Developments, Fences, and Site Plans for the Gas Station on Sandstone

The Town of Walkersville’s Planning Commission’s meeting next week will be a regular public hearing rather than a workshop due to the number of items to be covered recently. Usually, the commission holds a workshop on the second Tuesday of each month followed by a public hearing on the fourth Tuesday.  While meeting less than two weeks ago, the Planning Commission voted to hold a public hearing rather than a workshop to get through their work load.

Of particular interest to the community, Ahmed Hudhud will present site plans to the Planning Commission for the long abandoned gas station on Sandstone Drive. Mr. Hudhud’s business, Walkersville Limited Liability Company, purchased the gas station last year at an auction. Since the property transfer in November, Mr. Hudhud has cleaned up the property and removed much of the contents that were left inside the convenience store portion of the gas station.

The property is zoned B-2 Shopping Center. Its use as a gas station was planned in 1998, but the previous owner Fuel Worx Incorporated failed to maintain the facility. The Maryland Department of Environment will not allow fuel to be delivered. According to MDE’s Oil Control Program Administrator, Christopher Ralston, “there are two open cases assocaited with that facility.” Mr. Ralston explained that legal actions taken against preclude him from answering “certain questions.”

Planning Commission member Michael Kuster stated, “I have no idea what Mr. Hudhud’s plans are for the property. Our packets included a copy of a site plan from almost twenty years ago.” The Town’s offices were closed when GladeValley.net received agenda for the meeting.

The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting also includes a review of site improvement plans for the Mill Run development on Pennsylvania Avenue and a transfer of property from the developer to one of the neighbors. That neighbor, Joseph Quinn, will be providing 0.0585 acres of land to the development, and receive 0.2599 acres of land behind his own property from Mayfair Properties, LLC, a company that lists Marvin Ausherman as president. The Mill Run development will be comprised of twenty-two homes on a cul-de-sac, which will be named Ports Circle in memory of a Walkersville service member who lost his life in service to our country.

Lastly, the Planning Commission will re-visit the proposed fence ordinance. The commission worked on this ordinance much of last year before presenting it to the Burgess and Town Commissioners. The Town Commissioners asked the Planning Commission to consider allowing fences up to eight feet tall in all zoning districts rather than six feet tall. Members of the Planning Commission discussed the request briefly at their January 27th meeting, but deferred any further action due to the late hour of that meeting.

The Planning Commission will meet on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. in Walkersville Town Hall.  The public is welcome to attend and comment on matters before the commission.