Updated plans have been submitted for a proposed Royal Farms convenience store and gas station at 397 Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg, which would become the company’s third Montgomery County location if approved. The proposed site would be located a little more than a mile from the existing Royal Farms on Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg.
According to the City of Gaithersburg, the applicant is seeking schematic development plan approval for a 5,380 SF Royal Farms building with associated gas pumps, along with a separate 9,020 SF commercial pad site for future development. The plans are currently under review and a public hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The approximately 2.83-acre property would be divided into two lots. One would contain the Royal Farms convenience store, gas pumps, parking, landscaping, and internal traffic circulation. The second lot, referred to as “Pad B,” is being reserved for a future restaurant, retail, or office use.
Planning documents state the proposal would relocate a previously approved service station area within the larger Watkins Mill Town Center development to a more visible location near the Watkins Mill/I-270 interchange. The applicant says modern convenience stores now function more as food destinations and require additional space compared to when the property was originally approved in 2005.
Site plans show access would come from Town Center Boulevard, with shared parking and circulation between both lots. Landscaping would include street trees, parking lot islands, and perimeter buffers, while lighting would be designed to minimize glare onto surrounding properties. The project is being developed by BP Spectrum LLC.
Royal Farms opened its first Montgomery County location in Gaithersburg in 2022 and is preparing to open additional locations in Silver Spring. Residents wishing to comment on the proposal can submit feedback to the City of Gaithersburg by mail at 31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or by email at [email protected].
