Two bills were introduced and scheduled for public hearings at the Charles County Commissioners’ (CCC) meeting today. Public hearings are county residents’ opportunity to voice support or concern for a bill before its official vote into law or oblivion. Because the public is encouraged to attend these hearings, the CCC schedule them for their Wednesday meetings (space permitting) which occur later in the day to accommodate county residents’ work schedules.
Bill #2007-04: Proposes to abolish the $1,000 cap on grants for “community promotions.” Such grants have traditionally been petitioned by local non-profit organizations wishing to conduct a program to benefit the county but which is beyond their ability to fund completely. The $1,000 cap is an antiquated level, it is claimed. Both petitioners of the grants and the county grants advisory board have both found it to be entirely inadequate in recent years; and therefore requested that the cap be raised or abolished.
A public hearing on the bill is set for Wednesday, 21 February at 4 p.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room at the Charles County Government building in La Plata.
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First Baptist Church of Waldorf |
Bill #2007-05: Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), Churches & Private Schools in the BP Zone. A Business Park Zone – BP – gathers business and light industrial uses in a park like setting. This allows economic development with accompanying job creation to co-exist peacefully with the environment and residential neighborhoods. Charles County has allowed public schools to exist within BP but not churches or private schools.
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA), Churches & Private Schools in the BP Zone. A Business Park Zone – BP – gathers business and light industrial uses in a park-like setting. This allows economic development with accompanying job creation to co-exist peacefully with the environment and residential neighborhoods. Charles County has allowed schools to exist within BP but not churches or private schools. This bill was proposed by the First Baptist Church of Waldorf. In 2003 the church moved from their former location (the site of the current Best Buy to whom they sold the property) to their current location on Bunker Hill Rd, beside Berry Elementary and Mattawoman Middle School. This bill seeks to allow them to construct the sanctuary for their current building and additionally be in compliance with county zoning regulations.
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First Baptist Church of Waldorf – location in BP zone |
A public hearing on the bill is set for Wednesday, 14 March 2007 in the commissioners’ meeting room at the Charles County Government building in La Plata. The time will be announced in a forthcoming agenda.
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