Hampstead planning commission approves Tractor Supply concept plan, conditions brick facade

The Hampstead Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday approved a concept site plan for a 21,930-square-foot Tractor Supply Company to be built on Hanover Pike, contingent on the developer installing a brick exterior on the building face that faces Main Street.

The commission’s approval covers a parcel identified as Map No. 0500Parcel3193 and includes conditions on the building exterior; commissioners said they expect the applicant to return with a final exterior plan that uses brick or an alternative that closely resembles brick. The commission voted in favor after discussion and a motion to approve was seconded and adopted.

The proposal calls for a retail building with outdoor display areas on an approximately 6.6-acre site, with about 2.76 acres of disturbance and 88 parking spaces, four of them Americans with Disabilities Act–compliant, site presenters said. "The parcel's approximately 6.6 acres, and we are disturbing approximately 2.76 acres of that 6.6," Jessica Bates, principal engineer at BL Companies, told the commission. Bates said the planned store would include dark-sky-compliant, full-cutoff lighting and a monument sign in place of a previously proposed pylon sign.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the exterior materials and the absence of a sidewalk along the project frontage affect how the development will fit the town’s Main Street character and pedestrian network. Several commissioners urged the applicant to consider brick or earth-tone materials to make the building more consistent with Hampstead’s character and asked the developer to revisit sidewalk installation.

Discussion and conditions: Commissioners and staff discussed several site details at length. The applicant said sanitary sewer service will connect through a short utility easement to an existing line rather than relying on an on-site septic system, a change prompted by concerns about a local aquifer. The project includes stormwater components added since the commission last reviewed the project: a forest conservation area, four micro-bioretention areas and a detention basin, presented as part of the county stormwater permitting process.

The commission also noted landscaping and buffers: the site will include shrubs along Main Street and a Carroll County Class C landscape buffer along the railroad-facing back lot, and dumpsters will be enclosed. Developers said they will meet Carroll County landscape requirements.

Sidewalks: The applicant declined to include a sidewalk in the current concept submittal. The commission’s packet recommended adding sidewalks along the proposed facility because there are no sidewalks in the immediate area; commissioners again urged the developer to consider sidewalks when final plans are prepared.

Approval and next steps: The commission approved the concept site plan "subject to" the exterior condition requiring a brick facade (or a closely resembling alternative) on the side(s) facing Main Street. The motion was seconded and approved; commissioners asked that the applicant return with final material samples at the next meeting. County concept stormwater approval remains outstanding but was described as nearing completion by staff and the applicant.

Votes at a glance: Concept site plan for Tractor Supply Company, Hanover Pike (Map No. 0500Parcel3193) — approved (motion seconded; outcome: approved; condition: brick facade or close alternative for the building face toward Main Street). Minutes approval for the July 23, 2025 commission meeting — approved. Motion to adjourn — approved.

What’s next: The developer and design team will provide updated exterior renderings and material samples for the commission to review; final plan submission will proceed in coordination with Carroll County permitting and the town’s final review process.