Hampstead commission approves concept site plan for PFAS treatment centralization

The Hampstead Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 26 approved the concept site plan for the town's PFAS treatment centralization project and heard staff outline next steps for the town-wide water system modernization.

The approval clears a concept-level site plan that staff said will centralize PFAS treatment across multiple treatment facilities serving Hampstead. The commission voted in favor after a motion to approve the concept site plan; the motion was seconded and recorded as passed.

Commissioners and staff said the vote clears the concept stage but that additional technical reviews and external approvals remain. The zoning administrator said staff are preparing bid packages for pipeline construction, will check references and recommend a bidder to the mayor and town council, and then will prepare the state submission to the Maryland Department of the Environment. "After that, it will go to the Board of Public Works for approval," the zoning administrator said.

Jason Lionel, project director for GMB, said GMB is coordinating the site development plan submittal and working with outside reviewers and consultants on technical comments. Staff told the commission they have received some verbal sign-off on stormwater configuration from the county reviewer and expect formal stormwater approval within days; they asked the commission to approve the concept plan to keep the schedule moving to final plan submission.

Commission discussion focused on technical review items, including grading and stormwater basin sizing. A staff speaker described the concept as covering multiple planned treatment facilities by name (North Carol Farms, Dairy, Shiloh and Hampstead Valley were mentioned in the discussion) and said the project will proceed through additional stages of review.

The commission's approval tonight was for the concept site plan only; staff repeatedly noted that final site plan approval and construction depend on completing county stormwater management approval and state-level filings. The commission did not vote on construction contracts or final design details.

Votes at the meeting also included routine procedural approvals (see the administrative roundup). Staff said next steps will be: finalize bid packages for pipeline work, complete due diligence on bidders, recommend award to the mayor and town council, submit construction bid package materials to MDE, and then seek Board of Public Works approval as required.

The commission approved the concept site plan during its regular meeting; staff indicated they will return with final materials once outstanding technical and permitting steps are complete.