Planning commission approves preliminary Northwood (Norris Woods) subdivision after lengthy drainage and traffic discussion

The Saint Mary's County Planning Commission on April 28 approved a preliminary major-subdivision plan for Northwood (Norris Woods), a proposed residential development along Norris Road, after extended public testimony about drainage, retention ponds and cut-through traffic.

The commission approved the preliminary plan for Major Subdivision 13-120001 (Norris Woods) with conditions requiring final technical-agency approvals and that all road improvements be completed in concurrence with certificates of occupancy. The motion passed by roll call; commissioners Jay Cousineau, Joe Van Kirk, Patty Robrecht, Joe Sinclair and Connor Loughran voted in favor.

The approval followed more than two hours of resident testimony describing long-standing backyard flooding in the adjoining Heards Estates neighborhood and a multi-part staff and applicant presentation explaining stormwater controls, traffic counts and other site changes. Kevin Norris, the applicant, told the commission the revised plan no longer proposes the earlier 22 “affordable” units and instead proposes four workforce-housing lots that “are workforce housing in accordance with the comp plan.”

Staff and the applicant described the stormwater design as a combination of grass-bottom conveyance swales, micro-bio-retention facilities and riprap-armored channels where slopes are steeper. Engineer Pat Mudd and applicant representative…