Developer proposes fewer homes for Mount Airy property, town officials want even less

Jun. 3—A Rockville-based company with plans for a mixed-use development in Mount Airy presented a revised proposal during a town meeting Thursday, but Town Council members said the plan still includes too many housing units.

"You're giving us the classical cookie cutter development," said Councilman Stephen Domotor. "I want to see an award-winning east side mixed-use development."

Kaz Brothers, L.C., the development company, presented to members of the council and the town's Planning Commission a plan that would include 588 housing units and about 103,000 square feet of commercial space, a figure that residents seated or standing in a packed fire company reception hall met with a series of boos and jeers.

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

Roughly half of the housing units would be townhouses. The development would also include single family and multifamily homes.

A previous version of the plan included more than 700 housing units and 122,000 square feet of commercial space.

With fewer housing units and less commercial space, the new proposal maintains more trees on the property and includes more usable open space. The developer also added a soccer field and multi-sport court in the new plan.

Domotor, though, said the developer should increase the amount of open space in the plan. The new plan consists of about 20% open space. Domotor said the developer should get it to 25%.

Craig Kazanjian, who is in charge of the company's land entitlements and a licensed Maryland real estate agent, said the changes were made in response to concerns that town officials and residents voiced during a town meeting in April.

"The more I get rid of the residential," Kazanjian said, "the economics don't work to support the project."

Some members of the audience cheered about the idea of the development falling through.

"I'm trying to create a balancing act of a project that is economically feasible and goes to these things that you want to see in the plan," he said. "I'm playing poker with my cards out."

Craig said the development will increase accessibility to the town's Main Street and expand its downtown area to accommodate more businesses.

A slideshow presentation the developer presented Thursday identified the project as a "new entry point into the town."

Residents and town officials have long sought to connect Main Street with Md. 27 by expanding Center Street, which currently ends at the Beck property.

Kazanjian said his company's project would include the completion of Center Street so that it connects Main Street to Md 27 and provide bike paths and wide sidewalks leading into downtown.

The council did not vote on a development plan during the meeting. The plan is in the pre-concept stage of development, meaning the developer is years from putting a shovel in the ground. The project is expected to span a decade, Kazanjian said.

The Beck property, on the Carroll County side of Mount Airy, is currently wheat fields, trees and brush. Md. 27 splits the property.

The land west of Md. 27 borders Watkins Park and the town's Rails-to-Trails walking path.

Mount Airy officials — including four of five council members, six Planning Commission members and Mayor Larry Hushour — were each given 10 minutes to provide comment and ask questions of the developer. Council President Jason Poirier was not present for the meeting.

Council members said the new development plan is an improvement from the previous one but would still bring too much housing to the town.

Councilman Karl Munder said housing east of Md. 27 still appears "congested," and he called for more open space and trees by removing a row of townhouses.

Councilwoman Lynne Galletti echoed Munder's concerns about density on the east side of Md. 27. She said the developer should incorporate more usable open space, like a baseball field.

Kazanjian, though, said that adding a ball field would remove homes from the downtown area and take away the business and activity their occupants would bring to that area.

Domotor said the developer should include a senior center in the project to prevent the town's existing senior facility from being overburdened.

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

The council may vote to approve a pre-concept plan by July at the earliest, council members said, but it cannot vote to prevent the development from happening entirely.

Hushour said the council and the Planning Commission should refrain from scheduling another meeting with the developer until changes have been made to the pre-concept plan.

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan