Mill Branch Crossing is being built with 190 townhomes and 408 multi-family homes, despite some pushback over traffic and environmental concerns. Construction is set to finish in summer 2024, and the homes will start in the upper $400,000s.
Here are the highlights:
- The Mill Branch Crossing development is under construction on 64 acres at the northeast quadrant of 301 and Mill Branch Road.
- A site plan for 190 townhome units and 408 multi-family homes was approved by the county in 2022.
- Site grading and utility installation began in summer 2023.
- Stanley Martin Homes plans to market its 190 units starting in the upper $400,000s.
- The site was previously intended for a Super Walmart, which fell through after years of planning.
- The property was zoned C-S-C in a 2006 amendment, with various approvals for development plans from 2009 to 2021.
- In 2019, a zoning text amendment allowed residential uses in the C-S-C zone.
- Concerns were raised about the impact of development on local congestion and infrastructure.
- The project received last-minute county tax breaks, which were opposed by some city officials.
- Construction is expected to continue through 2023, with completion anticipated in summer 2024.
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Mill Branch Development Underway
The Mill Branch Crossing development, sometimes referred to as Green Branch, is under construction on the northeast quadrant of 301 and Mill Branch Road. The property spans 64 acres.
A detailed site plan for 190 townhome units and 408 multi-family homes was approved by the county in 2022. Site grading and utility installation began this summer.
Stanley Martin Homes, a Greenbelt-based builder, says its 190 units are expected to go on the market opening in the upper $400,000s.
Formerly the site of a planned Super Walmart, the property owners tried for years to pursue an alternative form of development when the Walmart fell through.
The property was zoned C-S-C (Commercial Shopping Center) in a 2006 county sectional map amendment. A preliminary subdivision plan received county approval in 2009 and a final subdivision plan was approved in 2017.
In 2019, the county approved a zoning text amendment to permit residential uses in the C-S-C zone. In 2021, a new preliminary subdivision plan was submitted by Green Branch, LLC to develop a mix of retail, a hotel, townhomes and multifamily homes.
I was one of two city officials who spoke out against the rezoning that was necessary to move this project forward. There is no doubt strong housing demand in the region as evidenced by fast-rising property values and anecdotally common multi-generational living in single-family homes.
But it is also the case that 301 congestion has deteriorated in recent years, with even more development projects coming online in Anne Arundel, Prince George's, and Calvert Counties. While State Highway is making improvements to 301 this year, it will not make a noticeable difference in relieving congestion.
Development focused on revitalizing existing commercial shopping centers, adding density necessary to retain and attract better retail and dining is inevitable, and often helpful in improving business quality and adding local amenities. This particular project, removing large acres of forest and green space, did not serve those purposes.
The project also benefited from last minute county tax breaks. Dufour Woolfley and I were alone in opposing a letter of support for the county tax relief. New development can't adequately fund improvements to infrastructure and schools if its taxes are constantly reduced, as was also the case for the major South Lake project.
The work is expected to continue through 2023 with residential and commercial construction wrapping up in the summer of 2024.