Commission discusses landscape business plan

August 31, 2009|By DAVE McMILLION

HAGERSTOWN --Â A proposed landscaping business along Md. 34 about a half-mile west of Boonsboro was a topic of discussion during Monday night's Washington County Planning Commission meeting.

Despite concerns that the land lies in the "gateway" to Antietam National Battlefield, planning commission members approved a site plan for Custom Landscaping.

The site near Monroe Road has been partially developed, including establishment of a pet crematory, said Ed Schreiber of Frederick Seibert and Associates, a civil engineering firm in Hagerstown.

The landscaping business being eyed for the site includes two buildings, one of which would be a landscape retail shop, said Schreiber, who represents Michael Van Fleet, who is proposing the business.

The second building would house a landscaping services operation, Schreiber said.

There was discussion about the buildings being as tall as 30 feet, which caused concern for planning commission Chairman George Anikis.

"That to me seems to be pretty tall," said Anikis, noting the site's proximity to Antietam National Battlefield. "I'm just sensitive to what that is going to look like."

Schreiber said the buildings would be no different than a bank barn. He also said the height of the buildings would include the peaks of the roofs.

There also was concern about cutting down trees for the business. Schreiber said a small group of trees along the property that faces a cornfield probably will not have to be disturbed, but the builder is not under any requirement to save them.

Anikis said he does not like to see trees cut down unnecessarily, and when the planning commission approved the site plan, a condition of the approval was to save as many trees as possible.

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