St. Mary's County commissioners on March 6 directed Land Use and Growth Management staff to prepare and advertise for public hearings on a proposed text amendment to clarify and potentially set residential density in the Office Business Park (OBP) within the Lexington Park Development District.

Dennis Canavan, chief of Land Use and Growth Management, summarized a recent encroachment study and Navy input about Accident Potential Zones (APZs) and noise contours around Naval Air Station Patuxent River. He said the OBP zone has an ambiguity in the current zoning text: residential uses are referenced but a specific residential density is not set.

Federal guidance was cited during the discussion: speakers noted Federal Aviation Regulations (Part 77) and the Navy's APZ guidance, which currently limit residential density in APZ-2 to no more than two units per acre. Commissioners and staff said they will seek flight/noise contour maps and other technical data from Navy officials before finalizing any ordinance language.

To gather public input and preserve options, the board directed staff to prepare an advertisement for hearings that the County would consider residential density in the OBP (within the Lexington Park redevelopment area) at any level from zero units per acre up to five units per acre. The proposal will include clarifying edits to remove conflicts in ordinance text if commissioners later adopt a prohibition.

The motion to start the text-amendment process and to advertise public hearings was moved and seconded; commissioners approved the direction by voice vote. Staff said further technical information from the Navy will inform final drafting and that the Planning Commission review and public hearings will follow the county's text amendment process.