Carroll County BZA approves American Fleet expansion, grants variance to reduce highway setback

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals on record approved a modification of an existing conditional use and a distance variance for American Fleet Inc., allowing the company to expand indoor storage at 633 Stone Chapel Road in Westminster and to operate with a reduced setback from the adjacent public highway.

The decision, announced at the close of a public hearing, modifies the prior conditional-use approval in BZA case 6473 and grants a distance-variance allowance tied to the site’s classification as a junkyard under county code. The applicant had described the request as an internal, indoor expansion for parts storage; the board’s oral motion approved a distance variance described in the motion as 120 feet from the public highway, and the written decision will be issued within 30 days.

Why it matters: The request clears the way for American Fleet to lease adjacent interior space to relieve cramped conditions in its existing building while remaining in the county’s I-2 Heavy Industrial District. Neighbors and board members heard that the company’s operations are entirely indoors and that expansion is intended to improve workflow and safety, not to increase public traffic or outdoor storage.

What…