Proposed Wawa In Solomons Hits Traffic Roadblock Before Calvert Board

SOLOMONS, Md. — A proposed Wawa gas station and convenience store in Solomons hit a traffic-related roadblock after the Calvert County Board of Appeals tabled the proposal until the applicant provides a traffic study.

The Board of Appeals heard the proposal on July 2, 2026. Anthony Olexen of COA Barrett LLC, on behalf of property owner Handin Solomons LLC, applied for a special exception to operate an automobile filling station and for a variance to reduce the front setback on Maryland Route 2/4 from 100 feet to 60 feet for a gas station canopy. The properties are located at 13862 and 13856 H.G. Trueman Road in Solomons.

During the hearing, the applicant’s attorney said the property is being developed for a Wawa automobile filling station and convenience store. The project remains early in the county review process and is still in the concept review stage, with detailed site plan review still required.

Traffic quickly became the central issue. A written comment read into the record raised concerns that a typical Wawa could generate between 2,000 and 2,500 vehicles per day, potentially affecting H.G. Trueman Road and nearby intersections with Route 4. The comment also raised concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety between Solomons proper and the Dowell Peninsula.

Board members questioned whether they could approve the special exception without having a traffic study in hand, since one approval criterion requires a finding that the use will not create congestion on roads or streets. Discussion focused on whether the issue could be handled later during site plan review or whether the Board of Appeals needed more information before acting.

The applicant’s engineer said a full traffic study would be part of the detailed site plan process and would include scoping, traffic counts, traffic modeling and review by the county Department of Public Works, the State Highway Administration and a third-party reviewer.

The proposal also drew opposition from neighboring business interests. Attorney Steve Oberg, representing LPJ LLC, argued the applicant had not presented enough evidence on traffic and said H.G. Trueman Road is a two-lane road where the project could create backups and congestion.

“This has an opportunity to be a giant mess,” Oberg told the board, arguing there was not enough evidence for members to find the project would not create congestion.

“There’s been no credible evidence before this board on the issue of traffic,” Oberg argued, adding that the project could affect drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians traveling through the area.

Johnny Gott, owner of the Fast Stop store in Solomons, also spoke during the hearing. Gott said his concern was not simply competition, but the volume and character of a Wawa in Solomons.

“If the Wawa comes to town, my store is gone. 7-Eleven’s gone,” Gott told the board.

Gott argued a Wawa would pull traffic off Route 4 onto H.G. Trueman Road and the service road, adding vehicles that currently pass through Solomons without turning into the area.

“They’re going to pull somewhere between two and 3,000 cars a day off of Route 4,” Gott told the board.

Gott also said the project would affect the character of Solomons.

“I just don’t see that being in harmony with what Solomons has developed into and what it currently exists as today,” Gott told the board.

The applicant argued the site has several constraints, including an angled rear property line, an existing building and a combined state right of way for Route 2/4 and H.G. Trueman Road. The engineer said the canopy would be about 142 feet from the edge of pavement on Route 4, even though the formal setback issue is measured from the state right of way.

After reopening the record, the Board of Appeals voted to table the case until the applicant can present a traffic study. The special exception and variance requests were not approved or denied.

The proposal is expected to return to the Board of Appeals after the applicant provides the requested traffic information.

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