Board of Zoning Appeals - Regular Meeting

to call to order the Havstead Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is Wednesday, November 19th, 2025. Uh, may we have a roll call, please? Sharon Callahan here. Luke Coner here. Deborah Painter here. Charlie Overber and Barb Jagger are both absent.

All persons are reminded that this session is being recorded. on tape is required by law for the preservation of records and are asked when providing comment to give their name and address. All persons in attendance are requested to print their name and address and affiliation on the sign-in sheet at the front door. Uh first on the agenda is the minutes approval of the September 24th, 2025 regular commission meeting. May I have a motion, please? Make a motion to approve and a second. I second it. And all those in favor? I. So approved. Zoning administrator update. Jim.

Uh just a couple things real quick. Um on the water system project, uh the new raw water main uh construction continues to move along. Tasks one and two are complete. Mid-Atlantic Utilities is now starting on task three. That includes Dakota Road, Panther Drive, and Shiloh Road. Shiloh Road will head out and go just past um Hamstead Elementary to where the new water treatment plant's going to be built. Um last week the council approved two new contracts to construct the four new water treatment plants. These are the last of the six contracts that need to be approved for the project. They were pipeline inspection, pipeline construction. There's two water treatment plant construction contracts, a water treatment plant inspection contract and the granulated activated carbon uh equipment procurement. The next step we have to do is we have to submit a bid package on the water treatment plant construction contracts to MDE for their review and approval. Barring any issues, we should receive MDE approval by the end of the year and begin moving dirt on the treatment plant sometime in February or March. We uh began the divi the design phase of this project in January of 2024. So took two years to get to this point, but honestly to get all the pieces and pieces in place and people together um seem to go rather quickly and fairly smoothly, it was a huge effort by town staff and public works staff who put many hours in this project. So um it was well worth it. Now we're we're ready to actually really dig into actually construction. So, and the only other thing I just want to make sure everybody's aware of and I'm sure that they are um this Friday it's the annual tree lighting uh

festivities and uh starts at 6:00 war memorial park. They'll have some uh youth groups uh singing Christmas carols. You have Cub Scout Pack 791, Hamstead Elementary Band and Chorus, Spring Garden Elementary Band, and the Spring Garden Elementary Chorus. At 7:00, Mar and Santa would arrive by fire truck to turn on the lights. Something new this year, the Hamstead Merchants Association. They'll be sponsoring a few holiday themed floats to come down Main Street to accompany Santa's arrival. And uh once the everything's lit up, Santa will or children will be able to visit with Santa and have their picture taken. And at the same time, next door in St. John's Church, the Hamstead Farmers Market Christmas Market will be going on. So, uh the weather looks uh a little iffy. Hopefully, it holds out. We get a big crowd and everybody has a good time. And that's it.

That's really exciting, Jim. That's the best thing I've heard in a long time. Hey Jim, do you mind just about the water treatment project? So you reported September, I think that we're fully funded. Has that all come through or what's the status on all that?

So right now um we are we have basically available to us $18.9 million in a grant um that we do not have to pay back. So we are drawing off that now to pay for the pipeline construction. We will use that till it's very low before as it then we have a $5 million. It's a loan, but technically it's a grant. As long as we do everything correctly, it does not have to be paid back. We will then tap into that for any resources we need after the $18.9 million. Um, and that should fully cover everything in the project with the exception of the engineering, which we knew we were going to pay out of pocket at the very beginning so we could get this thing started and rolling. It's 24 million if I'm doing my math. I thought it was a $33 million.

It was that's was that was the engineers estimated cost. The engineers estimated cost was slightly high. So we're coming in at 24 million which matches the grant money that we've got. Correct. That's wonderful. Wow. Yeah. That's great to borrow. Ideally, we're actually under um we're right around 20.5 million in cost right now. I know that we're going to have a few extras. Um, but we should easily have all the construction covered. Yeah, that's pretty amazing because on the other hand, it could have been a huge financial hit for the town.

Wonderful news. And then just just as as far as the timing goes, estimated year time of conclusion, January of 28. And the only reason for that is at the end when we start up these new water treatment plants, we can only do one at a time. We could like shut them all down at the same time because we wouldn't have be producing enough water. So, we'll have to do this plant, take that offline, bring the new one in. Once that's up and running, then we can move to the next one. But that process to get them all up and running is a six-month prog process. So,

okay, Jim, thank you. Uh 1306 North Main Street is being postponed at this time. Uh, next on the agenda, discussion and review of zoning administrators, adequate facilities study, tractor supply company, Hannover Pike, um, map0500, parcel 3193.

Yep. So, uh, whenever we have a site plan in in the works, uh, we have to do an adequate facility study. We have to do it twice during the process. Once when the plan is in concept in the concept phase and once when it's in the final phase. So now that [cough] caster supply has moved into the final phase, uh we did it again. We looked at at everything again and um you have a copy of of the report there, but I'll just read it into the record. So this document is presented to you in accordance with section 120-7 uh articles A and B of the Hamstead town code. a zoner's administrator cut in the zoner's administrator study. The pros used of this property as a retail store permitted use in the general business district. The final site plan complies with all applicable provisions of the code of the town of Hamstead and all other applicable state and county codes and provisions. Things that this commission should consider. Please refer to the review comments made by state, county, and town agencies. Uh and also to let you know that local schools will not be impacted by this project. This proposed use will not create any inadequacy in police protection, recreational services, sewer service or roads. The proposed use will not create an inadequacy in fire protection, emergency services. The amount of town water used, which is based on an estimated 225 gallons per day, will not create an inadequacy in water or sewer services. This project will conform to the town of Hamstead in Environ comprehensive plan and the Carol County water and sewer master plan. water is currently in the existing service category and sewer is in the future service category and will move to the final planning or priority with the fall amendment to the Carol

County water and sewer master plan that's actually being reviewed by MDE right now. The town is requiring the applicant to connect to public sewer and the details of connection to public sewer being discussed between the applicant, the town and the county. Um we just about that got that ironed out where they will be connecting across the street in the field back by um beyond the welcome sign there. Uh to the best of our knowledge the proposed use does not violate the provisions of any enforceable deed restrictions of or covenants attached to this property. This information is submitted to the commission for your consideration during deliberations for approval of the concept site plan. That should be full final site plan and this information is accurate to the best of my knowledge and that's it. So it really isn't throwing up any red flags.

Okay. So basically according to the final site plan the um facility study is good to go. Yep. Yep. According to the final site plan.

And what's next? they uh resubmitted or they submitted to the county. I noticed when they submitted to the county, they made some changes in the plan things when it was presented to you all, they did not have the correct renderings in there and they did not have the correct signage in there. So, I've requested that they send brand new copies of 11 by7 hard copies for this commission. And as it goes through the process with the county, we start getting comment letters and we get approvals. Once we get close, I we can bring them back in here. Normally, I like to wait till the very end once everything's approved and bring them in and then this commission can approve them and that same night we'll do the public hearing.

Okay. Any other comments, questions? Yeah, I think Jim at one of these meetings I mean tractor supply had been here before and had left or maybe I'm thinking of a different group that had come here. with Tractor Supply. Any indications that they're having cold feet? No indications. So, they they were down um they were in final site plan review before, right?

And um they just sort of pulled the plan and disappeared. So, I had no indications it was going to happen then. So, let's just hope it doesn't happen now. I The thing that's different here is this going to be basically a store. the store is purchasing the land here. Um, it's going to be a company store. So, it's it's being run a little bit differently. Um, they're being held to a higher standard, these developers, because it is a company store. So, well, as opposed to it was a franchise store before,

they would just lease the properties. So, they've got a much larger investment in this one. So, no, I I think we're good. So once this process goes moves along, when do they anticipate actually breaking ground into?

So once once um they receive final state site plan approval from the town and the county, then there's a legal process that they have to go through with the mylars being signed and public works agreements with the town and and the county. Um that could take a month or so. So, I anticipate sometime late spring, early summer, then being able to get in and actually start moving some dirt and construction, starting with a grading plan, of course. Yeah. Nice addition. Mhm.

Very good. Okay. Any other further questions you guys? Okay, then um let's move on to the Carol County Department of Planning update. So since Andrew Gray uh has left the county and gone to the city of Tonytown, Claire Stewart is our interim liaison and she's there if we need her help, but because they're a little short-handed, it's difficult for her to get to our meetings. So what she did this week is is she actually presented us with a Carol County Department of Planning update, which is in your packets. So um I looked it over. There's nothing really earths chattering on there. If you do have any questions about anything, just give me a call.

Why does yours have a back to it? Mine has stuff on the back. Mine does not. Uh oh. Two different things. What are we looking at? No. Here. Have a two-sided one. The one person to report to council. I'm like, oh. And you don't have it yet. Okay. Good thing I was being nosy and looking at what you were looking at. Huh? Well, I'd like to share. Okay. Okay. Um, wow. Is there any other business? No other business. No public comment. Yes, ma'am. I actually do have a com. State your name. I was getting I was getting there, Sharon.

Thank you. Marlin Foxwood Drive in Hamstead. Um, Jim, I'm just curious. Does Hamstead get all the fund with the water pump house constructions or do the six other municipalities in the county also have to go through this whole process? So this is the town of Hampstead standing alone. Okay.

So we the town of Hamstead applied for these funds. So we are dealing directly with MDE. So I know that say there's other municipalities in Carol County that have the same issue with the PAS and they need to do similar projects and they have all applied for different funding with MDE. So they're all standalone grants, loans, things of that nature. So Hson kind of not jumped the gun but got in line first. We're at the front of the list. Okay.

Yeah. That's one reason why we decided to go ahead and pay the design the engineers out of our pocket. So because if we had gone through the process well for example Manchester or another municipality I don't know if it was Manchester was going through the process of getting the designer approved by MDE and to get MDE to to say okay yes they're approved by MDE we will cover their fees. I think it was an eight to nine month process. Okay.

So, um, yeah, we just decided these are the engineers we want, we want, they're going to do the best job for us. Let's go ahead and the town's at that point, we thought the town was going to definitely have to pay something out of pocket to start with. Let's pay this, get ahead of everything. Um, and it has paid huge benefits because I know, um, the workload on MDE now as far as projects very similar to this is is big. Who's whose brainchild was that to make that move?

It's a combination of uh Kevin Han, our superintendent of public works, Larry Hence, um used to be a councilman for the town. Um he works for um HDR Engineering. He's an expert in water systems. um he we got him involved first and then we decided if we're going to go for this, let's also get GMBB engineering involved because they were working on a um another project down at the wear dairy well for us at that time. And so we got these entities together um and the mayor and we just decided let's let's do it. Let's go for it.

You guys that was great. It was it was It worked out extremely well. Is there a deadline set by the state by which this has to be There is completed.

There is right now it is I want to say July of this year. Um MDE is now um so the whole this grant it's actually an EPA grant. The way that that happened is it was an EPA emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities grant, right? Which they came out with they there was this big bundle of money and then they broke that bundle of money up by the states. And so EPA said to the state of Maryland and MDE, okay, here is 18.9 million. You see, do with it as you see fit. spread it out however you want. And we were so far ahead that MDE basically said, "Hamstead, here's 18.9 million. Go for it."

That's wonderful. Yeah. Which is pretty incredible. It's unheard of um that one one entity, one municipality would get the whole pot. So So what do the other towns do? They have to No, they're really Yeah. No one else when we applied there, no one else was near the stage where we were. Wow. I mean, the application we put in was topnotch um with every figure that they were asking for. Um nothing missing, some bonus features that they were saying it would be great if we had. So, um yeah, it was it was impressive. And um

Good job. Thank you. Wasn't I was barely involved in that process. I was just a little bit but um the people at that point really took it and ran and did a great job. And Tom Devilis who came over to us as a consultant from the county. He worked a lot on get putting all the numbers together in that um that application that went to MDE. So it was huge. You know I had wondered where the funding was going to come from, how we were going to pay for all this and to hear how this worked out is absolutely wonderful. Yeah, we were wondering very grateful. [laughter] Very, very grateful.

You know, so you mentioned it was EPA funding with all this federal monkey business going on. Any chance that that's at risk?

No, it's already transferred over to the state. I don't know whether it's actually sitting in state coffers or not. Um MDE got a little nervous at the beginning of the year. Um and they're MDA continues to push us along and now that we're actually spending money, they are secure that we're going to be fine. So, and um they have made some cuts um to different things with EPA within EPA as you know, but I think cutting any regulations that were put in place that impact drinking water would be kind of tough.

Wouldn't be good on that? No.

Okay. Any other business? No. Then um public comment we've had. Thank you, Marlene. Uh you have any more. Okay. Uh we need a motion then to adjurnn. I make a motion to adjurnn. And I need a second. Second. All those in favor? I. So approved. Ajourned. Thank you.