Barstow, MD – A vacant commercial building on Route 231 in Barstow could soon be getting a new lease on life.
During its Wednesday, June 17 meeting the Calvert County Planning Commission approved the site plan review for the property, which is located at the Route 231 intersection with Thunder Hill Drive.
The building has been primarily been used as a convenience store and has had several names, the last being Don’s General Store.
According to Department of Community Planning and Building Principal Planner William R. Pittman, the 1.05-acre parcel is zoned Rural Commercial. The vacant commercial building is 2,657 square feet and the tract also includes a residence.
“The applicant is proposing to redevelop the site by renovating the commercial building and reopen it as a liquor store and commercial leasable tenant space,” Pittman stated in a memo to the planning commission. “No additional square footage or a drive-up window are being proposed.”
During his presentation, Pittman noted the site would have 17 parking spaces, three more than required under the county’s zoning ordinance. He added that the previous site use predated the Calvert County Zoning Ordinance. The store site does not comply with the zoning ordinance’s required 100-foot setback or the required 35-foot setback from Route 231 (Hallowing Point Road). Department staff asked the planning commission to determine whether or not the nonconforming site has been brought into conformance to the maximum extend feasible.
Noting there is a possibility that Route 231 could, in the future, be widened, planning commission vice chair Mike Phipps asked, “what happens [to the site plan]?”
Pittman replied that some of the planned parking might be lost in a road-widening project.
No public comment was offered.
After a motion was made to approve the application for site plan review, a majority of the planning commission voted to move the project forward. The lone vote in opposition to the plan was registered by planning commission member Roxanne Riddle Cumberland, who indicated later she was concerned about the lack of a setback from the road.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com