NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Leonardtown, MD – A Public Hearing date has been set to make corrections to mistakes on maps found in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan. A Public Hearing is scheduled for Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Building in Leonardtown. See the Public Hearing Notice details below:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Chesapeake Building located at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown, Maryland to consider:
1) Correction of a mistake on page 2-20: 2015 Concept Land Uses in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan; 2) Correction of a mistake on “Great Mills Corridor Development Strategy” in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan; 3) Correction of a mistake on Figure PC-2:2015 Concept Land Use in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan; and 4) Recommendation to the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County to adopt Figure I-2: Proposed LPDD Zoning in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan.
Citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in the public hearing.
Copies of the proposed maps are available in the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, 23150 Leonard Hall Drive Leonardtown, MD 20650 and at www.stmarysmd.com.
Written comments may be submitted on or before March 7, 2017, to: Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
Any reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities should be requested by contacting the St. Mary’s County Public Information Officer at (301) 475-4200, *1342.
Note, that as a result of the evidence and comments made at the public hearing, amendments may be made to the proposed maps.
COMMISSIONERS OF ST. MARY’S COUNTY
By: Bill Hunt, Deputy Director, Land Use, and Growth Management
Cecil’s Mill subdivision entrance – future home of Cecil’s Mill Business Park
Leonardtown, MD – Homeowners from the Cecil’s Mill subdivision lined up to speak before the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission in protest of advancing plans for Cecil’s Mill Business Park owned by JF Taylor. On Jan. 23, a public hearing was held to correct errors made on a map in the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan (LPDDMP) that includes the Cecil’s Mill housing subdivision located off Great Mills Road.
A staff member found errors in a supplemental zoning map of the Lexington Park Development District Master Plan (LPDDMP). The LPDDMP includes plans and various changes to zone ordinances and land use up and down Great Mills Road. These changes include removing acres of natural resources to make way for a commercial office building.
JF Taylor owns the wooded property that extends from Great Mills Road and curves around to Indian Bridge Road. This property includes Elizabeth Hills housing subdivision which borders the Historic Cecil Mill District, which some of this property, if not all, is a part of. Outside of the Old Cecil’s Mill store, you will find a sign indicating a church was on the back part of the property line at some point in history.
The current zone indicated on the LPDDMP map is Corridor Mixed-use (CMX), with a proposed change to be Mixed-used Medium Intensity (MXM). The zone changes allow for the land to be used for commercial, as well as residential purposes.
However, a homeowner pointed out that county officials are calling this plan “Lexington Park” Development District Master but it includes changes to places other than that zip code.
The Lexington Park Development District Master Plan includes changes to be made in California, Lexington Park, Great Mills and possibly St. Inigoes. The title ‘Lexington Park’ is misleading. A homeowner said, “I thought this hearing was about the changes being made on Great Mills Road when I read Lexington Park.”
There were approximately 15 individuals from the Cecil’s Mill community present to show their concern for the proposed change. Many of the individuals who spoke on the floor of the meeting said, “I never knew this was going on and never received any notification.” Notices of all the public hearings were published in the newspaper, however, apparently missed by the people who were most affected by the proposal.
Homeowner Shari Harris said, “Why were we not included in these decisions and plans over the years and who is responsible for making sure the citizens are included? I was told that some of the proposals passed and some didn’t. We deserve a timeline of events because trying to find the information online it is not available.”
The zoning changes for commercial development will literally be in the front yard of Cecil’s Mill subdivision. Concept plans are for a 28,400 square foot, two-story office building and 54,000 sq. ft. assembly warehouse at the entrance where trees are currently. One homeowner spoke up and said, “I purchased my home in 2008, and one of the attractions was how the border line of trees give a protective barrier along Pleasant Mill Drive. How can you make these changes to our neighborhood without informing the HOA?” Would you purchase a home in a neighborhood where there were plans for?
Cecil’s Mill Homeowner Association (HOA) Vice President Bruce Boyle asked, “Why did we just learn about these plans last October? When and where were all the public hearings held? Don’t you think the HOA should have been informed before these decisions were made?”
Planning Commission members looked at each other a little puzzled about the overwhelming concern for not being included. They tried to assure the group that they were only meeting to discuss the errors the map and they did have hearings about the project. Planning Commission Member Shelby Guazzo said, “I can assure you public hearings were held. Several public hearings were held about the concept plans, zoning plan changes, etc.”
My neighbors and I need answers, stated Keith Scroggins Cecil Mill Home Owners Association treasurer and director.
Contact Shertina Mack at s.mack@TheBayNet.com
