[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6589614,"mediaKeyId","5545560-5b260b40e84162954bc08072f1014445","parentId",5545560,"title","Commissioners approve rezoning of 22.86-acre parcel near Atlantic General Hospital to R-3 multifamily","audioSeconds",3596,"startMs",1786000,"endMs",5382000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5545560-5b260b40e84162954bc08072f1014445&start=1786&end=5382","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5545560-5b260b40e84162954bc08072f1014445/thumbnail_1786000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6589614/Worcester-County/Maryland/Commissioners-approve-rezoning-of-2286-acre-parcel-near-Atlantic-General-Hospital-to-R-3-multifamily","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589614-77cae2dab267be0ecaa5315cd90d8dc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447646&Signature=YHhn7yr7kGhclV3xD0tCzDaFt0ffCuGNtupfFsLBplTMEv8~HIWipmJ9JRC5-6YBlyYS3R9zDFNnBpjspmYE0F-uJJGxpHo5kmgG27deaXoP0ReJQgX8xV~CYX3NmHy04tkP-mydXafp4Rvws7Cdijob52CRwifGEsthmjRloXNJ9CuDZl6472XJssrtwwF0HLYCobZ-tLNUP5IGtP637bmCmWqYWJlS5hklpyUUo3aLOoAe2150lAsAsuVVqlJ~sM3DzoYHVnC7derBcsmk3lPICf-7DsziDWRqTjg5RUL3pNyESvwTe7UaU9SrFUI7wvayUfYnd41Ag0KCLHJctg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Worcester","date","2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-0, with one commissioner absent, to approve rezoning case 447 that reclassifies two parcels totaling 22.86 acres on Racetrack Road from C-2 general commercial to R-3 multifamily residential.

Jennifer Keener, director of Development Review and Permitting, opened the public hearing and summarized the planning commission\u000finding that the area has experienced a change in character and that multifamily residential would be compatible as a transition between single-family neighborhoods and highway commercial uses. Keener noted the parcels are in the county's Existing Developed Area land-use category.

Hugh Cropper, attorney for Maryland Medical Owners 2, LLC and Maryland Medical Owners 3, LLC, told the commission the property\fonsists of two parcels (7.62 acres and 15.24 acres) and argued R-3 residential would be less impactful than commercial uses. \"With lights, you could put a car dealership there, you could put a Wawa, you could put a Royal Farm,\" Cropper said, adding that \"in every respect, the lights are gonna be less impactful\" with residential.

The applicant and its consultants offered three formal proffers as conditions of approval: to retain the recorded forest conservation easement along the rear of the property (a 100-foot buffer), to install a six-foot vinyl privacy fence on the site's side facing Ocean Pines, and to prohibit any vehicular connection through Ocean Pines. The developer
lso committed that the fence would be maintained by the future homeowner association or equivalent entity.

Landscape architect Steve Engle and traffic engineer Carl Wilson testified in support. Engle described the recorded forest conservation area as a permanent protective agreement (PPA) and said the applicant would stipulate the buffer remain in place. Traffic engineer Carl Wilson said traffic counts and modeling — including updated July counts — find the existing signalized intersection at the Atlantic General Hospital campus operates at Level of Service A and that a 137-unit multifamily development would not materially worsen operations. \"All the intersections are going to be at the same level of service with or without the development of the site,\" Wilson testified.

Residents who live immediately behind the parcel spoke during public comment. Yvonne Fields, who said she lives at 6 Little John Court and is 88 years old, said she feared losing the trees that currently provide privacy; commissioners and the applicant noted the recorded forest conservation easement and the proffered fence as protections. Roger Brethorst, a nearby homeowner, asked about notice and expressed longstanding concern about development and lighting along the corridor.

Commission debate focused on technical conditions, the extent of the forest buffer and whether the protective agreement could be altered in the future. County staff and the applicant explained that the PPA is a recorded forest conservation easement under county controls; staff said any future release of county-held easement would require a public process and action by the commissioners.

Keener and Cropper clarified process steps that follow rezoning: because the project would exceed 20 units, it must proceed through the Residential Planned Community process (step 1 concept plan with technical review committee and Planning Commission review, then step 2 master plan, and a final step 3 for subdivision or site plan). Keener estimated the development review timeline at roughly 18 months to two years from concept to final approval.

After public comment and discussion, the commission voted to approve rezoning case 447 (motion to approve made on the record; second not specified in transcript). The recorded vote was six in favor, none opposed, one absent.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Worcester - County Commissioners Meetings","oneSentenceSummary","The Worcester County Commissioners voted 6-0, with one commissioner absent, to approve rezoning case 447 that reclassifies two parcels totaling 22.86 acres on Racetrack Road from C-2 general commercial to R-3 multifamily residential.","taxTitle","Worcester County, Maryland","taxId",53952,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6589618,"Worcester County endorses Route 589 regional water and sewer study",205,1212000,1417000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5545560-5b260b40e84162954bc08072f1014445&start=1212&end=1417","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5545560-5b260b40e84162954bc08072f1014445/thumbnail_1212000.jpg","/articles/6589618/Worcester-County/Maryland/Worcester-County-endorses-Route-589-regional-water-and-sewer-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589618-21f966b4934a28628f04c9d935cbff35/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447646&Signature=lH0HYA~yZIk2wi-QyXO70JGhIhDQ3pOgzj4G6c7SjpMBtdWj6nNbnu11cUCnuzoryYre~hP4PJlnl86NtxdwdTGnl8OjucU9b64DqmrbGzESaeJrvXZ3sknI94UsMTw4MKTCgOIUUHdIt8PMoU12Y8BLxbeV4v~1q0NjQIVmav1ednmBz93P0FqpwWDiMqmLC3w1xvbQrdT4qETdfN6RoLw19hT~GZ6w6jQC8PSIxlrVVg9oxuWPXiE-ba0rmtCe04WWJxPvid3WYPihHcxOZdV1GsjLLACSMpFqkhAF0msdMIhog6XtShKng88A1-3o1pDnyYou3L63CFqVwwJx3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Worcester County Public Works Director Dallas Baker presented a county-commissioned study on a proposed regional water and sewer framework for the Route 589 corridor and the commissioners voted to endorse the study at their Aug. 5 meeting.

The study, prepared by GMB, evaluates water main sizes, force main routing and lift-station needs for the corridor south of Pennington Commons and north of U.S. 50 where no planned county water or sewer currently exists. \"Our goal with this study is to answer that question, provide a framework so that as developers come in, they're aware of what the county's needs are,\" Baker said.

The plan aims to standardize pipe sizing and pump-station locations so individual developments do not build undersized systems that must be replaced later, Baker told the commission. He said the county also intends to limit the number of pump stations because each adds long-term maintenance costs for pumps and generators.

Commissioner Metresick moved to endorse the Southern Maryland 589 Regional Water and Sewer Plan; Commissioner Fiore seconded. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor with one commissioner absent.

The endorsement is an advisory action, not a construction authorization. Baker said the county will share the plan with prospective developers so they understand expected pipe sizes and fire-flow requirements; he explicitly described the document as a planning framework rather than a commitment to build mains or stations.

The vote came as part of a regular agenda item; commissioners had no substantive debate after Baker's presentation and expressed support for getting ahead of development pressures on the corridor.

Short-term next steps are procedural: the endorsed study will be made available to developers and used as a guide in permitting and plan review. Any actual public construction or county-funded extensions would require separate budget approvals and project-level decisions in the future.","The Worcester County Commissioners unanimously endorsed a study outlining recommended water and sewer infrastructure for the Route 589 corridor, a planning step to guide future development but not a commitment to build facilities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners approve rezoning of 22.86-acre parcel near Atlantic General Hospital to R-3 multifamily

Worcester County endorses Route 589 regional water and sewer study