A land tract near the Wildwood development is being considered as a new school site for the St. Mary’s County Board of Education, and the county is putting zoning considerations on the fast track.
The St. Mary’s Board of Commissioners bent the rules slightly today to skip a couple steps in the process of approving a change to the county’s water and sewer laws.
The Wildwood site in California is located in the Rural Preservation District (RPD), and connection into the existing sewer lines nearby would be required because the 55-acre tract doesn’t percolate for an on-site sewer.
The existing sewer system in the Wildwood development is in the designated development zone, and a law change is required to allow lines to be extended into the RPD to serve the school.
Denis Canavan, county land use director, said the text change worked up by staff would allow the connection only to serve a school adjoining the development district.
Commission President Tommy McKay (R-Hollywood) stated a similar situation was approved to allow Bannecker School to expand, but housing ultimately piggy-backed and was built using the sewer extension.
“The reoccurrence will not reoccur,” Canavan assured McKay, based on the “narrow” language in the exception.
The county Board of Zoning Appeals endorsed the plan for the school site last week and the Commissioners voted to skip a second reading of the ordinance, sending to the county Planning Commission for consideration quicker. The commissioners will then make the final decision.
Though the Board supported moving the issue into the public hearing phase sooner, not all members are 100 percent behind the idea.
Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) said he has “strong reservations” about the amendment, and it needs to be discussed further.
“I don’t have a problem with the idea,” said Commissioner Tom Mattingly (D-Leonardtown). “And it needs to be expedited.”
“Let’s bring it to the public,” said Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R-Golden Beach). “It’s a compromise.”
The Board also put on a the fast track a recommendation to change in Transferable Development Rights (TDR) land preservation program rules within Rural Legacy Areas.
Both the TDR program and the Rural Legacy easement program and designed to preserve rural areas in the county. The Rural Legacy Area is a specified zone, while TDRs are used anywhere in the county to preserve land by transferring the development rights to areas targeted for development.
The law change presented by Denis Canavan, county land use director, would prohibit using TDRs in the Rural Legacy Areas to increase the building density of a development
St. Mary’s County currently has one Rural Legacy Area, called Huntersville in the northern end of the county. An application to create another Rural Legacy Area near St. Mary’s City is pending.
As the law currently stands, TDRs can be used to aid development in a Rural Legacy Area, reducing the one dwelling per five acres rules to one dwelling per three acres.
The Board suspended the rule of three readings, and sent the issue back to staff and the planning commission before a third and final reading.
The St. Mary’s Board of Commissioners bent the rules slightly today to skip a couple steps in the process of approving a change to the county’s water and sewer laws.
The Wildwood site in California is located in the Rural Preservation District (RPD), and connection into the existing sewer lines nearby would be required because the 55-acre tract doesn’t percolate for an on-site sewer.
The existing sewer system in the Wildwood development is in the designated development zone, and a law change is required to allow lines to be extended into the RPD to serve the school.
Denis Canavan, county land use director, said the text change worked up by staff would allow the connection only to serve a school adjoining the development district.
Commission President Tommy McKay (R-Hollywood) stated a similar situation was approved to allow Bannecker School to expand, but housing ultimately piggy-backed and was built using the sewer extension.
“The reoccurrence will not reoccur,” Canavan assured McKay, based on the “narrow” language in the exception.
The county Board of Zoning Appeals endorsed the plan for the school site last week and the Commissioners voted to skip a second reading of the ordinance, sending to the county Planning Commission for consideration quicker. The commissioners will then make the final decision.
Though the Board supported moving the issue into the public hearing phase sooner, not all members are 100 percent behind the idea.
Commissioner Dan Raley (D. Great Mills) said he has “strong reservations” about the amendment, and it needs to be discussed further.
“I don’t have a problem with the idea,” said Commissioner Tom Mattingly (D-Leonardtown). “And it needs to be expedited.”
“Let’s bring it to the public,” said Commissioner Larry Jarboe (R-Golden Beach). “It’s a compromise.”
The Board also put on a the fast track a recommendation to change in Transferable Development Rights (TDR) land preservation program rules within Rural Legacy Areas.
Both the TDR program and the Rural Legacy easement program and designed to preserve rural areas in the county. The Rural Legacy Area is a specified zone, while TDRs are used anywhere in the county to preserve land by transferring the development rights to areas targeted for development.
The law change presented by Denis Canavan, county land use director, would prohibit using TDRs in the Rural Legacy Areas to increase the building density of a development
St. Mary’s County currently has one Rural Legacy Area, called Huntersville in the northern end of the county. An application to create another Rural Legacy Area near St. Mary’s City is pending.
As the law currently stands, TDRs can be used to aid development in a Rural Legacy Area, reducing the one dwelling per five acres rules to one dwelling per three acres.
The Board suspended the rule of three readings, and sent the issue back to staff and the planning commission before a third and final reading.
Members asked Canavan to provide information on how the change will effect the “market” for TDRs, which sell in the neighborhood of $10,000 each.