[0:36] [music]
[0:41] [music]
[1:20] [music]
[1:39] » All these smiling faces.
>> [music]
[1:48] [music]
[2:00] » The 624th meeting of the city of Laurel
Planning Commission.
[2:06] We have a
good size crowd here today and we're
[2:09] ready to get started. We're going to
just do them in order.
[2:12] So, I was going to try to do four first,
but uh we have our folks from the county
[2:16] here. So,
uh
[2:18] please call the roll.
>> Council President Smith.
[2:22] Mr. Welford.
>> Here.
[2:24] » Mr. Grant.
>> Here.
[2:27] » Mr. Kish.
[2:30] Mr. Smith.
Chairman Wilson.
[2:33] » Here.
>> You have a quorum.
[2:35] » Thank you very much. Um you guys have
had a chance to look at the
[2:39] minutes.
I appreciate the minutes every time we
[2:42] get them. I know that's a ton of work.
So, uh if you have any changes or
[2:46] anything
or a vote motion, we'll take it now.
[2:51] » Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a motion
to approve the minutes from the June
[2:55] 9th, 2026 meeting as received from
staff.
[2:59] » I'll second it.
>> Turn your mic on, you.
[3:01] » Second it.
>> Thank you.
[3:04] Please call the roll.
>> Mr. Welford.
[3:06] » Yes.
>> Mr. Grant.
[3:07] » Here.
>> Chairman Wilson.
[3:09] » Here.
>> Motion carries.
[3:10] » Thanks again for that. And we're going
to move into agenda item number three,
[3:13] the Ford's Conservation Plan and the
resolution.
[3:19] » Good evening, chairman [snorts] and
members of the Planning Commission. My
[3:23] name is Ravenel. I am the deputy
director of the Department of Economic
[3:26] and Community Development. Prince
George's County Department of the
[3:29] Environment is currently in the process
of restoring Bear Branch Stream, um the
[3:34] parcel between Van Dusen Road and Contee
Road. The parcel is owned by the city of
[3:40] Laurel and it is an open space parcel
functioning as a county flood plain
[3:44] easement.
The wetlands in the upstream project
[3:47] extent will be protected and restored.
This project will ultimately stabilize
[3:52] the bank and eroding channel um
improving overall water quality and
[3:56] promoting a healthier ecosystem complete
with supportive conditions for
[4:00] full forest restoration.
So in our analysis the applicant
[4:04] received forest stand delineation
approval from staff on July 7th, 2026
[4:09] and submitted a forest conservation plan
which is required for any project on
[4:13] land 40,000 square feet or greater. The
applicant is proposing to clear 3.24
[4:18] acres on tax ID lot 304881.
Note that this is a county funded
[4:25] restoration project so the total
replanting planned is for a 3.82 acres
[4:30] of reforestation. Per section 20-41.8
of the unified land development code the
[4:37] applicant is required to replant a total
of 0.1 acres which will be met and
[4:42] exceeded by the much higher target of
3.82 acres.
[4:46] So minimum required for the forest
conservation worksheet again is 0.1
[4:50] acres. Proposed replanting will be 3.82
acres.
[4:54] The details of exactly what will be
planted and where as well as the
[4:58] two-year maintenance agreement are all
included in the application materials.
[5:02] Um all conditions and requirements have
been met per the unified land
[5:06] development code section 20-41.6
um and we found that all requirements
[5:12] outlined both by the state and the city
of Laurel guidelines have been not only
[5:16] met but exceeded so staff recommends
that the planning commission approves
[5:20] forest conservation plan FCP 2026-0102.
[5:28] » Thank you. Are there any questions of
staff?
[5:31] » No questions.
>> Do we have the applicant? If
[5:33] » Yes.
>> If you'd like to say something.
[5:38] » Just come on up to the podium and if you
press the bar it'll um unmute.
[5:44] » Thank you for coming.
>> Thank you.
[5:47] Yeah, my name is Jignesh Shah and I'm a
project manager from Prince George's
[5:51] County Department of the Environment for
this project Bear Branch Phase 3 stream
[5:55] restoration project. As everyone said,
that like I'm in we have made all the
[5:59] requirement now. And this project is a
part of our what water quality pro NPDES
[6:05] SMS 4 water quality program. And with
this project we are also going to claim
[6:09] the credit for the impervious acre that
we are mandated by it's mandated by the
[6:15] state.
So, and we have met all the requirements
[6:19] and exceeded actually the requirement
for the forest conservation.
[6:22] » And Bear Bear Branch feeds into what we
call Laurel Lakes.
[6:26] » Yeah.
>> Right? And we have that silting problem
[6:29] that we have with Laurel Lakes where it
silts up. So, this should help that.
[6:33] » Yeah,
definitely. Yes, it will yeah, because
[6:36] county did the Laurel Lake uh
restoration program for a few years back
[6:41] retrofitting that. And this is I think
it's on the upstream side of this is
[6:45] Bear Branch that
this is phase one county did it. Then
[6:49] phase two and this is a part of phase
three. The entire stream from the Vendee
[6:53] center to the county road.
>> Thank you. Any questions for the
[6:56] applicant?
Thank you [clears throat] very much,
[6:59] sir.
>> Thank you.
[7:00] » Um I'll open the public hearing
at uh
[7:05] 6:04
and I do have uh two people signed up to
[7:09] speak
two
[7:11] one person signed up to speak Mr. er
It's hard to read the handwriting. I
[7:17] think that's S H E T H.
[7:21] Oh, that
Okay, you that's good. You've already
[7:25] done I didn't know who if it was uh
the second one. Uh
[7:29] no other questions of uh staff or the
applicant. I'll entertain a motion.
[7:39] » Mr. Chairman, I'll make a motion to
approve the forest conservation plan
[7:45] and resolution number 26-11-PC
for Bear Branch phase three stream
[7:52] restoration.
Um at 304881 Van Dusen Road filed by
[7:59] Century Engineering LLC, a Klein Fielder
company,
[8:04] on behalf of Prince George's County
Department of the Environment.
[8:09] » Um thank you very much. I forgot to
close the public hearing. I'll close it
[8:12] out at 6:05. You have a second?
>> Second the motion.
[8:15] » Thank you.
Please call the roll.
[8:18] » Mr. Welford.
>> Yes.
[8:19] » Mr. Grant.
>> Yes.
[8:21] » Chairman Wilson.
>> Yes.
[8:22] » Motion carries.
>> Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate it.
[8:27] Move to um
I agenda item number four, a plat of
[8:31] consolidation and the resolution filed
by Urban Atlantic Development.
[8:40] » Um good evening, chairperson, members of
the Planning Commission. Um I am Connor
[8:44] Johnson, a planner three with the
Department of Economic and Community
[8:47] Development. For your review today is
agenda item number four, the technical
[8:51] staff report for plat of consolidation
application number 983 for 26C Street.
[8:57] The applicant, Urban Atlantic
Development LLC, is seeking record plat
[9:01] of consolidation approval to combine
lots one through four and 20 through 23
[9:06] uh of block 40 to form one new lot at
the property located at 26C Street.
[9:12] There is currently one structure on the
properties comprising this plat of
[9:15] consolidation,
um which is a commercial building that
[9:17] has been vacant since 2018.
The adjacent adjacent zoning
[9:21] designations are as follows: north,
south, and west are commercial village.
[9:26] Uh to the east is R20, which is one
family semi-detached, two family
[9:29] detached, and one family triple detached
zone.
[9:33] Um
it is long-standing city policy and
[9:36] urban planning best practice to
consolidate parcels and plats whenever
[9:40] possible. As such, staff recommends that
the planning commission approve plat of
[9:44] consolidation application number 983
with the following conditions: that the
[9:48] applicant shall ensure that the plat is
properly recorded, the applicant shall
[9:52] ensure that the plat is filed with the
land records of Prince George's County,
[9:55] Maryland, and the applicant shall update
titles, tax records, deeds, and mortgage
[9:59] lenders as necessary.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[10:02] » Thank you.
Um any questions of staff?
[10:06] » No.
>> Yeah, we're good.
[10:08] Okay, thank you. Um I don't have any
questions. Let me open up the uh
[10:13] uh let me I'll open it up to the
applicant if they want to say something.
[10:17] The applicant's here?
Give us your name and affiliation.
[10:21] After you push the button. There you go.
>> Uh good evening, uh Mr. Chairman and
[10:25] members of the commission. Tim
Longfellow with the engineering firm of
[10:29] Gutschick Little and Weber with office
in Burtonsville at 3909 National Drive,
[10:34] suite 250. We're here on behalf of Urban
Atlantic.
[10:38] Nothing to to really offer other than,
you know, we support and thank staff for
[10:43] all their hard work in getting this uh
to this point, and we're here to answer
[10:46] any questions that you might have.
>> Okay, thank you. Any questions, guys?
[10:50] » Well, not for this application, but I'm
certainly further down the road when we
[10:54] start to getting closer to whatever's
going to happen there.
[10:59] » All we're approving tonight is the plot
combination.
[11:02] » Yes, sir.
>> So, thank you very much, sir.
[11:04] » Thank you.
>> Um
[11:06] if there's no other questions, let me
open up the public hearing at 6:08,
[11:11] and I have quite a number of people that
signed up to speak.
[11:15] Uh let me start with uh Mr. Long
fellow, I believe. It's hard to read the
[11:22] Oh, that's you. Okay.
Um Mr.
[11:28] Granger? You're good. with him?
Okay. Mr.
[11:34] Delgado?
Or Ms. Delgado? Danielle, I'm sorry.
[11:39] » You're fine.
>> If you can hit that button and give us
[11:42] your name and address for the record.
>> Good evening. My name is Danielle
[11:46] Delgado. I live on 7553 Woodbine Drive
here in the city of Laurel.
[11:51] I believe that if future development is
to continue in this area, it is vital
[11:56] that you as a planning board continue to
ask thoughtful questions and obtain
[11:59] satisfactory answers regarding for
current residents and businesses, future
[12:04] tenants, and for all visitors of Main
Street. I'm not inherently opposed to
[12:08] whatever future development may happen
on this property.
[12:12] But in fact, if adequate parking is
designed to be available on the property
[12:16] alongside mixed-use development, this
project could support the long-term
[12:20] health and vitality of Main Street.
However, as it stands today, parking is
[12:25] already a significant challenge. I know
you are aware of the concerns previously
[12:29] raised by businesses on C Street
regarding parking availability. I'm a
[12:34] regular customer of Three Year Games,
and I know how difficult it can be to
[12:38] find nearby parking. I can only imagine
the struggle it is for customers with uh
[12:42] mobility issues and access needs. So, if
these concerns are not adequately
[12:46] addressed as the process continues, the
consequences could negatively impact
[12:50] many of our local businesses and
neighbors.
[12:53] While Laurel is ideally situated between
DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis, our
[12:57] community still relies heavily on
personal vehicles. And I wish we had
[13:01] more robust public transportation
options, but the reality is we do not.
[13:05] And as a result, parking and
accessibility must be carefully
[13:08] considered as decisions are made on
behalf of residents, business owners,
[13:12] and visitors alike.
So, I encourage you, the board, to
[13:15] ensure that any development proposal
that comes your way includes realistic
[13:19] and sustainable plans for meeting the
parking needs of both the current and
[13:23] future users of this area. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
[13:31] Mr. Myers, John Myers.
[13:39] Welcome.
Just give us your name and address.
[13:42] » Of course.
Good afternoon. My name is John Myers. I
[13:46] have been a resident of 7634
Arbury Court in Laurel for 32 years, and
[13:52] I'm speaking today to voice my opinion
against the proposed plat of
[13:56] consolidation for 26 C Street.
On lots one and two of 26 C Street,
[14:01] there is a public parking lot that
supports no less than four entertainment
[14:06] venues on Main Street and C Street.
These venues include, but are not
[14:11] limited to, the Sky Vibe Restaurant and
Lounge, the Mist Lounge, Three Gear
[14:17] Games and Studios, and Chez Yams uh
Catering and Functions.
[14:23] Should this current plat of
consolidation be approved, these venues
[14:26] would lose access to valuable parking
spaces for their customers to utilize.
[14:30] Street parking alone is not sufficient
for these businesses, and any buildings
[14:34] built upon lots one and two would only
provide parking for those specific
[14:38] tenants. All others would be towed.
Additionally, removal of this public
[14:43] parking would hurt logistics for any
large-scale events on Main Street. The
[14:47] parking lot provides a storage area for
large event vehicles or temporary
[14:51] construction.
The lot is also a strategic staging for
[14:55] public personnel in case of an emergency
during a public event.
[15:01] Rather than outright prevent potential
growth through this consolidation, I
[15:04] would like to propose the following.
Any construction on lots one and two
[15:09] must provide a number of public parking
spaces equal to or greater than the ones
[15:14] provided by the current parking lot.
Alternatively, it would be deemed
[15:18] acceptable if the current public parking
lot were left in place, but a property
[15:22] or business owner for the lot would
provide maintenance to the lot while
[15:26] maintaining its public status.
Either of these propositions would
[15:30] ensure the growth of commerce and
community on Main Street without
[15:34] subjecting the area to crowding or
discourse.
[15:37] And I'd like to thank you for your time
and for the opportunity for the public
[15:40] to voice their concerns.
>> Thank you, sir.
[15:46] We have
Mr. Stewart
[15:50] S I
G E X
[15:54] I'm sorry. It's hard to read the
handwriting.
[15:57] If you give us your name and address.
You have to hit that button again to to
[16:00] make it red.
[16:02] » Stewart Sinex.
Um
[16:04] » S I N
>> E X
[16:06] » Okay. Got you.
>> I'm aware my spelling is
[16:09] » It's not the spelling.
>> creative
[16:11] » My handwriting is worse than yours, so.
And your address, sir?
[16:14] » Um I live in 8846 Heron's Flight in
Lauren, but I am the uh
[16:20] owner of Three Gear Games on 25 C
Street.
[16:25] Um on that delightful list of businesses
that do use the parking
[16:31] on lots one and two of the proposed
consolidation, I would like to also add
[16:38] um the art gallery
on 20 I think it's 20
[16:45] uh 21 C Street.
Um and Cleopatra's
[16:50] um over around uh
C Street Flats.
[16:55] Um
the I think the two people ahead of me
[16:58] said a lot of our concerns very
elegantly.
[17:01] Um
and particularly the concerns there are
[17:05] concerns for people with mobility issues
since there is a lack of any kind of
[17:12] handicaps parking for the public
anywhere near there.
[17:16] Uh there are two public lots on Main
Street. Both of those are insufficient
[17:20] and when the
twice a month when the current venues
[17:26] do
come in bring in people on mass,
[17:31] uh the current parking lot it overflows
so people start parking parking on
[17:36] grass.
Um as well as there is there are now
[17:42] uh
hostilities among the neighbors
[17:45] over renting of
30
[17:49] parking um parking spots
on uh 13th C Street and [snorts] the
[17:55] elimination of these of this parking lot
would
[18:00] increase that
those difficulties.
[18:04] Um there can be many concepts but we
that can happen to address the missing
[18:08] parking spaces.
Um and we do need further development on
[18:12] Laurel like this in order to be able to
continue seeing Laurel to grow but we
[18:17] also need to make sure that there's
[snorts] that there is parking for the
[18:20] public and not just for private private
parking for businesses.
[18:25] Um after all, we need Main Street to be
more than hairdressers and uh
[18:31] and clinics
and we would like to see a thriving
[18:34] retail environment.
Thank you.
[18:37] » Thank you, sir.
[18:42] Robin Kenny?
[18:48] Just press that button so it turns
right. There you go.
[18:52] » Hello, I'm Robin Kenny at um 8846
Heron's Flight. I also teach at
[18:58] Deerfield Run Elementary School in
Laurel as well as um a regular at uh
[19:04] Three Gear Games and Studios.
Um
[19:08] I know that we all are looking to
support the thriving atmosphere of
[19:13] Laurel Main Street. But,
as you've heard from the other speakers,
[19:18] you can understand that there is a
insufficiency of parking in the area.
[19:23] Um I have been on the verge of turning
around and going home instead of
[19:27] attending some events in Laurel Main
Street because of an inability to find
[19:33] parking. And lucky for me, somebody
pulled out just as I was about to turn
[19:37] around and go home.
So, when I saw the sign saying that
[19:41] you're going to develop 26 C Street, I
became concerned for my ability to
[19:45] continue finding parking and thus
providing business for the businesses on
[19:50] C Street.
Um
[19:53] I know that there is parking at a lot on
uh I believe it's A Street.
[19:58] But, as a woman who stays over at Three
Gear uh Studios until after sunset, I am
[20:05] uncomfortable with regularly and
predictably walking between C Street and
[20:11] A Street all by myself.
There is simply
[20:16] not enough light, not enough people. I
don't feel safe.
[20:20] Similarly, my husband has a heart
condition and you know that we've been
[20:24] having a lot of um
heat warn- heat warnings.
[20:30] I would not feel comfortable letting him
come to Three Gear if I did not know
[20:34] that there was a nearby parking lot. I
do not think that people with heart
[20:38] conditions would be able to walk that
distance in the heat and not suffer
[20:44] potential health consequences.
Whatever you do with the property,
[20:49] I beg of you, please consider that that
parking lot is heavily used to
[20:54] overflowing on a regular basis.
And if you would like to look at data of
[20:59] what happens when that parking lot is
removed during last winter snowstorm
[21:04] when we had the {quote} snow creep
situation. That lot was cut off for many
[21:10] days and regulars at 3 Gear Studios were
talking about setting up car pools. You
[21:17] can't do that for drive-by visitors. You
have to have it be a planned event for
[21:22] car pool to work. As it was, I was
driving Stewart and his wife to their
[21:28] business in order to drop them off so
they would not have to tie up one of the
[21:32] few parking spaces that were available
during the snow crete situation.
[21:37] So, whether you develop the property or
not, I beg of you, please consider the
[21:42] parking. If people cannot park their
cars, they cannot shop and they cannot
[21:48] help Main Street or C Street thrive.
Thank you.
[21:52] » Thank you.
[21:55] Uh Mr. Kohler, Matthew Kohler?
[22:06] » Hi, I'm Matthew Kohler. I live at 201
10th Street in Laurel.
[22:10] And I am a frequent patron of both
Cleopatra's and 3 Gear Games. Those were
[22:16] the places that I came and became
regulars at when I first moved to
[22:20] Laurel. That was where I went to
>> [snorts]
[22:23] » make new friends
and find a sense of community. And now,
[22:28] years later, like so many of my friends
from not just Laurel, but all around, I
[22:33] have met and have found their way into
our friend group and a lot of the Laurel
[22:37] community and all of the involvement
just through these businesses here. So,
[22:43] it's not just about the people here who
live in Laurel and that, but it's really
[22:47] about
these are places that build the
[22:50] community and bring people to Laurel and
I know that, like,
[22:57] not having the parking there would
definitely dissuade a lot of the people
[23:01] who I know who come
from going.
[23:04] So, yeah. I support the development um
and I would just encourage consideration
[23:10] that also whatever is developed there is
also going to end up using
[23:14] additional parking. So, it might not
even be
[23:17] adequate for an in-kind parking
situation. And so, it's just important
[23:21] to consider
the parking impact. Thank you.
[23:24] » Thank you.
[23:27] I also have a
[23:33] I have uh
We did Did we get Kimberly Gilliam
[23:38] Gilliam?
[23:46] The light's on. Just give us your name
and address.
[23:49] » Hi, my name is Kimberly Gilliam. I live
at 8901 Briardale Lane, Laurel,
[23:54] Maryland.
Um
[23:56] as most of the people here, I'm a common
customer at Three Gear.
[24:01] Um I think the usefulness of the parking
lot was very heavily demonstrated during
[24:06] the snow creek situation where I knew
the city of Laurel, but the other people
[24:12] my game are not from the city of Laurel.
They're from Montgomery County. So, I
[24:16] remember I drove in one Saturday night
when all the clubs were going on. So, it
[24:20] was already very full and there were
people walking.
[24:23] And um this girl like told us over
Discord, I parked by the Laurel library.
[24:30] And we were like, "Honey, why?"
>> [laughter]
[24:33] » But she was just so unaware of where to
park once that asset was gone.
[24:40] And likewise, I have other friends who
come in from Montgomery County into
[24:44] Prince George's to this store
specifically and the area to come play
[24:48] at this
you know,
[24:50] provide community, buy things at nearby
stores and whatnot. And we had to be
[24:54] dinner at Noodles & Company or whatever.
Um so
[24:59] I think I'm fine if something gets
developed there, but like the parking
[25:04] alone, that will just
you know, you won't have anybody
[25:08] visiting as much because we won't know
where to put our cars without getting
[25:11] towed and you know, getting towed is not
great. I've had it happen once.
[25:17] Um
I think that's really all I have to add
[25:20] here. Um just please consider the
parking situation. It's hard enough as a
[25:24] local finding for like the Main Street
festivals and everything. Thank you.
[25:29] » Thank you.
Uh we have two written testimonies.
[25:33] Uh I'll just give the names. I won't
read the testimony, but if they go into
[25:37] the record, um
[25:41] both are
speaking to the same issue of the
[25:45] parking issue. Uh the first is
Elaine Cathell
[25:50] um from Trevino Terrace
and the other one is a
[25:55] Charlotte DeTour Twaite.
And the same thing is a concerned about
[26:00] the parking. So, I'll get those two in
the record. Uh
[26:03] there was uh there may be other folks
here that haven't had a chance to sign
[26:06] up to speak. You're welcome. Is there
anybody that would like to speak that
[26:09] didn't sign up in advance?
Come on up.
[26:19] Right up here.
[26:24] And just hit that bar so that that light
turns on and give us your name and
[26:28] address.
>> Yes, my name is Cassandra Schartzer. I
[26:30] live at 9680 Barrel House Road
in Laurel, Maryland. Um I did sign up on
[26:36] the sheet back there to sign up or to
speak.
[26:39] » Oh, did I miss [snorts] you? What was
your name? I'm sorry.
[26:42] » It's Cassandra Schartzer. It's the
sheet's over there, but I don't
[26:45] » Oh, okay. Well, we'll go ahead.
>> So, [snorts]
[26:48] as someone who was born and raised in
Laurel, I originally lived on Montrose
[26:51] Avenue. I have attended
numerous Main Street festivals. So, most
[26:56] of that street gets shut down
during any type of major event that's
[27:00] going on. And so,
again, like everyone else, I'm okay with
[27:04] the development of the sub lot into
one singular plot, but just keeping in
[27:10] mind,
of course, like everyone has said,
[27:13] parking. Because, again, as someone
who's going up here for
[27:16] the last 30 years of my life, uh parking
has always been an issue ever since 2000
[27:21] until now, especially on C Street with
the development. There are several
[27:24] buildings that I'm happy to see have
that have been renovated and reused,
[27:28] like the Mystic Lounge and the Sky
Vibe Bar. But, again, like everyone
[27:33] says, it's constantly overflowing with
people. Like, I have to go and park on A
[27:36] Street or B Street in order to find
parking. And then, of course, there's
[27:42] the farmers market that happens once a
week
[27:44] and to several other events where
everything gets shut down. And just as,
[27:48] again, someone who's been in Laurel, and
as [clears throat] everyone else has
[27:50] said, it's hard to find parking if you
don't know Laurel very well.
[27:54] So, that was my main point, but I I
attend a lot of these businesses, such
[27:58] as Three Gear Games,
uh the Crystal Fox, other items like
[28:02] that,
on Main Street. And it's a vital and
[28:05] important part of my life, which cuz a
lot of those businesses I do go to, like
[28:09] the Chamber Room. I know the nice lady
that runs that store. So,
[28:13] just keeping in mind, if we're going to
develop for the community, we just want
[28:16] to have that parking lot or something
where people can go to C Street and to
[28:21] Main Street and utilize everything
because there's a lot of great things.
[28:24] There's a lot of historical importance
of Main Street, and I just want to make
[28:28] sure that all of that remains and people
still have access to it.
[28:31] » Thank you very much.
>> You're welcome.
[28:34] » Anybody else that hadn't signed up or
had signed up back there and we didn't
[28:37] get the sheet?
[28:42] As as it as you all know, this is a
process. Uh we're we're we're just
[28:47] combining some plots now. It's a
basically county paperwork to to make it
[28:51] one single plot. As far as what goes on
there, that's a another set of
[28:55] decisions. I welcome you all back to
evaluate those at the
[28:59] as as the property develops, there'll be
things on the website. I encourage you
[29:03] all to stay engaged. This is what
influences developers and and and people
[29:09] on boards like us. So, if there's nobody
else left that wants to speak, I'll
[29:14] close the public hearing at 6:27
and gentlemen, I'll entertain a motion.
[29:23] » Um, can I make a comment?
>> Yeah, go ahead. Yeah.
[29:25] » Mr. Chairman, I I would like to make a
comment that
[29:29] possibly clarify cuz as far as I know,
that parking lot that everybody is
[29:34] mentioning there, I do not believe that
is a public parking lot. So, the owner
[29:41] of that is just kind of graciously
letting people park there for now, but
[29:46] um,
that's not something that has, you know,
[29:49] open to the public for parking there.
Just want to clarify that.
[29:58] » Thank you.
>> Yeah, come on up.
[30:01] We We'll just allow one more question
and then we're going to go to
[30:06] » To clarify, even though that is not
technically a public parking spot, by de
[30:12] facto, it's being used as a public
parking spot to great community
[30:18] » We We understand Yeah, we understand
that. We just want to make sure that
[30:21] people that are watching don't don't
realize that we're we're going to it's a
[30:25] public parking lot currently. But, I
appreciate that. Any other comments?
[30:29] » Um, well, while we're commenting,
um,
[30:32] also the parking lot that that is
public, the city-owned parking lot at 3
[30:38] 14 Main Street, um, I go by there every
night. And, um,
[30:44] it's rarely halfway full.
Um, there's no charge to park there. And
[30:50] to walk from there,
uh, one one and a half blocks to C
[30:57] Street. And then down C Street another
half a block. That's a very easy walk.
[31:03] And it's well lit. It's Main Street's
well lit.
[31:07] Um,
that's what I would do. I'd park there
[31:10] in that public lot and take that short
walk over there. Now, the other city lot
[31:15] that's up the street a little further,
um, that is full just about every night.
[31:21] But, that one down there at 3 314 Main,
that'd be the place to park.
[31:26] » Fox.
>> Uh, right across from Crystal Fox, yeah.
[31:30] There's a lot of parking in there. It
even has, uh,
[31:34] meters for electric cars to plug into.
And that's probably a charge on that,
[31:39] but there's no charge to anything to
park in the lot.
[31:42] Another question, Rick.
>> Uh, we
[31:45] we're we'll we'll just leave it at that,
if that's okay. I don't want to keep
[31:48] going back and forth. Uh, Mr. Grant,
>> Just have one question for the director.
[31:54] Is the city council aware of the parking
situation? And are they planning
[31:59] anything as far as you know?
>> [snorts]
[32:02] » Good evening. Jamie City Director of the
Department of Economic and Community
[32:05] Development. Uh, I know particularly the
Ward One council members, uh, Council
[32:10] Member Cole and Council Member Simmons,
um, are aware of, um,
[32:16] the parking, uh, stress that many
residents and shoppers feel downtown.
[32:21] Uh, I know the mayor also is aware.
Um, you may recall a couple months ago
[32:27] there was, uh, special exception
application,
[32:31] uh, for a rental hall use on C Street.
Um, and that was, uh, we we certainly
[32:38] passed up um, the thoughts and the
recommendations the sort of requests for
[32:43] additional parking.
A parking garage costs between 20 and
[32:48] 30,000 dollars for parking spot. It's a
mighty heavy financial lift. And
[32:55] otherwise,
you know, all of the parcels downtown
[32:58] are
are owned and occupied for the most
[33:01] part.
So, I can't say to you that there is
[33:06] an increase in parking imminent,
but I do know that at all levels
[33:12] both staff and elected officials, people
certainly are aware of the the parking
[33:17] stress.
>> Thanks.
[33:18] » Mhm.
>> I think this body has waived parking
[33:23] requirements for businesses on Main
Street for the last 25 years that I know
[33:28] of and to to do that to encourage
businesses to come of course at some
[33:32] point it it's
you know, you can only do so much on
[33:37] Main Street.
With that, I do appreciate everybody's
[33:41] input.
I'm open for a motion for item number
[33:45] four.
>> Mr. Chairman,
[33:48] I'll make a motion to approve the plat
of consolidation and resolution number
[33:53] 26-08-PC
26 C Street filed by Urban Atlantic
[33:59] Development LLC.
>> Thank you all. Look for a second.
[34:03] » Second.
>> Thank you, Mr. Grant. Please call the
[34:06] roll.
>> Mr. Wolford.
[34:07] » Yes.
>> Mr. Grant.
[34:09] » Yes.
>> Chairman Wilson.
[34:10] » Yes, and I thank you all for coming. If
if you're just here for the number four,
[34:14] you're welcome to go cuz I assume people
have better things to do than listen to
[34:18] us pontificate, but uh
but if you want to take a moment and
[34:21] before we get started again, if not,
we'll go ahead and continue.
[34:26] All right. Thank you.
Go ahead do agenda item number five, the
[34:29] forest conservation plan plan and
application for and resolution number
[34:34] 2605 PC for the Islamic Community Center
of Laurel.
[34:38] Welcome again.
>> Thank you. Good evening again, chairman
[34:42] and members of the planning commission.
Again, my name is Raven E. I'm the
[34:46] deputy director of the Department of
Economic and Community Development. Um,
[34:50] the applicant is requesting forest
conservation plan approval in support of
[34:54] their plan to expand their existing
house of worship and parking lot. This
[34:59] requires removal of some existing trees
and the applicant plans to plant new
[35:03] trees elsewhere on the property.
The In our analysis, the applicant
[35:08] received a natural resources inventory
um, equivalency letter which uh,
[35:13] replaces a forest delineation from the
then department director Monte Burrough
[35:18] in February 10th, 2025 and that letter
of exemption continues in force.
[35:24] They subsequently submitted a forest
conservation plan which is required for
[35:28] any project on land 40,000 square feet
or greater.
[35:32] The applicant has proposed and declare
0.11 acres on tax ID lot 5514776
[35:39] and to plant compensatory trees on the
portion of the lot as indicated in the
[35:43] landscaping drawings included in the
application and they should also um,
[35:48] face through on the presentation.
Um,
[35:53] So,
>> [sighs and gasps]
[35:54] » although the forest conservation
worksheet does not require any
[35:57] reforestation or
afforestation, the applicant intends to
[36:01] plant new trees as part of the
landscaping which will total
[36:05] approximately 0.23 acres. These trees
will perform will form a perimeter along
[36:11] the fence line with a couple of trees
added as part of the landscaping within
[36:15] the parking lot.
So, the required per the um, state
[36:19] requirements is zero acres, but they are
proposing to plant to 0.23 acres.
[36:24] The details of what will be planted and
where as well as their two-year
[36:28] maintenance agreement, are all also
included in the application materials.
[36:32] All conditions and requirements have
been met per the
[36:35] unified land development code section
20-41.6.
[36:40] Staff found all conditions and
requirements outlined by both state and
[36:43] city of Laurel guidelines to have been
not only met but exceeded. So, staff
[36:47] recommends that the planning commission
approve forest conservation plan FCP
[36:52] 2026-0094.
And I'm happy to answer any questions
[36:57] the commission may have.
>> Any questions, gentlemen?
[37:00] » No.
>> No questions.
[37:02] » Um thank you. Is there anybody from the
applicant that would like to speak?
[37:06] If you give us your name and
affiliation.
[37:08] » Sure. Abdullah Hijazi here of the law
firm of Hijazi and Carol out of Bowie,
[37:11] Maryland. I want to thank staff for
their wonderful help with this
[37:15] application, especially the last two or
three months on this. Um this is, as you
[37:21] heard, I Well, first I represent the
North American Islamic Trust, uh which
[37:25] is a trust that holds title to a portion
of the property and the
[37:29] ICCL, the Islamic Community Center of
Laurel. Islamic Community Center of
[37:33] Laurel, as many of you may know, has
been around for several decades and has
[37:37] been a long-standing partner of the
city.
[37:40] Um believe it or not, I actually used to
attend Friday and Sunday programs
[37:44] as
early as 30-some years ago
[37:48] at ICCL in its current condition. And
so, the expansion has been a long way
[37:53] coming and it's a much-needed for the
growing population and congregation of
[37:58] the mosque and community center as a
whole.
[38:01] Um as you heard, the
the organization does not need to plant
[38:05] any trees but has gone out of its way to
make sure to plant some trees for
[38:09] aesthetics and some of the protection
noise buffer and also just landscape
[38:13] buffer around the perimeter. Um also, I
don't know if you it was alluded to but
[38:18] the majority of the forest that is on
site is being retained.
[38:23] Um
the exact numbers were not mentioned,
[38:26] but 1.3 acres of forest exists on the
site. 1.11 of those um or 1.19 of those
[38:33] acres are remaining. So, very little
acreage of forest is being removed and
[38:38] there as you can see there's more than
that that's being replanted for
[38:42] afforestation. Uh we agree with staff's
recommendation for approval. We
[38:46] appreciate staff's time.
Um we are available for any questions if
[38:50] there are any and um other than that uh
that's all I have today.
[38:54] » Thank you very much.
>> Also with me I have a lot of the
[38:57] congregation here as you can see this is
a very important job and the uh project
[39:02] for the congregation and leadership is
here, several members are here, several
[39:06] congregants that aren't even members are
here. So, if uh you have any questions
[39:10] I'm more than available.
>> You guys did good. You raised your own
[39:12] lawyer.
>> [laughter]
[39:16] » Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
>> Is there any questions to the applicant?
[39:21] Good. I'll take a motion.
>> Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion
[39:25] to approve the first conservation plan
applicant
[39:29] and resolution number 26-05
PC Islamic Community Center of Laurel
[39:36] 7306 Contee Road Fire Lane North North
America Islamic Trust Inc.
[39:42] » Thank you, Mr. Grant.
[39:45] » I'll second the motion.
>> Call the roll.
[39:47] Please.
>> Mr. Grant.
[39:49] » Yes.
>> Mr. Wolford.
[39:50] » Yes.
>> Chairman Wilson.
[39:52] » I agree. Yes.
>> [clears throat]
[39:54] » And that's it. Thank you all folks. Um
[40:03] » Thank you guys. Appreciate it.
[40:26] » [music]
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