[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6372349,"mediaKeyId","2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d","parentId",2148150,"title","Votes at a glance: St. Mary's County commission actions on Sept. 4, 2007","audioSeconds",169,"startMs",850000,"endMs",1019000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d&start=850&end=1019","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d/thumbnail_850000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6372349/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-St-Marys-County-commission-actions-on-Sept-4-2007","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372349-bee6876e05ce34bbdb2bd27e4c27b145/orig.mp4?Expires=1777152774&Signature=Sq7bc3I2gvlccbgni3HBGT2zCmcHIg1~vf2tJkTt4f2R6sVVHF6GqMuqzEXHgRhayfn5GQ~xJwcr~~3oXpS9ylUr2XpNkEq2WD7Fu~SmxJ1s3GA1u0aPPukFVZQh2JTH5VmjPj-MojvhqkVK2K3oz24w87Huw8rlDol5tI9vdQZkiSFfGrWew1oUQmUdXrlOBDLa-gBRgl2Ktzz0qucAVb-Lt2dXEEQSCNwdls24AOvdt30rMOvj0q0SuDHm37mJs7wWC7s6GFi1VIW7C5S3FG3CmTSUnaIrDtnDVsTw66r6o4arFBllP6eEHzyEgY7fd9yBQgeFu1PtIkhMB5xmMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-01-24T19:53:45Z","article","At its Sept. 4 meeting the St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners recorded the following actions and approvals during routine and departmental business.

- Approval of minutes: The board approved the minutes for Aug. 28, 2007.

- Bills: The board approved payment of the bills with an exception — two items on page 32 were excluded from the approved bills (those two items were described in the meeting materials as payments for business-card printing). One commissioner stated they would not support those two items; the remainder of the bills were approved.

- USTA grant application for Cecil Park tennis courts: The board approved and authorized the commissioner president to sign the United States Tennis Association (USTA) grant application for the Cecil Park Tennis Court Improvement Project. The application requests $49,000; staff said the FY08 capital budget contains Program Open Space funds for the project and that, if the grant is received, Program Open Space funds would be reallocated. The board also authorized signing a related consent/cover letter to accompany the grant application.

- Waterway-improvement grant budget amendment: The board approved a budget amendment to align the project budget with the actual state waterway-improvement grant award for portable toilets and trash removal at public landings. The county had projected $25,000 but received $19,025, and the board approved decreasing the project MD0807 by $5,975 to match the actual award. Staff said they will try to maintain service levels despite the reduced grant amount.

Each of the items above was approved by voice vote during the meeting; formal roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript. Several items described above were moved and seconded by commissioners in routine motion practice, and the board recorded that the motions “carried.”","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/4/2007 Commissioners of St. Mary's County","oneSentenceSummary","A quick roundup of actions the Board of County Commissioners took Sept. 4, including grant applications, a budget amendment, approvals of minutes and bills, and authorizations to sign grant-related letters.","taxTitle","St. Mary's County, Maryland","taxId",51086,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6372354,"Commissioners approve MOU with property owner for school bus turnaround, adopt weekday no-parking on Delibrook Road",322,1114000,1436000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d&start=1114&end=1436","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d/thumbnail_1114000.jpg","/articles/6372354/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-approve-MOU-with-property-owner-for-school-bus-turnaround-adopt-weekday-no-parking-on-Delibrook-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372354-212c959b55ba55f7c998c5b734c76c9a/orig.mp4?Expires=1777152774&Signature=nTM5uwEwI236m7bmxwMVxPMqnLTS8YA2go4N28TqJpl8kECsAqD2jGpVQ1rRg35eXuW~abuBawvuFC4JMi-4Gz5eumtGcVU4THsmKlV~deTqxRLAkMQBQWS66et5BvMX14JfzDx8TwDIDOhkXz5K9lZJiEZeWSHl60rlg714ZNXBQ1BOUoLNwEXT0wX-2WA3LTQ8EOAUxi~niTbfxWhPM0FCGpZ3o7vbK5KOfau0KQqcky~X3nCFOt61zKz3Y7QwwSavkdG9xwN6ZLYKCjmr08MhX5HzXLljtacpA3yMZlWlJLG476JBa3TQxM6eF3N90GYFXK0nSlbThtYXaDZzCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 4 approved a memorandum of understanding with property owner Leonard Kopsey to allow the county to use a portion of his property to construct a school bus turnaround, and adopted a no-parking resolution on Delibrook Road to protect the turnaround area during school hours.

Department of Public Works and Transportation staff told commissioners the turnaround requires additional pavement area on the western side of the road and that Mr. Kopsey agreed to an in-kind exchange: county crews will perform a small pipe replacement, an asphalt overlay, and related bridge work in lieu of a typical permanent-easement payment. Staff estimated the easement area at about 1,414 square feet; typical market easement valuations run roughly $4–$10 per square foot (about $5,000–$14,000), while the county estimated its overlay and pipe-replacement cost at about $8,000.

The adopted no-parking resolution prohibits parking on Delibrook Road from the Old Horse Landing Creek bridge crossing for approximately 100 feet to the end of Delibrook Road on weekdays Monday through Friday during the hours of 6:30–9:00 a.m. and 2:00–4:30 p.m.; those hours align with school pickup and drop-off times. Staff said the restriction is intended to give buses maximum pavement area to turn safely and to reduce unsafe turnaround maneuvers in driveways or narrow locations.

The memorandum of understanding includes a 90-day written-notice exit clause; staff said the term is standard and provides flexibility if circumstances change. The Board voted to authorize the commissioner president to sign the MOU and to approve the no-parking resolution.

The board recorded no further appropriation for the work at this meeting; the MOU contemplates the county performing the site and drainage work as part of regular public-works activities and bridge repair schedules.","The board approved a memorandum of understanding with property owner Leonard Kopsey to allow construction of a school bus turnaround and adopted a no‑parking resolution restricting parking Monday–Friday during school pickup and drop‑off hours on Delibrook Road.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":80,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6372359,"St. Mary's County approves $75,000 to upgrade water line and install sprinklers at six-townhouse New Phoenix project in Lexington Park",723,2159000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d&start=1436&end=2159","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d/thumbnail_1436000.jpg","/articles/6372359/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-approves-75000-to-upgrade-water-line-and-install-sprinklers-at-six-townhouse-New-Phoenix-project-in-Lexington-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372359-78458aa2ff796a6784f2ac848e2a3884/orig.mp4?Expires=1777152774&Signature=AyLF7O5zf-M8uE1E22Qi2JONE56pePK6hLiW9n1CotAy4iG0Q9e1VjNyApOda3jwzjvtua-9JKNv1zTJYb7yF79qHOBk8HeCPH8tFtekf~7EO0oEw2OuRMslMOvtgtuLkd5arbZbl-P-cejBAgXo-4~p8LpdxrEFNxBpffeyIA2NmWopG1SOXfdrKNf~AT9k4JC3lyeJBT3--XqLpauSCd9TXSzcPpGCH9nKJ05noWgqEBxUQvm6vTSyCp4xGZfaSeOQmsuO4iFPUcd8hKqbliSYGG92p~zpsJZpMlJUweLFxDIbVZHB5aIYXuaUOcM3wMp7AYtdYTRVq6spZ7sb5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 4 approved $75,000 in county funds from the Workforce Housing Initiative to upgrade a water main and enable installation of sprinklers at a six-unit townhouse building known as New Phoenix at 46799 South Shangri La Drive in Lexington Park.

Housing Authority and county staff told commissioners the existing water main in front of the townhouses is a 4-inch line and that the Metropolitan Commission requires a 6-inch feed to support sprinkler systems. The requested $75,000 would pay to bring a 6-inch line across the street and provide the water service necessary for sprinklers.

Staff outlined components of the overall cost. They said the bulk of the expense is the interior plumbing and sprinkler installation; exterior site work (trenching, water-line boring under the roadway and associated site preparation) is also significant. Staff reported that, in this retrofit, costs work out to “over $12,000” per unit for the sprinkler and related retrofit work in the current rehabilitation scope. The general-contractor line items cited in the meeting included roughly $30,000 for exterior work and more than $40,000 for unit interior piping and sprinkler components, driving the project totals above typical new-construction sprinkler estimates.

Commissioners asked whether a new 6-inch line would support future rehabilitation in adjacent parts of the development; staff said the upgraded main should provide capacity for additional units if future redevelopment occurs.

Commissioner Bailey moved and Commissioner Mattingly seconded approval of a memorandum of understanding between the Board and the Housing Authority to provide the $75,000 from the Workforce Housing Initiative Fund for the water-line upgrade and sprinkler installation. County staff (Miss Kramer) said the fund balance after the $75,000 allocation would be about $73,000. The motion carried.

Meeting discussion emphasized the policy goals: preserving and returning blighted or obsolete units to the housing stock, enabling affordable homeownership options (staff suggested final pricing in the $150,000–$165,000 range for rehabilitated units), and creating an on-ramp to additional rehabilitation in the surrounding neighborhood.

The funding authorizes county capital support for infrastructure needed to install fire-suppression systems; the Housing Authority will proceed with the upgrades and construction under the terms of the memorandum of understanding.","The Board authorized $75,000 from the Workforce Housing Initiative Fund to upgrade a 4-inch water main to 6-inch service and enable sprinkler installation for six townhouses in Lexington Park; staff said the upgrade is required by the Metropolitan Commission and that sprinkler installation costs drive the project price.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6372364,"St. Mary's County commissioners approve first reading of accessory dwelling unit zoning amendment, send changes to Planning Commission",1001,2183000,3184000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d&start=2183&end=3184","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2148150-6c7f388c38e02e77f224ee0272f13b2d/thumbnail_2183000.jpg","/articles/6372364/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-commissioners-approve-first-reading-of-accessory-dwelling-unit-zoning-amendment-send-changes-to-Planning-Commission","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372364-c76a48e5753312431c5927c9fae5ae27/orig.mp4?Expires=1777152774&Signature=UQR2W~SrHzDhcOIHPlP9CK0izfJcEasAxqcLZNAGvclgN4slafqVoZsiAlrcG1uKHNiIrm4~YPXGKibs9aQX4xJ1HGvNj~bUsgmfN4WXbktKMmWBRZn2rVtL6zbpVTN-ZVYhbKxeN4rjTfE-8KDWSzRnS3IQkvfZ6SXXThAK~eYoJgcU28Z0zvvmYGRk-P6rSk~uPjfLzLVFsAbBVKqwNAuPg2oiOSWp3Nm4HyS0MFX8qzYKX9OGFPTj-3AI6taB3XHlOL8KApZEe~eqSf3do~amb7wNWbscGCJEVxagj~Dl4pJclpFDINS7r9oPr0LbaLRtiYrK06CGDHrdtvtVQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 4 to approve a first reading of a zoning text amendment addressing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and directed county staff to forward the draft to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation.

County planning staff told commissioners the number of ADUs in the county has increased recently, and that some are being used as de facto duplexes or rental properties rather than accessory units occupied by owners or family members. Commissioners said the draft amendment should close an apparent loophole that allows properties within newly developed subdivisions to effectively double occupancy and demand on public facilities without prior Adequate Public Facilities (APF) review.

Planning staff proposed language to require that, for ADUs built after the amendment's effective date, either the principal dwelling or the accessory unit be occupied by the lot owner. Staff and the county attorney noted enforcement challenges and discussed possible mechanisms such as conditional-use approvals through the Board of Appeals or an affidavit recorded in the land records to bind future owners. Commissioners also discussed a suggested five-year residency concept and the need to protect legitimate family uses—such as elderly parents living on-site or military families who temporarily relocate.

Commissioners asked whether utilities are required to be on separate meters for accessory units; staff said that could vary (attached ADUs commonly remain on a single meter; detached units might have separate meters). Staff emphasized that because ADUs are accessory uses, APF review typically occurs at subdivision and initial permit stages and ADUs built later may not trigger additional APF review unless the ordinance is changed.

Commissioner Raley moved to accept and approve the first reading and to authorize staff to proceed to the Planning Commission and to inform that body of the concerns discussed at the Sept. 4 meeting; Commissioner DeMitt seconded. The motion carried.

The board instructed staff to craft clearer, enforceable language that preserves legitimate owner‑occupied and family-use ADUs while limiting the risk that investors could convert lots into rental pairs that exceed the infrastructure and neighborhood design assumptions of initial subdivision reviews. Staff will return with Planning Commission recommendations and any suggested amendments.

For transparency, the board's first-reading approval does not change ordinance text; it only authorizes the formal review process with the Planning Commission and further work on enforcement language.","The Board of County Commissioners approved a first reading of a proposed zoning text amendment on accessory dwelling units, directing staff to take the draft to the Planning Commission and to flag enforcement and owner-occupancy concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: St. Mary's County commission actions on Sept. 4, 2007

Commissioners approve MOU with property owner for school bus turnaround, adopt weekday no-parking on Delibrook Road

St. Mary's County approves $75,000 to upgrade water line and install sprinklers at six-townhouse New Phoenix project in Lexington Park

St. Mary's County commissioners approve first reading of accessory dwelling unit zoning amendment, send changes to Planning Commission