6/28/2006

County denies hearing for ‘Burbage property’
By Bob Lassahn

During the June 20 meeting the Worcester County Commissioners considered a letter from Palmer Gillis of Salisbury regarding a property located on Racetrack Road (Route 589) that he currently has under contract to purchase. The property is a 21 acre parcel known as “The Burbage Property,” located on the east side of Route 589 between the North Gate of Ocean Pines and the Route 90 interchange. Currently zoned B-1 (neighborhood business district), according to Ed Tudor director of Development Review and Permitting there have been rezoning requests in the past to reclassify the parcel to B-2 (general business district).

Mr. Gillis’s letter states it serves as notification of his intent to request public water and sewer facilities commenting “In order for improvements on this property to be able to take the fullest advantage of the current zoning and to provide services to the community, it is critical that public utilities be made available.” The letter describes a “mixed-use development in a neighborhood, village setting,” with intended uses listed as a hardware store, medical facilities, a bank, restaurant, professional offices, residential assisted living facilities and a day care facility, with build out of the project in five to seven years. He estimates a demand of 120 equivalent dwelling units (EDUs) of water and sewer for the proposed development.

According to Mr. Tudor the commissioners did not include the parcel in the Greater Ocean Pines Service Area and recommended against providing any capacity beyond what might be permitted with conventional septic disposal. He expressed concern that the provision of increased water and sewer allocations might be used as an argument to obtain the B-2 rezoning in order to maximize the financial return on the property and noted that some of the potential uses described by Mr. Gillis would not be allowed under current zoning.

An issue also exists regarding access to the property from Route 589 for any intense commercial development, a point Commissioner Tom Cetola stressed as good reason to deny the request. Mr. Cetola stated that until improvements are made to Route 589 and left turn issues from the property into the southbound lanes are resolved the traffic problems alone would be reason to deny the project.  Additionally Mr. Cetola referred to some possible wetlands issues that could factor into the extent of development.

Mr. Tudor also summarized that the letter did not meet the requirements to petition an expansion of a sanitary service area and recommended a hearing should not be scheduled. The commissioners voted unanimously to deny Mr. Gillis’s request for a hearing.

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