A proposed 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station at the intersection of Route 5 and Moakley Street will be presented to the Leonardtown Town Council Monday, with town officials already raising concerns about traffic safety at the intersection.

The approximately 2.5-acre property, which had been listed for sale, is now under contract, according to the town. The concept plan will be presented to the Town Council at its September 14 meeting, for feedback. No vote or formal approval is scheduled.

The plans identify 7-Eleven as the proposed convenience store and call for a 4,800-square-foot building, 16 gas pumps and 41 parking spaces. Two access points are proposed: one on northbound Route 5 just after the entrance to First Saints Community Church and another on Moakley Street.

Town Administrator Laschelle McKay wrote in her report to the council that she and Mayor Dan Burris have met “a couple of times” with Winmar Advisory, the developer behind the project. McKay said they expressed concerns about traffic safety and the number of crashes at the Route 5 and Moakley Street intersection.

The intersection does not currently have a traffic signal. According to McKay, the State Highway Administration “has always stated there is not a safe way to put a traffic light” at the intersection.

McKay also wrote that additional traffic generated by the proposed 7-Eleven could lead drivers to cut through nearby neighborhoods, including Clarks Rest and Singletree, to avoid the Route 5 and Moakley Street intersection.

The proposed store would also be located near the planned Tudor Hall Farms development, which could significantly change traffic patterns along the Route 5 corridor.

Concept plans for Tudor Hall Farms, a proposed development of up to 700 homes and 50,000 square feet of commercial space, are on file with the town’s planning department.

The Tudor Hall Farms plans include a traffic signal at the entrance to Clarks Rest and a new road extending southwest to connect with Fenwick Street. Commercial development at the proposed new intersection could include a gas station on the corner of southbound Route 5, just before Abell Street.

According to McKay’s report, the proposed traffic signal at Clarks Rest received “preliminary approval” from the State Highway Administration this year.

Traffic estimates for the Tudor Hall Farms gas station indicate that a facility with 16 fuel pumps could generate more than 5,000 vehicle trips per day. The proposed 7-Eleven and the potential Tudor Hall Farms gas station would be separate projects, but their proximity raises questions about how additional commercial and residential development could affect traffic along this portion of Route 5.

The Town Council will meet at 4pm on Monday, September 14th at Town Hall on Washington Street. This is not a public hearing on the 7-11 proposal. However, the Town Council accepts public feedback anytime via email at leonardtown.commissioners@leonardtownmd.gov.

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