Design witness says landscape plan meets Howard County minimums; additional buffering possible

Design Collective’s landscape architect told the hearing that the schematic landscape plan submitted with the site-plan rezoning meets Howard County’s minimum landscape requirements for buffers, parking screening and dumpsters, and that the petitioner would likely supplement that with an additional landscape plan during site-development review.

Witness Brian Reetz described a retaining wall along the perimeter that creates grade separation between the proposed convenience store/car wash and the adjacent memorial park and said additional tree plantings and a 10-foot shared-use path along US Route 1 would improve streetscape canopy. He said the petitioner would be willing to increase a buffer from a light (type A) to a higher class (type C or D) if the board determined the adjoining use must be treated as residential.

Petitioner counsel suggested buffer and fencing conditions as ways to reduce visibility and noise impacts from the car-wash drive aisle; the hearing examiner asked the parties to include any proposed conditions in their written memoranda.