Bel Air moves into closed session to consult on Hickory parking garage legal matter after public parking debate

The Board of Town Commissioners of Bel Air voted unanimously Feb. 18 to hold a closed session to obtain legal advice and consult with staff regarding potential litigation tied to a notice of breach concerning the Hickory parking garage.

A commissioner moved that the meeting be closed under the Maryland Open Meetings Act, General Provisions Article §3-305(b)(7) and (8); the motion passed with Commissioners Rutledge, Chance, Taylor, Eddy and Chismar recorded as voting aye.

Public comments earlier in the meeting addressed downtown redevelopment and parking availability, and those remarks were referenced in the board’s statement of the closed-session topics. Resident Peg Lucas urged the board to support downtown redevelopment and cited a recent parking study, saying, "approximately 43% of all parking spaces in the downtown area are unused during typical peak parking hours" and that nearly 80% are unused during evening and overnight hours.

Another resident, Terrence Hamlin, said the Board of Appeals denied a request "04/22" for 70 parking spaces in a public parking garage and described a series of related approvals and amendments, including a planning commission site-plan approval and an agreement to lease 70 spaces to a private developer. Hamlin told the board, "I don't think it's a secret here that we know what the residents of Bel Air are looking for. They're looking for strong support to represent them."

The motion to close cited attorney-client privilege and the need for candid legal advice as reasons that public discussion could compromise legal strategy. The board noted that no further public business would be conducted after the closed session. The meeting adjourned to closed session immediately following the vote.