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State highway, Health Department and county engineers flag multiple issues for proposed Old Post Road equipment-storage site
Summary
A proposal for commercial vehicle and equipment storage at 507–511 Old Post Road drew multiple required corrections at the Feb. 18 DAC meeting: the Health Department flagged an unpermitted well in a proposed stormwater pond and extensive OSDS requirements; State Highway demanded a right‑of‑way dedication and sight‑distance work; county engineering required stormwater and permit approvals.
Shane Grimm of SPG76 Consulting Solutions, representing Bay State Land Services and the applicant, described a Site Plan to use about 4.05 acres on Old Post Road for commercial vehicle and equipment storage primarily for construction work. The parcel lies in the General Industrial (GI) district and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Limited Development Area.
Julian Laude of the Harford County Health Department said the plan as submitted lacks an acceptable water supply for the dwelling that would remain at 511 Old Post Road and that “the well shown on the plan is an unpermitted well and is located in a proposed stormwater management pond which is unacceptable.” He instructed the applicant to propose a new well location that meets COMAR setback requirements or show public‑sewer connections; if systems remain, all OSDS components must be shown, inspected and certified by an MDE‑licensed inspector, including hydraulic load testing. He also required wet‑season percolation tests and that initial and repair OSDS be shown, noting a 10,000‑square‑foot septic reserve area is required for any additional future building footprints.
Department of Public Works engineering staff required a new plan series, a sediment control plan, a Stormwater Management Concept and Final Plan and related approvals before grading permits would be issued. The DPW also said a 20‑foot access easement to the stormwater facility and an approved outfall are necessary; maintenance responsibilities for stormwater facilities must be specified in association documents. DPW staff additionally recommended investigating whether an Industrial Stormwater NPDES permit will be required.
The State Highway Administration, as read into the record by Crysta Draayer, said it could not approve the Site Plan as submitted and listed specific needs: “The SHA will require a right‑of‑way dedication along the frontage of the site,” shoulder improvements per SHA criteria, a site‑distance evaluation and profile, standard commercial entrance radii, and likely vegetation clearing or moving the entrance to the east to improve sight distance.
Planning and Zoning noted the site is in the Critical Area and that any new impervious surface and vegetation removal will require mitigation; the plan currently proposes 13.8 percent lot coverage (the maximum allowed is 15 percent), but the Site Plan shows a 30‑foot rear yard setback while Table 60‑3 of the Harford County Zoning Code requires a 35‑foot rear yard for motor‑vehicle uses in the GI district. A Declaration of Intent was requested and a landscape/lighting plan is under review.
Next steps for the applicant include submitting a revised Site Plan that addresses the Health Department’s well/OSDS requirements, DPW’s stormwater and permit requirements, SHA’s right‑of‑way and sight‑distance items, and Planning and Zoning’s Critical Area mitigation and setback corrections before permits or final approvals can proceed.
