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Residents press developer and staff on traffic safety during Liberty Exchange site plan review
Summary
At a concept review for Liberty Exchange in Eldersburg, residents and the Planning and Zoning Commission pressed the developer and county staff to address driver compliance at a three‑way stop and nearby access points; staff said SHA and County Public Works will be engaged and asked the developer to show mitigation when the plan returns.
The Carroll County Planning and Zoning Commission on May 19 reviewed an amended concept site plan for Liberty Exchange in Eldersburg and heard multiple residents urge targeted traffic mitigation at the existing three‑way stop at Old Liberty Road and Exchange Drive.
Amy Barcroft of the county's development review division presented the amendment, which proposes two 9,500‑square‑foot retail buildings (Lots 1 and 3) within the existing Liberty Exchange business park and would increase parking for the park to 964 spaces. Barcroft said a traffic impact study for the business park was completed in 2007 for higher‑impact uses and that the previously required off‑site mitigation has already been constructed; engineering review concluded the lower‑impact retail uses proposed now do not require additional off‑site mitigation. She noted concept stormwater approval and that forest conservation had been satisfied.
Homeowners from adjacent subdivisions addressed the commission with specific safety concerns. Mike Myers, secretary of the Summers Hollow HOA, asked the developer to re‑post no‑construction‑traffic signs and to instruct contractors to avoid using neighborhood streets. “We hope Saint John Properties can post the signs again when they begin construction and inform their contractors to stay off of our streets,” Myers said. Residents Lisa Masano and Laura Thorpe said drivers frequently ignore the three‑way stop because they are watching the nearby traffic signal on Liberty Road; they urged rumble strips, flashing stop signs or other low‑cost measures and requested a firmer follow‑up from the county and State Highway Administration (SHA).
Commissioners and staff clarified jurisdiction: Exchange Drive is private (controlled by the developer), Old Liberty Road is county‑maintained and Liberty Road is a state highway. Staff said citizens' concerns had been forwarded to SHA; County Department of Public Works engineering staff will coordinate with SHA and law enforcement. Commissioners asked the developer to return with specific measures showing how they would address (1) driver compliance and visibility at the three‑way stop north of Old Liberty and (2) the western access point for Lot 1 (options such as right‑turn only or other geometric changes to reduce conflicts with nearby Garraway/Exchange Drive). The developer said it would maintain pavement markings and look into tenant communications about construction traffic.
The Planning and Zoning Commission did not take formal action on the concept plan; it provided direction to staff and the developer and requested the plan return with the requested traffic‑mitigation details.
Next steps: Staff will coordinate with SHA and the Department of Public Works and expect the developer to present revised site plans addressing the intersection and access issues at the next submittal.
