Analysis: Heritage Society and N. Patuxent Road Project

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee, members of the Odenton Heritage Society raised concerns about plans for a condominium development near the area of North Patuxent Road, Odenton Road and Becknel Avenue. In addition to our , we offer this breakdown and analysis of the issues at hand.

For more updates on development in town follow Odenton Patch on Facebook and Twitter.

What are the details of the proposed project?

The Hogan Cos. has presented a concept for about 88 condominiums in a wooded area on the west side of North Patuxent Road, near Odenton Road and Becknel Avenue. Plans call for a “two-over-two” style of condo to be built by Koch Homes. There may also be some office or retail space at the ground floor to satisfy a requirement for a mix of uses on the site. 

Has the project been approved already?

No. The project is still in its conceptual phase. The Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee has reviewed the plan twice, but has only voted to allow the developer to continue working on plans. The Hogan Cos. has sought several waivers of requirements relating to height, density and mix of uses in the project.

Why does the Odenton Heritage Society object to the project?

In a broad sense, they believe that condominiums on the site do not fit in with the historic character of the area, which includes some old single-family homes, including one dating back to 1918 that is viewed as a good example of early 20th-century architecture. Furthermore, they said the town center committee did not take into account that the project would sit inside the Odenton Historic District.

How did the committee not take historic preservation into account?

Quite simply, committee members did not realize that the development sat in the historic district. Part of that stems from the fact that the Odenton Town Center Master Plan is written in such a way that much of the information about historic districts is separated out from the rest of the plan. And there was no one from the heritage society involved in past discussions.

There also appeared to be a lack of understanding by committee members as to how the guidelines for development in the historic district meshed with provisions in the plan as a whole. Committee members said that in some cases, the provisions may be at odds with one another. For instance, the master plan could allow for construction of apartments or condominiums as high as four stories in that part of the Odenton Town Center, known commonly as the “village.” But guidelines for the historical district suggest only single-family homes are appropriate.

The committee said it would use the next month to carefully review the plan and all of its components relating to historic districts.

Why didn’t the OHS voice concerns earlier?

OHS officials said they were not aware the project was on the agenda of past meetings. Committee members said the heritage society had been on an email distribution list to receive agendas in advance, but that the email address connected to the society was defunct.

Some committee members said it might be helpful to have someone from the heritage society attend every monthly meeting, or even serve on the committee itself.

This issue led to a broader discussion Tuesday about whether the committee could improve the way it publicizes agendas, either through the county’s official website, or media outlets, including Odenton Patch.

So what happens next?

The heritage society was not permitted to make their full presentation to the committee on Tuesday, because they were a late addition to the agenda. Committee chairman Don Price invited the society and officials from the Hogan Cos. to present at the next meeting on Nov. 29.