Caroline County planning commission backs adding 'thrift store' use with highway-corridor lighting standard

The Caroline County Planning and Zoning Commission voted on May 28, 2026, to recommend a zoning text amendment (TXT012026) that would add a new "thrift store" use to the county zoning ordinance and attach development standards. The commission amended the proposal to require that outdoor lighting for thrift stores comply with the county’s Highway Corridor Overlay District (HCOD) lighting standard.

Brad Robinson, the county zoning administrator, told the commission the amendment would modify articles 2, 4 and 15 of the zoning ordinance to add a definition and a set of standards. Robinson read the definition on the record: "A retail establishment that sells gently used secondhand goods such as clothing, furniture, and household items at highly discounted prices." He said staff retained six standards drawn from existing antique-shop and general-store rules and added five additional standards for a total of 11 proposed standards.

Commissioners focused much of their questioning on outdoor lighting and security. Commissioner Steve Rollins asked whether the ordinance could specify lighting types and direction to avoid impacting neighboring residences, saying he did not "want a big light shining in my through my window." Planner Craig Pennington and Robinson explained that the HCOD lighting rules require fixtures to be source-shielded and directed downward so direct or reflective illumination does not exceed 0.5 foot-candles above background levels at the lot line; commissioners agreed to modify proposed standard number six to match that specification.

Robinson also told the commission that donated-food items are not typically part of a thrift-store inventory and that any applicant seeking the use via a future special exception application would need to specify the types of donated items they intend to accept. He confirmed that hours of operation and other site-specific conditions can be imposed through the special exception process and that parking must meet existing surfacing standards; storage of inoperable motor vehicles outside would be prohibited unless inside a fully enclosed building.

The chair, Richard Williams, moved to accept text amendment 01-2026 with the lighting modification; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The commission recorded no public speakers during the public hearing and said that, if the Board of Supervisors approves the text amendment, individual applicants would still need to file special exception applications for site-level review and any additional conditions.

Next steps: The planning commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing and final action. The commission’s record reflects a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded on the transcript.