Several small clusters of development were given the green light to move forward by the Charles County Commissioners during an abbreviated weekly meeting March 4. Six separate projects ranging from two houses to 45 lots were presented before the board for its approval before moving forward in the planning process.
Among the requests for Developers Rights and Responsibilities Agreements (DRAs) presented by John Mudd, resource manager for the Department of Planning and Growth Management, was Chandlerstown off Rose Hill Road, just west of La Plata. The 45 lots involved have been given preliminary approval and the developer, Pete Croft would pay the DRA fee of $15,500 per lot in four installments beginning 60 days after the project is approved, culminating in a final payment June 1, 2018.
The second property involved nine detached dwelling lots called Hollybrook Farm off Bennsville Road. The project has been awarded preliminary approval and is awaiting the commissioners’ blessing before moving on to staff review and public hearing. The builder would pay the $15,500 per lot DRA fees in one installment, Mudd said.
Two projects before the board were rather unusual, Mudd said, because neither had been to the planning commission. The first, Chandlers Hope, off Old Stagecoach Road, is in a minor plat of a subdivision, Mudd stated. The plats are in the process of being put together. They go before the planning commission March 10. The builder will pay $15,500 per single family dwelling for the two new single family detached dwellings.
“This is a little out of sequence,” Mudd said, “It has yet to come before the planning commission for any form of consideration or approval, but the law requires for any DRA to be approved by this board to ensure that any plan is consistent with the comprehensive plan.”
“This never had a preliminary plan because it is too small,” said Jason Groth, chief of Resource and Infrastructure Management. “We have to go this extra step to get the DRA. All such plans require consistency. The Planning Commission is the body that would do this. We’ve just got to get that nod of consistency from this board.”
The following development, Fortunes Retreat on Bel Alton- Newtown Road was similar in that it entailed four single-family lots, which again the developer was willing to pay the $15.500 per lot DRA, being brought before the board to determine comprehensive plan consistency.
The last two projects were Turtle Creek, located on Bryantown Road, with 25 single-family dwelling lots, and Fishers Grant on Crossland Road, with 44 single-family detached dwelling lots.
Commissioners’ Vice President Reuben Collins, sitting in the p
