The adoption of an Annual Growth Policy (AGP) in St. Mary’s County was controversial when it occurred in 2008. Developers said the 1.9 percent cap on annual growth would hurt the economy. Then the economy tanked, growth slowed and the growth limit hasn’t been anywhere close to being tested since then.
The St. Mary’s County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to continue the 1.9 percent growth cap for another year. According to Director of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM) Phillip Shire, only nine percent of the cap, or 76 dwelling units, have been approved in the current fiscal year. The policy would have allowed 808.
The current fiscal year residential growth is actually down from the previous several years: 178 in FY ’13; 168 in FY ‘12’ 288 in FY ’11; 269 in FY ’10; and 320 in FY ’09.
Shire made two recommendations:
· “Until the economy rebounds there is no adjustment to this cap that would activate or energize the policy without the stimulus of increased development; and
· “Until all the new State land-use laws (Septic Bill, Plan Maryland, etc.) are up-and-running for a while, we will not fully understand their impacts on our local development programs. In the future the AGP may require several amendments, or possibly be rendered useless.”
Shire, in his report to the commissioners, noted “significant portions of our growth areas are unable to sustain any development in accordance with plans and policies – in particular, availability of public facilities.”
The commissioners also accepted LUGM’s Annual Report on School Capacity for the county’s Adequate Public Facilities (APF) ordinance. That report showed the current availability of school spaces. The report said: “As of the date of this report (May 30), LUGM could approve an additional 8,284 dwellings in the high school service area, 5,192 dwellings in the middle school service area, 3,223 dwellings in the northern elem
