Park Place Apartments

Originally Published: February 25, 2024

Direct Impact on PAX/NAS Possible

The Planning Commission is set to review a proposed apartment project tomorrow night, with an interesting juxtaposition of development versus government and economic interests. Park Place Apartments, the project in question, is proposed on a 6 acre site behind SAIC and Holiday Inn in California. Four buildings, 160 apartments in total, will require 373 parking spaces but the Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) Staff Report notes only 303 are being provided. The remaining 70 spaces, the report says, will be shared with Holiday Inn.

Included in the Traffic Impact Study (TIS) are various relevant details that will have an impact on the development of this overall area. First, the traffic study accounts for three future developments. These include the Gott Company Car Wash at the corner of 235/California Blvd; Tidal Wave Car Wash at the corner of MD 4/MD 235; and a Honda/Kia Dealership near the MD4/MD 235 intersection. The car washes will generate a projected 780 average daily trips (ADT) each, while the dealership will generate 1332. I have posted about each of these projects in the past on this page, find links in the comments of this post.

Those projects are important to consider because the Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPWT) will secure right of ways for future road construction. Abell House Way will, eventually, be extended towards Route 4, intersecting with California Blvd and running behind the Gott Car Wash and Honda Dealership. The traffic study considered this road being complete up to California Blvd by the time these apartments would have residents.

Traffic Concepts found Park Place Apartments will generate 1035 ADT, while adding 21 “critical trips” to the MD235/Shady Mile Drive intersection. The project developer proposes mitigation by restriping the north bound right turn lane to make it an auxiliary lane. This would allow traffic intending to turn right at the Route 4 intersection to merge out earlier, before Shady Mile Drive. I’d imagine drivers already do this frequently even though it’s technically not allowed. The change removes the existing bicycle pocket lane and restripe the shoulder for bicycle access. Without this change, the MD 235/Shady Mile Dr intersection would be downgraded from a D Level of Service (LOS) to an F LOS during evening peak traffic.

The intersection of Park Place Way/MD 235 is a right-in/right-out only setup on northbound 235. According to the TIS, the new apartments will likely cause significant “stop approach delays” which will cause an unacceptable LOS here. If the right turn lane before Shady Mile Dr becomes an auxiliary through lane, it’s likely to back up with people slowing down to turn right at Park Place. With this level of impact, “St. Mary’s County requires that the intersection be reviewed to determine” need for signalization according to the TIS. But signalization is not an option because the intersection is right-in/right-out only. Further, because of the current lane setup, there is no model by which to analyze potential traffic impacts.

Despite these facts, Traffic Concepts recommends approval of the project with inclusion of the lane restripe as a traffic mitigation measure. Interestingly, the report says a traffic study was originally completed in 2008 for this site. At the time, 30 single family homes and 8 townhomes were planned here. But because the Harris Teeter gas station used the remaining additional daily vehicle trips accounted for in the original study, a new study was required.

One neighboring resident has already submitted testimony with stormwater management and traffic concerns. Another neighboring property owner, COPT Defense Properties, has also submitted a letter against the current concept plan. Written by Anne Mead, Director of Corporate Counsel for the company, the letter explains potential national security concerns. One of the apartment buildings would be directly behind the SAIC building, owned by COPT, which houses “primarily mission critical defense contractor tenants.” COPT requests the Planning Commission to consider “the siting of structures, related site improvements and relationships with surrounding development,” as quoted from the St. Mary’s County Zoning Ordinance. The apartment building would “negatively impact…mission critical national defense tenant base of our adjacent office building and the value and investment of the commercial center.” COPT’s suggestion is to swap apartment building one with a section of parking lot near Holiday Inn.

Public comment is on the agenda for this meeting. In the past when a project proposal has a number of in depth items to be considered, the meeting has often run long causing a continuance. If that happens, it’s likely public comment will not be accepted until the scheduled follow up meeting. But it is worth showing up to listen and watch the process unfold. Additionally, you will show the public is interested and committed to development.

Use this event link to remind yourself, and get meeting details: https://fb.me/e/14AfvfQ6u