The Proposed Development of the Property known as Harrison Tract at 1527 Howell Rd was discussed at the August 3, 2021 City of Hagerstown Work Session. The work session was broadcast live and is available online.

The current development plan is for a Class A Industrial Warehouse Complex containing 2 Buildings totaling 1.9 million square feet of space, with an expected Tractor Trailer traffic burden of 2,000 trucks per day plus employee autos.

According to the work session discussion and packet available on the City's website, the property has street frontage on both Howell Road and South Edgewood Drive, and an extensive boundary along Antietam Creek. The entrance on Howell Rd. is notated as “auto only", with the truck entrance on S. Edgewood Dr. across from Paul Smith Blvd.

In 2010, the intersection at Edgewood Dr. and Dual Highway underwent a $7mil expansion project to handle the traffic congestion present 11 years ago. The City Engineer has proposed lessening this development's new traffic burden at the existing Edgewood/Dual Hwy intersection by extending Paul Smith Boulevard to, and adding a traffic light at a new intersection at Dual Hwy on either the west side of Byrd Tire and Alignment, or the east side of Western Maryland Outdoor Power, with a traffic signal also added where the trucks would cross S Edgewood Dr. to enter and exit via Paul Smith Blvd.

This new intersection on Dual Hwy. will be approximately 2 tenths of a mile west of the intersection at Hebb Rd/Emmert Rd and Dual Hwy that already receives heavy traffic during typical Friday evening rush hour, or during frequent traffic congestion or closures of nearby Interstate 70 to the east, as commuters “cut through” Funkstown.
Along with the current congestion, the addition of new residents of the Gaver Meadows Community currently under development, will be adding to the traffic burden on Hebb/Emmert/Dual intersection which has I70 access, Beaver Creek Road and Old National Pike which border it.

Also discussed in the work session was the inability to complete the north section of the “Funkstown Bypass" which has completed sections in Southern Blvd and Paul Smith Blvd. The northern sections are unable to be completed due to developments at the northern ends of the planned routes.

With the growth in Washington County in the 15 years since the Bypass (Southern Blvd) was planned and the 11 years since the Edgewood/Dual Hwy expansion has taken place, the addition of 2,000 Tractor Trailers plus employee vehicles added to the existing and planned roads will add undue traffic congestion to the Community.
The area surrounding the proposed Industrial Class A development is Residential and Business. With no Bypass, the communities to the south and east of this site will have extended time in traffic, causing frustrations and impacting driver stress levels as well as the environment with cars idling.

Traffic congestion caused by these additional vehicles, whether at a new Paul Smith Blvd/Dual Hwy intersection, backing up to the Hebb/Emmert/Dual intersection to the east, and traffic coming up Alternate 40 from Boonsboro to S. Edgewood, crossing the truck entrance, will also affect citizens having medical emergencies. Dual Hwy, Hebb Road, Alt. 40, and Edgewood Dr are Ambulance and Fire Engine routes serving not just the local community, but the greater community to our east and south. There is no other route to take to get to Meritus Medical Center from either the south or the east. Sitting in traffic or finding alternate routes will add precious time during emergency transport.

With there no longer being a viable plan in place to build roads that can bypass the Edgewood/Dual Intersection access by either the east or south, I am asking you to support this petition and add your signature to stop the proposed development at Harrison Tract at 1527 Howell Road.

This petition and it's signatures will be presented to the City of Hagerstown Mayor, Council, Planning and Annexing/Permitting Committees, as well as the Washington County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission.