[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6152636,"mediaKeyId","5497400-e091a4b7b04990e8b80774b465af99db","parentId",5497400,"title","Consultant reports 1,380 respondents to St. Mary’s 2050 outreach; commissioners urge broader public participation","audioSeconds",3071,"startMs",5609000,"endMs",8680000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5497400-e091a4b7b04990e8b80774b465af99db&start=5609&end=8680","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5497400-e091a4b7b04990e8b80774b465af99db/thumbnail_5609000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6152636/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Consultant-reports-1380-respondents-to-St-Marys-2050-outreach-commissioners-urge-broader-public-participation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152636-2b44ffb1f97f524fb373766f86cfc35e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448037&Signature=MftSXGpQMozoFox6Xv02YFoSdGZhEQLGfwBWyq9ttkekYLcqtIe3psz2BMZaehUjJ1ujCS9CnYW1HQEbGidajmBBO5HPkvxnQKMgkNqsM6F3ro9d~6tGkKp8Hy7F-C3Vl8~fac995ATaolZK2SHJzSuZyxnRJqG5J0gBglSFrTUy-iLr2IDpziFgNyc9TBO25nupJtZIfPcg9JmPglksWxQN9ojIHsousRJGx0zwnNBvx~c7wQBic2Ad0ce0JM-weEisTbG4of7uj0ZtV9ElYQuSVf2LNQFo9EHbf~ZH8s7O98qDGB1an~Fed4vv9juk9Jj2aTD2yOFf1vuwoFUuog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-07-29T13:35:54Z","article","Clarion Associates presented an update to the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission on the comprehensive plan update, “St. Mary’s 2050 — Charting Our Tomorrow,” reporting results from the project’s second community‑engagement window and releasing a draft trends and projections report. Leanne King of Clarion Associates summarized the outreach and technical findings and shared three working vision themes that will guide the draft plan.

Courtney Jenkins, deputy director of the county Department of Land Use and Growth Management, introduced Leanne King before the presentation. King said the second engagement window ran in May–June and included 15 in‑person intercept events (festivals, farmers markets, library events) plus online surveys. Clarion reported 1,380 people participated in the second round of surveys and that staff will use those results alongside technical data to prepare a public review draft for a later engagement window and for formal adoption this winter or early next year.

King said survey respondents supported concentrating mixed‑use and multifamily development in higher‑intensity nodes such as Lexington Park, Leonardtown and the California growth area, and that respondents expressed more openness to smaller starter homes and townhouses across several community areas. On environmental and agricultural issues, respondents favored actions such as natural stormwater management, purchasing shoreline or conservation easements, and support for agricultural infrastructure (packing hubs, small processing). On transportation and services, respondents prioritized improved local transit routes, expanded sidewalks and bike facilities in several centers, and services that support aging in place and health care access.

The trends and projections portion of the report summarized technical benchmarks: Clarion said St. Mary’s County population is projected to grow from about 115,000 (ACS figure cited) toward roughly 154,000 by 2045 under state projection scenarios; the report also documents county land‑use patterns, priority preservation areas (about 97,000 acres), and infrastructure baselines for water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation. King noted the document is intended as a technical reference for drafting policies and not an exhaustive compendium.

King presented three draft vision themes emerging from outreach and technical analysis: (1) Guiding growth through 2050, balancing protection of natural and agricultural resources with targeted growth in planned centers; (2) Protecting environmental and agricultural resources through targeted preservation, parks, and coastal resiliency actions; and (3) Serving the community by prioritizing efficient county facilities and services, core infrastructure in town centers, and strategic investments to improve multimodal access and human services.

Commissioners and attendees pressed Clarion and county staff for broader outreach before the public review draft. Commissioner Patty Robrecht and others said 1,380 respondents represent a small fraction of county residents and urged additional efforts to reach people who do not use computers or who are not reached by social media. Members suggested intercepts at grocery stores and sporting events, enhanced outreach through schools (district emails to families), senior centers, health clinics, and mailing postcards as ways to increase participation. Several commissioners and attendees volunteered to assist with distribution and suggested giveaways, on‑site computers, and having staff at evening or weekend events where families gather.

Clarion and county staff described steps already taken to broaden participation: surveys in Spanish at a Spanish‑speaking event, presence at the Charlotte Hall senior center, distribution of postcards and QR codes at events, and partnerships with community organizations. King acknowledged the difficulty of engaging residents for a document that guides decisions two decades forward and said the project will hold a third public review window when the draft plan is available; staff and the consultant encouraged commissioners to help promote the forthcoming public review draft.

The presentation included requests for follow‑up: commissioners asked that Clarion and county staff consider targeted outreach to underrepresented groups (seniors, low‑income households, non‑English speakers, and younger residents) for the next engagement window and to use school and county distribution channels where possible. Clarion said the trends and projections report and full engagement summary will be posted on the project website and used as a basis for drafting policies and strategies to be shared in the public review draft later this year.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","7/28/25 Planning Commission for St. Mary's County","oneSentenceSummary","Clarion Associates presented results from community engagement window two for the St. Mary’s 2050 comprehensive plan update; consultants reported 1,380 survey responses and outlined draft vision themes. Commissioners and members of the public urged wider outreach ahead of the public review draft.","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},6152639,"Planning commission approves concept site plan for 136,750 sq ft Home Depot at Oak Crest",4791,287000,5078000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5497400-e091a4b7b04990e8b80774b465af99db&start=287&end=5078","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5497400-e091a4b7b04990e8b80774b465af99db/thumbnail_287000.jpg","/articles/6152639/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Planning-commission-approves-concept-site-plan-for-136750-sq-ft-Home-Depot-at-Oak-Crest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6152639-854d7aba691d43eb1e5d8ff949a7173d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448037&Signature=VNZIHtq24Of65-q930Qg~wHw2T9Q9jm138YJtm9OXfB23FG4D~oRxvScVvOTUrPR1Pnug2Z4x7uqv3zRnNb8w5NC8vB1kp4Slm1IafCsWppAGCmutiggsFiGnqkIbYQdHFStlJlhmrYMdTZKMqJi6oPeDzE~-e866RpigtppWbRLMUUgWZ6FD00GAd5UhGcX~6XphmpPxXlSdscfFqXTh0tySK12qgeBelsjhae60gQ30pQOvA2-A2R2NcNReBX-1E5YVHQmrElzFSHWxfRbyHCUbHhP~EhnwFatavGfPFYCVknSc9E-ROIKSxM4eojcX~~s43RwZRu8-DPWM6~5SA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The St. Mary’s County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve concept site plan CSP 25-0047 for a 136,750-square-foot Home Depot proposed at 44766 Oakcrest Road in California, Maryland. The commission accepted staff findings that the project meets the applicable provisions of the comprehensive zoning ordinance and related development standards and approved the plan subject to a condition requiring that any county or state road improvements be concurrent with certificate-of-occupancy issuance.

The planning staff presentation, delivered by Planner 3 Shawn Layblasco of the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, summarized the application as a permitted Use Type 76 (retail sales, general) in the PUDIP zoning district with AE overlay and noted applicable standards including Section 51.3 (specific regulations), Schedule 32.1 (development standards), Chapter 63 (landscaping and buffer yards), Chapter 64 (off-street parking and loading) and Chapter 71 (resource protection). Layblasco said staff’s findings show the concept design meets those standards and that no sensitive environmental areas were located on the parcel.

The applicant team described the proposal in detail. Chris Longmore of Dugan, McKissick & Longmore introduced the development history of the Oak Crest PUD and said mitigation required for prior approvals — including a previously required third lane on Route 235 near the project — has been constructed. Jeff Smith of Kimley‑Horn, the civil engineer for the project, reviewed access options (two direct site access points and a third connection providing a right‑in/right‑out to Route 235), the site stormwater strategy, landscaping, and fire access. John Kurikis of Greenberg Farrow, representing Home Depot, presented elevations and building layout; he said the roughly 27,000‑square‑foot garden center will be about 70% open to air and that the store follows a standard Home Depot design.

Traffic analysis and mitigation were the most‑discussed topics. Jackie Plott of Traffic Concepts said the Home Depot generates a pass‑by percentage (from ITE trip assumptions) that reduces new trip generation compared with the previously planned flex buildings; she estimated a 42% pass‑by rate for Home Depot trips. Plott said the mitigation already constructed with earlier approvals over‑mitigated the nearby intersection and that even with peak‑hour differences the constructed improvements address the projected traffic impact. The applicants also told the commission that typical delivery activity averages about 40–45 deliveries per day (including box trucks and tractor‑trailers), that deliveries are usually scheduled early in the day (around 6 a.m. or earlier), and that tractor‑trailers will use the internal site circulation off Oakcrest Road rather than the Route 235 signalized intersection.

Members of the public spoke both for and against the proposal. James (Jimmy) Hayden, an owner of property adjacent to the site, said he was not opposed but asked for improved safety measures and expressed concern about the site layout and parking. David Edwards said he favored a Home Depot in the county but raised traffic concerns countywide. Joan Sullivan Cowan and Troy Kellen, who identified themselves as local residents, raised concerns about possible impacts on existing, long‑standing local building‑supply businesses and asked the commission to consider local economic effects; the county deputy attorney noted case law prevents using competition with existing businesses as a basis for denying an application. Several speakers urged the applicant and property owner to “take care of your neighbors” and requested continued attention to traffic safety at the Oakcrest intersection and the bisecting driveway between Chipotle and Royal Farms.

Applicants clarified site layout and parking. John Kurikis and Jeff Smith said the plan provides 451 customer parking spaces plus 41 additional stalls intended for outdoor sales/storage (mulch, sheds, etc.). The team explained the 41 stalls are in an area intended for merchandise display and that the applicant has provided a total of 491 marked spaces on the plan but described 41 of those as encumbered by outdoor sales use, so 451 regular customer spaces remain available. The applicants said the site impervious area and building footprint are smaller than what had been approved for previously planned flex/warehouse buildings on the parcel.

After deliberation the commission made the findings required by Section 60.6 of the county’s comprehensive zoning ordinance and approved the concept site plan. The approval included a condition that any road improvements required by state or county authorities be completed concurrent with issuance of the certificate of occupancy for the project. A roll call recorded all present commissioners voting in favor. The commission also discussed, as part of the public record, that the wider Oak Crest PUD and related mitigation remain subject to the county’s adequate public facilities (APF) agreement and that some roadway improvements referenced in earlier hearings are designed, permitted by the state highway authority, and bonded for construction.

The approval advances the project to the next review phases; the applicants and staff said subsequent submissions will address detailed engineering, final site design, landscaping, and stormwater control and that the director of Land Use and Growth Management will review the requested parking reduction under the ordinance before any building permits are issued.","St. Mary’s County Planning Commission approved a concept site plan for a 136,750-square-foot Home Depot at 44766 Oakcrest Road, finding required standards met and attaching a concurrency condition for road improvements. Public testimony raised traffic and small-business concerns.","actionData","errors"]

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Consultant reports 1,380 respondents to St. Mary’s 2050 outreach; commissioners urge broader public participation

Planning commission approves concept site plan for 136,750 sq ft Home Depot at Oak Crest