Commissioners ask Planning Commission to start North County Town Center master plan, with Charlotte Hall first

The St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 20 voted to request that the county Planning Commission initiate a North County Town Center master‑plan process as an amendment to the county comprehensive plan, with the recommendation that the Charlotte Hall town center be addressed first.

Phil Shire, staff with the county Department of Land Use and Growth Management, presented a proposed scope and tentative timetable. “The 2010 St. Mary's County comprehensive plan calls for master plans to be done for all the the 5 town centers in the county,” he said, and outlined options for combining or separating Charlotte Hall, New Market and Mechanicsville for study. Shire said staff proposes forming a technical advisory group and a citizens advisory committee, doing land‑capacity and soils analyses, updating traffic studies as needed, and conducting public kickoff meetings and advisory‑group sessions. He said some work can be done in‑house but that a consultant may be used for initial public outreach to draw input.

Shire noted state law (Land Use Article, §3‑201) designates the Planning Commission to prepare plans and consult with public officials, agencies and citizens, and said the Planning Commission would likely appoint any citizen advisory committee though the Board of County Commissioners would provide recommended participants.

Commissioner Jarbo moved that the board request the Planning Commission initiate the North County Town Center Plan beginning with the Charlotte Hall Town Center as an amendment to the comprehensive plan; Commissioner Morris seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote.

Staff emphasized several technical constraints that will shape the plan, including soils and high water tables in parts of the northern county that limit conventional septic systems, potential need for package wastewater treatment, and the state’s Priority Funding Area (PFA) density criteria. Shire said traffic and the need to achieve acceptable levels of service at key intersections are central concerns for Charlotte Hall and that the planning process will evaluate options such as service roads, phased mitigation and capital improvements.

Shire told commissioners he expects drafting of the plan could continue through January or February of the following year before Planning Commission hearings and return to the county commission for final action. Commissioners reiterated a desire for broad stakeholder representation and public outreach; several suggested focusing on Charlotte Hall first, with Golden Beach and adjacent residential communities considered for impacts though not necessarily placed inside a town‑center boundary.

The Planning Commission will undertake the formal plan preparation and hearings; the Board of County Commissioners’ vote on Aug. 20 was a request initiating that process.