The self-storage facility will be located at 24175 Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown and will occupy a space of approximately 111,400 square feet.
Planning committee members highlighted that the site, zoned appropriately, will maintain existing natural buffers including a wooded area and a fence to minimize neighborhood impact. One member noted, “They’re doing a buffer, they’re doing a fence. I can tell you when the 7-Eleven was coming, they didn’t do a lot of this. It’s a quiet use for that area.” Another member commented on the careful design, saying, “I applaud the features of the building. I think the building was well designed, and I think it’s not going to be an eyesore.”
Concerns regarding traffic safety, especially related to site access and road conditions, featured significantly in the public’s response to the proposal. “We’re talking about a corridor where hundreds of young drivers commute daily. Add to that school buses, parent drop-offs, students walking, pedestrians biking, [and so] introducing commercial vehicle traffic including moving trucks and construction equipment is a recipe for tragedy,” one local resident said in a statement to the Planning Commission.
As such, members of the Planning Commission stressed the importance of working with the state on improvements, including a potential deceleration lane at the site entrance. As one member explained, “If the state approves and recommends a decel lane, I think that is a good thing right now. Because Hanover [Drive]—[it] is really dangerous to come out of there.”
Additional conditions were placed on the project approval to ensure neighborhood safety and quality of life. These include installation of motion-detecting lighting on the building’s backside, an inspection of the stormwater management pond in cooperation with the homeowners association and public works, and coordination with state highway officials regarding any road improvements.
The proposal was approved unanimously by the Planning Commission, and it will now bear the scrutiny of the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County in a meeting in the near future.
