Subtracting houses adds up to approval of developer's plan


02/14/07
By Marcia Ames

An Elkridge developer has gotten the go-ahead to build three single-family houses near the southwest corner of North Rolling and Crosby roads.

In a Jan. 22 order, Baltimore County Zoning Commissioner William Wiseman approved the latest development plan for Rolling Stones, a five-house development John Rice proposed a year ago.

Two houses that were built about 20 years ago will stay.

A third existing house will be razed to make way for new construction, which is described as two-story, traditional style.

Wiseman had postponed his decision, which had been expected within a month of his Feb. 10, 2006, hearing on the project, until the county's Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management reviewed storm water runoff issues.

The department completed its review and confirmed Jan. 19 this year that the Rolling Stones development plan meets all county regulations.

Although some local residents had opposed Rice's previous plans, which called for a total of eight old and new houses at the 2.3-acre site, community leaders Tina Brown and Steve Whisler both said they had no plans to appeal Wiseman's decision.

"I'm assuming that everything has been changed," said Brown, president of the Woodbridge Valley Improvement and Civic Association.

Her group, which serves the area immediately adjacent to Rolling Stones, had objected to the eight-house plan for having too many houses and an entrance that cut across Woodbridge Valley property to connect with Crosby Road.

The current plan reduced the total number of houses and eliminated the contested entrance, leaving a proposed entrance that connects with North Rolling Road.

Brown said her group also had wanted to make sure storm water was managed according to county regulations.

Brown's counterpart in the Westview Park community, across North Rolling Road from Woodbridge Valley and the development site, said he would defer to her decision not to contest Wiseman's ruling.

"It would depend on what Tina Brown and the Woodbridge community want," said Steve Whisler, president of the Westview Park Improvement and Civic Association.

Nevertheless, he said he disagrees with county zoning regulations that allow eight or even five houses to be squeezed onto 2.3 acres.

"That's what I have a problem with," he said.

Rice did not return phone calls from a reporter seeking comment.

E-mail Marcia Ames at Marcia Ames@patuxent.com

SO are we all moving in? Wearing our IORR Tshirts, of course.

Would they let Keith move in?

..... relax,,, obviously its just a name of a dinky developement..