Public hearing held on Norris Woods sewer plan amendment as neighbor raises capacity, traffic and stormwater concerns

The St. Mary's County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 20 held a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the county’s comprehensive water and sewer plan to change the service category for property at 45567 Norris Road (tax map 42, parcel 79) from S6D to S3D to allow public sewer service for a proposed residential subdivision.

David Chapman, adequate public facilities planner in the Department of Land Use and Growth Management, told the commissioners the property lies in the Lexington Park Development District, is zoned Residential Low Density, and “is virtually surrounded by properties that are already served” by public sewer. He said the Planning Commission held a public hearing June 24 and passed Resolution 13‑2 recommending approval, that the Marley Taylor Water Reclamation Facility has capacity to handle the subdivision’s flow, and that the applicant would bear the cost to extend sewer about 300 feet from the existing main in the Norris Road right‑of‑way.

The county accepted public comment at the hearing and will continue to accept written comments for 10 days after Aug. 20; the county asked that letters be mailed to the Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650. The record will also be part of the state review process; final approval of any map amendment rests with the Maryland Department of the Environment, which will consider comments from the Maryland Department of Planning and other state agencies.

Dr. Gary Lowman, a nearby resident, told commissioners he was concerned about the scale of the proposed subdivision and how the county and reviewing agencies had counted units. “There was a discrepancy about whether it was 22 or 44,” he said, noting he had earlier seen differing counts and that the applicant’s materials referenced 44 lots. He urged the county and other agencies to confirm which number agencies reviewed and to evaluate real occupancy and the effect of higher‑than‑expected household sizes on sewer flows and water pressure.

Lowman also raised traffic and stormwater concerns tied to adding as many as 44 lots on Norris Road, saying changes to Chancellor’s Run Road and other recent improvements have altered traffic patterns and increased use of local connector roads. He described the Buckhewet/Buckhoo and Norris Road intersection as having an awkward angle and no dedicated turn lanes and said increased volumes could elevate crash risk. He asked the county to study whether existing road geometry and capacity can safely handle additional trips from the proposed subdivision.

Chapman told commissioners staff’s analysis addressed compatibility with the county comprehensive plan and the environment article of Maryland law (subsection 9‑506 A(3) of the Environment Article). He said engineering for any extension would follow St. Mary’s County standard specifications for water and sewage construction and that county agencies including the health department and the St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission (METCOM) had commented they expect the subdivision to be accommodated by public sewer service.

Neighbors and other residents who did not sign up for oral comment were told they could provide written remarks during the 10‑day comment window. The hearing record and staff report, including the Planning Commission recommendation, will be available to the Maryland Department of the Environment during state review. No final decision was recorded at the Aug. 20 meeting.

The proposal, staff report and public comments will remain part of the official file and be considered as the county and state complete their respective review steps.