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Planning commission approves revised elevations, adds masonry and buffering for Southside Plaza medical campus
Summary
The Mount Airy Planning Commission showed final elevations for two medical campus buildings on South Main Street, required more masonry and muted panels, and said screening will protect nearby residences.
The Mount Airy Planning Commission presented final plans and exterior elevations Sept. 8 for a two‑building medical campus on South Main Street and described design changes intended to make the buildings “in harmony” with nearby development.
Ralph Ghent, planning commission president, told the town council that commissioners formed a three‑person committee to work with the developer and architect to change the original sterile white design. The commission required a masonry “belt” around the first floor, muted light‑gray EIFS panels instead of bright white, and additional gray metal panels on the second floor so the facades would better match nearby buildings.
Ghent said Building A, fronting South Main Street, will be oriented toward rehabilitation care for patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia; Building B will house doctors’ offices. The commission also required screening, mature landscaping and an eight‑foot fence along sides facing residences on Rising Ridge Road.
Why it matters: The project is a sizable commercial development near the town center and may increase local access to specialized medical care. The commission emphasized buffering to reduce visual impacts for adjacent homes and said the design changes aim to avoid an “antiseptic” look.
Process and legal checks: Ghent acknowledged the committee worked as three commissioners to avoid creating a quorum and said legal counsel advised the approach met Maryland’s Open Meetings requirements so long as a quorum was not assembled. John Breeden, the town’s director of planning, said construction documents and permitting are next and estimated roughly nine to 18 months before a shovel hits the ground.
Next steps: The architect will supply revised paper copies of the final plans; staff will review and sign them to permit grading, utility and building work. Council members and staff asked questions about the committee process and thanked the planning commission for keeping the project moving without delay.
Evidence from the meeting: Ghent described the design changes and the committee process and Breeden provided the permitting timeline.
