Planning commission reviews concept for standalone daycare at 4 Seasons sports complex

The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed a concept site plan July 15 to place a standalone daycare at the 4 Seasons Sports Complex, 2710 Hampstead Mexico Road, replacing the existing miniature golf area.

The concept presented by David Beecraff of the Bureau of Development Review described two connected buildings totaling about 12,000 square feet and a proposed increase in dedicated on-site parking. Planning staff said parking was calculated for 20 employees and 113 children, requiring 32 spaces; the plan adds 20 spaces to bring total on-site parking for the entire sports complex to 274 spaces. Beecraff said stormwater would be handled by micro-bioretention facilities and that Water Resource Management and the State Highway Administration had provided concept approvals for existing access.

Commissioners and project representatives discussed operational details that could affect circulation and safety, including how parents would route from the parking lot to the reception area, whether the daycare will require parents to escort children into the building, and peak-hour traffic during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Beecraff and the architect said pickup and drop-off would use a separate parking lot adjacent to the building with a walkway and reception point to reduce conflicts with the sports complex circulation. Commissioners asked whether the project would trigger a traffic impact study; staff explained the county requires a study when net new peak-hour trips exceed threshold levels (generally more than 25 trips; over 50 typically triggers a study) and said the applicant’s net increase was judged insufficient to require one.

County reviewers also raised site-design items: the Design and Architectural Review Committee had asked about HVAC equipment placement and concealment; the architect said schematic design was not yet complete and that HVAC locations would be coordinated to minimize visual impact, likely toward the tree line or concealed in attic space where feasible. Commissioners noted the plan currently proposes no freestanding signs and no pole lights; hours of operation noted in the write-up run to about 6 p.m., and members asked staff to confirm lighting will meet safety needs while limiting off-site glare.

The project earlier received conditional-use approval from the Board of Zoning Appeals on Nov. 26, 2024 for a standalone daycare in the agricultural district; concept review before the Planning Commission carries no approval requirement. The commission declined to delegate final sign-off to the chair and asked the applicant to return with more detailed plans; no formal vote was taken on the concept plan.

The commission heard no public testimony on this item and indicated it expects to see the project again for more detailed site-plan review.