SNOW HILL – County staff reviewed plans last week for a Hardee’s restaurant proposed near Samuel Bowen Boulevard.
The Worcester County Technical Review Committee last Wednesday considered plans for a Hardees in the area in front of Home Depot in Berlin. Developers are reviewing project feasibility at this point.
“We haven’t committed to a purchase contract yet,” said Fred Mattes of OTAC Inc, a Hardee’s franchisee with various locations.
Mattes told the committee that the primary issue with potential development of the site was a proposed access point on Kreiling Way (the short road connecting the four-way stop in front of Walmart to Route 50) which was a concern for the Maryland State Highway Administration as it was too close to Route 50. He said he’d talked to officials there though and was working on an alternative access that the agency could approve. Mattes asked the other county departments participating in Wednesday’s meeting if they had any issues with the Hardee’s concept proposed.
“We just want to be sure we’re not going to run into any roadblocks,” he said.
Staff said they hadn’t identified any major concerns with the proposal and that the developer would have to submit a site plan for review by the Worcester County Planning Commission before moving forward.
Other projects discussed at Wednesday’s meeting included a Zoom Car Wash, planned for the vacant lot between the proposed Hardee’s site and Taylor Bank, and a nine-lot subdivision on the north side of Snug Harbor Road.
Attorney Mark Cropper, representing the owners of the Snug Harbor Road property, said the project had initially been proposed as a 12-lot subdivision. Though the committee had approved it as such, the Worcester County Commissioners hadn’t granted the associated EDU (equivalent dwelling unit) request.
“Since that time we’ve reduced the number of lots to nine lots,” Cropper said.
He said following the committee’s review he’d approach the county commissioners to request sewer capacity.
