Howard County Board of Appeals hears Morel appeal of DPZ closeout letter over W.R. Grace activity at 7500 Grace Drive

The Howard County Board of Appeals on Aug. 21 heard oral argument and testimony in an appeal brought by Aiden and Sarah Morel (and other neighbors) challenging the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning’s decision to close a zoning complaint for 7500 Grace Drive, Columbia (Tax Map 35, Parcel 145) without issuing a notice of violation. The property is about 54.8 acres in Council District 4 and is located in the PEC (Planned Employment Center) zoning district.

Petitioners’ counsel said DPZ’s Sept. 13, 2024 closeout letter did not reflect a meaningful on-site inquiry, claiming DPZ failed to take notes, interview nearby homeowners, or create a record showing what staff saw during inspection. Petitioners’ attorneys and several expert and lay witnesses described concerns about W.R. Grace’s described plans for a small “pyrolysis pilot plant” and related permit applications to county and state agencies; they argued DPZ should have investigated the possibility that those activities exceeded the historical research-and-development activities on site.

DPZ’s counsel and the department director, Linda Eisenberg, told the board the department reviewed the complaint, conducted a site visit (including a site visit to Building 30) and determined the record did not support issuing a notice of violation. Zoning staffer Jeff…