HAGERSTOWN, Md. – A proposal to advance water and sewer service for a planned 1.85 million-square-foot warehouse development near the Pennsylvania line prompted questions Tuesday about future land use and state environmental restrictions before the Washington County Commissioners approved the request.
The commissioners voted following a public hearing to approve a Water and Sewer Plan amendment requested by applicant 2003 Mason Dixon LLC for its 172-acre property at 17939 Mason Dixon Road. (This is not the proposed ICE detention center at the former warehouse on Wright Road.)
The amendment changes the property’s water and sewer priority classification from planned service to programmed service and recognizes Pennsylvania’s Antrim Township Municipal Authority as the provider of public water and sewer service.
The amendment is needed to provide utility service for a proposed warehouse and distribution complex consisting of two buildings totaling nearly 1.85 million square feet. The site plan remains subject to separate county and state review.
Planning Director Travis Allen said county staff members recommended approval because the property lies within a designated wellhead protection area where public water and sewer service is preferred over individual wells and septic systems.
He explained the site’s proximity to Pennsylvania also makes service from Antrim Township the most practical option while preserving Washington County’s own utility capacity for other future development.
Christopher N. Nivolos, attorney for 2003 Mason Dixon LLC, said the project satisfies the county’s requirements for the amendment and noted that water and sewer infrastructure from Antrim Township already extends to the property.
“The water sewer stubs are there,” Nivolos said, referring to the connection points. “They’ve been deemed to be sufficient by both county staff and ATMA (Antrim Township).”
Although the hearing focused on what county officials described as a technical amendment to the Water and Sewer Plan, much of the public discussion centered on what the warehouse project could mean for the surrounding area and whether the utility capacity could someday support a different use.
Dave Williams of Smithsburg, a candidate for county commissioner, questioned whether approving the amendment conflicted with a Maryland Department of the Environment order restricting expansion of the county’s sewer system until its water and sewer plan is updated.
Williams also asked whether the amount of water and sewer capacity proposed for the site could someday support a more intensive use than a warehouse, referencing the proposed ICE detention center at the former warehouse on Wright Road.
“So, knowing the water and sewer capacity planned for the Mason-Dixon Road project would give the public some idea as to whether that property might be able to be used for something other than a traditional warehouse in the future,” Williams said.
Commissioner John Barr asked county staff members whether the amendment conflicted with the state’s order limiting expansion of the county’s sewer system.
They responded that the order applies to the county’s sewer infrastructure, while the Mason Dixon Road project would receive water and sewer service from Pennsylvania’s Antrim Township Municipal Authority. County Administrator Michelle Gordon added that the order was specific to the Wright Road pump station and the warehouse project involved in that case.
Barr also questioned whether another future use of the property would require additional review. County staff said any substantial change affecting water or sewer demand would be subject to further approvals.
Another speaker, Shaun Porter, supported the property owner’s right to develop the land but repeatedly interrupted his remarks with personal attacks and profanity directed at county officials, including Barr.
Following the discussion, the commissioners voted to approve the Water and Sewer Plan amendment.
