Planning commission continues Northwood subdivision reapproval after traffic, stormwater and affordable-housing questions

The St. Mary's House Planning Commission on March 17 continued consideration of a reapproval request for the Northwood subdivision, a 44‑lot single‑family infill development in St. Mary's County, after commissioners asked the applicant for an updated traffic review, a response from the school system about bus pickup and clarification on stormwater and sidewalk feasibility.

The commission continued the matter to a special hearing on April 28, 2025, after a motion to continue carried with the board voice voting “aye.”

The applicant's representative, identified in the hearing as Mr. Norris, gave a history of the project and said the subdivision originally received commission approval in 2014 but the approval had expired in 2016 after a long period of engineering reviews and revised plats. "This project is... a 44 single family subdivision, and it's by right," Mr. Norris told the commission, noting construction drawings and bonds had been in place as of April 2023 but permits were not pulled and the approval lapsed.

Why it matters: commissioners and neighbors raised traffic, stormwater, sidewalks and affordable‑housing implementation as unresolved issues that must be addressed before the county advances permitting. The applicant and staff were directed to provide updated technical documentation and to return with engineering representation.

Key points and evidence from the hearing:

- Affordable housing: Mr. Norris and staff cited Section 32.31 of the CCO, which requires that a residential density increase offering affordable housing reserve between 12% and 25% of units for lower‑income households for a minimum of 15 years. Under that range, the 44‑lot plan would require a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 11 affordable units. The transcript record and staff materials referenced the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development FY2025 median family income for the area as $143,909; the panel noted that 50% of that figure (roughly $72,000) would be the upper income threshold for the county’s definition of a “lower‑income household” in this instance.

- Traffic and levels of service: The Department of Public Works review letter dated Feb. 6, 2025, was cited during the hearing. Staff and the applicant said the most recent traffic counts on Norris Road were taken in 2023 and, according to the applicant’s summary of the DPW review, total daily trips on Norris Road had decreased by more than 800 compared with 2013 and peak‑hour trips declined by more than 70. The applicant said Chancellor's Run Road operates at a level of service (LOS) A and Norris Road at LOS B, which staff described as acceptable. Jim Gotch of Public Works said the state had been “looking at the pre COVID trips” when applying factors to older counts and described an approximate 1.3% growth factor applied for 2019–2023.

- Stormwater and on‑site controls: The applicant said stormwater management for Northwood is designed with internal ponds and on‑site measures intended to avoid any net increase in runoff to downstream waters that flow toward the St. Mary's River. The commission and public speakers raised local flooding concerns in adjacent neighborhoods; staff said those problems were being evaluated as part of a separate regional stormwater solution that would require substantial infrastructure work beyond the Northwood site.

- Sidewalks and right‑of‑way: The applicant and staff explained that building a sidewalk along Norris Road would likely require additional right‑of‑way and coordination with the state because parts of the corridor include state stormwater facilities and guardrails that obstruct a continuous pedestrian connection. Staff said a sidewalk connection would be a county/state project rather than something the developer could complete solely within the project’s frontage.

- Public comment and applicant presence: Several neighbors attended and voiced concerns about traffic, drainage, school‑bus stops and the scale of development. The property owner identified himself at the hearing as Scott Douglas Algren and said he purchased the land in 2010 and intends an ‘‘affordable’’ component under the project name the applicant referenced as D2 Affordable. The applicant acknowledged that details such as exact pricing, builder choices and subsidy mechanisms (vouchers, state or VA programs) remain to be worked out with the builder and county staff.

- Technical representation and follow‑up items: Commissioners pressed for engineering representation at the next hearing; the applicant’s engineer (referred to in the record as Pat or Mr. Mudd) was not present in person and was reported to have attempted to join by Zoom but could not. Commissioners required the applicant to return with either a new or updated traffic study (or an updated count/review based on 2023 data), a written response from the St. Mary’s County Public Schools about where buses would pick up students from this subdivision, and the applicant’s engineer or a representative able to answer stormwater and construction‑drawing questions.

- Action taken: The commission voted to continue the case to April 28, 2025, to allow the applicant to supply the requested materials and technical representation. The board announced the continuation by voice vote with no roll‑call recorded in the transcript.

What’s next: The applicant will return with updated traffic documentation (or an updated review), a school‑system response about bus pickup, a comparison to the prior (2013/2014) approval, and engineering representation able to address stormwater and construction drawings. The commission will take public testimony again at the continued hearing.