First Phase of Belward Farm Development Has Been Approved

The Applicant, Trammell Crow Company (TCC), was granted  approval of Site Plan No. 820220250 which is limited to the 66.5 acres of the northern portion of the 107-acre Overall Site on March 30th. This Site Plan is the subject of a ground lease between the Trammell Crow Company and the Property Owner Johns Hopkins University, and which includes future Parcel A, Block C of the Johns Hopkins University Belward Campus subdivision and Belward Campus Drive. Additional information from the site plan can be seen below:

The Applicant, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), is seeking approval of Final Forest Conservation Plan (FFCP) No. F20230020, which encompasses the entire 107 acres referenced as the Belward Tract or Overall Site. The Forest Conservation Plan was approved for the Overall Site with Amended Preliminary Plan No. 11996110A and amended in the JHU Medical Office Building Site Plan No. 820210120. This current submission of JHU’s Final FCP amendment is triggered by the proposed development with the TCC Site Plan application. The purpose of JHU’s FCP amendment is to modify the previously approved FFCP for the Overall Site to accommodate TCC’s proposed development in their Site Plan application (“TCC Site Plan”).

The Phase I Site Plan (“JHU MOB Site Plan”) was approved by the Planning Board per MCPB Resolution No. 21-110 to redevelop approximately 11 acres of the southeastern portion of the Overall Site with a 126,200-square foot medical office building. This Subject Application (“TCC Site Plan”, “Application”, “Project”, “Proposal”) is the second Site Plan (Phase II) implementing a portion of Amended Preliminary Plan No. 11996110A for the Overall Site. Combined, these two developments will result in the allocation of a total gross floor area of 883,200 square feet on the Overall Site. This proposed density will be within the maximum density of 1,410,000 square feet permitted for the Overall Site by Preliminary Plan No. 11996110A and would leave a remaining total of 526,800 square feet for future development.

This Application under review proposes the construction of three (3) buildings for research and development, biotechnology offices, and related labs and a commercial pavilion that totals up to 757,000 square feet of gross floor area that is above grade. The buildings will be supported by three (3) structured parking garages and on-street parking for the commercial use. The Project includes a combined total of 138,000 square feet of below grade space. A subtotal of 126,000 square feet of R&D and Office cellar space and 12,000 square feet of commercial cellar space is excluded from the definition of gross floor area (GFA) under Section 59-A-2.1.

The Site Plan will construct a new internal network of private and public roads, including Belward Campus Drive, which bisects the Overall Site into northern and southern portions. To accompany the previously approved 200-foot-wide Mission Hills Preserve, between the Site and the Mission Hills community to the north, the Site Plan proposes to construct 6.86 acres in this phase towards the 14- acre master-planned Muddy Branch Park (to be a privately owned public space). The remainder of the Park will be constructed in future phases. The Site Plan will also provide a minimum of 0.54 acres (with security fence) or up to 1.06 acres (without security fence) for the Urban Green that is connected to Muddy Branch Park via an internal system of pathways and separated bicycle facilities. The Project will construct a portion of the master Planned Life Sciences Loop (LSC) Trail.

Staff recommends approval of Site Plan No. 820220250 for the development of Phase II of the Belward Farm Overall Site (“Site Plan”, “TCC Site Plan”, “Project”, or “Application”). The development must comply with the applicable conditions of approval for Preliminary Plan No. 119961100 approved on March 6, 1997 and Preliminary Plan Amendment No. 11996110A, as listed in the MCPB Resolution No. 11-72 dated November 2, 2011, as may be amended, to the extent that such conditions relate to the area of the Belward Farm Overall Site located within the boundaries of the Site Plan (the “Property”). All site development elements shown on the latest electronic version of the Site Plan as of the date of this Staff Report submitted via ePlans to the M-NCPPC are required except as modified by the following conditions.

The full site plan can be seen here.