A proposed Walgreens pharmacy in Oakland Mills got a boost May 26 when the county hearing examiner overruled an earlier decision by the Planning Board and approved a second entrance into the property.

Hearing Examiner Michele LeFaivre announced her ruling following a hearing that lasted nearly six hours, although it is not formal until she issues a written opinion in the next several weeks. Residents opposed to the decision may appeal to the county Board of Appeals and to Howard County Circuit Court.

Developer Bavar Properties submitted plans in March 2008 to build a 14,820-square-foot Walgreens in a vacant lot at the corner of Route 175 and Thunder Hill Road in Oakland Mills, with the main entrance off of nearby Twin Knolls Road. After residents raised concerns about a right-turn-only second entrance to the property off of Thunder Hill Road, the developer added a 163-foot deceleration lane designed to slow traffic into the site.

The second entrance required special approval from the Planning Board, which voted 3 to 1 against it during a meeting on April 2. Following the Planning Board meeting, the developer made a slight adjustment to the design of the deceleration lane to make it safer and conducted speed studies that showed the lane could accommodate the traffic, said attorney William Erskine, who represents the developer.

Alex Kopicki, development manager for the project, said a second entrance into the property was part of the contract with Walgreens, and a spokesman for the pharmacy chain previously described it as “crucial” for the business to succeed. No other retailers have been lined up for the site, which has been mostly vacant since 2005 and suffers from a lack of visibility from Route 175, said Robert Smith, a partner in the project.

The Oakland Mills Village Board unanimously supported the second entrance and members said this week they were satisfied it would be safe. They said they hoped the Walgreens could act as the gateway into the village center.

“This could very well be the catalyst that attracts businesses to our village in the future,” board chairwoman Abby Hendrix said.

Another group of residents spoke out against the second entrance, citing fears that the Walgreens would draw too much traffic and cause a safety hazard at the intersection. They were skeptical that the deceleration lane would do enough to improve safety.

“It’s just common sense,” said Thomas Stanton, a Columbia resident who lives nearby and frequently drives through the intersection. “I think you’re going to have accidents there, and I think it’s going to be because of people putting on their brakes to get in.”

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