Commissioners approve Pax River Village Center zoning change; one commissioner votes no citing Navy opposition

St. Mary's County commissioners voted to approve a zoning change for the Pax River Village Center; one commissioner said they voted no because the base commander attended the meeting to oppose the change. "This is the only time since I've been a commissioner that I've seen the commander of the base show up to oppose something we've had before us," the commissioner said, adding that the commander's recommendation was "based on the safety of our residents and the mission of the base."

Why it matters: Pax River Village Center sits near Naval Air Station Patuxent River (commonly called Pax River), and the commissioner framed the commander's intervention as rooted in concerns about safety and compatibility with the Navy's mission. The developer cited in the meeting, Atlantic Realty, was praised by the commissioner as having presented "a great plan," but the commissioner said they could not vote against the base commander's recommendation.

Details of the vote and next steps: The transcript records that the commission approved the zoning change and that one commissioner voted no; the full vote tally and any motion language were not included in the remarks available in the transcript. The commissioner said they hoped Atlantic Realty would "continue to work with the Navy in order to try and mitigate any impacts."

Context and limitations: The transcript does not include remarks from Atlantic Realty or from the base commander, nor does it provide the ordinance or specific zoning designation that was changed. No statute or local code section was cited in the recorded remarks. The commissioner's comments appeared during the meeting's business items; the transcript does not show subsequent mitigation steps or follow-up direction to staff.