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Board of Appeals approves Beidleman variance to replace house in critical-area buffer
Summary
The Saint Mary's County Board of Appeals unanimously approved a variance allowing the replacement of a home and associated patios and driveway within the 100-foot critical-area buffer at 44996 Lighthouse Road in Piney Point, subject to mitigation and remaining agency approvals.
The Saint Mary's County Board of Appeals voted unanimously June 12 to approve variance application VAAP 25-0400 for the Beidleman property at 44996 Lighthouse Road in Piney Point, allowing replacement of a dwelling and associated patios and driveway within the 100-foot critical-area buffer.
Board members said the proposal reduced net impervious surface within the 100-foot buffer and included a mitigation plan. The applicant must complete outstanding health, soil-conservation and flood-plain approvals before construction permits are issued.
The lot, owned by Megan Beidleman, is 1.71 acres and is entirely within the expanded critical-area buffer because of tidal wetlands and hydric soils. Department staff said the applicant proposes to remove about 6,151 square feet of existing lot coverage, build about 5,917 square feet of new lot coverage and end with total proposed lot coverage of about 6,030 square feet, which staff said is within county lot-coverage limits. Staff said the applicant will provide mitigation credits totaling 10,898 square feet in the buffer: a 3:1 ratio for new coverage inside the 100-foot buffer, 2:1 for coverage added to the expanded buffer, and 1:1 for canopy removed.
Steve Vaughn of LSR Land Surveying, speaking for the applicant, said the new house would be elevated to meet floodplain requirements with the first floor roughly 10 to 11 feet above existing grade and that stormwater management and sediment‑erosion controls would be installed. Vaughn told the board the project would reduce overall impervious area on the lot by about 200 square feet and that replacement would allow the house to be built higher and safer for flooding.
Board discussion noted that the proposal shifts the new house slightly forward and reduces impervious area in the 100-foot buffer. The Critical Area Commission had commented that the applicant carries the burden to show the standards for a variance, including unwarranted hardship; the applicant argued the lot’s configuration, subdivision pattern and the potential additional tree removal required to pull development entirely out of the 100-foot buffer supported the request.
Rita Weaver moved to approve the variance; John Brown seconded. The board recorded a unanimous vote in favor. Staff will prepare an order reflecting the board decision and sign it within 60 days; a 30‑day appeal period follows the order-signing date.
The approval is conditioned on fulfillment of the mitigation and the outstanding agency approvals referenced in the staff report, and the applicant must return with final permits and plans showing the mitigation and stormwater details prior to building permits being issued.
