Board of Appeals approves variance for 1,100-foot stone revetment at Wicomico Valley Foundation property

The St. Mary's County Board of Appeals on Oct. 23 approved a variance allowing the Wicomico Valley Foundation of Southern Maryland Inc. to disturb the 100-foot critical-area buffer to install an approximately 1,100‑linear‑foot stone revetment above mean high water at 22800 Lower Brambly Lane in Chaptico.

The variance, VAAP-25-1761, was approved after staff described the project and foundation representatives and the contractor outlined erosion on the site and why they consider a revetment necessary. The board voted to approve the request; the board's order will be prepared by staff and signed within 60 days, after which a 30‑day period for appeals to circuit court begins.

The board approved the variance because, in its view, the application met the standards in section 24.4 of the St. Mary's County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, staff said. The permit sequence described at the hearing included: county zoning/site-plan approval (granted), critical-area variance approval from the board (requested and acted on Oct. 23), and pending soil‑conservation and stormwater approvals before issuance of a building permit. Staff said mitigation for the buffer disturbance will be required at a 3:1 ratio and that a buffer management plan must be…