CHARLOTTE HALL, Md. – The planned Sheetz in Charlotte Hall has a major hurdle it must overcome before they can begin construction, and that’s figuring out the traffic situation.
A brand-new Sheetz location will be coming to Three Notch Rd right next to the Charlotte Hall VA Clinic. This new Sheetz will be a 6,139 sq. ft. convenience store with a 12-pump 4,800 sq. ft. gas station.
The intersection in question is a proposed T-style intersection with a traffic light that would include a 550 ft-long turning lane for southbound traffic to enter Sheetz and a 380 ft-long merge lane to get back into southbound traffic. Traffic Engineer for the project, Jackie Chandler, stated that this model would work well since it would never stop southbound traffic, only northbound.
The main concern for members of the Commission was that the proposal still posed a problem for drivers who were exiting the site and entering northbound traffic. Commission member Joe Vankirk proposed the addition of a northbound merge lane that would make it easier for vehicles exiting.
Chandler did try to defend the current proposal by saying drivers would have an open opportunity to make the right turn safely during the green light in which drivers turning left would enter southbound traffic, but the Commission just didn’t want to take that risk.
“Our job is to look at the whole comprehensive plan and make sure whoever meets those standards. This does not meet the standards of safety… There’s no way I could vote for this, not the way it is,” stated Commission member Lynn Delahay. “Why would St. Mary’s County want to settle for another D [rating] intersection? That’s ludicrous. That’s our job to make sure these things don’t happen.”
To give the project team more time to explore other options and to work with the State Highway Administration, the site plan approval was continued and scheduled for another meeting on March 4, 2024.
You can watch the full Planning Commission meeting by clicking here. The Charlotte Hall Sheetz discussion begins at approximately 1:40:02.
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Ya’ll definitely get a “D” rating for that intersection blunder at Route 4 and FDR Blvd (No right turn lane). Glad to see you’ve learned and you’re trying to make these intersections better when you’re getting a new business shoved down your throat.
What background does Lynn Delahay have with traffic engineering? Because the way this article reads it sounds like she’s looking the expert in the face and saying ‘no you’re wrong, I feel like it would be unsafe and my opinions are facts because, well, have you seen my title?’ She claimed it doesn’t meet the safety standard. What standard? As commissioner it’s certainly her prerogative but as a citizen I would hope our leaders are making INFORMED decisions based on facts and not their personal feelings or fears of how history will judge their decisions. All that said, I would like to hear the traffic engineer’s reasoning for not including a northbound merge lane. In my humble and uneducated opinion, if you’re doing it ‘right,’ that entire area should be reworked and that shouldn’t fall to Sheetz; the problem is the farmer’s market. Fix that before you start throwing up arbitrary roadblocks for new businesses.
PLEASE STOP BUILDING IN CH!! If we wanted to live in Waldorf, we would move back!
In case you haven’t noticed you essentially live in DC. If you don’t like living near people or jobs, I’ve heard Wyoming is nice. I welcome the builders and their effects on my property value. It’s just a shame it’s taking so long to extend the metro down here. My vote? Run that thing allllllll the way to Lexington Park.
STOP THE BUILDING!!! St. Mary’s does NOT need another store, gas station or restaurant!!! Don’t let these money hungry clowns turn St. Mary’s County turn into another Waldorf!!!
I’ll second that !
What’s wrong with Waldorf? Easy access to the bases and DC, good shopping and services, decent schools, safe neighborhoods, a nice even ethnic mix, rich history… if you want to live in a suburban area I don’t know what more you could ask for.
I love Sarcasm ..
Too late St Mary’s is already the new Waldorf, no need to travel to Waldorf when you just go across the bridge into St Marys and everything is right there…
As someone that lives in the north end, we definitely don’t need another gas station. We need public water and sewer, the mess at Golden Beach Road and the Urgent care area. Traffic already sucks in the area- we don’t need another NB light. You need to make an access road from Rt 6 that goes BEHIND everything. Republicans always think any development is good development (they’ve been running the county into the ground for decades). Stop the worthless building in the north end until our roads are done- properly.
Nothing more in Charlotte Hall please. I know that politicians like padding their pockets from builders/friends but we don’t need anything else.
So another traffic light to stop traffic and reduce mpg and increase travel time so that a private company can make more $.
NO more traffic lights!!! If you want to “Waldorf” up the place then build service roads down to existing traffic lights!!! If I want to stop and go non stop I would live in a city.
Southern Maryland has some unique traffic designs. Having lived at different places along the east coast over the past decades, I can say the false 4 way stop is unique. 30 years ago when there was a lot less traffic it may have been ok. The amount of traffic on the roads in the area does not support it. It forces folks to either make a uturn or enter the heavy traffic fast lane. Effectively still slowing down traffic with either the true 4 way light stopping traffic for the uturn or the folks getting up to speed in the fast lane(also a lot of dicey pulling into traffic). I find that the traffic circles in Hughesville to be nice, but they do not have near as much traffic. The Wawa Food Lion Tractor Supply intersection has improved with that redesign. If the “traffic engineer” has been the one that botched a lot of the intersections on the first go around. They seem to have a bad track record and may need to retire. What does the accident data say about that design of intersection?
Instead of all these gas stations, and food places why can’t the county build more schools. It’s three High school in this whole county. Or how about a homeless shelter that would actually help someone. The county worked on route 5 in leonardtown from 2016 to atleast the middle of 2023. How many times do you have to redo the road?? Waste of money!!!