Planning Commission approves Shaw Development contractor storage yard with amended hours

The Montgomery County Planning Commission on Jan. 14 approved a special-use permit (SUP) for Shaw Development LLC to establish a contractor storage yard on a roughly 9-acre portion of a larger agricultural parcel off Flanagan Drive.

Planning staff described the site as primarily Agricultural and within the county's resource-stewardship designation, noting roughly 9 acres will be used for the contractor yard while remaining acreage stays in agriculture. Staff recommended approval with conditions including general conformance to the submitted concept site plan, required Type 4 buffer yards or equivalent opaque screening, fencing and screening of storage containers and trailers, adherence to erosion-and-sediment controls and applicable stormwater rules, and that the contractor yard not be open to the public.

The applicant's representative (identified in the record as Mr. Veil) said the conversion relies on an existing 27,500-square-foot structure and gravel areas and described recent acquisitions that increase their operational needs. "We would, certainly request, that those waivers be granted and we would certainly appreciate any opportunity to expand the hours a little bit," the applicant said, noting occasional Saturday activity would be desirable.

Commissioners questioned the details of a Type 4 buffer (opaque screening and plantings), power-line easements across the property, and whether hours should match an adjacent contractor yard previously approved by the Board of Supervisors. Staff confirmed the prior adjacent SUP allowed operations Monday through Saturday and recommended consistency. One commissioner moved to approve the SUP with the amended hours; the motion was seconded and the roll-call vote recorded Miller: Yes; Simpkins: Yes; Crowell: Yes; Rice: Yes; Vice Chair Lankes: Yes; Chair Foster: Yes. The motion carried.

Conditions attached by the commission include: submission of a conforming site plan, required landscaping and Type 4 buffer or equivalent opaque screening between the contractor yard and adjacent residential uses, screening of outdoor storage and trailers, restrictions on public access to the yard, compliance with dark-sky-design lighting standards for any new exterior lighting, and adherence to hours of operation set at 7 a.m.'5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Staff noted enforcement and any complaints would be handled through standard zoning enforcement and site-plan compliance processes.