County Commissioners approve growth policy to regulate school seat requirements

The St. Mary's County Planning Commission convened on February 7, 2025, to discuss the implementation of the county's growth policy, which was recently approved by the Board of County Commissioners. The meeting focused on how this policy would affect the granting of preliminary approvals for development projects.

Dennis Canavan, tasked with implementing the growth policy, outlined that preliminary approval would be the last opportunity for the Planning Commission to review projects under the new ordinance. He emphasized the importance of school seat mitigation related to ongoing projects, noting that there are four methods available to meet school seat requirements under the previous ordinance.

A significant point of discussion was the potential for phasing projects to align with the growth policy. This approach would allow for better control over the number of new students entering schools, thereby preventing sudden surges in enrollment. The commission members expressed a willingness to explore the integration of the growth policy into ongoing projects, although they acknowledged the complexities involved in doing so.

Concerns were raised about the legal implications of adopting the growth policy for specific projects, with members stressing the need to ensure any changes would comply with existing regulations. The conversation highlighted the necessity of completing initial phases of development to ensure timely housing availability, while also considering market conditions that could affect project timelines.

The meeting concluded with a consensus that further exploration of the growth policy's application to current projects would be beneficial. Members agreed that the upcoming year would provide an opportunity to assess how the policy could be effectively utilized as a phasing mechanism for development in St. Mary's County.