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Council takes Hoffman Brothers towing permit appeal under advisement after stormwater and record questions
Summary
The council heard oral argument from Hoffman Brothers Towing seeking validation of a use‑and‑occupancy permit reportedly in effect since 1967; neighbors raised stormwater and expansion concerns and DPIE confirmed a notice of violation is on the record—council requested the matter be taken under advisement for further review.
The District Council on Feb. 9 heard oral argument in ERR‑001‑2025, an appeal by Hoffman Brothers Towing Inc. seeking validation of a use‑and‑occupancy permit that the applicant says dates the operation to the 1950s and a 1967 permit record (permit U14196).
Applicant counsel Abdullah Hejazi said the business has operated at the Sandy Spring Road site since 1953 and that the company invested in equipment and employees over decades. Hejazi described the four statutory elements the council must consider when validating a permit issued in error, and said the company has relied on the permit in its business operations.
Bill Wiedland, code enforcement officer with the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE), confirmed there is a notice of violation on the property to obtain a use‑and‑occupancy permit and said inspectors have been working with the owner to resolve property‑maintenance matters.
Neighbors and councilmembers raised concerns about runoff and possible stormwater management issues after reviewing historical aerial photos and site images. One councilmember characterized runoff visible in older images as “discolored yellow runoff,” and questioned whether prior paving and expansions had appropriate stormwater approvals. Applicant counsel and witnesses said some past expansions were under 5,000 square feet and therefore may have been exempt from certain stormwater‑management thresholds, and the record does not show an open stormwater‑management violation. The People Zoning Council recommended either adopting the examiner’s recommendation or remanding the matter so additional stormwater evidence could be placed into the record.
Councilmember DeNova asked that the matter be taken under advisement (a three‑week timeframe was mentioned on the record) so the parties and staff can resolve outstanding record and technical questions; no final roll‑call disposition on a final validation vote was recorded at the Feb. 9 session.
What happens next
The council’s clerks and staff will schedule the case for further consideration after the advisement period. DPIE and planning staff may be asked to gather and report additional stormwater and permit records so the council can determine whether validation of the use‑and‑occupancy permit is appropriate under the applicable ordinance.
