Legislation to spur business park growth in Charles County
On June 16, 2020, the Charles County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Zoning Text Amendment #19-153. The Commissioner’s action follows the Charles County Planning Commission’s unanimous positive recommendation on February 3, 2020, which was fully supported by the Charles County Department of Planning and Growth Management. The legislation was also widely supported by a number of stakeholders, community leaders, and professional organizations.
The need for the legislation arose following very low private-sector investment in properties zoned BP, or Business Park in the County. The requirements for developing in the zone were very challenging and outdated, resulting in only 3.9% of BP-zoned land being developed in the County since the zone was created in 1994. In fact, there had been an 18.9% decrease in BP-zoned land since 2009. In a recent survey conducted by Towson University, it was found that nearly 70% of existing businesses in Charles County wanted to locate to a contemporary business park in the County, with proximate amenities ranked as one of the top desired features. Those contemporary amenities were generally prohibited under the previous code.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the Commissioners’ action, and think it will make a huge difference for properties zoned BP, said Nicolas Aragon, Vice President in the Land Division of The Republic Family of Companies, the legislation’s applicant. Republic was introduced to the BP Zone in 2016 through the 228 Business Center and the experiences of its owner, the Hamilton Family, who have owned the property for over 170 years and have been working to develop their property for over two decades. “Today is a great day for the future of the BP Zone, but it is also a momentous day for the Hamilton Family, who have not only stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Republic throughout this process but have also demonstrated incredible patience and fortitude with working to get their property developed and provide the community a quality project that honors their family legacy.”
228 Business Center is an 80-acre, proposed business park located in Waldorf, Maryland at the busy intersection of Berry Road and Democracy Drive. Berry Road has an average daily traffic count of 40,000+ vehicles. 228 Business Center has historically been used as a farm, a portion of which is known as the Greenswald Turf Farm. The Maryland State Highway Administration has approved a traffic signal at the entrance of 228 Business Center, and the initial phase of infrastructure has been installed. A local developer has purchased over seven acres at the park to develop four flex buildings but had put their plans on hold until the park was able to provide proximate amenities to serve their buildings.
“Competitive jurisdictions allow an integration of employment-uses, such as office or flex buildings, and amenities uses, such as restaurants, child care facilities, gas stations, and convenience stores,” said Sue Greer of The Law Offices of Sue A. Greer, the attorney representing Republic. “However, the BP Zone didn’t allow that and that was contributing to impeding development of BP-zoned sites in Charles County.”
With passage of ZTA #19-153, an array of amenity uses are now permitted in all sites zoned BP in Charles County, including gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants (with and without drive throughs).
“This is the type of win-win that we love to see between the private- and public-sector,” said Steve Proctor of G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc., the firm that led the effort to gain broad-based support for the legislation. “Passage of this ZTA shows the County Commissioners’ dedication to growing Charles County’s commercial tax base and its commitment to promoting economic development.”
About Republic Family of Companies
Republic Family of Companies is a privately owned, full-service real estate investment, management, and development enterprise encompassing several businesses, including Republic Holdings Corporation, Republic Properties Corporation, Republic Urban Properties, Republic Metropolitan (Re/Met), and Republic Land Development. Over the past four decades, Republic has developed approximately 27 million square feet of real estate representing an investment at cost of over $7 billion. Currently, Republic has over $2 billion in new projects under construction or in development, primarily located in the Washington, DC MSA and the San Francisco Bay Area; two of the top commercial and residential markets in the United States. https://www.republicfamilyofcompanies.com/
AboutThe Law Offices of Sue A. Greer
The Law Offices of Sue A. Greer has established itself as one of the leading law offices of excellence and experience in Southern Maryland. The firm prides itself on the highest quality of representation in the areas of real estate, land use, administrative law and civil litigation. Since 1991, the Law Offices of Sue A. Greer has provided efficient and effective legal representation with a commitment to achieving positive results for the client at reasonable fees. The firm's reputation for integrity and ability is shared by clients and the public as well as peers in the legal community. http://www.thegreerlawfirm.com/
AboutG.S. Proctor & Associates
G.S. Proctor & Associates is a lobbying and consulting firm based in Maryland with offices in Annapolis, Upper Marlboro, La Plata and Washington, DC. Starting the company in 1995, Steve Proctor began with one employee, three clients and a single office location. Now, 15 years later, G.S. Proctor & Associates runs four offices throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia and serves over 100 clients. G.S. Proctor & Associates provides legislative and administrative lobbying representation to a broad spectrum of clients, ranging from institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations, to local and regional businesses, and finally to governments on the federal, state, and local levels. http://www.gsproctor.com/
About KLNB
KLNB is a leading provider of commercial real estate services throughout the mid-Atlantic region. An independently owned and operated commercial brokerage and real estate services firm, KLNB provides a variety of services including tenant and landlord representation, leasing, consulting, investment sales, property management, research, marketing, branding and financing services. More than 85 full-time brokerage professionals work across KLNB’s four offices strategically located throughout the Washington, D.C. / Baltimore region. KLNB is affiliated with NAI Global – the single largest, most powerful global network of owner-operated commercial real estate brokerage firms in the world. http://klnb.com
