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Planning commission weighs request to let developer advance assisted-living site plan while PEC appeal remains pending
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Summary
Developers asked Sykesville's Planning Commission to allow simultaneous review of a PEC amendment and a site plan for Parcel B (an assisted-living facility); commissioners voiced legal and procedural concerns and deferred to a prior zoning-administrator determination.
On April 6, 2026, the Sykesville Planning Commission heard a request from Forkfield Companies and their contract purchaser, Thrive, to allow a concurrent review of a PEC (planned employment center) amendment and a site plan for Parcel B so the buyer can advance an assisted-living project.
"For the record, Steve McCleaf for Forkfield Companies," said Steve McCleaf, the property owner's representative, who told the commission the applicants understand the financial risks of moving forward while a separate PEC concept plan remains under appeal. McCleaf said much of the work for Parcels E and F, Parkside at Warfield and Parcel D would be identical across the competing plans and asked the commission for flexibility so the contract purchaser can perform under its contract.
County and town staff urged caution. Kevin, the staff planner, summarized the procedural background: the zoning administrator issued a process letter on Aug. 28, 2025, that explained that combining concept and preliminary PEC steps is permitted only as an exception; that determination was reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) in case 2025-04 and upheld verbally, and a final written decision is pending. Staff advised that site-plan review for Parcel B could be accepted for technical review but that applicants must accept the risks of concurrent processing.
Commissioners pressed the legal and policy implications. One commissioner asked, "How could we know as a commission which concept plan we were actually voting on at that point?" Another added, "I just don't see how we could rationally do that," noting the difficulty of applying PEC "synergy" standards when two different concept plans with different land-use mixes remain active.
Commission discussion also flagged the role of state housing law in the pending appeal. The applicant said the housing-law issue affects other portions of the property but does not change the site-specific impacts on Parcel B. Commissioners expressed concern about approving anything that might conflict with a BZA outcome or leave the town with two conflicting approved plans.
The commission did not vote to change the process at the meeting. The Chair reiterated the commission's recommendation that the applicant follow the zoning administrator's Aug. 28, 2025 letter and await finalized written decisions in pending BZA matters before filing a formal submittal for comprehensive amendments. The commission indicated it would evaluate any formal submittal on its merits under section 180-144 and the PEC standards once pending appeals are resolved.
Next steps: the applicant may pursue technical site-plan reviews at its own risk, but the Planning Commission expects written BZA outcomes and a formal submittal before taking final action on a PEC amendment.
