St. Mary's Co. Attorney Briefs Planning Comm. on Hollywood Project Decision

HOLLYWOOD, Md.—After the county Board of Zoning Appeals effectively reversed the decision of the Planning Commission denying the construction of a major commercial project in the northern section of the Hollywood Town Center at a critical intersection, the county's attorney said Monday that the reversal could be appealed to the Circuit Court.

But, George Sparling said, that appeal might not have a good chance of success.

"Very rarely in a Circuit Court are they going to overturn such a decision based on the evidence," Sparling told members of the Planning Commission at their Aug. 8 meeting.

After several meetings the planning commission denied the project, mostly over traffic concerns, but the appeals board reversed that with some conditions.

The latest approval means that the developers of the Hollywood Commercial Center, Dean Partnership LLC and Hollywood Partners, will be able to build out their project on 50,200 square feet of a 14-acre site on the east side of Route 235 just north of the intersection with Sotterley Road.

The proposed development would sit at one of the corners of that very intersection and would eventually include a CVS Pharmacy, a commercial site that could be large gas station and another retail element, according to planners.

But the project's approval comes with conditions.

There will have to be a larger buffer along Old Three Notch where trees will have to be preserved.

Tractor trailer traffic along Old Three Notch Road, which runs behind where the development would be, was also restricted.

The appeals board also wanted sidewalks on Route 235 and Sotterley Road.

Planning Commission Chair Howard Thompson, who sat in on the hearings with the Board of Zoning Appeals regarding the project, praised the appeals board for its diligence as well as the members of his own board, though they both came to different decisions.

"I didn't feel that the same information was given out in the same direction as to what the Board of Appeals got," Thompson said.