La Plata planning commission begins study of Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance as water allocations limit building permits

The La Plata Planning Commission heard a staff briefing on developing an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance and the town’s current water-allocation constraints during a study session, and commissioners directed staff to present capacity findings to the town council for next steps.

The briefing mattered because town staff are not issuing new building permits tied to water taps until La Plata secures additional water allocation; without allocations, development approvals cannot be carried through to building permits. Director Dooley, planning director, told the commission the town needs to prioritize analysis and consultant support so an APFO can be drafted and implemented.

Director Dooley summarized why an APFO can be useful and how it must be paired with capacity planning. “APFO can be extremely valuable planning tool when applied in conjunction with other planning tools and in context with broader comprehensive plan growth management strategies,” Dooley said, adding that an APFO “must be accompanied by a facility’s capacity plan with a commitment to provide the facilities to support growth, in a reasonable manner.” He emphasized that water and sewer capacity should be the immediate priority for La Plata and that transportation and other service types are commonly included but can be phased in.

Dooley described the town’s current allocation constraint and the state and county interactions shaping options. “We have a water allocation under our existing permit for 1,140,000 gallons of water, per day on average in a, in a, on a daily basis and 1.71 [million] gallons…in the month of maximum use,” Dooley said, and added the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has favored regional management and conservation over granting additional individual withdrawals. He said the town has opened discussions with Charles County staff about potential allocations and that the town manager is pursuing talks with MDE.

Commissioners asked whether the commission or staff can rely on existing internal data before hiring consultants. Dooley said staff have some planning data and that public works likely holds operational water and sewer records, but that no comprehensive data discovery has yet been completed and that compiling and validating the data will be time consuming. He recommended the town consider a consultant to perform an ultimate build-out capacity analysis and to help define measurable standards the APFO would use.

Commissioner Miller and other commissioners pressed for sequencing and risk assessment. Commissioners generally endorsed focusing first on water and sewer capacity, with transportation and public-safety services (fire, EMS, police) as subsequent priorities. Commissioners noted the town’s existing school-capacity review is effectively an APFO for schools but said school standards and district boundaries are set at the county level and are best addressed through county engagement.

Dooley described a likely next step: staff and the town’s water/sewer manager will present existing-condition numbers and preliminary estimates to the town council in late August or early September, and the council will decide scope and funding for consultant work. Dooley also warned the commission that town staff capacity is limited and that the work will require staff time and outside assistance. He said an APFO should be treated as a dynamic document and updated as new data become available.

No formal motions or votes were taken at the study session. Commissioners asked staff to prioritize data discovery, to outline an RFP approach for consultant support, and to forward a clear recommendation to the town council on whether to pursue a water-and-sewer–focused APFO first or a broader ordinance. Staff said they will return with a council presentation and more detailed numbers.

The conversation closed with the commission thanking staff for the briefing and noting that council direction will determine pace and scope of next steps.