Approved: Goddard Self Storage
After a two and a half hour review of its concept site plan the Planning Commission unanimously approved Goddard Self Storage. Five acres at the corner of Medley’s Neck Road and Route 5, in Leonardtown, will be home to a seven building storage facility totaling more than 111,000 square feet.
The land has been vacant for years, except for an early 1900s historic home on the corner. Commission Chair Howard Thompson, said he rented an apartment in that house in the late 1970s, calling it a “great place.” Randy Whitsell, owner of the storage project, said he planned to keep the house for use as office space. The interior will need major renovations, adding to the project’s expense, but Whitsell wanted to preserve the history. This is a family run business, and Whitsell testified that he or a family member would be there everyday. Significant investments have been made to determine the need through a market study, he said.
Generally, commission members agreed the storage use had a much lighter impact than the previously proposed 7-Eleven, denied a few years back. Traffic data showed the Route 5/Medleys Neck intersection remaining at a B level-of-service, with only 27 daily trips added during peak hours. Jackie Plot, the traffic consultant, said recent data suggests a 4% increase in traffic because of return to work orders for federal employees. But traffic would need a 53% increase for the intersection to reach a failing grade.
Public comment at the meeting was tense at times, with nearby homeowners concerned about traffic, lighting, and stormwater management. One resident of Hanover at Breton Bay called the project “irresponsible, dangerous, and unwanted.” Many told the commission about difficulty exiting their neighborhood because of traffic. “I actually have to beg him to turn right,” said one woman about telling her son to go south and use the intersection rather than turning left out of the neighborhood to go north. Several speakers mentioned accidents and the higher number of young, inexperienced drivers in the area because of the high school.
Several people involved with the neighborhood’s homeowners association asked if the self-storage owners would help cover maintenance costs for their stormwater management pond. Whitsell’s attorney, Steve Scott, suggested there would be talks with the HOA and a potential offer to assist. The project’s engineer confirmed stormwater currently drains from the Goddard property to the pond. When the site is developed, the stormwater management plan is designed to hold and slowly release any excess runoff created from impervious surfaces. That is required by the county’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.
State Highway Administration’s right-of-way outlined in red.
Thomas Quade, owner of Big Ed’s Auto Pros, had not been contacted by the project’s ownership and was unaware of plans to use a portion of the entrance to his shop. County staff confirmed during the meeting that the 36ft entrance was actually owned by the State Highway Administration, and could be used as a commercial entrance for the storage facility. When asked, Whitsell said he intended to reach out to Quade but “we dropped the ball.” He pledged to fix that. It was suggested Whitsell install a sign to prevent his customers from using Big Ed’s other entrance.
Commission members made a point to address concerns, but found the project had satisfied all requirements of the county’s CZO. The approval came with four conditions which were agreed to by Whitsell during discussion:
Road improvements required by the State must be completed before receiving a Certificate of Occupancy;
Motion detection lighting will be placed on the back of the buildings that face the neighborhood;
The applicant will cooperate with the HOA and local or State agencies to facilitate required stormwater management inspections;
The applicant will install a deceleration lane on Route 5 if approved by the State Highway Administration.
Any required final approvals will be granted by the Land Use Director prior to permits being issued.
