Bel Air Planning Commission approves annual report; highlights parks work, pedestrian safety and mall redevelopment concerns

The Bel Air Planning Commission on March 1 approved its 2024 annual report and elected new officers, while members pressed for follow-up on park improvements, pedestrian safety at major crossings and outstanding conditions on large redevelopment projects.

Kevin Small, planning department staff, presented the report and said, “The planning commission issues a report every year, reviewing its previous year activities.” He outlined park rehabilitation work at Homestead Park and Plumtree Park, stormwater and off-street parking improvements, and progress on preservation and pedestrian planning projects.

The commission’s annual report matters because it summarizes how local planning recommendations, capital projects and ordinance changes are being implemented and flags items that need further action. Commissioners used the report discussion to press staff and other agencies for follow-up on a range of town projects and on safety fixes that require county or state cooperation.

In brief votes, commissioners approved the minutes as amended, elected Lois Kissinger Kelly chair and Peter Schlayer vice chair by voice vote, and approved the annual report as revised. Those actions were voice votes recorded in the meeting transcript; the meeting record does not include full roll-call tallies for those items.

Key items in the report and commission discussion

- Parks and public amenities: Staff described ongoing and planned park work. Homestead Park has been partially rehabilitated and will receive a new playground in coming months; Plumtree Park will receive a 12-inch layer of engineered wood fiber (EWF) surfacing and a paved parking lot to bring the site into compliance with handicapped-accessibility standards. The report also noted a new Rockfield Memorial Tree Grove with capacity for roughly 20–25 additional trees.

- AEDs and Little Free Libraries: Commissioners discussed placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and Little Free Libraries nearer roads to increase visibility and reduce vandalism. Small said public works will place AEDs and determine locations; he noted AEDs with electrical connections may also have alarm notifications to staff when cabinets are opened. Commissioners asked staff to follow up on security and electrical needs with public works.

- Burns Alley and downtown improvements: The Burns Alley project is being reduced to focus on aesthetic improvements tied to the town’s budget cycle. Commissioners said the county will need to commit funds for a broader coordinated project; until then the town is limiting scope because of cost concerns.

- Historic preservation plaques: The commission said it is working with an Eagle Scout project to install plaques on historically designated properties that currently lack markers; staff reported letters were sent to property owners asking permission for plaque placement.

- Pedestrian safety and Safe Streets for All: Commissioners identified the pedestrian crossing at Thomas Street and Bond Street (near the Vagabond area) as a continuing safety concern. Kevin Small said the crossing is part of the town’s Safe Streets for All and bicycle-pedestrian plan work and that the State Highway Administration has been consulted in past years. Commissioners discussed options such as islands and rumble strips but said each fix faces trade-offs (for example, large vehicles and emergency vehicles must be able to turn). During the discussion a meeting participant said, “Somebody else has to die first, though,” underscoring frustration with the pace of state action; that remark appears in the transcript but was not tied to a named speaker.

- Harford Mall redevelopment and phase sequencing: Commissioners reviewed recent concept presentations for redevelopment at Harford Mall (the transcript alternates reference spellings; the town refers to the property as Harford Mall). Staff and several commissioners said they are concerned that developers are advancing concept work for later phases before completing conditions tied to phase 1 and 2 (site improvements, architectural work, utility easements and final building permits). Staff reported site-level outstanding items and said lawyers for the town and the developer have been coordinating; commissioners urged staff to require clearer, enforceable completion of earlier-phase obligations before permitting later phases to proceed quickly.

- Other development updates: The report summarized active site plans and annexations, including a previously approved annexation along Tollgate Road that remains vacant; accessory dwelling unit applications that were submitted and in some cases withdrawn; and status notes for projects such as Standard on Bond and Hickory Flats. Commissioners and staff disputed a local newspaper report’s apartment counts for Hickory Flats during the meeting; meeting participants offered different figures (the newspaper referenced “100,” and speakers referenced numbers such as 79 and 87), and the transcript indicates inconsistent counts rather than a single confirmed number.

- Studies and follow-up work: The commission said it plans a traffic study focused on cut-through traffic in Howard Park and will incorporate the recently adopted bicycle-pedestrian plan and Safe Streets for All findings into future planning work. Staff said the town is tracking sidewalk and right-of-way constraints that affect where pedestrian facilities can be placed.

What the commission directed and what remains undecided

- Staff follow-up: Commissioners asked planning staff and public works to provide additional information on AED security and electrical needs, installation schedules for historic plaques, the county’s position on Burns Alley funding, and the outstanding legal and permit items tied to the Harford Mall redevelopment.

- Interagency dependencies: Multiple items depend on county or state agencies—the road connection serving the new Homestead School requires county cooperation and Board of Education funding per the agreement mentioned in the meeting, and several pedestrian-safety remedies require State Highway Administration review and approval.

Votes at a glance

- Minutes (motion to approve as amended): approved by voice vote; transcript records multiple “aye” responses and at least one abstention but no roll-call tally or named votes.

- Chair (nomination and election of Lois Kissinger Kelly): elected by voice vote; outcome recorded as approved in the meeting transcript.

- Vice chair (nomination and election of Peter Schlayer): elected by voice vote; outcome recorded as approved in the meeting transcript.

- Annual report (motion to approve as revised): approved by voice vote; transcript records “aye” responses but no roll-call tally.

The commission closed the agenda after project updates and noted upcoming staffing actions: the town is interviewing candidates for a deputy director position in planning and expected to share information at the next meeting. Commissioners also said they will continue to press the county and State Highway Administration for prioritized pedestrian-safety work and expect to follow up on outstanding conditions at Harford Mall as developers move forward with later phases.