LEONARDTOWN, Md. — On Jan. 12, 2026, the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission voted 4–3 Monday night to reject the proposed Bradley Brooke residential development, turning down both a concept site plan and a related major subdivision following an extended public hearing that focused on traffic safety, housing needs, and compatibility with Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
The proposed project called for a mix of townhomes and single-family detached homes along Bradley Boulevard within the Lexington Park Development District. Developers returned to the commission with updated site plans, design renderings, and technical information in response to concerns raised during previous hearings.
Project representatives said the development met all current zoning and subdivision requirements and emphasized design decisions intended to limit density near sensitive areas. Under the plan, higher-density townhomes were positioned farther from the Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) boundary, with lower-density single-family homes placed closer to the edge of the site, but also outside of the AICUZ Zone, consistent with prior Navy guidance.
Traffic impacts remained a central issue throughout the hearing. Consultants for the applicant presented an updated traffic impact study using recent traffic counts, reporting no change in projected levels of service at surrounding intersections. Several commissioners, however, raised concerns about congestion along Bradley Boulevard, emergency response access, and the project’s single ingress and egress point.
Developers said they were willing to work with county officials on additional safety measures, including roadway striping, potential median modifications, and coordination with the Department of Public Works and Transportation during later stages of the approval process.
Concerns related to the nearby naval air station also featured prominently. Commissioners and members of the public referenced pending and anticipated Navy noise studies that could result in future changes to AICUZ boundaries. The applicant said planning for Bradley Brooke began more than two years ago and that there was no indication at the time that updated noise studies were underway. The applicant planned to use noise-reducing materials to any home built in the noise contour zone
County officials and legal counsel reiterated that the Navy is not a reviewing agency in the county approval process and that any changes to AICUZ overlays would require separate action by the County Commissioners following public hearings. Planning Commission members were advised that applications must be evaluated under existing law rather than potential future policy changes.
Several commissioners acknowledged the challenge of balancing long-term protection of the base’s mission with the county’s demand for additional housing near major employment centers. Others expressed concern that approving projects close to the base could create future conflicts if noise contours change.
A motion to approve the Bradley Brooke concept site plan failed on a 4–3 roll-call vote. The commission then considered the accompanying major subdivision request, which was also rejected by the same margin. Discussion following the votes noted that the applicant retains the option to appeal the decisions to the Board of Appeals.
Watch the full planning commission meeting below:
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Good call county planners. This would have simply increased complaints for ‘noise’.
Great work! I know the type of “noise” that this would have brought to the county. Ain’t no sound deadening material that would have helped that.
Nobody cares about the noise lol.. it’s well known nobody around here wants this. It’s getting cramped enough as it is and none of us want to pay the inevitable tax increase… You might want to keep an eye on those three who voted for it though