St. Mary's County commissioner says 2050 plan must account for Leonardtown growth, SHA and Metcom roles
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Summary
A St. Mary's County commissioner told colleagues the county's 2050 comprehensive plan should explicitly account for planned housing in Leonardtown and coordinate with the State Highway Administration and Metcom to address traffic, emergency services and school impacts.
An unnamed St. Mary's County commissioner said at a recent meeting that the county's 2050 comprehensive plan should explicitly account for large housing projects in Leonardtown and coordinate with the State Highway Administration (SHA) and Metcom to address resulting demands on roads, emergency services and schools.
The commissioner told the county's consultant that Leonardtown, an independent municipality with its own planning and zoning, is planning ‘‘another additional 700 homes’’ in addition to 303 units on Hollywood Leonardtown Road — ‘‘that’s gonna be a big impact,’’ the commissioner said. The official urged the comprehensive-plan team to factor those developments into traffic, EMS, police and school projections.
The county official said St. Mary's County has limited direct control over some of the drivers of growth and infrastructure. ‘‘Commissioners really have no influence on Metcom other than we approve their debt and we appoint their board of directors,’’ the commissioner said. The speaker also pressed the county to seek greater coordination with the State Highway Administration, saying residents frequently report ‘‘a lot of talk and no action’’ on road improvements and that SHA help is needed on Route 5 and other corridors.
Why it matters: planned residential construction and independent municipal approvals can change demand for county services and infrastructure. The commissioner noted that projects in Leonardtown — which governs its own land use decisions — should be included in county-level forecasts so the comprehensive plan can allocate or recommend resources and priorities accordingly.
Details and context
- Development counts: The commissioner referenced roughly 700 new homes plus 303 units on Hollywood Leonardtown Road, saying the combined total exceeds 1,000 homes and will affect traffic and public-service demand. The transcript did not specify project names, developers or buildout timelines beyond those counts.
- County influence and limits: The commissioner described three limits on county authority: Leonardtown’s separate planning and zoning; SHA control over state roads and intersections; and Metcom’s independent role in water and sewer service. The official described the county’s formal controls over Metcom as approving debt and appointing its board.
- Coordination request: The commissioner asked the county’s consultant and staff to ensure the 2050 comprehensive plan (referred to in the meeting as the ‘‘comp plan’’) accounts for developments and engages partners the county cannot control. The commissioner said the county hopes to have the plan ready by spring 2026.
What was not decided
No formal motions or votes were recorded in the transcript excerpt provided. The remarks were framed as direction to consider external developments and to seek greater ‘‘synergy’’ with municipalities and state and regional agencies; the transcript did not show staff assignments, timelines beyond the spring 2026 target, or agreements from SHA, Metcom or Leonardtown officials.
The commissioner’s remarks occurred during the discussion of the county’s comprehensive plan work with a consultant and touched on housing, transportation and utility coordination as topics that will require intergovernmental cooperation.
