[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6427722,"mediaKeyId","5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9","parentId",5861948,"title","St. Mary's County commissioners approve zoning change to allow daycare use in RCA overlay, subject to state approval","audioSeconds",661,"startMs",746000,"endMs",1407000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9&start=746&end=1407","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9/thumbnail_746000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6427722/St-Marys-County/Maryland/St-Marys-County-commissioners-approve-zoning-change-to-allow-daycare-use-in-RCA-overlay-subject-to-state-approval","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427722-f4ee7b87e76f409e530f5239f6e28314/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543788&Signature=gedRPjTCkCkMKDsU3pbLxR-oKS4d0eyd8DeJzugZa0THxqIYEf5bQUxaTKEECb083G0EENMPLN9-u5FeHEDNYB1iEG56WRZrSC97U2h0ZSOOhZ9Ze-M1nneNGF9AOaXf2KYOfb-yYh6dM81YBNr3SNZrm5ouSUU5h6faNVQJo7rO43IF1Xkon9JmX1IaFYv0uE4JHMRxlf16qvI3I2RHfDUrTPBz7Htn9wNgn1RfwaEMJk6j-nZ4e7mIT99Z2McoaoyJDT5TSgkB3v50KLzhunXknP-XGI94-c2cWU4XDG8zooXeDEzFgeOB0y1aZrqOWw4ymt~NL~54zzkRCm2mFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","St. Mary's County, MD","date","2025-10-01T03:20:50Z","article","The Commissioners of St. Mary's County voted Sept. 30 to amend Chapter 285 of the St. Mary's County Code to allow a nonmedical daycare use (use type 28) in the RCA overlay (Critical Area) zoning district. The ordinance change takes effect only if and when the Maryland Critical Area Commission approves the county amendment.

The county's Department of Land Use and Growth Management told commissioners the amendment includes three new standards intended to limit environmental impacts near the critical area. Jessica Andritz, director of the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, said the revised draft restricts the use to buildings legally existing as of Oct. 14, 2025, forbids applicants from seeking variances that would increase lot coverage beyond the limits in section 41.6 of the code, and allows use of impervious surface trading only if the property is eligible and the trading is approved by the planning commission. The draft also caps enrollment at 42 children at any one time. \"The amount of young people that can be served by this use is something that is predetermined by the state...the applicant in this case...said that they're hoping to have about 42 children attending the facility,\" Andritz said.

The discussion at the dais focused on those guardrails and how they respond to concerns raised by staff at the Critical Area Commission, which will consider the county's amendment at a Nov. 5 hearing. Commissioners asked whether playground equipment or plantings added for the childcare use would require additional approvals or variances; county staff said such additions could trigger additional review and, in some cases, a variance application to the Critical Area Commission or related permitting steps.

Commissioner Eric Colvin moved to approve the ordinance amendment as drafted; Commissioner Mike Hewitt seconded the motion. The board voted unanimously to approve the ordinance amendment and then voted unanimously to authorize the commissioner president to sign all related documents. The ordinance will only become effective if the Critical Area Commission grants approval. If the county or an applicant later wants to expand the 42-child cap or change substantive terms, staff said the county would need to return to the text-amendment process.

The amendment responds to a specific pending applicant and, according to county staff, is intended to strike a balance between permitting community childcare options and protecting the environmental and resource goals of the RCA (Critical Area) overlay.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/30/25 Commissioners of St. Mary's County","oneSentenceSummary","On Sept. 30 the Commissioners of St. Mary's County voted to amend Chapter 285 of the county code to permit nonmedical daycare (use type 28) in the RCA (Critical Area) overlay district, with three specific guardrails and subject to approval by the Maryland Critical Area Commission.","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},6427703,"Commissioners back NAS Patuxent River deer cooperator permit, including night shooting and donation of venison",544,1398000,1942000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9&start=1398&end=1942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9/thumbnail_1398000.jpg","/articles/6427703/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-back-NAS-Patuxent-River-deer-cooperator-permit-including-night-shooting-and-donation-of-venison","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427703-99f7bb871c5e01fbbb184c99d920266b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543788&Signature=FUpb5sZv8uSCm7ilc9Q9gtkQdSB~V5bLgF9uljZ8qLSixfuXWycoXWBSdARY8oGYMpU9IYRIW0V2ui2uTk5eUJyPhysAOFTmg725GG2Vtbzfuk-spPVeIsZ6JYuUfG-ixZffJ7BokElAPTW1GIz~qk1Tn2vWrs8VbfAB9h5fBAHbr1Q5akTai36KvciJUu8sFki4bp5-F2tqcv17~q-u3pO4jbMXmSWxdjMfEPGjvNAJ9nvBZqMT13S~S5~GBU3AQodeCMpS7qwW1Lf7IHsHtsFoat9nVn75rr6Z7butXA8T7hVUw3FJ7kj9u3XDydidwcJv~jF46iR7lrMFdEgYrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commissioners of St. Mary's County on Sept. 30 authorized a letter of support and county authorization for Naval Air Station Patuxent River's annual deer cooperator permit application to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The permit request, explained by Deputy County Attorney John Hauser and NAS representatives, seeks authorization for the Navy to remove deer that present a hazard to aircraft at NAS Patuxent River and Webster Field Annex and to use certain cartridges and nighttime discharge as part of the management plan.

John Hauser, deputy county attorney, said state regulations require local authorization for a cooperator permit and for special permissions that otherwise would be prohibited in the county, such as the use of bottleneck cartridge rifles and discharge of firearms at night. NAS personnel in the room included Lance McDaniel, environmental director; Tyler Hall, natural-resources specialist; and Jim Swift, natural-resources manager.

An NAS representative said the base conducts culling operations to reduce the risk of deer on runways and that harvested venison is processed and donated to local food banks. \"We donated well over 50,000 meals,\" the NAS representative said, describing the program's outcomes. Commissioners asked about chronic wasting disease testing and were told there has been no detection on base in 17 years of culling operations.

The board voted unanimously to approve the letter of support and authorization; the motion also authorized the commissioner president and the county attorney to sign related documents.

The county record notes the cooperator permit request is an annual submittal and that county staff worked with the county attorney's office and NAS to try to craft language that could remain in effect until revoked by the commissioners, rather than requiring annual signature.","St. Mary's County commissioners approved a letter authorizing NAS Patuxent River to apply for a deer cooperator permit that allows the base to cull deer to reduce runway strikes, including use of bottlenecked rifle cartridges and night discharge; county authorization includes permission for signatures to be executed by the commissioner president.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427713,"Commissioners authorize $3.85 million transfer to advertise bids for sheriff support services building after county estimate shortfall",1748,3394000,5142000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9&start=3394&end=5142","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9/thumbnail_3394000.jpg","/articles/6427713/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Commissioners-authorize-385-million-transfer-to-advertise-bids-for-sheriff-support-services-building-after-county-estimate-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427713-4e4d8aab1ec9c4c3beb6c04946df0078/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543788&Signature=kXlBWSKSK83I~PcZ-H~upkKzbk1oVNACi7G2QOc08pw-8j5t90bDG5uj4ZHRb3dI-iEeplpXqNToZzgi48Ps5t13aRtN7pI53nrqN269RLWhO2--66rH08WhYVDidteN1RKp5VtpA-~64MRPIzoFlCHs6iwsOVApB~BLYlpAxKnnXCllsADlxRBxDSfz2MujUDjCONqlddUDll7BLujzu9KJZ0quSZYyJExUU8FTWKC4IHK6UVXDIev3nLLmshBY8z9NNZKKpXZp-ITcYjvTUFmMxTlOad4P9eHFZGe1ZKCV3X8fz39JDAHVlERc-9DbWTL94T-m4LPJQ1IxMNWcpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commissioners of St. Mary's County on Sept. 30 approved a $3,850,000 budget amendment transferring funds from the capital reserve to the Sheriff's Office Support Services Building project so staff can advertise construction bids. County public-works officials told the board a third-party estimator and subsequent project-development work identified about $3.8 million of site-development costs that were not captured in earlier estimates.

Deputy County Administrator David Yingling and Public Works and Transportation staff said the original headquarters and support-services work had been one project and was later split into two phases when bonding authority was limited. That phasing, along with design choices and some program shifts between the main headquarters and the support-services building, produced additional site work — including earthwork and stormwater management — that must be completed before the construction contract for the support-services building can be advertised.

\"When the third-party estimator did the entire project, combining the phase 1 and phase 2... they identified that our contractor missed some site development costs to the tune of about $3,800,000,\" staff said. County staff said the requested transfer would allow the county to advertise a solicitation for construction bids and thereby obtain firm market prices.

Commissioners pressed staff on scope, contingency and schedule. Staff said design for phase 1 is complete and that the advertised package would cover the site work that prepares both the support-services building pad and the eventual headquarters pad, including utilities and infrastructure stubs. Staff estimated a roughly five-month bid phase, followed by responsiveness/responsibility checks and eventual award; commissioners urged staff to shorten timelines where feasible.

The board approved the $3,850,000 transfer and authorized the commissioner president to sign the amendment. County staff said bidding will establish the project's market cost and that further board decisions would follow if bids exceed available funding.

Commissioners and staff noted concerns about prior scope growth and the need for tighter cost estimation during CIP planning; staff said the county is refining CIP procedures to reduce such surprises.","The board approved a $3,850,000 transfer from capital reserve to the Sheriff's Office Support Services Building project to allow the county to advertise a solicitation for construction bids after a third-party estimator identified additional site-development costs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6427700,"Votes at a glance: St. Mary's County commissioners approve grants, agreements and CIP adjustments Sept. 30",1779,1780000,3559000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9&start=1780&end=3559","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5861948-97e673f1a4ab6ce9f8dc0fd02c1be5f9/thumbnail_1780000.jpg","/articles/6427700/St-Marys-County/Maryland/Votes-at-a-glance-St-Marys-County-commissioners-approve-grants-agreements-and-CIP-adjustments-Sept-30","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6427700-685b67c3e29f42a9aef6526c33030335/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543788&Signature=YnCEGrR4l7oKFcWfSJTIWf95iPyi7my4EV9i9prFWPx53WMgzIfdlNL~Pqa0HKG6HaEXGc39lCESdGr3joFv-ogTodyRdgarcU8o2YXp2zzAjgDU2iBej7XaAvPHcovjKwOeJXjXf-hJPKEtCrd4-17TU86kYmCFJg1OjQX6MYrmVo-QHgAXuJwEObwYyBZxKmJtxVvZNYyjLDd8AvG7vo8dEHukygfosWLe2fnCtAp7gfVU3KH5v3~3hdoxEwjcJNJHQe2EpmBqqknQSFcAkizTlJA6D5LBTIeRfwJzWM5DUU0h9t4SbM7vVBc-zbhn~LUByI4v2oBYetnT7TCsZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Below are the formal actions the board took Sept. 30 that were not the subject of extended debate in the meeting record. Each motion was approved by the full board unless otherwise noted.

• Nicolette Splash Pad renovation grant: The board moved to approve submission of a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant application seeking $350,000 toward a complete renovation of the Nicolette Splash Pad. The county would match with $315,000 in open-space funds (if available) and $35,000 in county funds. The commissioners authorized the commissioner president to execute related documents.

• Maryland International Raceway agreement: The board approved a public–private partnership with Maryland International Raceway to remove and reuse playground equipment at two park sites (St. Clement Shores and Cecil Parks), saving the county an estimated $17,000 per site. The agreement also provides an advertising/promotional credit of $8,000 over five years for the Department of Recreation and Parks. The commissioner president was authorized to execute related documents.

• Governor's Office for Children — Community Partnership Agreement (FY26): Commissioners approved acceptance of $554,545 in state funds and $1,102 in county funds (total $555,647) for community partnership subrecipients supporting mentoring, tutoring, workforce readiness and health services. The board approved subrecipient agreements with the listed vendors and authorized related signatures.

• Enough Initiative — Capacity Building Grant: The board approved a local-management-board capacity-building grant under the state's Enough initiative for $44,422 to support organizational readiness (grant-readiness, fiscal literacy and board development) for the same local partners supported by the CPA.

• Department of Social Services — Circles (poverty alleviation) agreement: The board accepted an intergovernmental agreement with Social Services providing $45,250 (county notation) to support the Circles program and approved a related budget amendment to increase MD2670 as described in staff materials. The commissioner president was authorized to execute related documents.

• CIP work group budget adjustments: Commissioners approved a budget amendment increasing the FY26 capital reserve by $5,660,936 after staff realigned project statuses and returned balance to the reserve for reallocation during the upcoming CIP process.

• Interstate Fishery Management Plan comment letter: The board voted to authorize and sign a prepared letter opposing proposed Amendment 3 to Amendment 6 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (striped bass), which would reduce Maryland's ocean and Chesapeake Bay removals by specified poundages; public comment deadline noted as Oct. 3.

Each motion above included authorization for the commissioner president to execute related documents unless staff materials noted otherwise. For items with detailed debate (sheriff support-services building; daycare text amendment; NAS deer cooperator permit) see separate summaries.","At their Sept. 30 meeting the Commissioners of St. Mary's County approved a series of grant applications, intergovernmental agreements, a public–private playground partnership and a CIP budget amendment. Several items were passed with little debate; staff were authorized to execute related documents.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

St. Mary's County commissioners approve zoning change to allow daycare use in RCA overlay, subject to state approval

Commissioners back NAS Patuxent River deer cooperator permit, including night shooting and donation of venison

Commissioners authorize $3.85 million transfer to advertise bids for sheriff support services building after county estimate shortfall

Votes at a glance: St. Mary's County commissioners approve grants, agreements and CIP adjustments Sept. 30