On Thursday Oct. 23, the Leonardtown Planning and Zoning Board of Appeals met and decided to recall the existing Phase II concept plan for further review. According to Leonardtown Mayor Chip Norris, “I want to make one thing clear, there have never been any permits issued for Phase II for the Leonardtown Landing Mixed Use development.”
Norris went on to say that the town decided about eight or nine months ago to halt plans for expansion of its existing sewage plant because of the stagnant housing market. “The market is the only way we would have to pay back the millions of dollars that sewage plant expansion would cost.”
Norris continued by stating that the current sewage plant has enough capacity for the current base of users, but that the Town Council decided to review all existing plans and concepts before proceeding with any further growth.
“The Board of Appeals simply upheld the Town Council’s ruling,” said Norris. “We want to take a look at everything to ensure that we are smart about how we grow and expand. Given the current market, we are going to hold off until that situation changes.”
In 2003, the town commissioned RAR Associates to come up with a concept plan for the mixed use development, but no one had reviewed that plan since. “RAR developed Phase I of the plan, but we needed to take another look at the Phase II concept,” said Norris.