Hearing examiner hears testimony on variance that would let 8215 Springfield Road qualify for planned retirement community

Prince George's County Hearing Examiner Maureen McMillan continued a May 7 hearing on a request by ESC Springfield Road LLC for a variance to the prior county zoning ordinance so a planned retirement community could be approved at 8215 Springfield Road. The applicant told the examiner the parcel’s recorded gross area is 12.0091 acres, and that if the portion of the site occupied by Springfield Road were excluded the remaining area would be about 11.9278 acres.

The dispute centers on whether land under Springfield Road is properly counted toward the ordinance’s “at least 12 contiguous acres” requirement for a planned retirement community under the prior ordinance. Mark Ferguson, senior land planner with Site Design Inc., testified for the applicant that the difference “between 12 acres and 11.9278 acres is de minimis,” and he argued the board may grant a variance in conjunction with a special-exception approval.

Opponents, including nearby property owners Howard and Tanya Aldag and counsel for Wingate Homeowners Association, argued the applicant and owner knew the parcel fell short of 12 contiguous acres and that any claimed hardship is self-inflicted. Howard Aldag told the examiner: “This variance should not be approved. There is no hardship regarding the…