Carroll County BZA approves 16-bed expansion and driveway variance for Bethenia Homecare on Bell Road

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals on an oral vote approved a conditional-use request to add a 16-bed building to Bethenia Homecare on Bell Road and granted a variance to allow a 15-foot-wide access drive instead of the county's 18-foot standard.

The decision followed testimony from applicants, their engineer and multiple board members at a hearing in which owners and operators described the proposal, emergency-access considerations and site constraints. Melson Munecis, co-owner of Bethenia Homecare, told the board his goal was to create “a home care for the aged population” and to maintain a residential, farm-like setting for residents.

The project would add a separate structure with 16 private bedrooms and private bathrooms, bringing the site total to 32 beds when combined with the existing 16-bed facility, testimony showed. The applicant said the new building would mirror the residential appearance of the current dwelling, keep most farming activity on the balance of the property and use the same driveway and access from Bell Road.

Why this matters: Board members and the applicants centered most questions on health-department approvals, wastewater capacity, maneuvering for emergency vehicles and whether the narrower driveway would create safety problems or traffic impacts. The board concluded the proposal met local zoning standards and presented no greater adverse impacts than other assisted-living uses in the county.

Applicants and testimony Melson Munecis, who identified himself as a founder and owner of Bethenia Homecare, gave an overview of the property's history and the applicants' intent. He said the existing facility comprises 16 beds in 12 bedrooms and that the new building would provide 16 additional private rooms, each with a private bathroom. “I want them to be more active, proactive in life,” Munecis said, describing the home-like atmosphere he and his sister seek to maintain.

Machiko “Chico” Waminal, who identified herself as a co-owner and longtime operator and a registered assisted-living provider, described staffing, visitation and the types of clinical services that visit the site. She said Bethenia operates two daytime shifts and one overnight staff member per building: “From 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., how many employees are working? I have 3,” she testified, and “From 10 p.m. until 7 a.m., how many employees are working? 1.” Waminal said the facility receives few deliveries (primarily UPS/Amazon) and estimated about four visitors a day on average. She also said EMS transports currently occur roughly once every two to three months and that could increase proportionally if the census doubled.

Engineer’s review and traffic/parking Pete Podolak, a professional engineer who prepared the site materials, testified about soils and site layout, stormwater and access. He said the site is served by private well and septic systems and that preliminary percolation testing showed clustered areas suitable for additional wastewater disposal, which supports the proposed expansion pending final Carroll County Health Department approvals during the site-development plan process.

On traffic, Podolak explained he used the industry Trip Generation Manual to estimate peak-hour trips for a combined 32-bed operation; his summary showed a maximum weekday PM peak-hour generation of about 11 trips per hour, well under thresholds that would typically require a traffic impact analysis. He said the driveway includes a 25-foot-wide commercial entrance tapering to a 15-foot-wide drive about 65 feet from Bell Road; the broader entrance and the site's sightlines would allow ambulances and delivery vehicles to enter the site safely. He also said the combined parking requirement for both buildings is 14 spaces (1 per 4 beds plus 1 per 2 employees) and that the proposed layout would provide 17 spaces.

Board discussion and vote Board members asked about distances, driveway length and setbacks, noting the proposed new building sits closer to the building restriction line because of culvert and drain-field constraints. Several board members referenced the Schultz v. Pritz standard for evaluating conditional uses and found testimony sufficient to meet the test. Board members expressed particular emphasis on the widened entrance off Bell Road, the availability of on-site stacking and turn-around space, and the preliminary health-department work on septic capacity.

In case No. 6577 the board made an oral motion approving the conditional use for the 16-bed addition and the variance reducing the required driveway width from 18 feet to 15 feet. The motion was made by Mister Caldwell and seconded by an unnamed member; the board announced the motion carried and the oral decision would be followed by a written decision within 30 days. The board noted the decision can be appealed to the Carroll County Circuit Court under Maryland Rules within 30 days of the written decision.

Details and next steps The approval is conditioned on the normal site-development plan and technical-review processes that are required before construction. The applicants acknowledged they must secure final Carroll County Health Department approval for well and septic capacity and complete the site-development plan review to finalize parking and exact driveway apron details. Engineer Podolak and the applicants said they have made preliminary submittals to health authorities and believe the site can support the proposed additional 16 beds based on prior percolation testing and the location of passable soil areas.

The board closed the record at the hearing; a written decision will be issued within 30 days and will include any standard conditions the board adopts.

Ending: The board’s oral approval allows the applicants to proceed to the technical site-development review and to pursue necessary health-department approvals. The written decision will state appeal rights and any conditions set by the Board.