Commissioners take glance at possible changes in growth

Any comprehensive plan alterations could cause rezoning in St. Mary's

Friday, Nov. 27, 2009

The St. Mary's County commissioners took their first look Tuesday at updating the land use comprehensive plan, which could result in rezoning in several areas.

Six public hearings were held on the update between the commissioners and the planning commission, and the main message came from the Mill Cove community near Myrtle Point Park in California, asking to be removed from the Lexington Park Development District, an area of targeted growth.

Residents object to two proposed developments called Mill Cove Manor and Mill Cove Harbor by local developer Guy Curley, who plans to build small cottages on 54 lots on 23 acres.

The commissioners were presented with several options for the area. They could remove the Critical Area out of the Lexington Park Development District, lands within 1,000 feet of tidal waters, and change the housing density to a new category — a low-density transitional zone.

The base density would be one home per acre, with up to three homes per acres using transferable development rights outside of the critical area.

The commissioners could also convert the existing waterfront neighborhoods in the Myrtle Point area to the RNC category — residential neighborhood conservation district.

In that zone, existing lots cannot be subdivided outside of growth areas. Inside of growth areas, lots can be subdivided to two homes per acre using TDRs.

Otherwise, land use and growth management staff recommends changing the boundaries of some of the county's growth areas.

The two largest are the Lexington Park and Leonardtown development districts, followed by the town centers of Hollywood, Piney Point, Charlotte Hall, New Market and Mechanicsville.

The county's village centers are Ridge, St. Inigoes, Valley Lee, Clements, Loveville and Chaptico.

Commissioner Daniel H. Raley (D) said of changing town center boundaries, "What we do here will have the effect when we get to the zoning."

Once someone has a certain zoning on their property, it is hard to downgrade it, he said. "Once you give someone an added benefit it is extremely difficult and unpleasant to take back," he said.

In New Market, a swath of land south of New Market Turner Road and east of Route 5 is suggested for removal from the town district. In Mechanicsville, lands east of Route 5 are slated for removal.

St. Mary's County has 229,710 acres and almost 13 percent is in growth areas. The planning commission has recommended reducing the size of growth areas by 1,570 acres.

"Zoning does change from time to time," said Derick Berlage, director of land use and growth management. If it didn't, there would be no need to update the comprehensive plan.

Mapping technology is better now, making it easier to find environmentally sensitive areas that aren't prime for development, said Sue Veith, environmental planner for land use and growth management.

"Our staff draft was our interpretation," from community meetings held before the series of public hearings, Berlage said.

The commissioners are scheduled to hold two more work sessions on the comprehensive plan update. Accompanying rezoning would take place in the spring.

jbabcock@somdnews.com