Board of Appeals approves after-the-fact variance for Holly Point Road property

Leonardtown, Md. — On July 10 the Saint Mary's County Board of Appeals approved a variance for the property at 50810 Holly Point Road, authorizing after‑the‑fact decks, a screen porch extension, a shed and stone revetment above mean high water and a proposed new deck, the board said during its meeting in the Chesapeake Building. The board voted 5-0 to grant relief from the county's critical‑area buffer rules for the work described in application VAAP24‑1611.

The decision allows 1,843 square feet of permanent disturbance in the 100‑foot critical‑area buffer surrounding St. Clarence Creek and requires mitigation planting and permitting before final approval. A planting and buffer management plan and a planting agreement must be approved and a bond held for mitigation before a building permit will be issued, staff said.

Why it matters: The property owner sought after‑the‑fact permitting for repairs and additions that had been made without prior county permits. Work in the critical area is regulated to protect water…