Developer to propose new plans for Beck property in Mount Airy

Jun. 2—Mount Airy Town Council members say a mixed-use plan to build more than 700 housing units and 100,000 square feet of commercial space would upend the "small-town charm" of the area.

Kaz Brothers, a Rockville company, says on its website that it plans to build the units on 90 acres along Md. 27. David Beck owns the land, according to the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation's website.

"It would totally change the appearance of the town," Town Councilman Karl Munder said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Council members say they expect Kaz Brothers to present a new draft plan during a joint meeting Thursday between the Town Council and the town's Planning Commission.

The council will not vote on a development plan Thursday. There will not be an opportunity for public comment either.

The plan is in the pre-concept stage of development, meaning the developer is at least five years from putting a shovel in the ground, Council Secretary Pamela Reed said.

Thursday's meeting will be a continuation of a meeting held in April, Munder said. Town officials and the developer couldn't agree on a pre-concept plan.

Kaz Brothers has entered a contract purchasing agreement with the property owner, the News-Post reported in 2018.

Attempts to reach Beck for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Kaz Brothers did not return multiple phone calls on Wednesday seeking comment.

A number of Mount Airy residents packed Town Hall for the April meeting and protested outside the building along Main Street.

Town officials expect a larger crowd Thursday, so the meeting will be at the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company's reception hall at 1008 Twin Arch Road.

Leaders of a Facebook group called Residents for Smart Growth and Development of Mount Airy have for weeks shared information about the plans for developing the Beck property.

The Facebook group's membership has grown to more than 1,000 people. The town's population, by comparison, is about 9,800, according to an estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.

"We really love our small-town feel," said resident Nicole Moon, a school teacher and one of the organizers of the group.

The Beck property, on the Carroll County side of Mount Airy, is currently wheat fields, trees and brush. One of the town's busiest roads, Md. 27, splits the property.

The land west of Md. 27 borders Watkins Park and the town's Rails-to-Trails walking path. Center Street ends at the west end of the property and runs to the town's Main Street and downtown area.

Kaz Brother's plans for the property west of Md. 27 include nearly 240 residential units, made up of single-family homes, townhouses and multifamily houses, as well as 122,000 square feet of space for businesses.

Plans for the property east of Md. 27 include 470 residential units, comprising single-family homes and townhouses.

Council members said the development plan has been at least two years in the making.

"It unfortunately does not fit Mount Airy and its small-town charm," said Munder, the council's liaison to the Planning Commission. "The density was just way too much to accept, in my view."

Moon said she is concerned that more 700 new homes would overcrowd the area's schools and overwhelm the town's roads, particularly Md. 27, which she and other residents said is already far too busy for such a small town.

"The last thing we want is more cars on it," she said.

The group is worried that development on the Beck property will cut down on open space for playgrounds or ball fields. It's a concern that council members share, too.

Munder said Kaz Brothers has not yet applied for an exemption from the town's open space requirement. The developer's pre-concept plan, however, seems to have been drawn like the waiver had already been granted, he said.

The town is in an open space deficit, too, Munder said.

While they agree on some points, members of the group are skeptical of the Town Council and have made it clear on their Facebook page. Moon said council members have not been transparent about their goals for the Beck property.

"Most of the town has been unaware of what is being proposed," Moon said.

Reed, though, put the blame on the group.

"They are not informed, they are not educated, they have not taken the time to truly understand what is happening in their town," Reed said. "That group is not interested in having a conversation with me."

Reed said she supports the development of the Beck property. Since joining the council in 2019, expanding Center Street to Md. 27 has been one of her priorities, she said. Developing the Beck property could accomplish that.

But Reed said she is not OK with part of the developer's pre-concept plan, creating a "sea of homes" on the east side of Md. 27.

"Clearly, the developer needs to rethink Beck East," she said in a phone interview Wednesday. "They need to make Beck East look more like Beck West."

The proposal would be improved with fewer homes and more space for businesses, Reed said.

"We're not gonna let [the developer] get to the next step until we see what our community wants," Reed said.

Reed envisioned the development with biking and walking trails, too, but she said those will not become part of the plan until later in the process.

The council might vote to approve a pre-concept plan in July, but it cannot vote to prevent the development from happening entirely, Reed said.

Munder said he hopes the town will hold another public meeting after the developer proposes its new pre-concept plan Thursday.

"It's my job to find a compromise," Munder said. "I would like to see us at least try and find a compromise."

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan