Havre de Grace planning commission approves Sheetz site plan, flags water and traffic issues before permits

The Havre de Grace Planning Commission on July 17 approved a site plan for a proposed Sheetz convenience store and six‑pump fuel canopy at the Pulaski Highway (U.S. 40) and Osborne Lane intersection, voting to accept the plan as presented while leaving final determinations about water, fire protection and some intersection improvements to city staff and the Department of Public Works.

The vote to approve the site plan passed with five votes in favor and one opposed (Harry Miller, Janice Chan, Farhad Shah, Ed Girono and Chair Von Volney Ford voted yes; Commissioner Chip Place voted no). The motion on the record was to "approve the site plan as presented." The planning commission also made the staff report part of the record before public testimony.

Why it matters: The site is in the Pulaski Highway commercial corridor and is a redevelopment of a 1.48‑acre property that previously held a 2,182‑square‑foot bank building. Commissioners and staff said the project advances local commercial redevelopment goals, but several infrastructure issues remain unresolved and must be addressed before building permits can be issued.

Staff overview and key conditions The Department of Planning staff read a detailed report into the record describing the proposal as a 6,132‑square‑foot convenience store with a six‑pump fuel canopy on roughly 1.47 acres (the application materials show 6,100–6,132 sq ft depending on draft). The subject property was annexed into the city in 2023 under Annexation Resolution 2023‑21 and is zoned C (commercial). The conditional‑use approval for a gas station was granted by the commission in June.

The staff report concluded the site plan is technically sufficient for planning commission approval subject to the standard requirement that final plans (final site plan, stormwater, landscape and building elevations) meet applicable city and state codes at later review stages. The report and subsequent discussion emphasized that adequate public facilities (water, sewer, fire flow, and road/access improvements) must be demonstrated by the Department of Public Works (DPW) before issuance of any building permits.

Water supply and fire protection Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant about water system capacity and fire protection. DPW memos in the project file (noted in the staff report) — dated April 22, 2025 and a June 27, 2025 follow‑up memo — identify concerns about water storage and required upgrades to serve new development in this zone. Staff said the city is seeking funding for a water storage (NFPA) upgrade for Water Zone 1 but that funding is not yet in place. The planning staff noted that one alternative to delays is an applicant‑provided fire protection engineer certification demonstrating adequate fire flow/storage for this site.

Applicant commitment and next steps John Eitberger, identified in the hearing as the Sheetz representative, said Sheetz will retain a licensed fire protection engineer to work with city staff to scope and complete any necessary analyses and to propose mitigations such as on‑site storage or other options. "We will hire a fire protection engineer to begin that process and work very closely with city staff," Eitberger said, adding that the engineer will study the corridor and produce documentation for city review prior to issuance of building permits.

Traffic and roadway work The applicant presented a traffic impact study that the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) reviewed. Traffic engineer Dave Nelson (Street Traffic Studies) told the commission the plan does not require additional through travel lanes on Route 40 but does propose adding a north leg at the intersection and modifying signal phasing: "No," Nelson said when asked whether additional through lanes were required. He added the project will require signal and geometric work to add the north approach and that signal phasing would be changed (to a split phase) to improve safety and operations without adding through lanes.

Nelson and staff also noted the traffic materials showed some intersections operating at level‑of‑service F under total projected conditions that include background growth and other planned developments; MDOT assessed the study and determined the Sheetz development itself added negligible traffic justification for a new signal at the time of review. The commission heard that intersection improvements on Osborne Lane will be built to Harford County road code standards and that Osborne Lane is in SHA right‑of‑way, so final designs and approvals must coordinate with SHA.

Commission concerns and staff response Commissioners voiced particular concern that site plan approval cannot circumvent the city’s adequate public facilities requirement. Commissioner Harry Miller urged that APF (adequate public facilities) determinations — especially for fire protection and water storage — be provided prior to approval; planning staff and DPW staff responded that APF determinations are required before building permits and that final certification or mitigation by a fire protection engineer can satisfy storage/fire flow requirements for permits.

Votes and formal actions - The planning commission voted to enter the staff report into the record (unanimous vote of those present). - The planning commission then voted to approve the site plan as presented. Vote record captured in the meeting minutes: Harry Miller (yes), Janice Chan (yes), Chip Place (no), Farhad Shah (yes), Ed Girono (yes), Chair Von Volney Ford (yes). Outcome: approved. The commission’s approval is site‑plan approval; building permits and any construction cannot proceed until DPW and other reviewing agencies confirm APF and final plan requirements are met.

What remains: final plans, DPW determinations, and permitting Staff and the applicant emphasized that final landscape, stormwater, and site plans will be submitted and reviewed in subsequent steps and that DPW must resolve water, sewer and fire protection issues before building permits will be issued. Records in the file include a Harford County Health Department letter dated May 13, 2025 and DPW review memos dated April 22 and June 27, 2025. Planning staff and the applicant said additional technical documentation — notably the applicant’s fire protection engineer report and an updated GHD water model for the system (pending delivery to the city) — will be required and reviewed by DPW prior to permit issuance.

The commission’s approval advances the project through the city’s development review process but does not authorize construction until DPW and other required final approvals are granted. The planning staff said additional comments and any final plan conditions will be provided to the applicant at the time of final submissions.