The Public Hearing in the second item is to amend the County's method of approving Growth Allocation.  If you'll remember, in early December 2000 the State conditionally approved the Growth Allocation (change from Resource Conservation to Intense Development) for Four Seasons.  The State Critical Area Commission then wrote QAC a letter on December 20th telling them their procedure should be brought into line with other counties.  Several Commission members thought it was improper for the County to ask the State to approve a project of the magnitude of Four Seasons before approving it themselves. 

From the Bay Times

Extra floor OK’d for new Narrows Hotel
 By TOM MARTIN
Business Writer; Bay Times 3/27/02

CENTREVILLE—The Queen Anne's County Planning Commission agreed that development of a new Kent Narrows hotel can move ahead under the "bonus floor area/height" option. 

While there was no formal vote, the consensus of the panel at its regular March meeting will allow C&T Land Inc. to move ahead with the design of an 85-room hotel and separate restaurant on land south of State Route 18 near the existing Gecko Inn restaurant.

Under stipulations set forward in the Kent Narrows Waterfront Village Center Development Handbook, C&T, owned by Walt Thompson, can get a bonus for floor area and height of the proposed new hotel by creating an appropriate public facility.

The public facility that Thompson is proposing is a boardwalk and observation deck that would he open to the public along the waterfront, and a pedestrian path on Wells Cove Road.

These facilities would connect to the Cross-Island Trail. In addition, the hotel property would be open to public parking during the annual Waterman's Festival.

For these facilities, Thompson wants a 60-foot tall building, which would allow him another story above the 45-foot limit set by current ordinances

In addition, the floor area would be increased to 60,000 square feet, more than the 41,582 permitted by ordinance on the 3.1-acre parcel.

Thompson said that his hospitality partner will be a Hilton Garden Inn, which features a design with rooms, suites and meeting facilities.

At this time a restaurant oper­ator has not been named. An initial design has been approved by the Kent Narrows Foundation.

His request follows a formula established  in  the  KNVCD Handbook, and supporting documents indicate that the greater value and size of the property would result in increased economic impact and tax revenue above the actual amount invested by the developer in the public amenity.

Documents prepared by McCrone Inc. indicate the improvements themselves would cost more than $180,000, in addition to making the property available to festival parking.

Another document prepared by Stevensville attorney Patrick E. Thompson indicated that including the public amenity the total capitalized value of the project would be $1.822 million, plus increased public access.

According to Thompson's calculations based on 6 percent of capitalization, there would be an additional $1 million in county taxes annually from various revenue streams if the "bonus" concept is utilized

Also according to the Thompson document, using U.S. Travel Association standards, when the hotel is operating at a "modest" 65 percent occupancy, tourists who stay there would spend more than $2.5 million annually. This would not include the payroll impact of 75 jobs in addition to money paid to vendors for hotel operations.

Expressing the commission's consensus was Patti Miller.

"I can say 'yes' if it has value to the county," she sald after a discussion about how the "value" of such a public facility can be weighed against the "value" of the bonus.

The discussion also looked at the corresponding value of the bonus commercial elements to the owner of the property.

Commission ex-officio member John McQueeney, who is also a county commissioner, said that there are alternatives to the public facility proposed by Thompson, including a cash donation to something the "county really wants."

He suggested that such a donation could be made to a museum concept at Kent Narrows that currently is running short of needed funding.

County economic development official Suzie Eakle said that Thompson's concept is "very consistent" with what the county wants in that area and for tourism development in general. If completed, Thompson's hotel would be the third at Kent Narrows.

Thompson is the owner and developer of the Sleep Inn in Grasonville, the Comfort Inn in Chestertown and a Sleep Inn Chincoteaque, Va.

In other business at its regular March  meeting,  the  Queen Anne's County Planning Commission:

·   Discussed a proposed ordinance text amendment offered by Barry Griffith of Lane Engineer­ing Inc. on behalf of Coastal South of Maryland, in which John Wilson is a principal.

      Coastal South has developed the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club at the Bay Bridge Marina, is a partner in Gibson's Grant and a hotel/retail center adjacent to the Bay Bridge Marina.

                The text amendment would create zoning for a "commercial-residential mixed-use housing de­velopment" in an urban commercial district.

                Although Wilson said that this is a "first step," he did not offer any details on a development proposal.

                A Wal-Mart, other commercial buildings, a 120-room hotel and a name-brand restaurant had been proposed on a parcel bordered by Pier One Road and U.S. 50/301 freeway at the Bay Bridge Gateway.

                The developer of the Wal-Mart and retail portion has recently indicated that a new site may be possible.

·     Approved a 90-day extension for the Grasonville Church of God, which is looking at options for expansion or a new site.

                The church has encountered problems in creating off-site parking sites for a proposed church expansion.

  Approved four agricultural preservation districts under the auspices of the Maryland Agri­cultural Land Preservation Program: 279.4 acres owned by Eliz­abeth and Henry Covington on Hibernia Road southwest of Centreville; 137.7 acres owned by Maria and George Morrison at White Marsh Road and U.S. 301; 169.5 acres owned by Mary and Charles Jackson near Tuckahoe State Park; and 28.6 acres owned by Bobbi and Dale Hickman at White Marsh Road and U.S. 301 adjacent to the Morrison parcel.

Pursuant to Section 1~177 of the Queen Anne's County Code, the Queen Anne's County Planning Commission hereby gives notice that they will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to the Queen Anne's County Critical Area Ordinance (Title 14 of the Queen Anne's  County Code). Section 14-177 is proposed for amendment to provide for a public hearing before the conceptual approval is granted by the County Commissioners on all Critical Area Growth  Allocation Petitions before conceptual approval is granted by the County Commissioners and the  petition is forwarded to the Critical Area Commission for its review and approval. The hearing will be held on:

The purpose of the public hearing before the Planning Commission is to pro­vide an opportunity for all interested persons to be heard on the proposed amendment to Section 14-177 of the Queen  Anne's County Code before the Planning Commission makes its final recommendation regarding the pro­posed amendment to the Queen Anne's County Commissioners.

The proposed amendments to Section 14-177 and all supporting documentation may be reviewed at the Department of Planning and Zoning, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, Maryland 21617  between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

All hearing sites are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Sign language interpreters and assistive listening systems will be available for individuals with hearing impairments. Please  contact Tina Miles at (410) 758-4406 or TDD (410) 758-2126 at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing date if any assistance is needed for this hearing.
 

RO 3/22 3/29 4/5 BT 3/27 4/3 4/10                                                                                                    E141 049

Return Home

Read More News