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Carroll County BZA Approves 15‑Bed Assisted‑Living Conditional Use and Area, Density Variances at Deer Park Road
Summary
The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals approved Case 6522, allowing a conditional use expansion to a 15‑bed assisted‑living facility at 1246 Deer Park Road and granting variances to reduce the lot requirement from 3 acres to 1 acre and density from 45,000 to ~43,500 sq ft; the board’s oral decision will be followed by a written decision within 30 days.
The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals on an oral vote approved Case No. 6522, allowing an expansion of a conditional use to operate a 15‑bed assisted‑living facility at 1246 Deer Park Road in Westminster and granting two variances for lot area and density.
The application, introduced by planning staff as a request to convert an existing structure already used historically for assisted living, sought relief from current zoning requirements that require 3 acres for assisted‑living uses and a minimum of 45,000 square feet for the parcel. Zoning administrator Anastasia Yamelianova told the board the subject parcel is roughly 1 acre and about 43,500 square feet, and said those two variances were necessary under the current code.
Applicant counsel Melvin Jake Kodenski said the building will undergo no structural changes and argued the site can accommodate 15 beds. "There'll be no structural changes to the property at all," Kodenski told the board. He also noted the applicants operate a licensed facility in Anne Arundel County and that staffing and life‑safety systems would meet licensing and permitting requirements.
Operator and applicant Lisa Adedukan described her background in caregiving and said she and her husband run Centered Care LLC. She told the board the business obtains staffing based on resident acuity and expects at least two staff on site at all times, adding the operation uses a delegating nurse to assess staffing needs.
Neighbors raised concerns about prior occupants of the property. Adjacent landowner Ted Fringer said earlier tenants "was camping out in my woods," alleged repeated police or fire responses and said he wants confidence the facility will be geriatric care rather than a behavioral‑health or rehabilitation use. Property owner Dennis Agbo said he had not been aware of those problems and described recent interior renovations, estimating about $60,000 in work since February.
During deliberations board members discussed evacuation and licensing requirements, the condition of the property, and whether the board could or should limit the use to elderly residents only. County counsel and staff advised the board that the county definition of "assisted living" includes supportive services and health‑related services and is not limited by ordinance to people 62 and older, and that altering that definition would be a legislative change rather than a condition the board could impose.
Board member motion language stated the board approved the request for expansion of a conditional use for a 15‑bed assisted‑living facility and variances for area and density; the motion was seconded and the board voted in the affirmative. The chair said the oral decision will become final upon issuance of a written decision within 30 days, and that the decision may be appealed by filing a petition for judicial review with the clerk of the circuit court for Carroll County under applicable Maryland rules.
Next steps: the board will issue a written decision within 30 days unless an extension is noted; zoning permits, change‑of‑use permits, and required sprinkler and life‑safety approvals remain prerequisites for occupancy and operation.
Sources: testimony and exhibits introduced at the Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals hearing on Case 6522 (recorded in the hearing transcript).
