Proposed two-story office building in the Dunkirk Town Center would be in proximity from residences.
Dunkirk, MD – A plan to build a two-story office building across the road from a rustic residential area of Dunkirk was conditionally granted a special exception with Thursday, Oct. 4 by the Calvert County Board of Appeals. While the proposed office building is located within the Dunkirk Town Center, the structure would be situated less than 150 feet from a nearby house. The proposed building is located on West Ward Road and is part of Dunkirk Commercial Park. Patriot Construction submitted the special exception application on behalf of the property owner, Chiaramonte Management LLC.
Dan Kelsh of Collinson, Oliff and Associates (COA) Inc. told the board that Patriot Construction would occupy 3/4ths of the 14,800-square foot building. “We’ve done everything we could to reduce the impact on the residential area,” said Kelsh. In a memo to the board, Robert White of COA noted that “if the proposed development was to be a retail commercial building less than 75,000 square feet, the use would be permitted without special exception.”
Board of Appeals Vice Chair Susie Hance Wells remarked that the layout of the project “is what sways me.” In addition to the office building, the site will include just under 50 parking spaces, a small outdoor pavilion and landscaping. The exterior lighting will be “dark skies friendly,” according to COA. When asked by board attorney Carlton Green about the building’s potential noise impact, Kelsh indicated that the two-story structure might buffer some of the noise coming from Route 4.
Two residents living near the proposed project told the board they had some concerns, mostly traffic, impact on the area’s rural aesthetics and impacts on wildlife.
The proposed office building project must still be reviewed and approved by the Calvert County Planning Commission before it may go forward.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
