Planners OK new shopping center at 235/4 intersection

St. Mary's Marketplace to span 121,000 square feet of space

Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

Called St. Mary's Marketplace, it would bring 121,242 square feet of retail space to 14 acres at the intersection. It still needs approval from the county commissioners to cross a utility right of way, though.

The stores going into the center haven't been finalized yet. The project would connect FDR Boulevard from Route 4 to Wildewood's portion off Route 235 and add lanes to Route 4 for future expansion.

Bay Country shopping center will eventually be torn down and replaced as green space. That section of land will be donated to the Maryland State Highway Administration for the future expansion of the Route 4/Route 235 intersection, which is being planned as an urban intersection.

Attorney John B. Norris III, representing owner DRS Development, said Tuesday, "In today's dollars that property should easily sell for more than $5 million; what it might be worth when and if the State Highway Administration constructs improvements to that intersection is unknown."

Members of the planning commission liked the artist renderings of the planted buffer yards and design of the potential businesses. Merl Evans noted First Colony shopping center's berm across the street. "They can't maintain grass on it. It has very few trees," he said.

The two entrances off Route 4 into Bay Country and Burke's will be eliminated for a single access farther back from the Route 235 intersection and a turn lane will be added to go onto FDR Boulevard for additional access to St. Mary's Marketplace.

A relocation plan has been submitted to county government for the remaining residents of Burke's trailer park.

The planning commission voted 6-1 to approve the project, with Susan McNeill voting no.

Shelby P. Guazzo said, "This has been a very difficult decision for me to make." She said the use was too intense for the failing intersection but the proffers from the developer "touch one of my soap boxes," as it allows for the expansion of Route 4. "The proffers are enough to overcome the intensity of this development," she said.

Norris said of the remaining approvals left, "It is my hope that reasonable minds will continue to prevail so that, through collaborative efforts of the county and the property owner, intersection improvements and the completion of this section of FDR Boulevard can be accomplished and jobs created to aid our local economy."

jbabcock@somdnews.com