Woodside Land Investments LLC asked the Prince George’s County Zoning Hearing Examiner on Feb. 19 to approve a basic plan amendment that would divide roughly 100.84 acres out of the original Woodside Village assemblage and permit 359 to 368 single‑family detached homes.

The amendment, filed as A‑9973‑O3, would separate Parcels 1342 and a portion of Parcel 48 from the original basic plan approved in February 2007 under the Westphalia sector plan. Robert Antonetti, attorney for the applicant, told Hearing Examiner Maureen McNeil that the three separate basic plan amendments for Woodside Village together would allow a maximum combined density of 1,383 dwelling units — 114 fewer than the 1,497 units approved in the original 2007 plan.

The applicant and its witnesses described the proposal as a single‑family detached neighborhood with a density range of about 3.6 to 3.68 dwelling units per acre. Rachel Leitzinger, senior associate and project manager at Dewberry Engineers Inc., testified the amended basic plan shows approximately 28 acres of open space (including environmentally sensitive areas, stormwater management and recreation areas), about 13.4 acres of land to be dedicated for master‑plan rights‑of‑way, and six access points into the development.

Traffic consultant Michael Lenhart said his firm prepared a full traffic impact study because of the heavy amount of background development in Westphalia. Lenhart told the examiner that approving the amendment “will not substantially change the trip generation characteristics of what could be developed on this property based upon the existing zoning,” and that the detailed analysis required at preliminary plan shows the site can be served by the planned roadway network. He also noted some study intersections fail current tests and described the standard mitigations: a pro‑rata payment under the area’s Public Facilities Financing Program for the Route 4 at Westphalia Road intersection, funded interchange improvements at Suitland Parkway/Route 4 being constructed by the State Highway Administration, and signal warrant studies at two unsignalized intersections that could lead to signal installation if warranted or if another entity bonds the improvement prior to building permits.

Ken (Kenneth) Dunn, a land planner with Soltes, said the requested amendment responds to changed ownership and that dividing the original basic plan is necessary because the assemblage is no longer under common ownership. He testified the amendment meets the division criteria in section 27‑197(b) of the zoning ordinance and the basic plan approval criteria in section 27‑195(b), and that the amendment would not increase overall Woodside Village density beyond the originally approved total.

The Maryland‑National Capital Park and Planning Commission staff transmitted a technical staff report (identified in the hearing record as exhibit 74) recommending approval with eight conditions. Antonetti said the applicant supports the staff recommendation and agreed to submit, after the hearing, an exhibit showing nearby emergency services and a planning board memorandum dated Jan. 29, 2025, that lists modifications the planning board endorsed prior to transmitting the staff report to the examiner. The examiner said the record will close once those documents are received and noted the 30‑day period for a written decision begins following the hearing.

Environmental features shown on the amended basic plan include floodplain, streams, wetlands and their regulated Primary Management Areas (PMAs), including the main stem of Cabin Branch in the southern portion of the subject area and a small stream head in the northern portion. Leitzinger said those features and other technical matters will be addressed in subsequent applications, such as detailed site plans and preliminary plans of subdivision, if the basic plan amendment is approved.

No formal vote or final action by the examiner was recorded at the hearing. The applicant asked to keep the record open briefly to submit the planning‑board memo and the emergency‑services exhibit; the examiner agreed and said the record will close upon receipt of those items.

The hearing record now includes testimony and exhibits from the applicant team — attorney Robert Antonetti (Shipley & Horn), landowner representative Charles C. Edwards (managing member, Woodside Land Investments LLC), civil engineer Rachel Leitzinger (Dewberry Engineers Inc.), traffic engineer Michael Lenhart (Lenhart Traffic Consulting Inc.), and land planner Kenneth Dunn (Soltes) — plus the planning staff recommendation. The examiner indicated she will incorporate the additional documents into the record before issuing a written decision.