La Plata, MD – After a long five year process, the Charles County Comprehensive Plan is ready to be presented to the Charles County Commissioners.
The Charles County Planning Commission approved the draft version of the long-awaited blueprint for the county’s future—with a few last minute edits—Monday, April 4 in La Plata.
“It’s been five years putting this together,” citizen Howard Dent told commission members.
“I’m really pleased,” he said. “There has been an open process here and the citizens were involved.”
Commissioner Joan Jones wanted to know if the Planning Commission’s recent decision to include 1,100 acres in the Watershed Conservation District changes the zoning for that area.
“My question is, are we going to be using watershed-based zoning, because there are policies in respect to watersheds,” she said. “Watershed zoning is different.”
“We only have one watershed conserve district and that is the Mattawoman,” Planning Director Peter Aluotto said. “Subject to [the comprehensive plan’s] adoption, we’re going to come back and do a comprehensive zoning that will be based upon once we look at it, which zoning is compatible with it.
“It would stay one [unit] to ten [acres],” he added. “The staff would go back and see what tier it is. Tier four doesn’t regulate density exactly, it just limits the number of lots to seven. If it’s tier four, I am saying whatever zoning we come back with will be consistent with that. We can’t zone it more than the tier designation will allow.”
“The undermining zoning has to be 10 acre lots with a maximum of seven lots,” said Planner Charles Rice. “Currently Tier 4 is limited to minor subdivisions.”
Last minute clarifications were added when Commission Member Amanda Sherod noted that several proposed future roadways were still described as linking to the ill-fated and no longer relevant Cross County Connector, which county leaders killed last year.
Jason Groth, Charles County chief of Resource and Infrastructure Management, said those corrections would be made in the final draft before it is presented to the county commissioners.
Before the comprehensive plan was approved by a unanimous vote, citizen Ken Hastings noted that the planning commission was promised by staff the record of votes over the years but that it wasn’t included in the package of the final version.
“In the comprehensive plan I do not see that,” he said. “We asked for that to be included and Mr. Ball promised us that would be in there. I feel that after five years, there should be some record of exactly how it went and what the votes were.”
Aluotto said he would direct staff to go through the minutes and determine what the votes were on all of the issues and decisions made over the past five years concerning the comprehensive plan.
With the plan’s approval, it now goes to the Charles County Commissioners, where Charles County Planning Commission Chairman Gilbert Bowling said changes could be made.
Groth admitted the draft version may yet be altered and that includes the Tier Map designating zoning for specific areas of the county.
“Until the Tier Map becomes part of the adopted comprehensive plan, the commissioners can change it,” he said.
Official adoption of the plan is expected later this year.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com