O’Reilly’s Auto Parts

Originally Published: December 6, 2024

Three St. Mary’s Locations Planned

St. Mary’s County could soon have three O’Reilly’s Auto Parts stores, one each in Charlotte Hall, Hollywood, and Lexington Park. The influx of commercial chain stores with multiple locations–Royal Farms, Chipotle, Dollar General, etc.--continues in areas identified as development districts and town centers in the county’s Comprehensive Plan (CP).

Town Centers include Charlotte Hall, New Market, Mechanicsville, Hollywood, and Piney Point; Village Centers–Chaptico, Loveville, Clements, Callaway, St. Inigoes, Valley Lee, and Ridge; and Rural Service Centers–Avenue, Budds Creek, Dameron, Helen, Oraville, Park Hall, and St. James. The two development districts are Leonardtown, within town limits, and Lexington Park, which stretches from Wildewood to Hermanville Road. Various levels of commercial, residential, and infrastructure development are allowed in these areas, with large concentrations in development districts and town centers, and more limited in village and rural centers.

O’Reilly’s purchased two acres at 21400 Suburban Dr, with frontage along Great Mills Road, from Commercial Parcel D LLC, owned by Rachelle Millison, in April 2023. Valued at $357K before the sale, the land was reassessed this year with a value of $589K. O’Reilly’s paid $625K for the property, 43% over the valuation according to tax records. The Planning Commission (PC) approved the concept site plan in June 2023. A major site plan was submitted to Land Use & Growth Management (LUGM) in January 2024, with relevant agencies (Metcom, Health Dept., State Highway, etc) granting approvals throughout the year. Plans show a 7100 square foot (SF) building, 37 parking spaces, and access from both Great Mills Rd and Suburban Dr. An April 2023 adequate public facilities report from the Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPWT) states the development will generate 305 average daily trips (ADT). This development is within the Lexington Park development district.

In Hollywood, 23836 Mervell Dean Rd, between Dollar General and Tractor Supply, is the site for O’Reilly’s. Last assessed in 2023, the property was valued at $284K, an increase from $259K. O’Reilly’s purchased it for $475K in September 2023 from Moran Property 235 LLC, owned by James Moran. The purchase price is 40% over the 2023 assessed value. The PC approved the concept plan in January 2023, and LUGM approved the major site plan in July 2024. Within the Hollywood town center, just under 7500 SF, this location has 37 parking spaces, access from Mervell Dean Rd, and will add 319 ADTs to the area.

Charlotte Hall Commons, adjacent to the VA Clinic, may be the future location of O’Reilly’s in north county. Sheetz has already been approved at the corner of Route 5 and John Knight Dr. Parcels are being subdivided, and the online commercial listing for this development shows O’Reilly’s with a 7200 SF building on one of these lots. In May 2023 Michelle Brackett, a paralegal for the auto parts chain, wrote to LUGM requesting zoning confirmation for the property. LUGM confirmed the land use is mixed-use, moderate-intensity, zoned Town Center Mixed Use (TMX), and “use type 77, retail sales, limited is a permitted use in the TMX zoning district,” in a response.

Survey records from September 2023 document easement subdivisions permitting MetCom to install public water and sewer when it “determines that a connection is feasible.” The commercial development must be served by a private septic system, setting aside 10K SF of drainage area on site. However, the agreement requires the development's connection to public services once infrastructure is installed. John Parlett signed the document “in his capacity as President of Parlett Affiliated Companies, LLC in its capacity as Manager of Charlotte Hall Commerce Center, LLC” which is the owner of Charlotte Hall Commons. Parlett Affiliated Companies, LLC is also involved, in some capacity, with other developments in Charlotte Hall including Wawa, Tractor Supply, Charlotte Hall Self-Storage, Charlotte Hall Station–the upcoming home of Weis–as well as Park Place Apartments in California, among others.

Commercial developers are often responsible for infrastructure upgrades, providing easements for utilities or financing road improvements, installing traffic signals and sidewalks, and absorbing other utility construction within their project. This is the reality of larger scale commercial and residential development. The government cannot alone afford costs of infrastructure improvements. Improvements often take years to complete because infrastructure is not forward funded in the county budget. If a development is put on hold, for whatever reason, so are the agreed to improvements. A good example is the lack of a lane to turn right on FDR Blvd from Route 4. The road improvement was agreed to by the developer of Chesapeake FDR Apartments, FDR Development LLC. In a written request for extension of their approval, Mark Higgs said “we expect improving multifamily market conditions” will lead to major site plan submission “to the County in the coming months.”

With the Comprehensive Plan revision process kicking off, now is the time for community members across the county to get involved with creating a vision for the next 30 years. Visit https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/StMarys2050/ and join the mailing list to receive notice for upcoming meetings and other opportunities. Housing, transportation, development, growth, human services, and other important subjects are all considered. Without resident input the lasting effects of revisions, and the zoning ordinances that result, may be problematic.