La Plata council presses state inspector and developer over repeated Pinegrove violations and truck traffic

La Plata council members pressed town inspections staff and the police department on repeated construction violations and heavy truck traffic at the Pinegrove development, raising resident complaints about mud, silt fencing failures and trash.

The council questioned Director Mosier, who said she had spoken with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) inspector assigned to the site. "She reassured me that that did not require any town intervention," Director Mosier said, adding the inspector had described most infractions as "very minor in nature" and that Doctor Horton, the project's contractor, "is very responsive." The town official also said MDE had flagged that some violations were recurring and that the agency was considering next steps.

Why it matters: Residents told the council they consider repeated minor violations—such as collapsed silt fence, mud on streets and trash—to be more than a nuisance, and council members said visibility of the problem has poor optics for a project described by staff as about 300 acres.

The council sought specific facts and a clearer notification path from MDE. Mosier said she did not know how often the MDE inspector visits the site and that the inspector typically contacts the town only if there is an issue the town needs to know about. "I don't know as to how often she comes out," Mosier said, and told the council that the town will rely on MDE for the technical enforcement of state stormwater and soil‑conservation controls.

Council members pressed Mosier on the difference between "minor" and "significant" violations; she declined to speak for MDE on the agency's internal criteria but said the town's observed examples of recurring, smaller problems included knocked‑down silt fence, mud tracked onto public streets and dust during heavy earthwork. "When I say they're minor in the grand scheme of things, I'm not minimizing the impact that they have," Mosier said.

Public-safety and traffic concerns: Council members and the police chief described ongoing community complaints about heavy dump‑truck traffic and speeding on Washington Avenue, Rosewood and Charles Street. Police said the department is monitoring truck movements: an officer was assigned to record heavy vehicles two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, four days a week, with the schedule rotating to capture patterns and identify trucking companies. "He's writing that down," the police chief said of the officer assigned to traffic observation.

Town response and next steps: Mosier said she will reach back to the MDE inspector for updates that include the status of violations, how they were corrected and what, if any, enforcement action MDE plans next. She offered to try to facilitate a meeting between the developer and town officials so the developer can present project status and corrective measures to the community. "I can reach out to MDE, to the inspector, get updates on the status, the problems, the issues, how they've been corrected," Mosier told the council.

Clarifying details from the meeting: participants referenced "about 104" recorded violations in public discussion of the site; Mosier described the project as "such a massive project" (about 300 acres) and said the repeating infractions are often caused by multiple subcontractors and dump‑truck drivers disturbing silt fence. The MDE inspector reportedly told Mosier that Doctor Horton was responsive to town contacts and had deployed corrective measures such as water trucks to control dust.

What the council asked for: greater transparency about which violations MDE classifies as "significant," a clearer MDE notification process to the town when serious violations are identified, and a developer visit or community briefing so residents and council members can hear the contractor's remediation plans directly.

Ending: Town staff said they will return with more detailed updates from MDE and will continue local monitoring of truck traffic and code complaints while county and state agencies retain primary enforcement authority over stormwater and erosion control at the site.