Board clears Evergreen Disposal to build transfer station in Charlotte Hall after granting two variances

The St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals approved two variances Aug. 28 that clear the way for Evergreen Disposal to construct a private solid-waste transfer station at 37315 Carpenter Lane in Charlotte Hall.

County staff described the application (VAAP23‑0267) as a request to relax two requirements in the county’s zoning code for facilities under CZO use 51.3.96: the horizontal separation requirement that normally requires a 1,500‑foot buffer from the nearest home or institutional building, and the requirement that a commercial entrance be located on a road classified as a major collector or higher. The property owner is listed as Lodi Mahwa LLC; Evergreen Disposal presented operations and site plans to the board.

Applicant representatives told the board the project includes a 17,400‑square‑foot enclosed transfer building where most activity will occur indoors, and a 12,008‑square‑foot maintenance and office building. The site plan shows three access points to Carpenter Lane, a travelway that varies between 21 and 22 feet (a minor‑collector requirement is 20 feet; a major collector is 22 feet), underground stormwater facilities, buffering and landscaping, and a traffic plan prepared by Lenhart Traffic Consulting. Stacy Lagana, presenting for the applicant, emphasized that the facility would handle receivals inside an impermeable‑floor building, and that the county’s adopted Comprehensive Solid Waste Management and Recycling Plan (Aug. 2022) lists a transfer station in Charlotte Hall as a recommended short‑term action.

Representatives said the planning commission approved a related concept plan earlier in the summer by a 7–0 vote; staff noted several county and state agencies (State Highway Administration, Health Department, Soil Conservation District, FAA and others) raised no objections. The applicant said certified mail notices were sent to owners within 200 feet and that two public comments were received during planning commission review. The applicant reported it anticipates handling municipal solid waste and that tractor‑trailer long‑haul loads would leave the enclosed building for disposal facilities out of county; recycling could be separated into outbound trailers when applicable.

Board members asked about traffic (vehicle widths and routeing), water service (Carpenter Lane properties are on public water but have septic), community notices and regulatory oversight by the Maryland Department of the Environment. Lenhart, the traffic consultant, explained trash trucks are typically about 8 feet wide and tractor‑trailers comply with Maryland rules (maximum 8.5 feet without permit). The applicant’s operations manager described daily routines: neighborhood rear‑load trucks deliver to assigned lanes inside the building, trash is compacted and loaded into tractor trailers, and floors are cleaned nightly under regulatory requirements.

After discussion, a board member moved to approve the variances, finding the general variance standards in CZO section 24.3 were met; the motion passed unanimously. Staff will prepare an order for signature within 60 days; a 30‑day appeal period follows the signed order.

The applicant and consultants said they expect final plan review, stormwater approvals and building and fire‑marshal reviews to continue before construction. A construction representative estimated a start of work within about 90 days of outstanding approvals and an 18‑month construction schedule, subject to final permitting and weather.