The St. Mary’s County Commissioners have approved two zoning text amendments that would ease the Adequate Public Facilities Requirements for some commercial development. The changes are especially aimed at the Charlotte Hall area, where traffic congestion at several intersections has virtually halted development.
The regulations before the changes required a commercial developer to correct the intersection problems before proceeding, yet the problems were admittedly too large and expensive for any one developer to pay for them. In particular, the Route 5/Golden Beach Road intersection is currently at a failed level of service.
The zoning text amendments approved allow a developer to make some partial road mitigation on their own property and also exempts smaller commercial development (less than 5,000 square feet) from the requirements of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance.
Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd), who represents the Charlotte Hall area, voted against the two proposed changes, both of which passed 4-1. Jarboe said he would have preferred holding off making any decisions until the completion of the regional master plan.
Director of Land Use and Growth Management Philip Shire said the planning commission was expected to decide next week the process for selecting citizens’ committee to work on the plan/. But Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell pointed out the slow progress on the Lexington Park Master Plan and predicted the north county planning wouldn’t be complete until 2016.
Commissioner Daniel Morris (R: 2nd) noted that the changes only affected roads and commercial development, and not water and sewer and residential development. “Residential building there (Charlotte Hall) is unacceptable,” he said.
Commissioner Todd Morgan (R: 4th) pointed out that Charlotte Hall is one of the areas of the county targeted for growth in the 1988 master plan and that growth there has been encouraged.
Shire pointed out that the issue was more than just the pro- and anti-development factions in the Charlotte Hall area. He said there were some businesses “in the middle” who are unable to expand without the changes, including Tidewater Veterinary Hospital and Southern States. A new Verizon store on the Seymour Auto Parts property was also being held up.
Although it was not mentioned at the decision meeting, Tommy McKay of McKay’s Food and Drug said at a recent public forum that his shopping center project with a new grocery store was also being held up by the Adequate Public Facilities road requirements. The commissioner decision w
