History, Development to Clash Before Board of Appeals

The Anne Arundel County Board of Appeals will begin hearing arguments this week in a case of a proposed townhouse development on North Patxuent Road and Becknel Avenue.

Elm Street Development has proposed building 48 townhouses and three single family homes just west of the MARC Station.

The Office of Planning and Zoning approved sketch plans for the project in July, signing off on a series of modifications from the town's master plan. 

The Odenton Heritage Society and nearby residents appealed the county's decision, claiming that the project violated provisions in the master plan concerning the town's historic district. Specifically, they have cited provisions in the plan calling for developments to be in keeping with the character of the neighborhood, and said that townhouses would not fit with the primarily single family dwellings along North Patuxent. They also expressed general concern about the density of the project. 

The Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee last year recommended that the county reject the proposal, citing similar concerns as nearby residents. 

But in its approval of the plan, county planners noted that the project was considerably smaller than earlier proposals, and that several historic homes would be preserved on the site. 

The Board of Appeals will hear arguments on Tuesday, Oct. 22 and Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Arundel Center in Annapolis.

It is also scheduled to hear arguments on Nov. 20, Dec. 4, and Dec. 11.