The St. Mary’s County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously rejected a request for a road easement over the railroad right-of-way for a new shopping center on Route 235 in California. The proposed St. Mary’s Marketplace developers had requested the right-of-way for a right in/right out entrance near the intersection with Route 4.
The development is proposed to have two other entrances: along Route 4 (St. Andrews Church Road) and on an extension of FDR Boulevard that the developer would construct. Before the vote, Director of Land Use and Growth Management Derick Berlage said the developer had presented a letter from a proposed shopping center tenant saying the Route 235 entrance was necessary for their involvement.
The county purchased the abandoned railroad right-of-way in the 1970’s and plans have been on the books for quite some time for a hiker-biker trail along the right-of-way extending from Charlotte Hall to Lexington Park, paralleling Route 235. A portion of that trail has been constructed in Charlotte Hall and another section can be seen in front of the shopping center that contains the Best But and Petco.
Over the years a number of road crossings have been approved over the right-of-way, the most recent in 2005 for the Sturbridge Apartments just north of the proposed shopping center.
The commissioners expressed several concerns about the proposal. Commissioner Dan Morris said he was troubled by the fact that one of the main tenants in the new shopping center would be a relocated Food Lion from the Laurel Glen Shopping Center. Morris said that would create a vacant commercial space, which he said would be “an eyesore.” Morris also said the main reason for the construction of FDR Boulevard was to reduce traffic on Route 235
Commissioner Larry Jarboe said preservation of the right-of-way for a possible transportation corridor for the future was important. Use of the right-of-way for a light rail line has been talked about in the past.
Berlage said that the commissioners have scrutinized each right-of-way request to assess potential impact on users of the hiker-biker trails. He said each crossing has a potential impact on safety.
The commissioners did approve, however, a right-of-way for underground water and sewer lines and electric service, since neither use would have an impact on a future hiker-biker trail at that location.
