The union is opposing nonunion Wegmans stores at several Maryland locations. The union earlier appealed the Planning Board's September decision to allow the store on industrially zoned land and the approval of the traffic plan. Once it has the needed approvals, the store could be built, but if the union appeals succeed, the project could be halted.
Marsha S. McLaughlin, the county planning director, told the Planning Board that "new-town" zoning - regulations devised in the 1960s especially to regulate Columbia - is woefully outdated.
"I have a real problem with how new-town regulations are written," she said, adding that they "desperately need revisions" that will be made when a plan for redeveloping Columbia's Town Center is studied this year.
She also told the board that the county is studying traffic problems along Snowden River Parkway because of complaints about growing congestion there.
The board first heard testimony in the Wegmans case Jan. 3, when county planners recommended approval of the site development plan despite protests from a large group of opponents.
Because of the contention, the board accepted written testimony through much of January and put off the discussion and vote until last week.
The board was told that county planners had determined that the traffic plans, which include lengthening left-turn lanes on northbound Snowden River Parkway and widening McGaw Road near the store site, met county standards.
An earlier board approval for using the industrially zoned land for the supermarket and adjoining garage is under appeal, with a hearing scheduled for Feb. 25.
Frank Tavani, a traffic expert hired by the store's critics, said the developer's traffic study, conducted by the Traffic Group, used standards applied to stores of no more than 70,000 square feet and failed to take measurements on Saturdays, when traffic at three nearby big-box centers often clogs Snowden River Parkway.
Residents of Rustling Leaf, the first residential street south of Oakland Mills Road, told the board Jan. 3 that they can't turn left against traffic during rush hours. The additional traffic that Wegmans would bring would make things worse, they said.
larry.carson@baltsun.com
