Sykesville Planning Commission recommends conditional-use approval for assisted-living project at Warfield Parcel B

Sykesville Planning Commission Chair Phil, at the March 3 meeting, moved that the commission recommend the Board of Zoning Appeals approve a conditional-use application by developer Rob Hobson for an assisted-living facility called Thrive at Warfield on Parcel B of the Warfield Commercial Center. The motion, which included conditions requiring an updated traffic study, average annual emergency-service call data for similar facilities and strict adherence to the Warfield Commercial Center new-construction design guidelines (2017 edition), was seconded and approved unanimously.

Why it matters: The project would create a licensed assisted-living facility in a parcel previously shown for a hotel in the Warfield master plan. The applicant and consultants told the commission that the assisted-living use would generate fewer peak-hour vehicle trips than the hotel assumed in earlier planning materials and that the facility would serve primarily nearby seniors, potentially freeing up other housing stock in the region.

Staff and applicant roles: Kevin (town staff) explained that conditional uses in the PEC zoning district require a planning commission recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals and outlined the…