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Resident urges care for gateway at Green and Legacies property; commission explains review limits
Summary
A resident told the commission the Green and Legacies parcel at Bully Rock Parkway and Route 155 is a gateway to Havre de Grace and urged careful signage, lighting and landscaping. Commissioners said the board of appeals and planning staff must first act; the commission cannot preempt that process.
Carol Zimmerman of 211 B Seneca Way told the Planning Commission that the Green and Legacies parcel at Bully Rock Parkway and Route 155 serves as a gateway to Havre de Grace and carries historic and transitional significance.
"I think it's imperative that the city make sure that the signage and lighting and architecture and landscaping... be mindful about the significance of that area," Zimmerman said during public comment, urging the city to ensure future commercial development respects the gateway role.
The chair and other commissioners replied that the current procedural order limits the Planning Commission's involvement: matters that require special exceptions are now first heard by the Board of Appeals or handled directly through the Planning Department before coming to the commission for site‑plan or subdivision review. The chair said that, while commissioners aim to adhere to the city’s Comprehensive Plan, they cannot pre‑judge a future case or "throttle a project" on the basis of preliminary preference.
A commissioner noted the Comprehensive Plan contains design guidance and that the commission intends to follow it when formal applications arrive. The commission encouraged Zimmerman to raise design concerns with planning staff and her city council representative so they can be considered during the official review process.
No formal action was taken on the Green and Legacies site at this meeting; the matter remains with the Board of Appeals and will come before the Planning Commission only if and when an application is routed to them.
