Board of Appeals tables conditional-use request for gas station at Route 155 and Bulle Rock Parkway

The Board of Appeals on Nov. 6 tabled a conditional-use request from the Green family to allow a gas station as a conditional use on a 23-acre portion of Parcel 210 at the intersection of Bulle Rock Parkway and Maryland Route 155.

Eric McLaughlin, attorney for the applicant, told the board the request (case 556) relies on the city's annexation resolution (No. 277) and the single concept plan that allocated a business portion of the RB-zoned parcel. He introduced Mitch Enser of Baystate Land Services, who testified as an expert in land planning and said the red-hatched 23-acre area in the single concept plan was designated for business uses and that the site meets code criteria for a conditional use subject to later site-plan review.

The Department of Planning's staff report, incorporated by the applicant and entered into the record, recommended approval under section 25-16(e) of the city code and noted that subsequent planning commission review and technical reviews (traffic, stormwater, lighting, architecture) would apply at the site-plan stage.

Dozens of residents spoke during public comment, raising concerns about traffic at the 155/95 corridor, potential impacts to private wells and groundwater, construction noise, lighting, and cumulative effects if a gas station and other commercial uses locate near existing residential subdivisions (notably Susquehanna Hills). Land-use consultant Jamie Kendrick and other commenters urged the board to require site-specific traffic and environmental studies and to see a conceptual site layout (massing, pumps/traffic patterns, truck access) before the board makes the findings required for a conditional use.

In deliberations board members said they were not comfortable making findings on several of the code criteria without more detail on location, scale, access, and mitigation. A motion to table and carry the case for the applicant to provide a conceptual/site-level submission and to address traffic, buffer and environmental questions was made and seconded; the motion carried (3-1). The board instructed staff to provide the applicant with the specific list of information the board seeks (traffic, general site concept, buffers, and other items referenced during deliberation). The case will be re-noticed and set for a future hearing.