SNOW HILL – Plans for the redevelopment of a former golf course on Beauchamp Road continue to move forward.
On Tuesday, the Worcester County Commissioners approved the establishment of a Residential Planned Community (RPC) floating zone for Evergreen Village, a development planned for the former Pine Shore Golf on Beauchamp Road.
“I think it’s a great use for this property,” attorney Hugh Cropper said.
Cropper told the commissioners his clients planned to turn the 95-acre former golf course into a residential community of 90 lots. Though it requires RPC approval because it will involve more than 20 homes, Cropper said the project was relatively simple in that it was just a residential community with no commercial element.
The development will have just one entrance on Beauchamp Road but Cropper said it was not expected to have a significant impact on traffic.
Bob Hand, a land planner, said the property was primarily in what the county designated as “existing developed area” in its comprehensive plan and so development would be consistent with the document. He said the land was across the street from Ocean Pines and adjacent to the River Run community.
“It would be consistent with the neighborhood,” he said.
Commissioner Chip Bertino questioned the project’s stormwater impact on Ocean Pines.
“A concern that exists in Ocean Pines is drainage,” he said.
Bob Mitchell, the county’s director of environmental programs, said Evergreen Village’s stormwater would be treated on the property but said officials had advised the developer that Ocean Pines was interested in joining forces on potential drainage improvements in the area.
Sheila Zimmer, representing the nearby St. John Neumann Catholic Church, said when church officials had been presented plans for the property they’d been shown a buffer of trees on the portion of the property nearest the church.
“I just want to make sure it’s still part of the deal,” she said. “It’s important to us.”
Chris McCabe, the environmental consultant on the project, assured her a buffer of quick-growing trees would be planted.
The commissioners approved establishment of the RPC unanimously. Developers will continue with the RPC approval process, which now requires submission of a detailed site plan for the project to the county’s technical review committee and planning commission. Construction is projected to start in the spring of 2020.
