The Calvert County Commissioners conducted a work session with the Department of Community Planning and Building Tuesday, Aug. 20 regarding a request to amend the Huntingtown Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
The request to “modify the extent and location” of a 100-foot wooded buffer along the southbound lane of Route 2/4 was submitted by an attorney representing Oldtown Automobile and Truck Sales Inc.
“Such a change would eliminate an artificial obstacle to any further development of Oldtown’s property and would be entirely consistent with the original intent of the Huntingtown Master Plan,” stated attorney Mark Davis in a letter to the county commissioners dated May 2, 2013.
According to a memo from principal planner Jenny Plummer-Welker, the Calvert County Board of Appeals has heard three cases “regarding the development within the 100-foot buffer setback from [Route] 2/4 for the parcel owned by Mr. Davis’ client. This parcel would be the only parcel affected by this text amendment.” The latter two cases heard by the board of appeals were variance requests to reduce the 100-foot buffer setback. Both requests were denied.
The buffer area runs parallel to Route 2/4 for nearly 700 feet. Some changes to what has been envisioned in the master plan have occurred. The reservation of a parcel for extending Hunting Creek Road to Route 2/4 has been removed from the plan as has a long-range plan to construct an over/underpass spanning Route 2/4 and connecting the west side of Huntingtown with the east side.
Commissioner Gerald W. Clark [R] suggested rather than only reduce the buffer from 100 to 35 feet on the south portion of the area, the county should consider a reduction along the entire 700-foot segment.
“Why not do the whole strip?” Clark asked. He explained that the dramatic setback reduction might spur additional commercial development within the town center, an idea that drew favor from the other commissioners. Clark explained the idea of drawing town center boundaries in specific communities was to concentrate development to that area. A wide setback area, he surmised, could be deterring commercial growth in the Huntingtown Town Center.
“It’s very difficult to do anything in Huntingtown right now,” said Commissioner Susan Shaw [R].
“We want to go ahead with this [requested modification] but we want you to include options,” Commissioners’ President Pat Nutter [R] told Plummer-Welker.
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