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Board reviews Charlotte Hall master plan that envisions senior housing plus recreation facilities; sewer and traffic remain hurdles
Summary
Recreation and Parks staff and partners have drafted a concept master plan for the 43-acre Charlotte Hall property that would combine senior housing with a public indoor pool and multigenerational recreation center; public sewer availability and road access are described as critical constraints.
Recreation and Parks staff briefed the St. Mary's County Recreation and Parks Board on Feb. 1 about a draft master plan for a 43-acre county-owned parcel in Charlotte Hall. The concept shows room for senior housing, an indoor public swimming pool and a multigenerational recreation center, with recreational facilities proposed to remain under the parks department's management.
Staff members said the commissioners had directed the department and the board to study the site after earlier public meetings. The office on aging, the county housing authority and seniors' advocates contributed to the plan. A public meeting attended by about 100 people previously showed strong interest in senior housing and additional athletic fields, particularly for soccer.
Staff emphasized that public sewer is a key requirement for the senior-housing component; planners assessed alternatives — private septic, drain fields and tie-in to a nearby veterans home's wastewater plant — and concluded none were viable. Road access and traffic were also described as challenges: Charlotte Hall Road is a narrow village road, and staff noted possible access via Wayland Road to Route 6, but traffic and forest conservation easement transfers would need resolution.
If housing proceeds, county staff said the county would likely issue a request for proposals for a private for-profit or nonprofit developer to build and manage senior units on county property; department staff would lead recreation-facility planning and operation. Staff said the pool appears in the department's six-year capital program as a proposed priority; the indoor recreation center would be lower priority in the current proposal.
The plan has been reviewed by the planning commission and was recently briefed to the county commissioners; staff indicated the commissioners will be asked in a future meeting to adopt the concept plan but cautioned adoption does not guarantee immediate construction. The timeline and feasibility hinge on sewer infrastructure, permitting and commissioners' decisions.
