Carvana seeks reapproval of expired site plan, asks to waive interior landscaping for vehicle storage

Jody Walker of Harris Mergen Associates told the commission that the Carvana plan for Frederick Commerce Center Lot 2 is a reapproval of a plan previously approved in 2001 but lapsed before construction. “This plan was previously approved in, 2001, and since its approval, the site plan has since expired,” Walker said, explaining the firm seeks site-plan reapproval now that market conditions have improved.

Walker described one requested modification: relief from the LMC requirement that parking lots larger than 20 spaces provide 10% interior landscaping for the vehicle-storage areas where Carvana will store inventory. He explained that vehicle-storage areas are not visitor parking and that trees over inventory create cleaning burdens from leaf and bird droppings; as a compensating measure the visitor parking area will provide 15.9% interior landscaping rather than the required 10%. “That modification refers to the vehicle storage areas,” Walker said, adding that visitor and guest parking near the building will meet or exceed interior landscaping requirements.

Commissioners asked staff for clearer numeric presentation in the staff report and a table that shows what the modification would change in square feet and percentage terms. Staff clarified the modification being requested is elimination of interior landscaping for vehicle-storage areas and offered to include precise calculations in the hearing packet. Commissioners also confirmed forest/airport-easement replanting requirements had been completed where required. There was no public comment on the Carvana item at the workshop; the applicant and staff said they would provide requested numeric calculations and photometrics in the hearing submittal.