Commissioner frames local housing conundrum: residents oppose high density but seek affordability

A St. Mary's County commissioner described a recurring tension in county discussions about housing: residents telling officials they do not want high‑density housing while also asking for more affordable places to live.

The commissioner said attendees at a recent meeting told him, "we don't want any more high density housing in St. Mary's County," and he said he understood concerns about placing large‑scale development in the northern part of the county where water and sewer service is limited.

Drawing on his decades in local business, the commissioner recounted seeing people move into the county after base‑related growth and then leave when housing costs proved too high. He said a single‑family home priced at "$250,000 or $300,000" would be ideal for many but is not practical in much of the county because of infrastructure costs such as well and sewer installation.

The commissioner framed the dilemma: if the county does not allow some form of increased density — townhouses, apartments or condominiums — younger workers and new families may have difficulty finding housing. He noted that people earning roughly $80,000 or $50,000 can still struggle to afford local housing, and that local officials do not have a simple rule to lower housing prices.

"We can't do that. We don't have that ability. We can't install a rule or some kind of ordinance that says you can only build, you know, this type structures," the commissioner said, adding that residents sometimes oppose density without offering an alternative location for new housing.

No specific county policy changes, zoning amendments, or funding programs were proposed during the remarks; the commissioner left the issue as a continuing local challenge.