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Caroline County BZA approves 9.35-acre expansion of Old Town Materials mine with setback modification
Summary
The Caroline County Board of Zoning Appeals granted Old Town Materials LLC a special-use exception and a modification of the county’s 200-foot setback to allow a 9.35-acre interior expansion of an existing sand-and-gravel mine, subject to final site-plan approval and submission of the MDE mining permit.
The Caroline County Board of Zoning Appeals on Nov. 18 approved a special-use exception and a 200-foot setback modification for Old Town Materials LLC to expand its existing mine by 9.35 acres.
Chair Karen Hardy read the notice and staff reviewed exhibits and the regulatory issue: the original mine approval predated the current 200-foot setback requirement, and the proposed expansion area falls outside the previously permitted MDE mining permit, so the applicant requested a setback modification. Assistant Director Matt Kaczynski summarized staff findings and noted the planning commission had given a positive recommendation on the setback reduction.
Cheryl Tomey of Lane Engineering described Phase 3 as a mostly interior expansion over a parcel of dilapidated farm buildings and a farmhouse, saying the expansion would add roughly one year to the mine’s life and would not change truck volumes or operating hours. ‘‘There’s no additional trucks. There’s no change to the timing for this,’’ Tomey said, and noted existing berms and proposed replanting to screen the operation.
Francis Gardner, a member of Old Town Materials LLC, told the board there have been no trespassing incidents, no calls for emergency services, and no nearby residences that would be affected; an economic appraisal and a traffic analysis were included in the applicant’s packet. The applicant’s representative asked the board to consider county code section 75-171 and concluded the application met standards for public health, safety, and property values.
Board members asked technical questions about industrial standards, employee counts and on-site storage; Tomey said the operation employs five to six people, has a small on-site office, and uses mobile fuel delivery rather than fixed fuel storage. The board discussed the minimal new disturbance within the 200-foot setback (presentations referenced figures of ‘‘just over 1,200 square feet’’ and staff cited about 1,287 square feet of new disturbance in the setback and a separate 4,062-square-foot total disturbance figure) and concluded impacts were limited.
A member moved to approve the special-use exception and 200-foot setback modification, subject to conditions including final site-plan approval by the Caroline County Planning Commission and submission of the MDE surface-mining permit before issuance of a zoning certificate or building permit; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The approval requires the applicant to obtain final approvals and provide the MDE surface-mining permit to county staff before any development under the approval may proceed.
