St. Mary’s Board Delays Approving Lexington Park Development District Plan

St. Mary’s Board of Commissioners decided to wait one more week before approving the Lexington Park Development District (LPDD) Master Plan – despite the urgings of the county planning director to put the issue to bed.

Commissioners on Tuesday discussed a few lagging issues that have been dragging out the plan’s approval.

The master plan issue has been developing on the table for two years. It provides a planning document for the Lexington Park area to guide future county planners and developers.

The main lagging point that kept the commission from finally approving the plan is a hold-over from an early August discussion on what should be allowed on the east side of Rt. 235, south of Rt. 4.

Commissioners agree that some sort of commercial use should be allowed for the properties that front Rt. 235, while protecting the residential properties in the rear of the property with added setback and height restrictions.

The stretch of land south of Rt. 4 on the east side of Rt. 235 to Town Creek Drive has a current zoning and planning map designation is RMX –residential mixed use- which allows for a lower density mix of residential and business.

The zoning of the property is not at issue with the LPDD plan; the plan provides maps that guide development and zoning decisions.

Commissioners have yet to decide how to construct the wording that will allow commercial development on the property that fronts Rt. 235, while protecting residential property owners in the rear of the property.

After advice from County Attorney John Norris and Land Use Director Denis Canavan , the board decided to change the map designation from residential mixed use to corridor mixed use (CMX).

If the master plan shows the higher intensity CMX zone, but the commissioners decide to keep and modify the RMX zone, it would be easier to justify than keeping it RMX on planning maps and later switching it to CMX, Norris explained.

Canavan said a comprehensive review of the county’s zoning code is the next major task on the horizon after the LPDD plan is approved.