Trucks are safe on the edges of Charles County roads, at least for now.

On Tuesday, the county commissioners rejected a proposal to allow the Charles County Sheriff’s Office to ticket large commercial vehicles, like buses and tractor-trailers, parked alongside roads in residential areas.

The change in county code, suggested in response to complaints about large vehicles parked in neighborhoods with homeowners associations, could harm rural residents with small businesses, the commissioners said.

Fining the owners of such vehicles $20 per day would eliminate the problem in dense urban neighborhoods, but “I guess the question is, we’ve got a problem we’d like to solve, but … this solution unfairly impacts people who didn’t buy into that [private community structure] and shouldn’t be restricted in this way,” commissioners’ President Candice Quinn Kelly (D) said.

Deputy County Administrator Roy Hancock noted in a presentation that the fines also would improve visibility on residential streets and prevent pavement damage, but the board was unconvinced.

“Back to the drawing board,” Commissioner Bobby Rucci (D) said.

“I agree,” Kelly answered.

Hunters Brooke work ‘99 percent’ complete

The commissioners also decided not to hire an independent engineer to assess road repairs, stormwater system upgrades and other changes being made in the Hunters Brooke and Falcon Ridge subdivisions in Indian Head, deeming the work of county staff to be sufficient.

The work is “99 percent complete,” Kelly said, relaying the verdict of Chief of Codes, Permits and Inspection Services Frank Ward, who spoke at a planning commission meeting Monday night.

“It’s 99 percent complete, and complete to his satisfaction, which is awesome,” said Commissioner Debra M. Davis (D).

Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D) was the only dissenter, saying the county should put itself in the strongest possible position in certifying the repairs, which were done by the developers only after the county attempted to call surety bonds for Hunters Brooke and seize escrow funds for Falcon Ridge in October.

“I just think it’s critical we ensure the work is adequate or beyond adequate,” he said.

emitrano@somdnews.com