What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?
July 11, 2008
Update: photo – October 28, 2008
Many folks have asked what is happening with the portion of the Westminster Shopping Center at the corner of Englar Road and Rte 140.
Sometime ago, the two back-to-back gas stations, that were located there, were torn down.
Then the area was fenced off and nothing has happened since.
Now anyone who knows anything about shopping centers knows that things often happen at break-neck glacier speed; so many of us thought nothing of it for a while.
I asked around and no one seemed to know anything. I thought of calling the owners, the Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) – and well - I lost track of it. There are only so many hours in the day.
My experience with the WRIT is that they are usually very accessible – I just never got around to calling them.
And then the other night I was rummaging around the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) website researching another matter and there it was: “Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program.”
Apparently they are cleaning-up the site before they move forward… Which is a good thing.
I’ll paste the information from the MDE website below, but first some very brief reference material on the shopping center: “StoreTrax” deck sheet on the Westminster Shopping Center (retrieved July 10th, 2008):
Westminster Shopping Center, Route 140 & Englar Road, Westminster, MD
Details: County: Carroll, Type: Community, Built: 1958, Renovated: 2000: Westminster Shopping Center went through a complete redevelopment in 2000. Medium Boxes and Small Sites available for National Tenants. Total Square Feet: 176,692
Washington Real Estate Investment Trust 6110 Executive Blvd. Suite 800 Rockville, MD 20852
Leasing Agent(s) Steve Krupinski, 301-255-0846 phone, 301-984-9612 faxskrupinski@writ.com
http://www.storetrax.com/stx/showNAProperty.do?centerId=811&type=1&st_inc=no
MDE Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program
October 30, 2007
Page 1
Maryland Department of the Enviroment
1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258
Facts About…
Department of the Environment
WESTMINSTER CITGO AND SHOPPING CENTER
(VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM)
Site Location
The Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center property consists of two parcels totaling 10.84-acres located at the southeast corner of Route 140 and Englar Road in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland. The property is a strip mall shopping center with several stand-alone buildings and paved parking areas. Overland flow from the property discharges to the southeast. The Town of Westminster supplies water and sanitary sewer services to the property and the vicinity. The Town of Westminster derives the majority of their potable water from groundwater and the Westminster Citgo property is located in the wellhead protection area. The property is zoned business. Other commercial properties surround the property.
Site History
Prior to 1958, the property was used for agricultural purposes, and in 1958, the property was developed into a shopping center. A dual operator service station was located on the property as early as 1959 and the associated building was demolished in 2006.
The current owner, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, purchased the property from Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. in 1972.
In 1957, Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. purchased the property from Scott and Anita Bair who purchased it in 1955. Prior to 1955, the Albaugh and Babylon Grocery Company owned the property.
Environmental Investigations and Actions
Two service stations operated at the property from 1959 until 2006. Numerous underground storage tanks have historically been associated with the service stations. These tanks have all been removed from the property with the exception of one 8,000-gallon tank that was abandoned in place in 1989. During tank removal in 2006, petroleum contamination was noted in the soil and groundwater. Contaminated soils, totaling 322 tons, were also removed during the tank excavations. A Phase II investigation was conducted subsequently and revealed additional petroleum soil impacts and contamination of groundwater at the property.
An Oil Control Program (OCP) case was opened for the property (#2005-0945-CL). In November 2006, the OCP approved a work plan for the property that required additional sampling. In April 2007, the OCP requested an interim corrective action plan be developed to address the petroleum contamination at the property. The request also includes quarterly sampling of the groundwater from the existing monitoring wells.
Page 2
1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258
Current Status
On August 20, 2007, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust submitted two Voluntary Cleanup Program applications for the property seeking a restricted no further requirements determination for the shopping center and certificate of completion for the service station for commercial future uses of the property.
Planned or Potential Future Action
The proposed future use of the property will be commercial.
Contact
Jim Carroll
Maryland Department of the Environment
(410) 537-3437
Land Restoration Program
Last Update: October 30, 2007
http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Westminster%20Citgo%20and%20Shopping%20Cntr.pdf.
20080711 What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?
July 11, 2008
Update: photo – October 28, 2008
Many folks have asked what is happening with the portion of the Westminster Shopping Center at the corner of Englar Road and Rte 140.
Sometime ago, the two back-to-back gas stations, that were located there, were torn down.
Then the area was fenced off and nothing has happened since.
Now anyone who knows anything about shopping centers knows that things often happen at break-neck glacier speed; so many of us thought nothing of it for a while.
I asked around and no one seemed to know anything. I thought of calling the owners, the Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) – and well - I lost track of it. There are only so many hours in the day.
My experience with the WRIT is that they are usually very accessible – I just never got around to calling them.
And then the other night I was rummaging around the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) website researching another matter and there it was: “Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program.”
Apparently they are cleaning-up the site before they move forward… Which is a good thing.
I’ll paste the information from the MDE website below, but first some very brief reference material on the shopping center: “StoreTrax” deck sheet on the Westminster Shopping Center (retrieved July 10th, 2008):
Westminster Shopping Center, Route 140 & Englar Road, Westminster, MD
Details: County: Carroll, Type: Community, Built: 1958, Renovated: 2000: Westminster Shopping Center went through a complete redevelopment in 2000. Medium Boxes and Small Sites available for National Tenants. Total Square Feet: 176,692
Washington Real Estate Investment Trust 6110 Executive Blvd. Suite 800 Rockville, MD 20852
Leasing Agent(s) Steve Krupinski, 301-255-0846 phone, 301-984-9612 faxskrupinski@writ.com
http://www.storetrax.com/stx/showNAProperty.do?centerId=811&type=1&st_inc=no
MDE Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program
October 30, 2007
Page 1
Maryland Department of the Enviroment
1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258
Facts About…
Department of the Environment
WESTMINSTER CITGO AND SHOPPING CENTER
(VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM)
Site Location
The Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center property consists of two parcels totaling 10.84-acres located at the southeast corner of Route 140 and Englar Road in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland. The property is a strip mall shopping center with several stand-alone buildings and paved parking areas. Overland flow from the property discharges to the southeast. The Town of Westminster supplies water and sanitary sewer services to the property and the vicinity. The Town of Westminster derives the majority of their potable water from groundwater and the Westminster Citgo property is located in the wellhead protection area. The property is zoned business. Other commercial properties surround the property.
Site History
Prior to 1958, the property was used for agricultural purposes, and in 1958, the property was developed into a shopping center. A dual operator service station was located on the property as early as 1959 and the associated building was demolished in 2006.
The current owner, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, purchased the property from Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. in 1972.
In 1957, Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. purchased the property from Scott and Anita Bair who purchased it in 1955. Prior to 1955, the Albaugh and Babylon Grocery Company owned the property.
Environmental Investigations and Actions
Two service stations operated at the property from 1959 until 2006. Numerous underground storage tanks have historically been associated with the service stations. These tanks have all been removed from the property with the exception of one 8,000-gallon tank that was abandoned in place in 1989. During tank removal in 2006, petroleum contamination was noted in the soil and groundwater. Contaminated soils, totaling 322 tons, were also removed during the tank excavations. A Phase II investigation was conducted subsequently and revealed additional petroleum soil impacts and contamination of groundwater at the property.
An Oil Control Program (OCP) case was opened for the property (#2005-0945-CL). In November 2006, the OCP approved a work plan for the property that required additional sampling. In April 2007, the OCP requested an interim corrective action plan be developed to address the petroleum contamination at the property. The request also includes quarterly sampling of the groundwater from the existing monitoring wells.
Page 2
1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258
Current Status
On August 20, 2007, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust submitted two Voluntary Cleanup Program applications for the property seeking a restricted no further requirements determination for the shopping center and certificate of completion for the service station for commercial future uses of the property.
Planned or Potential Future Action
The proposed future use of the property will be commercial.
Contact
Jim Carroll
Maryland Department of the Environment
(410) 537-3437
Land Restoration Program
Last Update: October 30, 2007
http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Westminster%20Citgo%20and%20Shopping%20Cntr.pdf.
20080711 What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)
