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7/31/2019 Special eBlast 7 20 2012 Walmart
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For starters, a required traffic study not yet completed. Harford County required that 20 different
intersections, clustered mainly along Rt. 24 and Rt. 924, and stretching from Singer Road up to Route 1 and
Route 24, be studied.
Site access was another issue. The State Highway Administration would not allow access from Route 24. A
traffic light is planned on Route 924 at Bright Oaks, which will be the only entrance on Route 924 and will
be the main entrance to the store. Other entrances are planned on Blue Spruce at both Bel Air South Parkwayand Plumtree Road. Trucks making deliveries are expected to come north on Rt. 24, turn right on Plumtree,
then right on Blue Spruce to the back of the store.
Wal-Mart hopes to have a preliminary plan, with a completed traffic study, finalized and submitted to the
Harford County Development Advisory Committee prior to Labor Day. While declining to estimate when
the new store might open, representatives said that following the necessary approvals, the closing of the
property purchase and putting the work out to bid, the construction window would be 9 – 12 months.
The concerns expressed by the community consisted of the increased traffic, impact on local businesses, a
“race to the bottom for wages,” crime, and a desire to keep the store in Abingdon and expand at that site.Also, noise, lighting from the store affecting nearby homes, and having a store so close to residential areas
were mentioned as areas of concern.
Nina Albert, director of community affairs for Wal-Mart, countered that national studies have shown apositive economic impact from Wal-Mart stores and she said that there was local support for the Bel Air
expansion.
In response, Wal-Mart representatives also said that noise would be considered, lights would be directed
downward and cut off at the property line, so as not to extend out into the community, and security would be
looked at during planning.
While some opponents handed out materials to attendees another called for an all-out boycott of the exsting
Abingdon store. Several attendees held signs reading “No 9/24 Walmart,” a petition was circulated opposingthe store and some called for fundraising to conduct an independent traffic study.
Present at the meeting were representatives from Wal-Mart, a traffic engineer, an architect, and Thomas
Kleine, an attorney with Troutman Sanders LLP of Virginia Beach. Also in attendance were Harford County
Council members Dion Guthrie, Joe Woods, Jim McMahan, and Mary Ann Lisanti. A representative forcouncil president Billy Boniface was also present.
One speaker thanked McMahan for his effort to institute community input meetings, which allow the public
to see and offer comment on plans before they are formally presented to county. While the council has no
role in approving the proposed Wal-Mart, beyond having approved the zoning on the property, Lisanti said
that council members can advocate for the public’s position, which she intended to do.
At one point in the meeting, a community member asked those in the audience who opposed the Bel Air
Wal-Mart plan to stand and face the county council. Very few remained seated.
“These are your voters,” she said.
Next Steps From the Community Input Meeting (CIM) to approvalof a proposed development is a multi-step process that
can be accomplished within six months, but may take
longer, according to Pete Gutwald, Director of Planning
& Zoning. Below is an overview of the next steps in the
process:
DAC Meetings – Open to the Public
Following the Community Input Meeting (CIM), the
developer has 45 days to submit a summary of
comments from the meeting to the Department of
Planning and Zoning and up to one year to submit
preliminary/site plans to the DAC.
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What’s a DAC?The Development Advisory Committee (DAC) is advisory to the Director of Planning and Zoning and is
comprised of representatives from county agencies, including but not limited to:
[1] Department of Planning and Zoning.
[2] Department of Public Works.
[3] Health Department.
[4] Department of Parks and Recreation.[5] Soil Conservation District.
[6] Sheriff’s Department. [7] Harford County Public Schools.
[8] Emergency Operations.
DAC makes a technical analysis of what regulations apply to a proposed development, and what the
developer must do to comply with those regulations. The Plumtree property is zoned B3 General Business
District, which does allow for a business such as Wal-Mart, as well as other uses, including residential
apartments and townhouses, hotels, and warehousing.
Plans submitted to DAC may be the same as those presented at the CIM, or revised to reflect community
input or other changes made by the developer. As plans evolve, there may be more than one DAC meeting
for a proposed development.
Notice of a DAC meeting must be made public two weeks in advance, and include signage posted on the
affected property. DAC meetings are held on designated Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. in the 2nd Floor
Conference Room of the county administration building located at 220 South Main Street in Bel Air. DAC
meetings are open to the public and public comment is allowed, as provided for as follows:
“Any citizen attending the Development Advisory Committee meeting may make any comment regarding a
development plan and each comment shall be addressed by a County agency. If a representative of a County
agency is unable to address the comment at the meeting, the citizen’s name and address shall be obtained,
and a representative of the appropriate County agency shall address the citizen’s comment by writtenresponse to the Director of Planning within 2 weeks of the meeting. The Director of Planning shall be
responsible for ensuring that all responses are forwarded to the appropriate citizens. The Director of Planning shall be responsible for ensuring that the responses are forwarded to the appropriate citizens within
30 calendar days after the meeting. (source: Subdivision Regulations for Ha rford County, Maryland )”
Traffic Study When a developer submits a preliminary/site plan to DAC, the developer must also submit a traffic study;
the submission must be made to the county 30 days before the DAC meeting. Traffic studies are available
for public viewing.
When determining traffic levels generated by proposed development, current traffic is counted at affected
intersections along with traffic expected from approved projects that are in development (i.e. the firehouse at
Patterson Mill Rd) plus additional traffic expected from the proposed development.
The time of day that current traffic counts were taken by the developer will be noted in the study.
Representatives at the Wal-Mart Community Input Meeting Thursday said that the county required weekday
and Saturday traffic counts to be taken. Projected trip generation from a proposed development is based on
its use and size, in accordance with the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual.
Traffic MitigationAt any of the intersections studied, if all of the above traffic will reduce service to unacceptable levels, based
on established Level of Service standards, P&Z can require mitigation by the developer in accordance with
established state and local standards. Mitigation could include signal modifications and/or additional turn
lanes along a roadway such as Rt. 924.
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Appeals: DAC makes recommendations to P&Z, which makes the final decision to approve preliminary/site plans.
Preliminary/site plan approval is good for two years and represents the go-ahead from the county for the
developer to execute plans as approved.
Appeals of Planning and Zoning decisions may be made in Circuit Court by the developer or by interested
persons whose property is affected, as outlined in the following section from Harford County’s SubdivisionRegulations:
§ 268-28. Appeals.A. Any interested person whose property is effected by any decision of the Director of Planning, may within
30 calendar days after the filing of such decision, appeal to the Circuit Court for Harford County. Upon the
hearing of such appeal, the decision of the Director of Planning shall be presumed by the Court to be proper
and to best serve the public interest. The burden of proof shall be upon the appellant, or appellants, to show
that the decision complained of was illegal. The said Court shall have the power to affirm, modify or reverse
in part or in whole any decision appealed from and may remand any case for the entering of a proper order
or for further proceedings, as the Court shall determine.
B. An appeal may be taken to the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland from any decision of the Circuit
Court for Harford County
Concept Plan Map
(Reprinted, with permission from The Dagger, www.daggerpress.com, some changes were made)
Members:Cynthia Hergenhahn, ChairpersonC. David Copenhaver • Carlin Cook •
Earl Grey • Gregory A. Beaty
Recording Secretary: Donna Copenhaver