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Highland Trail preliminary plat and final site plan advances townhome phase; sidewalk alignment and parkland calculations under review
Summary
Developers presented a phase of Highland Trail that would build 100 alley‑loaded townhomes and extend Highland Trail and Big Al Cohen Boulevard. The project team said earlier rezoning approvals allow up to 550 units and that this submission implements the first 100 townhouses; staff and commissioners asked for
Chris Mariga of Harris Mariga and Elise Cohen of Cohen Enterprises presented the Highland Trail combined preliminary subdivision plan and final site plan for the first phase of a larger rezoned master plan. The project reflects an earlier MU‑2 floating‑zone approval that anticipated up to 550 residential units; this submission covers 100 rear‑load alley townhomes as the first phase.
Mariga said the plan will extend Highland Trail from Monroe Street to Monocacy Boulevard and construct ‘‘Big Al Cohen Boulevard’’ to connect Highland with nearby roadways, creating a missing link in the city’s street grid and a regional shared‑use path across the property. The development proposes sidewalks immediately in front of the townhouses rather than duplicative sidewalks in the adjacent public right-of-way, and the team argued that placing the sidewalk at the house frontage reduces impervious area from multiple front walks. Commissioners suggested adding mid‑block pedestrian connections from the townhouse frontages to the street-side sidewalk and requested clearer mapping of where residents would cross to reach sidewalks and open spaces.
On open space and stormwater, Mariga said some hatched internal areas counted as open space currently include stormwater management elements; the project team agreed to ‘‘back out’’ the stormwater treatment area from open‑space totals and resubmit clearer figures. The team said it has committed 1.32 acres of parkland/open space in the master approval and would continue to refine on‑site amenity design (tot lot, seating and dog stations) to meet usable-open-space objectives and reduce any required fee in lieu.
Commissioners and staff raised accessibility and circulation issues, potential demolition timing for existing buildings, tree/forest conservation credits, bicycle connectivity and whether specific public comments on bicycle access had been addressed. Staff noted the forest conservation plan had been approved previously and that a fee in lieu had been reduced through street-tree credits; the applicant said it would continue to seek additional on-site planting to reduce fees further.
No action was taken; commissioners requested clearer site plans showing pedestrian crossings, an explicit list of modifications sought and a response to public comments about bicycle connectivity for the public hearing.
