.4.2. Bottom-Up Preservation
      
      Expand and create a set of voluntary historic preservation tools, such as voluntary historic districts and architectural easements, to create new and better avenues for historic preservation.
      - 1.9.4.2.1. Pursue the establishment of "opt in" rural historic districts that preserve character of some of the county's crossroad villages, pike towns, and rural hamlets.
    - 1.9.4.3. Preservation Tool Chest
      
      Work to increase the number of tools and options available to implement county preservation policies.
      - 1.9.4.3.1. Adopt standards for protection and treatment of historic resources in appropriate zoning districts. More Information
      - 1.9.4.3.2. Establish a multi-tiered system of county register and historic district designations providing various levels of oversight and protection. More Information
  - 1.9.5. Adaptive Re-Use
    
    Vigorously pursue context-sensitive adaptive re-use of historic properties through creative development strategies, grants, tax relief, consistent funding mechanisms, and through cooperation with the development community.
    - 1.9.5.1. Policy
      
      Support adaptive re-use strategies through policy and regulatory channels, and through the production of design guidelines.
      - 1.9.5.1.1. Pursue growth policies that allow for infill and redevelopment yet provide disincentives to wholesale demolition of older structures. More Information
      - 1.9.5.1.2. Provide regulatory incentives for adaptive re-use projects in historic neighborhoods or landscapes.
      - 1.9.5.1.3. Encourage County Register of Historic Places listing of structures in county ownership where appropriate (parks, libraries, bridges, civic buildings). More Information
      - 1.9.5.1.4. Consider the use of tax relief or other financial incentives to encourage adaptive re-use of historic structures.
    - 1.9.5.2. Heritage Salvage
      
      Encourage local re-purposing of local materials to preserve local historic connections, imagery, and references, as well as to support sustainable building and development.
      - 1.9.5.2.1. Work with local construction salvage to provide a "keep it local" discount for architectural salvage material certified to remain in the community.
      - 1.9.5.2.2. Consider expansion of the local tax credit program by offering a credit to owners who certify that local salvage is integrated into a county structure or site. More Information
    - 1.9.5.3. Creative Community
      
      Pursue links between the creative community and historic structures.
      - 1.9.5.3.1. Pursue input from local artists and artisans regarding preservation efforts.
      - 1.9.5.3.2. Encourage development of artist housing and work spaces in restored historic structures. More Information
      - 1.9.5.3.3. Partner with the National Park Service (NPS) training center (or replicate this model) to link restoration/preservation training to actual adaptive re-use projects. More Information
2. Our Health

The Our Health theme supports the following State of Maryland Visions: Quality of Life and Sustainability, Public Participation Community Design, Infrastructure, Transportation Environmental Protection, Resource Conservation, Stewardship, Implementation.
- 2.1. Healthy Habitat
  
  Goals in this category concern the interaction between the built environment and public health, and the degree to which the habitat we build supports and corresponds to our biological needs.
  - 2.1.1. Active Places
    
    Ensure that the physical design of all of our communities, new and old, facilitate physical activity as an integral component of daily life for people of all ages.
    - 2.1.1.1. Community Design
      
      Make physical activity more possible, convenient, and enjoyable by supporting the development of walkable, mixed use, and accessible communities that emphasize non-motorized transportation.
      - 2.1.1.1.1. Focus on development patterns that create multi-modal accessibility supportive environments composed of walking, biking, transit, as well as driving.
      - 2.1.1.1.2. Advance the development of street systems that are fully interconnected, where travel is not funneled onto a few main routes but is rather distributed across a network of connections providing multiple options for reaching origins and destinations and spreading the travel load across a wider geographical area.
      - 2.1.1.1.3. Support the development of communities that are mixed use and higher density, where the distance between origins and destinations is compressed, thus allowing access by means other than automobiles.
    - 2.1.1.2. Proximity
      
      Increase the percentage of individuals in the county who live close to a location for physical activity, such as parks, hiking and biking trails, health clubs, fitness centers, and recreational centers.
      - 2.1.1.2.1. Create local active park requirements and standards for new development.
      - 2.1.1.2.2. Ensure that all parks are accessible to people of all age groups and ability levels.
      - 2.1.1.2.3. Review the Zoning Ordinance to accommodate for all types of uses that can provide for physical activities such as health clubs, dance studios, tennis clubs, fitness or recreational centers, and civic community centers.
    - 2.1.1.3. Contextual Cues
      
      Support place-based strategies that influence people's choice to be physically active.
      - 2.1.1.3.1. Support the installation of informational signage at strategic locations, such as stairwells or in parking lots, which describe the health benefits of physically active choices.
      - 2.1.1.3.2. Support the use of interactive art installations in any media sited in community places that are open to the public that promote physically active choices in strategic locations.
  - 2.1.2. Environmental Greening
    
    Evaluate and increase the opportunity if necessary to benefit from the positive health outcomes tied to exposure to nature by ensuring that all communities provide plentiful green space.
    - 2.1.2.1. Green Space
      
      Increase the number of parks and other green environments throughout the developed areas of the county.
      - 2.1.2.1.1. Provide and maximize native species natural landscaping and planting within street rights-of-way at commercial and residential development and within public and private open space as a part of community specific and corridor specific planning in the county. More Information
      - 2.1.2.1.2. Combine accessible passive green space with stormwater management and natural resource areas in new and existing developments in the county. More Information
      - 2.1.2.1.3. Increase the development of community gardens within new and existing communities to increase access to green environments. More Information
      - 2.1.2.1.4. Reform landscaping requirements through the development of a unified development code or form-based codes to support a wider range of development contexts and to support site-specific recommendations made in community and corridor plans. More Information
      - 2.1.2.1.5. Support the preservation and development of green infrastructure as part of a larger countywide effort for natural resource protection and increased parkland. More Information
  - 2.1.3. Environmental Comfort
    
    Ensure that ambient environmental stressors that adversely impact health and well-being are reduced or eliminated.
    - 2.1.3.1. Desirable Density
      
      Create and implement density-based design standards to ensure that higher density development maintains healthy livability.
    - 2.1.3.2. Unpolluted Places
      
      Mitigate and reduce exposure to all forms of pollution and toxic environmental substances impacting health.
      - 2.1.3.2.1. Pursue the development of outreach and public education programs to inform property owners and citizens about potential environmental hazards and ways to reduce hazard exposure.
      - 2.1.3.2.2. Review and update Frederick County Codes that regulate air pollution, such as Chapter 1-3: Air Quality Control.
      - 2.1.3.2.3. Consider and expand "Going Beyond Code" incentives to create effective green building programs for energy efficient and sustainable communities.
    - 2.1.3.3. Place Attachment
      
      Acknowledge and pursue a greater understanding of the role that the physical environment plays in supporting "place attachment."
- 2.2. Healthy Choices
  
  Goals in this category concern the degree to which the factors and ingredients needed to improve and support health are available to people, making the healthy choice the easy choice.
  - 2.2.1. Good Nutrition
    
    Facilitate the beneficial physical and mental health outcomes of eating healthy foods by ensuring that healthy food choices are widely available, accessible, and affordable to all citizens.
    - 2.2.1.1. Community Gardens
      
      Promote the development of community gardens within new and existing communities to increase access to fresh and nutritious food choices.
    - 2.2.1.2. Knowledge and Awareness
      
      Support the awareness of nutrition and the availability of healthy food choices.
      - 2.2.1.2.1. Support the incorporation of locally grown or prepared foods into school meals and snacks, and combine with visits from food producers, cooking classes, nutrition and waste-reduction efforts, and school gardens.
      - 2.2.1.2.2. Support efforts to modify lunch food environments to prominently display, market, and increase the convenience of healthy foods and provide healthy options.
      - 2.2.1.2.3. Collaborate with local hunger relief organizations and agencies to ensure the connection of hunger relief efforts with nutrition information.
    - 2.2.1.3. Food Availability
      
      Eliminate food deserts in the county by pursuing strategies to provide more widespread availability and affordability of fresh and healthy food choices.
      - 2.2.1.3.1. Support the provision of new grocery stores in under-served areas by ensuring that appropriate zoning exists to serve these uses.
      - 2.2.1.3.2. Work with our economic development and agricultural partners to support the widespread provision and expansion of farmers' markets where producers sell goods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, dairy items, and prepared foods directly to consumers. More Information
      - 2.2.1.3.3. Support mobile markets and fresh food carts or vehicles that travel to neighborhoods on a set schedule to sell fresh fruits and vegetables and that accept a variety of payment methods. More Information
      - 2.2.1.3.4. Institute cooperative programs to support fruit and vegetable gleaning where food is left in fields after a primary harvest, where secondary harvesting is not profitable, and where excess produce from orchards, packing houses, or agriculture sites can be economically distributed. More Information
      - 2.2.1.3.5. Implement a mapping effort to identify food deserts in the county.
    - 2.2.1.4. Alternative Markets
      
      Support secondary and localized agricultural markets for fresh food.
      - 2.2.1.4.1. Support the development of local "food hub" businesses or organizations that aggregate, distribute, and market local food products. More Information
      - 2.2.1.4.2. Support the development of food buying clubs and co-ops that offer opportunities for group purchase and distribution of grocery items at reduced prices. More Information
      - 2.2.1.4.3. Expand community supported agriculture partnerships between farmers and consumers in which consumers purchase a share of a farm's products in advance of harvest. More Information
      - 2.2.1.4.4. Support the provision of farmers markets throughout the county.
      - 2.2.1.4.5. Explore opportunities to partner with local grocery stores and restaurants to make unused or unsold fresh food available.
      - 2.2.1.4.6. Increase market diversification and long-term revenue stream opportunities for local farmers by fostering positive relationships with local private and public schools' food and nutrition programs through the Frederick Farm to School initiatives.
  - 2.2.2. Active Lifestyles
    
    Increase the opportunity for physical activity through supportive programs and strategic interventions.
    - 2.2.2.1. Group Fitness
      
      Support organized efforts to promote fitness among all segments of the population.
      - 2.2.2.1.1. Ensure adequate recreational lands and locations to support fitness programs for all ages that can be offered in a variety of community settings including schools, community centers, parks, and senior centers. More Information
      - 2.2.2.1.2. Ensure adequate recreational space to support sports leagues that provide opportunities for adults of all ages to play at beginner, intermediate and competitive levels in a variety of sports to encourage participation regardless of skill. More Information
    - 2.2.2.2. Active Transport Support
      
      Support programs that promote and encourage safe and convenient active transportation.
      - 2.2.2.2.1. Promote the provision of multi-component workplace health that supports active commuting. More Information
      - 2.2.2.2.2. Encourage the creation of "walking school buses" or other options to promote the reduction of childhood obesity and reduce the amount of driving needed for school transport. More Information
    - 2.2.2.3. Active Children
      
      Encourage strategies that support increased physical activity in children.
      - 2.2.2.3.1. Support physically active classrooms that incorporate physical activity breaks, classroom energizers, or moving activities into academic lessons and that can be implemented within an existing curriculum at all public and private schools in the county.
      - 2.2.2.3.2. Support a goal of physical activity a day in all settings, such as a 60 minute period. More Information
      - 2.2.2.3.3. Explore possible screen time interventions for children that encourage them to spend time away from TV and other screen media.
      - 2.2.2.3.4. Explore opportunities to leverage everyday experiences at county parks and natural areas as learning opportunities. More Information
- 2.3. Safety and Protection
  
  Goals in this category concern the degree to which we are free from the short-term and life-long consequences of intentional and unintentional bodily and emotional harm caused by people to themselves and to others.
- 2.4. Support
  
  Goals in this category concern the level of instrumental, informational, and emotional support that is available to those in need.
  - 2.4.1. Behavioral Health
    
    Provide a strong mental health and addiction safety net in Frederick County that focuses on prevention and intervention strategies, support services, and the empowerment of individuals, families, and communities to help end the occurrence of suicide and substance abuse.
  - 2.4.2. Accessing Services
    
    Ensure that services are accessible to all members of the community in need.
    - 2.4.2.1. Efficiency and Synergy
      
      Enhance the efficiency and synergy of service delivery through the centralization and coordination of services and through the identification of opportunities that maximize the access to and availability of resources.
      - 2.4.2.1.1. Improve service coordination to individuals at highest risk for poor health outcomes through implementation of an administrative community hub model of service delivery. More Information
      - 2.4.2.1.2. Develop a virtual presence for the coordination of social services. More Information
      - 2.4.2.1.3. Provide geographically concentrated service hubs that are collocated with public buildings as a means to provide more convenient access to service centers throughout the county. More Information
      - 2.4.2.1.4. Pursue the implementation of mobility management and coordination services for the transportation needs of seniors and people with special health care needs. More Information
    - 2.4.2.2. Universal Design
      
      Support the development of barrier free and universal design retrofit where needed in homes, public buildings, and public spaces.
    - 2.4.2.3. Health Care Opportunity
      
      Address barriers to care, including the barriers of language and communication, as well as barriers of belief and perceptions by increasing the understanding of how belief and culture affect perceptions of health and illness.
      - 2.4.2.3.1. Pursue the application of Health Enterprise Zones in eligible areas of the county. More Information
  - 2.4.3. Seniors
    
    Redefine aging in Frederick County as the beginning of a new stage of life where seniors play positive and meaningful roles in society while their health and well-being is supported and sustained through accessible and affordable services.
    - 2.4.3.1. Elder Contributions
      
      Develop senior contribution programs that take advantage of the skills and experience of our seniors.
  - 2.4.4. Our Children
    
    Improve the lives of all children by ensuring that no child is prevented from achieving positive goals, fulfilling their potential, or taking part in their community.
  - 2.4.5. Social Bonds
    
    Explore ways to promote the creation and maintenance of strong social bonds, starting from a young age, to reap the benefits of increased life expectancy through reduced health risks throughout a person's life.
    - 2.4.5.1. Social Inclusion
      
      Support interventions and delivery of services that identify and target social isolation in seniors, teens, individuals with disabilities, and other segments of the community.
    - 2.4.5.2. Neighborhoods and Place
      
      Explore ways to enhance and design the physical environment as a means of fostering commitment to neighborhoods and supporting the significant influence of the immediate locality on people's well-being.
      - 2.4.5.2.1. Create places that are compact, mixed use, and walkable that afford social interaction and support safety and human comfort. More Information
      - 2.4.5.2.2. Focus efforts to create a social and recreational infrastructure geared toward teens through the provision of such amenities as pocket parks, public informal gathering spaces, and public broadband access.
3. Our Economy

The Our Economy theme supports the following State Visions: Quality of Life and Sustainability, Public Participation, Growth Areas, Infrastructure, Transportation, Economic Development, Resource Conservation, Stewardship, Implementation
- 3.1. Strengths and Assets
  
  Goals in this category involve maximizing the County's strategic advantages, infrastructure, and quality of life assets to attract and retain businesses, foster job creation, and ensure a skilled and educated workforce in Frederick County.
  - 3.1.1. Pro-Business Climate
    
    Attract, retain, and grow opportunities to create a business climate in Frederick County that is attractive to firms and supportive of the many diverse groups of people, with diverse expertise and experiences, who wish to live and work in Frederick County.
    - 3.1.1.1. Culture of Innovation
      
      Create a culture of innovation among county and municipal offices of economic development, tourism, and other partner organizations to promoting Frederick County as a great place to live and work.
      - 3.1.1.1.1. Employ strategies that will enable Frederick County to be an Innovation Ecosystem – a place where the economic, environmental, technological, political, and inter-organizational systems integrate to foster a climate for sustained economic growth.
      - 3.1.1.1.2. Continuously work to realign the county's resources, in order to be responsive to changing internal and external forces and conditions, to keep Frederick County on the cutting edge of technology and innovation.
      - 3.1.1.1.3. Develop a diversified approach to support small businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurship, and where appropriate, home based businesses, through the continuation of direct investment to protect and sustain the county's cultural, environmental, and historic amenities, business culture, and other critical assets that support and attract diverse business opportunities.
    - 3.1.1.2. Regulatory Environment
      
      Evaluate existing regulations and review processes to identify and mitigate any barriers to business operations and to facilitate business growth while ensuring the protection of public health, safety, welfare, and the environment.
      - 3.1.1.2.1. Support existing strategies, and develop new strategies where appropriate, to fast-track the development review and permitting process to ensure a streamlined process.
      - 3.1.1.2.2. Establish a regular cycle of review of development-related ordinances and processes with the aim of ensuring an efficient, transparent and predictable process.
      - 3.1.1.2.3. Conduct a regular review of the types of commercial or industrial uses permitted under current zoning to ensure the zoning is adequately flexible to attract and accommodate emerging industries and businesses.
      - 3.1.1.2.4. Develop a process to assist businesses with navigating and meeting the regulations and requirements of state and local regulatory agencies, such as the Frederick County Health Department, the Frederick County Liquor Board, and others.
    - 3.1.1.3. Partnerships
      
      Foster relationships and formal partnership agreements with and between non-profit agencies, businesses, governments, educational institutions and others to maximize resources and take advantage of shared-investments between public and private stakeholders in the economic vitality of Frederick County.
      - 3.1.1.3.1. Encourage regular and sustained communication between public, private, and non-profit stakeholders and Frederick County Government.
      - 3.1.1.3.2. Work with state and municipal leaders to develop an information sharing and reciprocity system to assist with eliminating repetition and redundancy in the process of setting goals, maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, and advancing the economic interests of Frederick County.
      - 3.1.1.3.3. Provide technical assistance and guidance that is supportive of business startups, commercialization enterprises, incubator programs, and accelerators in partnership between county agencies, economic development partners or partner organizations, and local educational facilities - such as ROOT - and work to expand those opportunities and resources in other areas of Frederick County.
      - 3.1.1.3.4. Foster a supportive environment to expand or develop mentor, internship, apprenticeship, and other types of partnerships between the County's educational institutions and the local business community.
    - 3.1.1.4. Data-Driven Decision-Making
      
      Support the inclusion of data-driven decision-making into all aspects of economic development, when appropriate.
      - 3.1.1.4.1. Utilize data-analysis tools, such as the Growth Opportunities (GO) Strategy, to identify and target specific areas that Frederick County should grow, develop, or better align strategies and programs to maximize our economic advantages and assets.
      - 3.1.1.4.2. Develop an online tool to facilitate new business growth in coordination with land planning.
    - 3.1.1.5. Adaptability
      
      Utilize strategies that will assist the county with adapting to changes in employment opportunities or workforce demographics to keep pace with an ever-changing business landscape, to attract new and developing industries, and strengthen the county's ability to respond to economic change and uncertain economic futures.
      - 3.1.1.5.1. Support the ability of our local economy to easily rebound and adapt to changing economic conditions by encouraging and supporting a diversity of industries in Frederick County.
      - 3.1.1.5.2. Identify, analyze and actively promote the advantages for business investment or expansion opportunities in Frederick County, and market those advantages as amenities to encourage additional business opportunities.
      - 3.1.1.5.3. Explore fiscal policy options, such as the use of business tax credits, to provide incentives for investment, growth, and development in strategically identified non-residential areas of the county to attract new businesses.
      - 3.1.1.5.4. Employ robust market research to determine the needs of businesses within the county, as well as those of businesses that the county seeks to attract, in order to stay current with trends and changes in the business climate.
  - 3.1.2. Quality of Life
    
    Ensure that quality of life assets that are important to residents, businesses, and visitors, especially those that assist Frederick County with attracting and retaining a high-quality workforce, are maintained for the future to ensure our sense of place.
    - 3.1.2.1. Housing
      
      Ensure that housing options are available and accessible for people of varying income levels desiring to live, work, raise a family, and retire in Frederick County.
      - 3.1.2.1.1. Ensure that residential development occurs in county designated growth areas with minimal harm to the environment and adequate water, sewer, transportation choices, schools, and other county infrastructure needed to support a high quality of life.
      - 3.1.2.1.2. Ensure access to a variety of affordable and workforce housing options to meet the needs of a diversified workforce by enacting ordinances and regulations that encourage and support the development of these housing options near and around job centers and businesses.
    - 3.1.2.2. Educational Facilities
      
      Support a diversified system of public and private educational infrastructure and access to programming to provide educational opportunities and workforce development at all age levels and in all relevant locations in the county, as well as to provide secondary benefits to the community stemming from allied and reciprocal utilization of facilities.
      - 3.1.2.2.1. Ensure that our development standards support the centralized location of schools in communities and within county growth areas, and support multi-modal transportation accessibility for students, staff, and faculty.
      - 3.1.2.2.2. Assist the county and FCPS in acquiring strategically located land for new school sites in designated growth areas, including within municipal areas.
      - 3.1.2.2.3. Employ solid projection methodology to develop estimates for the number of schools needed by level and location for the next 25 years.
      - 3.1.2.2.4. Employ the communities and corridors planning process to evaluate and identify specific locations for future school sites.
      - 3.1.2.2.5. Explore the use of diversified development-based funding through escrows or dedicated budgeting for the acquisition of school sites.
      - 3.1.2.2.6. Ensure that land development regulations do not negatively impact the timing or approval of school facilities.
      - 3.1.2.2.7. Support and coordinate long-term land and infrastructure planning between the county and all public and private local educational institutions, such as working with our local colleges and the Frederick County Board of Education, as their master plans are updated.
      - 3.1.2.2.8. Partner with educational institutions, when possible, to expand, explore, or develop public private partnerships to increase opportunities for additional educational facilities and programming, such as CREST (Center for Research, Education, Science and Technology) and LYNX (Linking Youth to New Experiences).
      - 3.1.2.2.9. Support and expand opportunities for shared community space and uses at county-owned schools, libraries and other buildings to maximize the investment in public infrastructure and to expand the range of resources available.
  - 3.1.3. Infrastructure
    
    Ensure that infrastructure needed to support and maintain Frederick County as a great place to live and work is in place to meet the needs of residents and the business community by expanding, augmenting, or creating new infrastructure as opportunities expand to live and work in Frederick County.
    - 3.1.3.1. Business Location
      
      Ensure the availability of a diverse inventory of appropriate potential business locations to meet the demands of a growing and diverse business community.
      - 3.1.3.1.1. Work in conjunction with appropriate Frederick County agencies and government to create a development-ready assessment that the county could use as a tool to evaluate potential areas or sites for future business development and work to ensure that those sites are located appropriately for business expansion.
      - 3.1.3.1.2. Prioritize infill development and redevelopment within designated business growth areas, commercial corridors, and existing business communities to maximize investment in public infrastructure.
      - 3.1.3.1.3. Ensure that the County's land use and zoning ordinances allow adequate flexibility to adapt to changing commercial and industrial needs for existing and emerging businesses.
    - 3.1.3.2. Multi-Modal Transportation
      
      Ensure that the County provides access to a sustainable and resilient multi-modal transportation network to move people, goods, and services to support the needs of Frederick County residents and economic, business, and educational activities throughout Frederick County.
      - 3.1.3.2.1. Prepare and adopt a Master Transportation Plan that prioritizes a full range of transportation infrastructure needed to support a variety of travel options in communities and designated growth areas.
      - 3.1.3.2.2. Evaluate the potential need for expansion of passenger rail service that may include future growth areas and other areas not currently served by functioning rail lines.
      - 3.1.3.2.3. Support transportation systems that foster multi-model accessibility in order to maximize economic competitiveness for attracting jobs and talent.
      - 3.1.3.2.4. Adopt a non-motorized (bicycle, trails, and pedestrian) transportation plan that prioritizes connections to public transit, commercial districts, employment centers, and schools.
      - 3.1.3.2.5. Develop an educational transportation component to the county's Master Transportation Plan and potential future non-motorized transportation plan.
      - 3.1.3.2.6. Support industries that are tied to the ongoing structural changes in the transportation industry and assess the impacts these changes will have on Frederick County.
      - 3.1.3.2.7. Evaluate the potential impacts of on-demand transport/ride hailing and autonomous vehicles on local business and future economic growth.
      - 3.1.3.2.8. Support the development of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the county.
      - 3.1.3.2.9. Find opportunities to expand the economic footprint of freight transportation in the county through the support of existing freight rail lines in the county.
    - 3.1.3.3. Information Infrastructure
      
      Evaluate the technological needs of local businesses, educational and research institutions, health care facilities, and homes in partnership with appropriate government agencies and private sector representatives.
      - 3.1.3.3.1. Study working examples of publicly owned broadband networks, evaluating performance, reliability, and cost.
      - 3.1.3.3.2. Determine strategic actions for expanding advanced telecommunications services to support businesses and future business growth opportunities, schools, libraries, and other educational and research institutions, and other underserved areas.
      - 3.1.3.3.3. Determine strategic actions for providing affordable access to advanced telecommunications services in rural and underserved areas.
      - 3.1.3.3.4. Support solutions for developing public-private partnerships to strengthen information infrastructure.
      - 3.1.3.3.5. Encourage the expansion of private investment in technological infrastructure.
- 3.2. Existing Business and Industry Clusters
  
  Goals in this category target opportunities and innovation to support, attract, and grow business prospects and industry clusters that traditionally are a foundation of the local economy and are part of the culture of the broader Frederick County community.
  - 3.2.1. Knowledge-Based Industry
    
    Work to expand opportunities in knowledge-based industries – those industries where production and services are based on a vast knowledge of technical and scientific skills, with workers highly skilled in those areas – such as information technology, life and natural sciences, and other new and emerging technical business opportunities.
    - 3.2.1.1. Emerging Industries
      
      Support and actively seek opportunities to attract and expand technology, life and natural sciences, advanced manufacturing, and other highly technical jobs and career opportunities in Frederick County.
      - 3.2.1.1.1. Work to find space and encourage the development of additional business incubators and accelerators, such as the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI), which provide assistance to start-up companies and entrepreneurs by offering office and lab space, business services, and other strategic support and contribute toward the success of knowledge-based industries.
      - 3.2.1.1.2. Develop flexible zoning and planning tools to stay current with the rapid pace of change in knowledge-based industries so that start-up companies and entrepreneurs can grow or expand quickly.
      - 3.2.1.1.3. Provide additional maker-space opportunities in Frederick County, in addition to the space at the Monroe Center, to cultivate developing ideas and talents.
      - 3.2.1.1.4. Work to expand Frederick County's tech transfer opportunities to capitalize on the rich research and development assets available in Frederick County and to create new or additional commercial products.
  - 3.2.2. Agriculture
    
    Support and protect Frederick County's agricultural community and existing and emerging agricultural industries, to promote an environment where agriculture operations continue to be competitive, sustainable and profitable in Frederick County.
    - 3.2.2.1. Land Use
      
      Minimize non-agricultural land uses within the agricultural zoning district in order to protect the land for food and fiber production and maintain the viability of agricultural operations, while allowing for diversification of farms.
      - 3.2.2.1.1. Ensure that zoning and other regulations support agricultural related businesses in rural areas of the county.
      - 3.2.2.1.2. Support agricultural industries by evaluating the compatibility of uses within the Agricultural Zoning District.
      - 3.2.2.1.3. Develop planning and permitting procedures to assist agricultural business development and agricultural entrepreneurship.
      - 3.2.2.1.4. Work with the Washington Council of Governments on regional agricultural issues and initiatives.
      - 3.2.2.1.5. Support the diversification of farming innovations, such as regenerative agriculture, and ensure flexibility to allow for emerging and next generation farm operations.
      - 3.2.2.1.6. Develop a rigorous and data-driven assessment of the relationship between growth boundaries and agricultural land preservation that can help inform land preservation practices in case-specific scenarios.
    - 3.2.2.2. Forestry and Forest Products
      
      Support the multiple benefits of forested conditions that can be sustained over time in a cost-effective manner through viable forest products markets and good forest management.
    - 3.2.2.3. Education and Opportunities
      
      Ensure that opportunities exist in Frederick County to protect, maintain, and teach the community about Frederick County's rural agricultural heritage, culture, and role in maintaining a healthy natural environment.
      - 3.2.2.3.1. Coordinate with the Office of Economic Development to create an "Agricultural Action Program" to promote and market agricultural industries and agricultural support industries.
      - 3.2.2.3.2. Partner with the University of Maryland Extension office or other entities for training programs that support educational opportunities for new and beginning farmers in Frederick County.
      - 3.2.2.3.3. Develop a program to educate the public and the farming community on planning and agricultural issues.
      - 3.2.2.3.4. Continue to promote and market local farms and farmers markets through providing technical assistance and marketing publications, such as Homegrown Frederick.
      - 3.2.2.3.5. Provide support for the development of agricultural support businesses in Frederick County by actively promoting farms, resources, events, and information.
      - 3.2.2.3.6. Explore expanding agritourism operations, including the manufacturing and marketing of agricultural products from local to international arenas, and support rural businesses through development regulations geared toward those opportunities.
      - 3.2.2.3.7. Evaluate the need and address the benefits of offering additional resources and technical support to farmers.
    - 3.2.2.4. Farmland Transition
      
      Assist with the transition of farmland from one generation to the next to ensure the continuation of the family farm concept.
      - 3.2.2.4.1. Partner with appropriate agencies to review existing transition programs and evaluate expansion possibilities.
      - 3.2.2.4.2. Continue to support the Critical Farms Program, while exploring new programs beyond critical Farms that help the next generation of farmers get on the land.
      - 3.2.2.4.3. Promote easements and agricultural land preservation as an estate planning tool or a catalyst for transferring farmland to future generations or young farmers.
    - 3.2.2.5. Preservation and Conservation
      
      Maximize the present and future viability of our agricultural assets through the permanent preservation of a minimum of 100,000 acres of land in the county by 2040 and the retention of a total agricultural land base of at least 200,000 acres.
      - 3.2.2.5.1. Evaluate alternative and increased funding options for agricultural land preservation programs or tax credit programs targeted at increasing the number of acres in permanent preservation.
      - 3.2.2.5.2. Explore other programs that provide funding for easements, such as the federal preservation program.
      - 3.2.2.5.3. Support the development of a functional and active land trust that works to preserve land through obtaining land preservation funds from the private sector, including foundations.
      - 3.2.2.5.4. Strengthen our local land trust network and/or evaluate the potential for combining existing land trusts in a regional effort to have an accredited land trust.
      - 3.2.2.5.5. Partner with the Maryland Environmental Trust to form a regional partnership for land conservation that includes the Middletown Valley and Catoctin Creek Watershed for conservation, and provide technical assistance for the initiative as needed.
      - 3.2.2.5.6. Explore the development of some form of agricultural impact assessment tied to new development.
      - 3.2.2.5.7. Evaluate the potential for a private Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program.
  - 3.2.3. Creativity and Industry
    
    Support the development of businesses, enterprises, arts and technologies that focus on creativity, innovation, and alternative business models and that encourage vibrant business activity and growth in Frederick County communities.
    - 3.2.3.1. The Arts
      
      Find innovative ways to employ the arts to improve and strengthen communities and businesses in Frederick County.
      - 3.2.3.1.1. Encourage local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities to develop close working partnerships with the Frederick film industry to promote the county as a film-friendly location and to promote a film and media hub within the county.
      - 3.2.3.1.2. Develop partnerships with municipalities, the county and the state to support the development and promotion of local arts and entertainment districts.
      - 3.2.3.1.3. Examine regulatory obstacles to the arts industry and pursue changes if needed.
    - 3.2.3.2. Creative Economy
      
      Support entrepreneurship and small business that is focused on creativity and the generation of new knowledge or information, and on the use of creativity and imagination to create economic value.
      - 3.2.3.2.1. Establish enterprise zones, arts or cultural districts, or overlay zoning that encourages businesses in the creative industries to cluster together and integrate with surrounding neighborhoods.
      - 3.2.3.2.2. Provide entrepreneurial and workforce development training programs that serve artists, writers, designers, and other creative industries professionals.
  - 3.2.4. Small Business
    
    Build on existing and explore new ways to support the growth and longevity of locally-based small businesses in the county.
    - 3.2.4.1. Buying Local
      
      Support buying local through promotional campaigns to encourage residents to buy from local, small, and independent businesses and retailers in the county, as well as through the prioritization of local government purchasing.
      - 3.2.4.1.1. Explore small business opportunities for local food processing and preservation for institutional markets such as public and private schools.
    - 3.2.4.2. Business Support
      
      Explore and build on existing direct measures to help small businesses in the county, such as assistance for improving facilities and increasing energy efficiency, and through training and counseling such as that offered by the Frederick County Small Business Development Center.
      - 3.2.4.2.1. Support mixed-use commercial facilities that offer affordable options to small business owners.
      - 3.2.4.2.2. Recognize the distinct challenges faced by small business in the county, as compared to larger businesses, and explore ways to provide support, especially through review of the regulatory review and approval process.
- 3.3. Innovation and Opportunity
  
  Goals in this category relate to identifying and supporting advances in new, emerging industries and/or clusters of industries that will become economic opportunities for Frederick County in the future.
  - 3.3.1. Innovation
    
    Develop and sustain a supportive cultural, legal, and economic environment for small business, creative industries, and entrepreneurship in Frederick County.
    - 3.3.1.1. Culture of Innovation
      
      Look for opportunities for industry convergence to maximize business viability, opportunities, and resources and to create a forward-thinking business culture that takes risks.
      - 3.3.1.1.1. Continually work to achieve a balance between protecting the health, safety, and welfare goals of the regulatory environment and supporting the dynamics and challenges of small, entrepreneurial, and start-up businesses.
      - 3.3.1.1.2. Explore additional opportunities to co-locate and blend complementary industries to maximize resources and enhance job opportunities, such as blending life sciences with manufacturing.
      - 3.3.1.1.3. Evaluate technology needs and opportunities at Ft. Detrick, such as Technology Transfer, which can be supported by private sector businesses and partnerships with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and municipal and county governments.
      - 3.3.1.1.4. Ensure that students of all ages have access to arts education and project-based learning that turns our county into a creative learning laboratory by partnering schools with cultural organizations.
    - 3.3.1.2. Value-Added Agriculture
      
      Support the growth of value-added agriculture that expands customer base and makes more revenue available to producers through production methods, processing, or product identity preservation.
      - 3.3.1.2.1. Provide technical assistance to new or existing agricultural operators that seek opportunities to embrace agricultural innovations or value-added operations.
      - 3.3.1.2.2. Evaluate the county's agricultural district to determine the feasibility of non-traditional agricultural, entrepreneurial, and rural heritage uses and their potential economic impact to Frederick County agriculture.
      - 3.3.1.2.3. Work with the agricultural community, nonprofits and local entrepreneurs to develop artisan and local food distribution sites, including farmer's markets, to build economic activity between local growers and county consumers to open new market opportunities for county agricultural producers.
    - 3.3.1.3. The Energy Economy
      
      Support growth opportunities in industries created by emerging and innovative energy technologies that are designed to make communities more efficient, resilient, and sustainable.
      - 3.3.1.3.1. Evaluate the benefits and costs of energy efficiency, combined heat and power, microgrids, and alternative power technologies (e.g. solar, wind, biomass gasification) for farms, municipalities, businesses, and homes.
      - 3.3.1.3.2. Seek job opportunities that will come as a result of commercial energy retrofitting or other energy-related industries as they develop and expand.
      - 3.3.1.3.3. Expand tools to assist with financing energy-saving opportunities and technologies associated with the new energy economy, such as financial incentives that are offered by utility companies and the Maryland Energy Administration and other state and federal agencies, and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program for commercial properties. More Information
      - 3.3.1.3.4. Explore opportunities to increase the development of green energy technologies in Frederick County, including the enhancement or expansion of existing certificate/degree programs in sustainable energy technologies at Frederick Community College.
      - 3.3.1.3.5. Amend existing local economic plans and strategies to focus market demand for green jobs, technology, products and services.
      - 3.3.1.3.6. Adopt policies and regulations that increase overall market activity for green buildings and associated materials, renewable energy products and infrastructure, and recyclable products.
      - 3.3.1.3.7. Review and amend zoning regulations to remove barriers or provide flexibility for green businesses.
      - 3.3.1.3.8. Establish regulations or zoning that incentivize district-scale sustainability projects.
      - 3.3.1.3.9. Partner with other local governments, community groups, electric and gas utilities, and other private entities in the region to adopt an overarching sustainable economic development strategy and work collaboratively to increase demand for green products and services.
      - 3.3.1.3.10. Create educational materials to define the larger vision of economic sustainability as one that proactively fosters green businesses, green jobs, and green practices.
      - 3.3.1.3.11. Create environmentally preferable purchasing for local government procurement of safe, healthy, and environmentally responsible products.
      - 3.3.1.3.12. Create programs that directly help businesses transition to new green practices and implement a green business promotion program.
  - 3.3.2. Opportunity
    
    Identify and pursue opportunities to efficiently grow economic sectors in the county that blend the advantages provided by local assets with the possibilities offered by regional and global economic trends.
    - 3.3.2.1. Tourism and Hospitality
      
      Support the development of local and regional tourism and hospitality opportunities, and protect Frederick County's existing tourism resources and attractions, to maintain and capitalize on Frederick County's unique historical, cultural, and natural resources.
      - 3.3.2.1.1. Implement the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Management Plan in concert with Washington and Carroll counties.
      - 3.3.2.1.2. Work with tourism organizations to evaluate local growth and development proposals so as to lessen impacts on county tourism sites and opportunities.
      - 3.3.2.1.3. Examine regulations in concert with private and governmental agencies to ensure that appropriate regulations exist to protect Frederick County's natural resources.
      - 3.3.2.1.4. Utilize strategies and regulations designed to protect and ensure the long-term viability of the numerous cultural, historical, recreational, natural, local, and regional assets available to residents in Frederick County.
      - 3.3.2.1.5. Support art projects, in any media, sited in community places that are accessible to the public for their role in driving tourism.
    - 3.3.2.2. Recreation
      
      Maintain and expand the county's recreational areas, parks, bike and walking trails, and other recreational infrastructure that contributes toward improving county residents' physical and mental health and promotes economic opportunities associated with recreational activity.
      - 3.3.2.2.1. Support the development of, and regionally promote the continued use of, public and private parkland in the county to attract local economic and recreational activities.
      - 3.3.2.2.2. Ensure that new residential development contributes to recreational amenities and supports access to natural features in Frederick County.
      - 3.3.2.2.3. Adopt, refine, and update a non-motorized transportation (biking and walking) plan that implements biking, running, and hiking tourism opportunities throughout the county and municipalities including defined connections to our neighboring jurisdictions.
      - 3.3.2.2.4. Pursue strategies to require or incentivize the creation, maintenance, and connection of public parkland and natural areas to both residential and business districts.
      - 3.3.2.2.5. Conduct a study regarding the economic impact of public parklands and natural areas on the local economy to understand their contributions to community satisfaction and tourism.
      - 3.3.2.2.6. Capitalize on the wide range of warm water and cold water fishing opportunities in the county by adopting supportive land management practices and promoting opportunities throughout the region.
      - 3.3.2.2.7. Support the development of public art along county walking trails and bike paths to enhance the experiences of visitors and residents in our natural areas.
    - 3.3.2.3. Food Destination
      
      Leverage economic activity in the county by supporting and enhancing Frederick's regional status as a local food and dining destination.
      - 3.3.2.3.1. Identify suitable locations for the development of "Food Destination" opportunities and centers, working in partnership with appropriate agencies, area restaurants or hotels, municipalities, and other local nonprofits.
      - 3.3.2.3.2. Consider creating a committee that will focus on identifying trends in the food destination industry to keep abreast of changing regulations and to assist in attracting and incentivizing opportunities to locate food destination businesses in Frederick County.
      - 3.3.2.3.3. Develop planning regulations that encourage the development of local food businesses and local "farm to fork" opportunities within county municipalities and communities.
- 3.4. Education, Jobs and Workforce Development
  
  Goals in this category look to maximize job opportunities in Frederick County, by having a highly trained, educated, and prepared workforce that can adapt to changing job markets via training, workforce development and other opportunities, so that residents have access to job opportunities allowing them to live and work in Frederick County.
  - 3.4.1. Access To Education
    
    Ensure that all students, regardless of age, have access to high quality educational opportunities and programs available in Frederick County to prepare them for jobs of the future or to enable them to become part of the workforce, contribute to the economy, and maintain a high quality of life.
    - 3.4.1.1. Early Childhood
      
      Expand opportunities for early childhood education programs and services in the county to ensure that all children have access to high quality early educational programs, which are predictors to success later in life.
      - 3.4.1.1.1. Work in collaboration with the public school system to plan and provide adequate facility space for public school early educational programming, especially as the needs for those program opportunities expand in the future.
      - 3.4.1.1.2. Examine regulations to ensure that the process to approve private school or business-located early childhood educational facilities is streamlined and meets all mandated educational standards.
      - 3.4.1.1.3. Expand the number of county-run early educational facilities to increase the number of opportunities available and the number of students who have access to county or FCPS early childhood educational programming.
    - 3.4.1.2. Primary and Secondary
      
      Continue to place top priority on the provision of outstanding educational facilities and opportunities to assist students in preparing for work and post-secondary education.
      - 3.4.1.2.1. Support efforts to increase opportunities for students to be trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to encourage students to pursue careers in those areas that will provide the workforce of the future.
      - 3.4.1.2.2. Support continuous student exposure throughout K-12 education to the environmental sciences to instill a value for nature in future decisions about careers, life choices, and informed participation in public policy development.
      - 3.4.1.2.3. Support strategies than can increase the percentage of individuals within specified racial, ethnic, gender, age, and military groups that have obtained high-quality post-secondary educational degrees or credentials.
      - 3.4.1.2.4. Expand opportunities for additional Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs that will prepare students for a wide range of high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand jobs.
      - 3.4.1.2.5. Seek opportunities to co-locate specialized educational programming regionally or within area colleges and universities.
      - 3.4.1.2.6. Encourage and actively support the collaboration between schools, colleges, businesses, and other training organizations, such as with the LYNX program at Frederick High School (Linking Youth to New Experiences), in order to expose and encourage students to train for new businesses and industries emerging in our region and to tailor training and education to meet labor demands.
      - 3.4.1.2.7. Extend agricultural educational opportunities into primary and secondary schools and encourage partnerships, such as with the Great Frederick Fair, on agricultural education initiatives.
      - 3.4.1.2.8. Support arts centers and robust arts opportunities during and after school, which can pay dividends in ensuring students are skilled, optimistic, and positively engaged and prepared for today's economy.
    - 3.4.1.3. College, Post-Secondary and Technical
      
      Ensure that Frederick County has a skilled workforce that possesses the technical skills and training needed to support new and existing industries by supporting local colleges, training centers, and adult learning.
      - 3.4.1.3.1. Encourage and facilitate collaboration between business and training resources to tailor training and education to meet current labor demands.
      - 3.4.1.3.2. Support and expand educational opportunities for older adult learners, both through skills advancement and retraining.
      - 3.4.1.3.3. Provide opportunities for those currently in the workforce to advance and maintain relevant job skills.
      - 3.4.1.3.4. Explore additional opportunities to co-locate job training opportunities with governmental agencies and partner educational institutions to support workforce training and development and maximize resources.
      - 3.4.1.3.5. Work with Maryland colleges and universities to develop locations to house bio-technical research employment opportunities.
    - 3.4.1.4. Job Training and Retraining
      
      Support efforts to maintain and develop a pipeline of skilled workers that are trained or retrained to support employment and entrepreneurial activity in Frederick County.
      - 3.4.1.4.1. Support a diversified system of educational opportunities and workforce development at all age levels and in all relevant locations in the county.
      - 3.4.1.4.2. Evaluate and expand educational programs to assist workers with updating their skills and knowledge applicable to meet the needs of employers in Frederick County, as needed.
      - 3.4.1.4.3. Support strategies that allow for industry-led job development and employee training programs.
  - 3.4.2. Employment Opportunity
    
    Encourage businesses to provide meaningful employment opportunities in Frederick County that are free from barriers and appeal to a wide-range of potential skilled employees.
    - 3.4.2.1. Age and Employment
      
      Work to develop incentives and outreach opportunities geared toward attracting and supporting workforce participation from adults of all ages, with a focus on young adults with recent knowledge and expertise and seniors with a lifetime of knowledge and expertise.
    - 3.4.2.2. Representing All Groups
      
      Work with Community-based organizations, government agencies, and businesses, including those with expertise in areas relating to underrepresented groups living in Frederick County, to identify and work to eliminate any barriers impacting a person's ability to secure or retain meaningful employment in Frederick County.
      - 3.4.2.2.1. Encourage county wide employment outreach efforts to employ underrepresented groups of workers (such as, minorities, women, Veterans, and others) to better reflect and mirror the changing demographics of Frederick County.
      - 3.4.2.2.2. Encourage programs and incentives and other targeted strategies to support minority business expansion.
4. Our Environment

The Our Environment theme supports the following State of Maryland Visions: Quality of Life and Sustainability, Public Participation, Community Design, Growth Areas, Infrastructure, Transportation, Housing, Economic Development, Environmental Protection, Resource Conservation, Stewardship, Implementation
- 4.1. Land
  
  Goals in this category concern preserving and protecting our land systems from degradation due to natural forces and human interventions and increasing their resilience.
  - 4.1.1. Natural Resources and Green Infrastructure
    
    The natural environment and its habitat provision and ecosystem services are critical to our quality of life, and so they should be the primary consideration in all land planning and governmental decision-making processes.
    - 4.1.1.1. Green Infrastructure Plan
      
      Develop and implement a functional green infrastructure plan to protect, connect, and enhance the county's natural assets and support their role in ensuring future resiliency in the county.
      - 4.1.1.1.1. Establish a regular cycle of review of environmental protection and conservation ordinances and processes with the aim of ensuring protections for clean air, land, and water.
      - 4.1.1.1.2. Critically examine the land use designations and zoning applied to Green Infrastructure and other sensitive environmental resources within Community Growth Areas.
      - 4.1.1.1.3. Incorporate natural resource protection and restoration in addition to active recreational elements in the development of all county parkland.
      - 4.1.1.1.4. Enhance the protection measures for significant natural resources and highly sensitive environmental features through regulatory, voluntary, and incentive based programs.
      - 4.1.1.1.5. Improve the site plan review process to identify, confirm, and protect natural resources.
      - 4.1.1.1.6. Control and mitigate invasive and exotic species (flora and fauna) to help maintain the diversity and health of forestlands, native plants, animal populations, waterways, and habitats.
    - 4.1.1.2. Tree Canopy and Forest Coverage
      
      Increase tree canopy coverage and riparian forest acreage in Frederick County.
      - 4.1.1.2.1. Analyze and identify a numerical goal to achieve – primarily through the voluntary efforts of Frederick County landowners - an increase in the 2040 forest coverage in Frederick County to enhance forest corridors and hubs.
      - 4.1.1.2.2. Develop goals to increase and enhance the performance of riparian forests and vegetation along Frederick County's waterways for years 2025 and 2040 through voluntary and incentive-based programs.
      - 4.1.1.2.3. Examine our Community Growth Areas for the presence of significant natural resources and develop enhanced measures to minimize their degradation and loss.
      - 4.1.1.2.4. Enhance the Forest Resource Ordinance for development occurring in growth areas to protect significant and connected forestlands.
      - 4.1.1.2.5. Expand and fully utilize voluntary and incentive-based programs, including the county's Creek ReLeaf program, to increase tree canopy and riparian forest acreage in the county.
    - 4.1.1.3. Outreach for Ecology
      
      Increase the public's general knowledge about ecology and environmental sustainability.
      - 4.1.1.3.1. Expand public outreach for the county's Stormwater Program (MS4 Permit) and communicate ways to reduce nutrient and sediment loads in areas dominated by non-point source pollution.
      - 4.1.1.3.2. Develop and implement an effective public outreach program with the Board of Education, libraries, and other educational institutions.
      - 4.1.1.3.3. Work with the Division of Parks and Recreation to include educational elements in county parks.
    - 4.1.1.4. Local Agriculture
      
      Support locally produced agricultural products and sustainable and innovative farming practices, such as regenerative farming, which build healthy, biologically active soil and protect water resources.
      - 4.1.1.4.1. Draw on State resources to create or enhance an outreach and educational program for farmers regarding new agricultural practices that increase soil organic matter and have less intensive chemical applications.
      - 4.1.1.4.2. Create a farming community information sharing network.
      - 4.1.1.4.3. Provide incentives to the local farming community to sell products locally.
      - 4.1.1.4.4. Assist farmers to develop practices that reduce inputs and protect waterways by building healthy, biologically active soil, such as agroforestry cover cropping, multi-species pasture, compost application, and permaculture.
      - 4.1.1.4.5. Support programs that encourage the transition of agricultural acreage to regenerative agricultural practices.
  - 4.1.2. Solid Waste and Recycling
    
    Plan for a "zero waste" future by 2040.
    - 4.1.2.1. Recycling and Composting
      
      Increase recycling and composting for all residential dwellings, businesses, and institutions.
      - 4.1.2.1.1. Expand the county's Solid Waste Program to include operational facilities for materials recovery and recycling, food waste composting, and yard trimmings composting.
      - 4.1.2.1.2. Promote source reduction from manufacturers to generate less waste.
      - 4.1.2.1.3. Increase inspection for dumping sites and salvage yards, including clean-up and enforcement actions.
      - 4.1.2.1.4. Develop an amortization schedule for grandfathered dumping sites and salvage yards.
    - 4.1.2.2. Development
      
      Increase the practice of material salvaging and reuse within the development industry.
  - 4.1.3. Built Environment
    
    Increase energy efficiency and environmental standards in existing and new built infrastructure.
    - 4.1.3.1. Energy Audit and Retrofit
      
      Establish large-scale energy audit and retrofit programs to reduce energy consumption and increase economic efficiencies.
      - 4.1.3.1.1. Encourage the Public Service Commission (PSC), which requires electric and gas utilities under its jurisdiction to offer energy efficiency programs to their retail customers, to expand the funding of energy audit activities in their programs by offering financial incentives for professional energy audits.
      - 4.1.3.1.2. Encourage the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to offer incentives to qualified engineers to provide energy audits to customers of utilities who are not served by a utility under PSC jurisdiction.
      - 4.1.3.1.3. Ensure that the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Resources staff, and any contractors they hire, are trained in the principles of energy efficiency and conservation, and are familiar with the available incentives.
      - 4.1.3.1.4. Provide incentives for green remodeling and redevelopment.
      - 4.1.3.1.5. Explore the use of "smart" technologies in county facilities and systems.
    - 4.1.3.2. Environment Supportive Design
      
      Ensure that the location and scale of the future built environment preserves green infrastructure and other sensitive environmental resources.
      - 4.1.3.2.1. Research, develop, and employ construction techniques designed to protect roads, buildings and utilities in areas prone to develop sinkholes.
      - 4.1.3.2.2. Develop an education program to inform the public about how to identify, prevent, and avoid the three types of sinkholes: solution, subsidence, and collapse.
      - 4.1.3.2.3. Protect critical open spaces within the built environment.
      - 4.1.3.2.4. Preserve natural resources during the development process.
      - 4.1.3.2.5. Advocate for wildlife and pedestrian connections, especially at I-270 at the Monocacy River, in the design and construction of future I-270 improvements.
    - 4.1.3.3. Evaluation of Impact
      
      Evaluate land development's overall ecological "footprint" and minimize its environmental impact and externalities.
      - 4.1.3.3.1. Include a comprehensive review of natural resources during the creation of community and corridor plans and during the development review process.
      - 4.1.3.3.2. Ensure Frederick County's Green Infrastructure is protected through the adoption and implementation of a functional green infrastructure plan.
    - 4.1.3.4. Building Codes and Policies
      
      Foster sustainability and resiliency through the improvement of ordinances, building codes, and environmentally supportive policies.
      - 4.1.3.4.1. Create a Frederick County High Performance Green Building Program.
      - 4.1.3.4.2. Establish energy efficient criteria and requirements for all capital projects that are funded with state or county resources.
      - 4.1.3.4.3. Create incentives for sustainable and resilient construction practices.
      - 4.1.3.4.4. Consider adopting the International Green Construction Code and the Energy Conservation Code, as used in surrounding jurisdictions.
      - 4.1.3.4.5. Explore revisions to codes, ordinances, and policies to address Frederick County's changing climate to 2040 and beyond.
- 4.2. Water
  
  Goals in this category seek to ensure the protection of water sources for human consumption, enhancement of water quality for aquatic and human life, and viability of water supplies for future population growth.
  - 4.2.1. Quality
    
    Improve and protect water quality for human and environmental health by eliminating impairing levels of pollution to local waterways and by adequately funding and implementing water quality restoration and protection efforts.
    - 4.2.1.1. Best Practices
      
      Implement best management practices (BMPs) in all land use sectors and activities to improve water quality, in-stream, and riparian (stream-side) habitat.
      - 4.2.1.1.1. Engage the Watershed Implementation Plans to guide future land use and development.
      - 4.2.1.1.2. Calculate pollutant loads from new development during the review and approval process and evaluate their relation to pollution reduction.
      - 4.2.1.1.3. Critically examine future land uses and future development patterns within wellhead protection areas, areas of karst geology, and other sensitive areas in Frederick County.
      - 4.2.1.1.4. Investigate the feasibility and implications of a stormwater utility or water quality protection fee to help fund stream restoration, protection, stormwater retrofits, as well as inspection and enforcement operations.
      - 4.2.1.1.5. Promote enhanced pre-treatment systems and soil-based BMPs for new or replacement on-site sewage disposal systems (septic systems) within wellhead protection areas, areas of karst geology, and other sensitive areas in Frederick County.
      - 4.2.1.1.6. Expand the county's stream survey program to include monitoring of local ground water conditions and aquifer recharge areas to study land use impacts to groundwater resources.
      - 4.2.1.1.7. Explore new techniques, technologies, and regulation to reduce the impacts to waterways (sedimentation and soil erosion) during mass grading for land development.
      - 4.2.1.1.8. Promote and support voluntary watershed-wide best practices to ameliorate water quality impacts (run-off and over enrichment) from compaction and fertilizer use on lawns and turf grass.
      - 4.2.1.1.9. Increase water filtration on agricultural lands through farmer outreach, education, and incentives.
      - 4.2.1.1.10. Minimize road crossing and maintain adequate buffers between roads and stream valleys.
      - 4.2.1.1.11. Work with SHA and DNR to develop a sound road salt management strategy that minimizes salting by developing temperature and precipitation criteria for salting as well as considering alternative deicing agents.
      - 4.2.1.1.12. Develop standards and procedures to protect wellhead protection areas, areas of sensitive geology, surface drinking water sources, and local waterways from biological and nutrient pollution from septic systems.
      - 4.2.1.1.13. Require regular pump out and maintenance of septic systems.
      - 4.2.1.1.14. Develop and implement functional planning for water resource protection, conservation, and flood mitigation.
    - 4.2.1.2. Brook Trout Populations
      
      Protect and re-stabilize brook trout populations in local waterways.
      - 4.2.1.2.1. Protect headwater streams, high quality waters, and catchments (Tier II) through policies, actions, and the zoning and subdivision approval process, including minimizing impervious surface runoff to these waterways. More Information
      - 4.2.1.2.2. Institute conservation design principles and enhanced water quality best management practices for land development in watersheds that have greater than 10% impervious cover and in areas with brook trout populations.
      - 4.2.1.2.3. Generate data about and evaluate the presence, location, and extent of future surface construction near cold water habitat streams, including Use Class III and IV, which support or could support trout populations.
      - 4.2.1.2.4. Promote adherence to the Maryland Stormwater Design Manual recommendations for all streams.
    - 4.2.1.3. Wetlands
      
      Continue to protect wetlands and support their restoration.
      - 4.2.1.3.1. Improve site plan process to identify, confirm, and protect natural resources.
      - 4.2.1.3.2. During the development review and approval process, ensure that the functional viability and stability of wetlands will be maintained.
      - 4.2.1.3.3. Incorporate natural resource protection and restoration in addition to active recreational elements in the development of all county parkland.
      - 4.2.1.3.4. Fully examine and evaluate the presence of natural resources within Community Growth Areas and support measures to minimize their degradation and loss.
      - 4.2.1.3.5. Promote and practice control of invasive and exotic species (flora and fauna) to help maintain the diversity and health of wetlands.
  - 4.2.2. Supply and Treatment Infrastructure
    
    Ensure groundwater and surface water remain safe, reliable, and sustainable sources for public consumption.
    - 4.2.2.1. Water and Sewer Adequacy
      
      Ensure that wastewater and water supply infrastructure is adequate, sound, and efficient to provide for current and future populations.
      - 4.2.2.1.1. Identify and implement protection strategies for lands critical to the quality of public water supplies, including easements, fee-simple acquisition, transfer of development rights, and changes to County Code or operational policy.
      - 4.2.2.1.2. Thoroughly evaluate the location and size of areas designated for growth and development based on the adequacy of and impacts to drinking water supplies and wastewater treatment and conveyance capacities.
      - 4.2.2.1.3. Promote practices to reuse and recycle greywater, rainwater, and stormwater in order to conserve raw water resources and lessen overall water usage.
      - 4.2.2.1.4. Ensure that wastewater treatment and water treatment plants have appropriate technology to remove algal toxins, priority pollutants, microplastics, and endocrine disrupting compounds.
- 4.3. Air
  
  Goals in this category concern the protection of the health of our natural and built environment through the reduction and elimination of air pollution.
  - 4.3.1. Air Quality
    
    Continue to meet or exceed federal pollution standards in order to promote a healthy living environment and satisfy the most basic human health need.
    - 4.3.1.1. Air Quality Monitoring
      
      Expand, in coordination with the appropriate governmental entities, the air quality monitoring network in Frederick County.
      - 4.3.1.1.1. Coordinate with the City of Frederick and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to encourage transition to non-leaded aviation fuel at the Frederick Municipal Airport by 2020.
      - 4.3.1.1.2. Identify and evaluate historical and current air quality and sources of pollution.
      - 4.3.1.1.3. Research the activities and pollution sources that have the largest impact on local air quality.
      - 4.3.1.1.4. Promote and support pollution reduction efforts among all industries and sectors.
      - 4.3.1.1.5. Incentivize the application of advanced technologies and state of the art mitigation measures to control air pollution.
    - 4.3.1.2. Mitigation
      
      Improve mitigation practices for concentrated activities such as construction.
    - 4.3.1.3. Childhood Health
      
      Develop programs to reduce rates of childhood asthma in the county.
      - 4.3.1.3.1. Identify and assess the regional and local sources of pollutants that cause or aggravate asthma or other diseases.
    - 4.3.1.4. Reforestation
      
      Coordinate with reforestation effort to reforest in areas with compromised air quality.
      - 4.3.1.4.1. Identify and map areas in Frederick County with poor air quality.
    - 4.3.1.5. Alternative Power
      
      Support the provision of clean energy systems, such as wind and solar, in the county to replace or supplement conventional power supply.
- 4.4. Climate and Energy
  
  Goals in this category concern affordable and scalable solutions to address resiliency from extreme weather events and changing weather patterns.
  - 4.4.1. Climate Resiliency
    
    Plan and prepare for the impacts to public infrastructure, human health, private property, and the environment from increasing flooding, fires, droughts, crop and tree damage, temperature extremes, and intense storm events.
    - 4.4.1.1. Hazard Planning
      
      Thoroughly examine, evaluate, and implement the resiliency, adaptation, and mitigation actions needed to prepare the county for future climate related impacts.
      - 4.4.1.1.1. Develop a post-disaster and crisis recovery plan that focuses on critical infrastructure.
    - 4.4.1.2. Emission Control
      
      Evaluate all public and private projects for greenhouse gas impacts and mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from these projects.
      - 4.4.1.2.1. Evaluate other opportunities to amend codes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    - 4.4.1.3. Stormwater Impacts
      
      Plan for and anticipate the impact of increased stormwater flows.
      - 4.4.1.3.1. Explore and implement efforts to reduce compaction of lawns in new residential development, and to increase overall stormwater/Green infrastructure capacities to address the implications of increased precipitation (greater than 1"rainfall events).
      - 4.4.1.3.2. Ensure infrastructure is designed to accommodate new storm flows and is resilient to increased severity of weather events.
    - 4.4.1.4. Carbon Sequestration and Soil Health
      
      Capitalize on the mutually reinforcing benefits of soil health and carbon sequestration to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gasses.
      - 4.4.1.4.1. Improve soil health and increase soil carbon sequestration in Frederick County through farmer outreach and incentives.
      - 4.4.1.4.2. Promote and support existing programs that help farmers with regenerative practices (e.g. Grazers Network, Future Harvest CASA, Community FARE).
      - 4.4.1.4.3. Assess the potential for increasing the soil organic matter and carbon sequestration on all Frederick County agricultural lands.
      - 4.4.1.4.4. Assess and monitor percentages on land in Frederick County where regenerative agriculture practices are applied.
      - 4.4.1.4.5. Establish a pilot program in Frederick County's Agricultural Preservation Program to establish, support, and showcase regenerative agriculture operations.
  - 4.4.2. Clean Energy
    
    Lead in the use of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and hydropower.
    - 4.4.2.1. Carbon Footprint Zero
      
      Strive to be greenhouse gas neutral in energy production and consumption.
      - 4.4.2.1.1. Support and promote clean energy initiatives, investment, business, and jobs through tax breaks, rebates, and other programs.
      - 4.4.2.1.2. Promote plans, programs, and initiatives to achieve a reduction in per capita consumption of energy in Frederick County.
    - 4.4.2.2. Energy Independence
      
      Strive for energy independence and security in Frederick County.
      - 4.4.2.2.1. Develop distributed energy generation.
      - 4.4.2.2.2. Develop electrical grid resiliency.
      - 4.4.2.2.3. Become a net exporter of clean energy.
      - 4.4.2.2.4. Support the creation of localized microgrids. More Information
      - 4.4.2.2.5. Institute energy independence in county facilities by installing solar panels and smart building technology in county buildings, exploring the use of smart lighting for roads and parking lots, and employing best practices for green construction in county buildings.
    - 4.4.2.3. Transportation
      
      Transition to a cleaner and more efficient transportation system, with electric vehicle (EV) readiness and accommodation of autonomous vehicles incorporated into public and private projects.
      - 4.4.2.3.1. Promote the use of multi-modal transportation options such as Autonomous Vehicle (AV) transit and ride sharing choices. More Information
      - 4.4.2.3.2. Include Electric Vehicles (EV) readiness for future charging infrastructure in new development. More Information
      - 4.4.2.3.3. Develop a new goal to reduce petroleum consumption by Frederick County vehicles.
      - 4.4.2.3.4. Provide incentives to use Electric Vehicles (EV) and Autonomous Vehicles (AV). More Information
      - 4.4.2.3.5. Work with state government to develop a transportation system parallel to the CSX rail line to provide all day service to and from Germantown, Gaithersburg, Rockville and Washington DC.
      - 4.4.2.3.6. Provide more transit service throughout the county with regular stops at senior centers, apartment complexes, shopping centers, medical services, and employment centers.
      - 4.4.2.3.7. Install solar powered charging stations at county-owned parking garages and parking lots.
      - 4.4.2.3.8. Incentivize development of communities where residents can walk to shops, dental and doctor's offices, and general services.
      - 4.4.2.3.9. Explore the use of county fleet vehicle systems to optimize routing and reduce fuel consumption.
      - 4.4.2.3.10. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions tied to roadway congestion by working with regional employers to shorten or eliminate commute times by developing incentives for telecommuting, staggered work schedules, car and van pools, and shuttles for employees.