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La Plata council places Steeplechase secondary-access safety review on retreat after resident and staff concerns
Summary
Councilman Jason Sampson asked the La Plata Town Council on Aug. 12 to address safety risks posed by a single entry/exit at Steeplechase after a new charter middle school opened in the neighborhood.
Councilman Jason Sampson raised concerns during the Aug. 12 meeting about the single entrance and exit for the Steeplechase neighborhood off Catalpa Drive and urged the council to examine secondary access for safety reasons, especially after the recent opening of a county-run charter middle school in the Steeplechase area.
"This issue is a hazard waiting to happen," Sampson said, describing instances in which traffic at Catalpa and 301 has created choke points that delayed departures by 20 to 30 minutes. He noted the prior 2022 traffic study focused on volume and did not fully account for safety impacts nor the presence of the new school.
Town Manager Chuck Stevens explained that state regulations do not automatically require more than one access point, but that Maryland's fire prevention rules and the National Fire Protection Association life-safety code, as understood by the state fire marshal, emphasize the importance of secondary emergency access at schools. Stevens said he had contacted the county commissioner and the school-board official representing the district to notify them of the concern.
Multiple council members agreed the matter warranted a longer discussion and recommended the issue be added to the council retreat so the town and planning staff can consider long-term code or master-site-plan changes that would reduce the risk of similar single-access developments in the future. The council voted in favor of placing the item on the retreat agenda by roll call.
