Update: Charlotte Hall Station
McKay’s To Open New Liquor Store
Construction is underway at Charlotte Hall Station, a new shopping center on southbound Route 5 between Golden Beach Road and 7/11. Weis is building a 60K square foot (SF) grocery store with a pharmacy, Amazon pickup, Starbucks kiosk, and a salad/hot bar area according to blueprints. Additionally, Weis Gas-n-Go will front Route 5 on the corner of the center’s main entrance.
The grocery chain will anchor a shopping strip which includes Building C, a nearly 8600 SF space, and Building D at 11,500 SF. Building D is intended to split into smaller retail spaces. Free standing Building E, at just over 8700 SF, is slated for general retail space. Buildings F and H, both about 4K SF, are listed as “financial institution,” while Building G is listed as a restaurant on major site plan documents. It’s unknown what businesses may occupy most of these spaces, but one is slated for a liquor and gift store.
Building C, immediately next to Weis, will soon be home to McKay’s Grapes, Grains & Gatherings. Thomas McKay appeared before the Alcohol Beverage Board (ABB) in November 2024 to request a Class A beer, wine, and spirits license for the location at 30005 Three Notch Road. McKay said the business will be “unique to the marketplace” and will feature domestic and international beer and wine, specialty cheeses and charcuteries, as well as home and entertaining goods and gifts.
Mr. McKay said Weis intends to open in the summer of this year, and his store intends to open around the same time. A board member asked what inspired this type of store. McKay said the store would merge his various retail experiences “to create a vibrant, upscale shopping experience for women and men.” He continued, “this has always been one of my goals, to have female friendly atmospheres so they feel comfortable where they’re shopping.”
David Willenborg, ABB Chair, asked Mr. McKay about his brother wanting to open a liquor store on the same property in the past. Approvals for that store were renewed several times as the plans for a new McKay’s grocery store stalled for nearly a decade. “There is only one remaining liquor license up there,” Willenborg said. Continued extensions reserve the license from use, and Willenborg expressed concern about that happening again. McKay demurred, saying “there’s no better place to put this license than here.” McKay, and his brother, are partners in the company, McKay Family Charlotte Hall, which has since sold the property. The newly proposed store would be owned in partnership with his wife, Laschelle.
In June 2024, Mr. McKay signed major site plan (MSP) documents for Charlotte Hall Station as “Developer” for McKay Family Charlotte Hall LLC. The same documents list Parlett Family LLC and CMI Group LLC, owned by Catherine Parlett and John Parlett, respectively, as owners of the property. The MSP was approved by Land Use & Growth Management on August 8, 2024. On August 23, 2024, Oaks Joint Venture LLP sold the property to Weis Markets Inc. Oaks Joint Venture is a partnership between CMI Properties LLC, Parlett Family LLC, and Burch Properties LLC (managing member: Donald Burch). Whatever ownership interest McKay still had in the property was likely voided in that sale, prior to his November appearance before the ABB.
A unanimous decision by the ABB approved McKay’s application for the Class A license for 180 days, after which an extension is needed.
