SNOW HILL — Last week’s Worcester County Planning Commission meeting saw a pair of text amendments, one on extended stay hotels and motels and the other on solar energy regulations, rejected as written but with the caveat that the commission could look favorably on both if tweaked.
The commissioners also approved a sketch plan for a new, 4,000-square-foot Calvin B. Taylor bank to be located on Samuel Bowen Boulevard near the existing Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
The first case heard by the commission was presented by attorney Hugh Cropper, representing developer Jack Burbage, who wishes to build some extended stay housing in the county but is having a conflict with current zoning.
“There is a very strong need for temporary housing, particularly in the West Ocean City, Ocean City area,” Cropper said.
The idea would be to develop extended stay units as an apartment complex in West Ocean City on a roughly six-acre property between Old Bridge Road and Sunset Avenue. The issue is that current zoning doesn’t allow the right kind of density to make a profit off such a complex, according to Cropper. His text amendment would allow a greater concentration of units than is currently possible.
“What we’ve proposed is a unit every 1,000 square feet. We feel like these are going to be very small units,” he said. “That’s smart growth, that’s infield development, that’s cluster, that’s what we want to see.”
There were some common concerns amongst the commissioners for any such text amendment. None argued with Cropper’s statement that temporary housing is needed in West Ocean City but the manner he was proposing to remedy the situation caused some headaches.
The size of the units was targeted, with the commissioners wanting to see a 800-square-foot maximum and 500-square-foot minimum for the structures. Exactly how long an “extended stay” would be was also a sticking point. While a limit of six months was suggested, Commissioner Wayne Hartman pointed out that the county wouldn’t be able to make that schedule mandatory for evasive tenants.
“The thing that concerns me most is the time frame. I think that’s unenforceable and really it doesn’t matter if you say 30 days or 3 years,” he told Cropper.
The commission rejected the amendment as written but, on Cropper’s request, did note that they were more comfortable with the units being limited to 800 square feet and the six-month stipulation at least being included. Cropper has indicated that he will now take the text amendment to the County Commission, who will have the final vote on whether or not to introduce it.
Similar concerns were expressed to Bill Badger, director of Economic Development for Worcester, when he presented an amendment intended to relax some of the county’s solar energy regulations with the intent of bringing in more interest.
“Through that process, in particular on the solar side, it has been identified by some companies that have looked at Worcester County, that have had experience in other jurisdictions in Maryland, that our regulations are a little bit more stringent and time-consuming than some other jurisdictions in Maryland,” Badger said.
Badger proposed a number of definition changes that would address the perceived inconsistency including dropping the definition of a large project from 25 to 20 acres in agricultural zoned areas with only a 50-foot setback required and changing large projects from 50 to 30 acres for commercially zoned areas with 100-foot setbacks. As with the prior text amendment, there were common concerns among the commission.
While Badger identified solar as a “sector that is growing right now,” Commissioner Brooks Clayville wasn’t as convinced with the immediate stability of the field due to the fragility of government energy credits in the next couple of years.
“If the credit market goes away, the solar panels are going to be a negative for now,” said Clayville. “Solar is going to have its day, it’s going to become more efficient and more powerful. It’s coming but I don’t think it’s there yet.”
In addition, Clayville felt the setbacks for solar installations should be at least 200 feet from the next property line no matter the zoning. The rest of the commission agreed, stipulating that if an installation is built within 500 feet of residential property it has to be screened by six feet of vegetation.
The commission rejected the amendment as written but included their suggestions for review when the County Commissioners consider the solar regulation amendment.
The final matter was a quick sketch plan approval for a new, 4,000-square-foot Calvin B. Taylor Bank along Route 50.
“It’s right in front of Home Depot … We’re between the new entrance closest to [Route] 589 and the entrance immediately in front of Home Depot.” said attorney Joe Moore, representing the bank.
The commission unanimously approved the sketch plan and supported bank coming to an area marked for rapid development.
“I think it’s a nice looking building. It will be a nice presentation. It fits very well with the appearance,” said Hartman.