[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6200478,"mediaKeyId","3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534","parentId",3813716,"title","Design Review Panel approves 1800 Circle Road house expansion; septic limits keep four bedrooms","audioSeconds",1907,"startMs",517000,"endMs",2424000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534&start=517&end=2424","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534/thumbnail_517000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6200478/Baltimore-County/Maryland/Design-Review-Panel-approves-1800-Circle-Road-house-expansion-septic-limits-keep-four-bedrooms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200478-cb582aaf814283cd870e2ff7e1fd3d2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1777199229&Signature=VBJNu31iiUtMON7rqy8bsZi0h4CAK8pmlNPQ3f0bnkcEfmBQwloJ5te0qSjtnDQHlExW9aUQCWMByOGJr736XPcE1zY2wt0GWc~-eNpFeaRZpeTmmMjfw97keCIC4lufnb-KYcX81kkIKe4OK6tctZrC-LzYlbkVeoJc8L8zaHRYeL1EYlbIllAqUhP~LhfEpF5VjINmVRu-jo71syKQtd~aI81Pz4aYi3Ds8aWvNm0L9qiwvdCTmCm5r2MEt76b5tyanjkgefF~JSCK7H-nCWArtDSfnALsEQnkmJrqxAP3m8a3cJMwz3ayx5bjV4Nl4tcDrswHuEgTTLUR81tv6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Baltimore County, MD","date","2025-06-13T19:44:34Z","article","The Baltimore County Design Review Panel on June 11 approved renovations and an addition at 1800 Circle Road that will expand the existing house’s living area while maintaining a four‑bedroom limit set by Baltimore County environmental constraints.

Why it matters: The owners, Joseph and Eden Denardi, sought to modernize and enlarge a modest house in a residential review area while preserving neighborhood scale and setbacks. Planning and environmental review earlier limited the project to retaining four bedrooms because of septic capacity.

Architect Peter Ratcliffe presented the proposal, describing an existing house of roughly 3,800 square feet with a proposed addition that increases living area by about 2,000 square feet and adds approximately 950 square feet of basement space. Ratcliffe told the panel that because of county environmental testing and septic limitations, \"they were not gonna be able to expand beyond a 4 bedroom house,\" and the project retains the existing four‑bedroom count while enlarging room sizes and living areas.

Ratcliffe said the design keeps most of the addition to the rear and preserves a front façade scaled to a 1½‑story Cape Cod appearance. He noted a modest front porch addition, improved landscaping with primarily native plants, and material choices including Hardie plank siding, simulated divided‑lite windows and a standing‑seam metal accent roof. He also provided height information: the existing roof peak measured about 20 feet 9 inches; the proposed peak is about 28.8 feet, well under the 50‑foot limit for the review area.

Panel members asked about setbacks, accessibility to the second‑floor space over the garage, and whether any variances would be required. Ratcliffe said the design does not require variances and does not change the four‑bedroom status. Panel member Donald Khan asked whether the second‑floor space above the garage would have an outside entrance; Ratcliffe and the owners confirmed access would be internal only and there was no new separate plumbing or capacity to create an independent unit because of septic limitations.

Motion and disposition: A motion to approve the project as presented was made by Om Kerjekar and seconded by Raj Sharma (transcript names), and the panel voted in favor; the motion carried. Panel commentary was uniformly supportive, with members calling the design an \"improvement\" and noting neighborhood support.

What’s next: The approval allows the applicant to proceed to permitting, where Baltimore County environmental and building permit review will re‑examine septic compliance, grading, and final landscape and construction details.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Baltimore County Design Review Panel Meeting, June 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Baltimore County’s Design Review Panel approved proposed additions and renovation at 1800 Circle Road that will expand living space while retaining the home’s four‑bedroom count because of septic constraints; approval was unanimous.","taxTitle","Baltimore County, Maryland","taxId",3882,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6200483,"Panel approves McDonald’s rebuild at Back River Neck Road with staff conditions",3663,3153000,6816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534&start=3153&end=6816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534/thumbnail_3153000.jpg","/articles/6200483/Baltimore-County/Maryland/Panel-approves-McDonalds-rebuild-at-Back-River-Neck-Road-with-staff-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200483-ff46bc3e24faff7ff6a3bd054f4c7a81/orig.mp4?Expires=1777199229&Signature=HJSJRkSF59VXJXusrjyQiiYTHUw-ql8-cpcIx4GHVxLD26wMkwVbZkdiTsRPmq-BHp0-I356Vwvw~AKngTsVtmpN7~nRLv-D14oy97B3eoiPfKhkOOnsKKygpfWWnZIeYuJzCIO3OD62jU3e57yJYN19BdoHvq81WYWHgB14X7Tin2q-LB6N2GuWlY~gyVO0ditvioA36T~EFq-9kdYWLUDvXoaBngpZDxqhEAs0Ko0~1pgeLysFLolAhedbWuKVl6P7xNUwNFuby0G~iqVvgKDOTMOVPT7vyzBQ-YXo~90FVmWtvDx-KtA~BZI6dWjWZ~fOuE-8XIFH~ccXpu3Q8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Baltimore County’s Design Review Panel on June 11 approved a proposal from McDonald’s to raze and rebuild the restaurant at 205 Back River Neck Road, endorsing the applicant’s site and architectural concept while noting staff conditions and the need for a parking variance and a special hearing for parking on a portion of residentially zoned land.

Why it matters: The site sits in the Essex commercial review area and is part of the Middleborough Plaza assembly of parcels; the applicant described a smaller but modernized building footprint and updated site work intended to improve circulation, landscaping and stormwater management.

The applicant team, led by Brandon Rao of Boller, said the proposed building would be a 3,694‑square‑foot freestanding McDonald’s with a side‑by‑side drive‑through that merges into a single pickup lane. Rao told the panel the proposal includes 52 parking spaces and that a parking variance will be required to permit 52 spaces in lieu of the 60 spaces required by code.

Landscape designer Ethan Richard summarized the planting approach as a mix of native and resilient species to meet Baltimore County landscape manual requirements. He said the plan calls for red maples and ornamental redbuds along the street frontage, white oaks in parking islands for shade, and screening plantings and shrub layers around the dumpster pad.

Planning staff recommended approval of the site and deferred form and image to the panel, but asked for clarified landscape labeling and specimen‑tree identification, an outdoor seating area (which McDonald’s declined for operational reasons), an identified pedestrian connection from Back River Neck Road to the building entry (applicant said the existing five‑foot elevation change makes that connection infeasible), and bike racks. Staff also noted the project needs a parking variance (52 proposed vs. 60 required) and a special hearing to allow commercial parking within a portion zoned DR 10.5.

Panel members reviewed the elevation materials and lighting proposal; applicant representatives said they would reduce rear light pole heights adjacent to residences to 18 feet in response to staff guidance. Panelists praised the generally native plant palette and asked the applicant to be mindful of overhead utility lines when siting street trees.

Motion and disposition: A motion to approve the McDonald’s project, conditioned on Planning Department staff comments, passed by voice vote (unanimous from the panel quorum present). The panel chair recused himself from this agenda item; Donald Khan chaired the discussion of this project.

What’s next: The applicant will move forward to county permitting and pursue the necessary parking variance and special hearing. Final landscape, lighting and signage details will be reviewed by Department of Planning staff during the permit review process.","Baltimore County Design Review Panel approved plans to raze and rebuild a freestanding McDonald’s at 205 Back River Neck Road in the Essex commercial review area, approving design elements while noting staff requests for landscape labeling, pedestrian access details and required variances (parking and zoning).",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6200487,"Design Review Panel approves Taco Bell rebuild on Eastern Boulevard with conditions",766,2450000,3216000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534&start=2450&end=3216","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3813716-461fa5287e5b4e6e097ccc7c643a0534/thumbnail_2450000.jpg","/articles/6200487/Baltimore-County/Maryland/Design-Review-Panel-approves-Taco-Bell-rebuild-on-Eastern-Boulevard-with-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200487-9591c0ce180edf5807fccece39471f4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1777199229&Signature=BO1Nn-BDDJDvmltMs5x-ToUbSD298Iom9LFfq-XQZ1QH79ZQQW~ow4su4t4t8NsLb~BbBOY5dKFBWvUt2lJq8rDtwBM8SFCrCGmT3e5HAaCOO6DN5buvMV-nL6ihreas~yR6Fej3L4gh~P-Gcr7hLF-c1sU--eLGmfYGs5V0CWV6hBIHyHTiVoZ8fXnxRqdxhzOEE9dSbFkbYUe9tQz5sXXxi4o4ZiVmH4Pj42HD5m6NH~C5--NORP80CvbvFX7WAvrj8NfSorFwnv66xp~~noTeZsM2un8Y718E5qpGWXZCnncoxF1rS02Y3oaYPQqkT6T325C7OotbW~wRGDtjyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Baltimore County’s Design Review Panel on June 11 approved a proposal to remove an aging Taco Bell and an adjacent single‑family house at 700 Eastern Boulevard and replace them with a new 2,700‑square‑foot Taco Bell restaurant, subject to conditions in the Department of Planning staff report and pending zoning variances.

Why it matters: The project covers roughly two parcels that together make up much of the 700 block of Eastern Boulevard and sits on a commercial corridor directly abutting residential zoning behind the site. Panel members and staff focused on circulation, buffering for nearby homes, dumpster and lighting details, and the applicant’s request for a parking variance.

The developer, represented by Dino Lafiandra of Essex Investors LLC, said the new building would have indoor seating for about 40 people and an outdoor seating area. Civil engineer Brian Cleary described the existing site layout and how the redesign would change circulation: \"The double row parking out front of the building has 20 spaces, and then there's an additional 13 on the west side of the property. I consider those 30 spaces to be essentially useless since you have to pass through the drive through lane to get to the building.\" Cleary said the proposal keeps access from Eastern Boulevard and North Stewart Street and adds a dual‑lane drive‑through to improve queuing.

Planning staff recommended approval of the site and form but listed conditions in the staff report for landscape, lighting and signage: label all proposed tree removals and specimen trees; provide details of the outdoor seating area; indicate whether the existing fence will remain and provide enhanced landscaping and a fence along the unnamed alley to screen adjacent residences; provide dumpster enclosure details and reduce lights adjacent to residences to 18 feet, among other items.

Nearby resident David Sigolem, owner of 4 Hartman Avenue, told the panel he worried about nighttime noise from the drive‑through and early‑morning trash pickup and asked whether the fence and dumpster would be sited and built to mitigate noise and pests. Brian Cleary and the applicant team said the plan calls for a continuous 6‑foot privacy fence along the rear property line, plus an evergreen planting buffer of roughly 30 trees, and that the new masonry dumpster enclosure will be larger and set farther from the rear property line. Cleary said the proposed dumpster would be about 20 feet from the property line, compared with about 8 feet for the existing dumpster.

Panel discussion emphasized compliance with the staff report and practicality of existing access locations. Panel members and staff discussed whether to move the Stewart Street access north to reduce conflict; the applicant said they preferred to retain the existing accesses but could consider adjustments.

Motion and disposition: Panel member Om Kerjekar moved to approve the project conditioned on the Planning Department staff comments; the motion was seconded by Raj Sharma (recorded on the transcript as \"Sharma\"). The motion passed by a 4‑1 vote, with Donald Khan recorded as opposed. The approval is subject to the conditions enumerated in the staff report and to the outcome of required zoning variances.

What’s next: The applicant will pursue required permits and variances (including parking and signage relief) and must return to county review if changes are required by those proceedings.","Baltimore County Design Review Panel approved a proposal to demolish an existing Taco Bell and adjacent house at 700 Eastern Boulevard and build a new 2,700 sq ft Taco Bell, subject to staff conditions and variances for reduced parking and sign/lighting details.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Design Review Panel approves 1800 Circle Road house expansion; septic limits keep four bedrooms

Panel approves McDonald’s rebuild at Back River Neck Road with staff conditions

Design Review Panel approves Taco Bell rebuild on Eastern Boulevard with conditions