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| Three articles
of interest from Wed. 3/28 Capital. Please
note the meeting on the Rt. 8 Corridor Study (traffic) (in red), April
11, and put it on your calendars. The study included projected growth
numbers for new development you should be aware of. KIDL will
be releasing actual figures from the Kimley-Horn & Associates study
in the very near future.
Rt. 8 to be expanded to
four lanes
The county plans to expand Route 8 from two lanes to four as part of a long-term revamping of the much-used road. To gauge residents' opinions, Department of Public Works officials will present details at 6:30 p.m. April 11 in the Percy Thomas Senior Center in Stevensville. "The Stevensville area is experiencing a lot of growth and we want to make sure we do the right thing first," said Todd Mohn, the DPW deputy director. The preliminary plan calls for adding two lanes to the 4.5 mile-stretch of road from Kent Island High School to Batts Neck Road and building access roads that would give homeowners safer access to their driveways as well as direct traffic to fewer intersections. "The number of access areas along the corridor needs to be addressed so you don't have a bunch of little driveways up Route 8," Mr. Mohn said. If growth warrants it, these intersections would eventually feature traffic signals. The county has already approved plans to install a traffic light at the intersection at the Chesapeake Bay Business Park. "We will probably have that lit up by late May or early June," Mr. Mohn said. Although the project cost hasn't been determined, it will be shared by the state, county and developers who build along the corridor. "It could take a couple years or it could happen sooner if there are developers building along the corridor," he said. Earlier this year, the county's Board of Commissioners approved an interim adequate facilities ordinance requiring developers to show that existing county facilities -- roads, sewer, water and schools -- could handle the impact of their project, or they would have to provide those facilities themselves. One development the county is already considering for approval along the corridor is a 172-home subdivision east of Route 8 behind Kmart. The county's Sanitary Commission held a public hearing on the proposed development last week and will vote on whether to grant sewer allocation as soon as next week. Stevensville resident Robin Flounlacker, who lives in Tower Gardens of the Bay at the end of Route 8, fears the county will approve several new residential developments along the corridor as long as the developers are willing to pay for the improvements to the road. "Instead of it taking me 10 minutes to get to my house, it will take 20 minutes," she said, calling the expansion plan "scary." Mrs. Flounlacker, a member of the growth-monitoring Kent Island Defense League, said she plans to try to get as many people as possible to the April 11 meeting. "I don't think people understand that this plan could allow for development," she said. Published March 28,
2001, The Capital, Annapolis,
Md.
GOP Claims Davis Conflict By MARGOT MOHSBERG Kent Island Staff Writer The county Republican Central Committee
has asked Commissioner Marlene Davis to abstain from voting on the controversial
Four Seasons on Kent Island development because her family's business could
benefit from it.The group made the request in an advertisement in a local
newspaper on Wednesday after learning that Mrs. Davis' husband, Ronald
Richard Davis, and son, Rick, attended a meeting of local contractors held
by K. Hovnanian Cos, the Virginia-based developer of the 1,350-home, age-restricted
project in Stevensville and Chester. Mrs. Davis, D-Queenstown, is a partner
in the business, R&D Electric. ``She
knows the rules and regulations,'' said Ted Moeller,
Safeway plans bigger KI
store
Safeway plans to build a new, much larger grocery store next door to its existing one on Route 8 (18?) in Chester. Company officials, who submitted their application to the county in mid-December, are revising their proposal for a 67,000-square-foot building on nearly 10 acres recently owned by Lois Lowery. Once the county's Staff Technical Advisory Committee reviews the plan, it will go to the Planning Commission for approval, according to county planner Sue Ann Hyer-Morgan. She doesn't expect that to happen until at least May. Safeway officials haven't told county officials what they plan to do with the existing 39,000-square-foot store which anchors the plaza. "That's the $10,000 question," Ms. Hyer-Morgan said. "Our concern is that it does not remain vacant. Unfortunately, we can not tie occupancy of that building to the county's approval. Our code does not allow us to do that." Tom Castleberry, vice president of real estate for Safeway's Eastern Division, said the building will most likely be occupied by a clothing store. "Kent Towne Market is almost or is fully leased so it should not be difficult to find someone to fill that space," he said. As for the new store, it will feature a Starbucks coffee shop, a SunTrust bank and more natural and prepared foods, Mr. Castleberry said. "The current store is 15 or 16 years old," he said. "It was time to provide the shoppers with the next generation of Safeway store." "It's not news that Kent Island has grown dramatically since we first opened our store. We needed a larger store and more parking." The county has some control over what the new building will look like since it is located in the Chester Town Center zoning district, Ms. Hyer-Morgan said. "Because you will be able to see the building from both Route 50 and Route 18, we are working with the company to make sure we get as nice a looking building as possible," she said. Safeway must also go before the county Sanitary Commission for sewer allocation. The commission, which is made up of the Board of County Commissioners, will then hold a public hearing on the request. Ms. Lowery and her family will continue to run their popular stand, Lowery's Produce, on their property across the street from the Safeway. No one answered the phone at the business yesterday. Published March 28, 2001, The
Capital, Annapolis, Md.
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