The St. Mary’s County Commissioners have given the go-ahead for the planning commission to begin work on a master plan for Charlotte Hall. The plan was originally envisioned as being for the entire north county, including New Market and Mechanicsville. But at the insistence of Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R” 3rd), who represents that area, it was narrowed at Tuesday’s commissioner meeting to just include the Charlotte Hall area along the Route 5 corridor. The plan also will not include Golden Beach.
That stretch of Route 5 (Point Lookout Road) was also the subject of another discussion. The Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) has proposed allowing small commercial development along that stretch even though the road has reached the maximum capacity allowed under current regulations for determining adequate public facilities.
LUGM Director Phillip Shire said current regulations for town centers (Charlotte Hall, New Market, Mechanicsville, Hollywood and Piney Point) do not allow developers to mitigate traffic with road construction on their own property, but require the whole road impacted to be brought up to a higher standard. He said that is not a possible requirement for small developers.
Instead of bringing commercial development to a standstill in Charlotte Hall (a virtual moratorium) Shire proposed the county initiate an amendment to the zoning ordinance to bring town centers in conformity with the development district (Lexington Park, Leonardtown) which allows for on-site mitigation.
The suggestion brought a protest from Jarboe, who said, “You are looking to do an end run around the (Adequate Public Facilities) ordinance.”
Shire said the road problems in Charlotte Hall were mainly in rush hour. But Jarboe suggested Shire tell that to someone who is in a massive backed up in traffic.
Commissioner Daniel Morris said he didn’t have any problem with changing the ordinance as long as it just covered commercial development. But a motion that he seconded did not make that distinction and it passed with a 3-2 vote even with Morris not voting for his own motion.
The proposed change will go to the planning commission for a public hearing and recommendation to the county commissioners, who also will hold a public hearing.
The commissioners did unanimously forward to the planning commission the charge to begin working on the Charlotte Hall plan. The planning commission voted recently to urge the commissioners to establish a citizen’s advisory committee to work on the plan. But County Attorney George Sparling advised that state law would require the planning commission to establish an a
