Politics & Government
Bowie Advisory Board Votes No on Walmart Special Exception
However, city staff is recommending that the Bowie City Council support the application.
In a surprise move after a three-hour hearing, the Bowie Advisory Planning Board voted Tuesday to recommend disapproval of Walmart's application for a special exception to build a new Supercenter in Bowie.
The Bowie Advisory Planning Board is a volunteer committee made up of residents that acts in an advisory capacity to the Bowie City Council on planning issues. Tuesday's vote means it will advise the council to recommend that the Prince George's County Planning Board disapprove the application.
City planning staff will recommend the the council support the application, with conditions, after finding that Walmart met all of the criteria for the special exception. City Planning Director Joe Meinert stands by the planning staff's recommendation.
“We think the board made a bad decision,” Meinert said.
The new store in Bowie is part of Walmart's planned expansion in Prince George's County. The special exception is required because the store as planned would be 186,000 square feet. In Prince George's County, any "big box" retailer planning to build a store over 125,000 square feet is required to apply for a special exception.Following the hearing, in which residents spoke both in favor and in opposition of the application, advisory planning board member Ron Skotz moved to recommend approval. When that motion was not seconded, there was some confusion among the board over next steps.
Meinert told Patch that the city attorney advised the board members they had to vote, so a second board member, Terry Rogers, moved to deny the application.
According to Rogers, Walmart's plans were not in compliance with the 2006 Bowie Master Plan, which stated the property—located at the intersection of northbound Rt. 301 and Mill Branch Road—should not be used for "big box" stores.
The board voted 6-1, with Skotz abstaining, to recommend disapproval of the application on this basis.
City staff did address the 2006 Bowie Master Plan in its staff report, which was given in advance to all advisory board members. Minert said the the idea of the master plan was to ensure that the entire 74-acre site was not exclusively filled with big box stores.
"The test for zoning is that the proposed use is not going to substantially impair the master plan," Meinert said.
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Even with the Walmart going in, Meinert said Mill Branch Crossing is slated for upscale restaurants, retail and a hotel, meaning it is still well within the guidelines of the 2006 Bowie Master Plan.
The Bowie City Council will vote on Walmart's special exception application at its regular council meeting, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, in Council Chamber at City Hall. The council will have the opportunity to review the staff report and will also receive recommendations from the Bowie Advisory Planning Board and City Manager David Deutsch prior to the meeting.
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The council will then decide to recommend approval or disapproval of Walmart's application. Its recommendation will be sent to the county planning board. The city's recommendation is only used in an advisory capacity. Ultimately, the county planning board will decide if the application for a special exception is approved or denied.
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