Queen Anne's County holds hearing on Southern Kent Island Phase 4 vacant-lot sewer assessments

Queen Anne's County Commissioners held a public hearing on March 11 to consider proposed special benefit assessments for vacant lots in the Southern Kent Island Phase 4 sewer service area, which includes Kent Island neighborhoods such as Chesapeake Estates, Sunny Isle of Kent and Manapequa Estates. County staff said the proposed assessments would take effect April 1, 2025, if the commissioners adopt the resolution at a subsequent meeting.

County Attorney Patrick Thompson read the certified hearing notice and the legal basis for the proceeding. Director of Public Works Alan Quimby presented the Phase 4 proposal and the assessment structure for vacant lots. Quimby said Class B vacant lots (lots without a valid soil percolation test) would be assessed $27,920 per lot in the proposal, consisting of a base cost of $2,320 and an economic benefit premium of $25,600. The base cost may be amortized over 20 years at 1 percent interest, Quimby said. The economic benefit premium may be financed over 30 years at 1 percent interest with principal deferred for up to 10 years; if a property owner defers principal, the payment would be interest-only during the deferral period.

Quimby provided example payment amounts from the county calculation: an owner who chooses interest-only payments during a 10-year deferral would pay about $126 per quarter for that period; after the deferral or after construction on the lot, the quarterly payment would increase to about $417 for the remaining 20-year amortization of the unpaid principal, Quimby said. Class C properties — the presentation identified one parcel with a valid percolation test — would be assessed only the base cost of $2,320, which Quimby said equates to roughly $63 per quarter on a 20-year amortization at 1 percent. Quimby noted assessments are transferable on sale and described prepayment and deferral rules that would appear in written notices sent to owners.

During a question-and-answer portion following the presentation, residents asked whether the assessment makes a vacant lot buildable (staff answered yes for lots in the service area once the sewer connection is available), how much the financing would cost over the full term (staff reiterated the 1 percent interest rate and offered to provide owner-specific payoff figures), and whether building permits can be pulled before hookups are available (staff said permits are handled by the county’s planning and permitting offices and that builders commonly pull permits). Residents asked how soon connections would be available for particular lots; staff collected contact information for follow-up and said property-specific hookup timing would be handled by the Department of Public Works.

The hearing record will include published notices and written testimony; speakers were limited to three minutes. Staff said mailed notices and explanatory materials had been sent to Class B and Class C property owners. If the commissioners adopt the resolution at a future meeting, staff said the first billings would be effective April 1, 2025.

The hearing closed after public questions and staff follow-up instructions; commissioners did not take a decision at the March 11 meeting. The county provided a sign-up sheet for owners who want direct contact from Public Works and advised owners to consult the mailed notice for repayment and deferral specifics.