Story Category: Public Works And Energy »

The St. Mary’s County Commissioners have pulled a $5 million sewer expansion project in the New Market-Charlotte Hall area from the Metropolitan Commission’s six-year capital improvement plan. The move was done at the behest of Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) who felt the project shouldn’t be in the capital plan until an update of the master plan for the northern part of St. Mary’s County is complete.

The commissioner decision came during the presentation of the Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) capital budget by Director Jacquelyn Meiser and members of the commission and their staff. Under a new law passed by the general assembly, the county commissioners now have ratification authority over the commission’s capital budget.

Meiser said the project was in the 2015 capital budget plan but no monies have been allocated. She said the project was in the budget to be consistent with the county’s plans, but she said there were no specifics, such as how many additional residential or commercial projects would be served, other than to say it would handle additional growth in that area. She said it was in the budget as a “place holder.”

Director of Land Use and Growth Manager Phillip Shire said he could not give a timetable as to when the effort might begin to revise the plan for the New Market-Charlotte Hall area. He said it could begin as early as next spring, but was behind trying to handle the additional requirements imposed by this year’s general assembly session, including the new septic law. “We don’t know the effect of the septic bill,” he said.

“The master plan will set in motion needs for sewer,” Jarboe said. He noted that Calvert County decided after developing a Dunkirk Master Plan to limit sewer expansion there to commercial development and have residential development on larger lots. .

Commissioner Daniel Morris agreed with Jarboe on waiting for completion of the land use revision before deciding what additional sewage capacity and sewer lines were needed. “It is putting the cart before the horse,” he said.

“The state is putting too much on our plate,” Morris said, adding, “We will need money in other places.”

Meiser said she didn’t have any [problem pulling the Charlotte Hall project from the six-year plan, and assured Commissioner Todd Morgan (R: 4th) that the project could be added back into the plan in subsequent years if the commissioners so desired.

The commissioners approved the other aspects of the MetCom Capital Plan that were presented at a May 5 public hearing and in April to the commissioners. That plan had $118.1 million in sewer projects, including $48.5 million in prior approvals, and $68.6 million in water projects, including $23.7 million in prior approvals.