The Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County adopted the 2010 Comprehensive Plan at its March 23 meeting. The new plan takes effect on April 6, 2010, and has been posted by individual chapters to the county’s website at www.stmarysmd.com, where it will remain until further notice. Click on Land Use and Growth Management under the Citizen Services box, then scroll to Comprehensive Plan.
The posted plan contains high resolution maps that could potentially slow down internet access. Copies of the plan may be ordered by calling (301) 475-4200 ext.1500, or by email to bocc@stmarysmd.com, or by requesting a copy from the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County, PO Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650. There is a charge of $25 for printed copies; PDF copies of the plan on compact disk are available for $1 plus postage. A printed copy of the plan is available for review at the three county libraries, at the County’s Public Information Office and at the Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County office in Leonardtown. There is no charge for downloading the plan from the county’s website.
“The Plan preserves rural areas of the County, while creating attractive and well designed communities in Lexington Park, Leonardtown and in various town and village centers,” commented Francis Jack Russell, president, Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County. “The plan will protect the County’s shoreline, support job growth in designated centers, and support the mission of the Navy at NAS Patuxent River and Webster Field.”
Citizens were encouraged to review the plan and submit comments during the update process which began in 2009 with three public hearings held by the Planning Commission and continued with three public hearings held by the Board of County Commissioners. The Board of County Commissioners also held several work sessions in open session over the past few months.
The previous Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2002. The updated Comprehensive Plan adds a water resources element and priority preservation areas element required by state law among other changes. The 2010 Plan also includes a new chapter titled, “Human Services.”
“We have heard many comments from our citizens on this important document and added needed changes for the final approved document,” added Russell. “It is subtitled, ‘Quality of Life in St. Mary’s County-A Strategy for the 21st Century. This comprehensive plan will serve as the blueprint for our county for the next six years and will lay out the vision, goals and priorities for our county.”
Following the adoption of the plan, a number of steps may be taken over the next six years to implement it. The plan will guide preparation of the county’s annual budget, especially as it pertains to roads, parks, schools, and other permanent facilities. It will help determine where new public water and sewerage service is to be located. A principal means of implementing the plan is through the zoning ordinance, which helps the county manage growth and preserve rural character and other resources.
Proposed revisions to the County’s official zoning map and other zoning provisions (which were adopted in 2002 and subsequently amended) will be published within the next several weeks. The process to update the text and official maps of the zoning ordinance will begin with a public process involving the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners, who will hold three joint pubic hearin