California, MD — A proposal for a new car dealership in California was delayed Monday when the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission postponed a public hearing before it ever started. The planners didn’t relate any problems about the proposed use of the 6.89 acre property on Route 235, but had a number of unanswered questions about rights-of-way and access that they wanted answered before proceeding.
St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) and Southern Maryland Electric Coop (SMECO) have easements over portions of the three parcels that will be assembled to make up the total track. The Metropolitan Commission plans a water tower on an adjacent piece of property. There also is a right of way over a section that had been planned for residential development and is now where one of the two buildings for the dealership is planned to go.
The county also would have to approve an access over the railroad right-of-way in front of the property that is intended for the Three Notch Trail.
Wannamaker Auto Dealership is the contract purchaser for the property. They own Bayside Chevrolet and Toyota in Prince Frederick. The dealership planned for the site has not yet been announced. Wannamaker also owns Kia of Waldorf and Bayside Nissan in Annapolis. Neither of the latter two foreign car manufacturers has dealerships currently in St. Mary’s County.
After persistent questioning by commission members of the developer’s representative and Met Com Executive Director Dan Ichniowski, Planning Commission Chairman Howard Thompson concluded the answers would not be forthcoming without more research, so he asked his board to vote for a delay, which they did.
The property sits between Hickory Hills Shopping Center and the Plaza Tolteca Mexican restaurant. The property is currently posted for the public hearing.
The hearing on the concept plan for the sales and service buildings totaling 22,960 square feet was continued to the commission’s Oct. 27 meeting.