Public hearing held on two water and sewer amendments; commissioners defer vote to January

Queen Anne's County Commissioners held a public hearing on Dec. 10 on proposed amendments to the county's comprehensive water and sewer plan for two projects — a Barnstable/Lowry Farm proposal and the Aspire at Ewing Farm project in Graysonville — and heard extensive testimony from developers, planning consultants and residents before taking the item under advisement and scheduling a vote for January.

The hearing covered two separate requests to redesignate parcels in the county master water and sewer plan so each property could proceed toward subdivision and site-plan approvals. County staff described the Barnstable/Lowry Farm submission as a roughly 13-acre site proposed for 82 townhomes, with an estimated wastewater demand the notice lists at 20,500 gallons per day. The Aspire at Ewing Farm submission, described in county materials and by applicants at the hearing, was presented as a larger planned residential neighborhood with townhomes and single-family lots; transcript materials record the applicant’s figures as “72 townhomes and ‘2 18 single-family lots’” and a projected wastewater demand of about 72,500 gallons per day (as read in the hearing record).

Developer and applicant representatives emphasized consistency with county planning policies. Joe Stevens, representing K. Hovnanian, said the amendment “is really just one step” to allow the project to proceed to site plan and subdivision review and called the proposal consistent with zoning and the comprehensive plan. Barry Griffith, a planner with Lane Engineering, described the Ewing Farm property as “an infill property” surrounded by existing residential neighborhoods and institutions and said the planning commission previously found the sketch plan consistent with the county comprehensive plan.

K. Hovnanian and K. Hovnanian representatives (transcript: Mike Irons; identified in the record as division president for K. Hovnanian Homes) told commissioners Aspire is intended as a value/entry-level product for first-time buyers and workforce households; the applicant said homes of the proposed type would price in the mid-$300,000s to mid-$400,000s if built under current market conditions. The applicant also told the commissioners it intends to comply with the county’s MPD requirement (identified in the hearing record as 10%) and said it is open to building required units on-site or providing a fee in lieu if the county prefers to administer the program centrally.

County staff and applicant representatives addressed system capacity and allocation. Laurie Walter of Lane Engineering reported “about 71,000 gallons per day” of water-and-sewer allocation available for new development in the relevant service area and noted a recent rerating of roughly 100,000 gallons per day; staff said projects must still obtain formal allocation and pass APFO (Adequate Public Facilities) reviews, which evaluate schools, roads and other capacities at later permitting stages. Commissioners and members of the public pressed that point: one resident, Ward Griffith, asked that the county consider sewer priorities for Marling Farm, where residents say septic systems are failing.

Speakers at the hearing included multiple residents and family landowners who spoke in favor of Aspire. Mitchell Andrew identified himself as a member of the Ewing family that owns the subject farm and said several developers had approached the family before the applicant’s proposal was accepted. A number of Graysonville and nearby residents, including Dylan Allen, Mark Angeles, Daniel King and others, told the commissioners they support the project as a source of workforce and affordable housing and said local young adults are leaving the county because they cannot afford homes. Jonathan Content, the applicant’s entitlements manager, cited the county comprehensive plan and testimony from the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy in support of placing denser housing in growth areas.

Commissioners also received emailed comments and written submissions. County staff summarized six emails in the record; one lengthy letter from a long-time resident recounted experience with the builder in an earlier community and recommended approval based on that experience. Public commenters also raised concerns about volunteer fire and EMS capacity and traffic, and one commenter asked that the county publish projected water and sewer demand figures for the proposed projects.

After testimony and staff comment, the commission closed the hearing and held the matter for decision. Staff advised that the next formal step is amendment to the master plan followed by allocation requests and APFO reviews; the commission scheduled the vote on both applications for its January meeting. No planning approvals or allocation were finalized at the Dec. 10 session.

Why it matters: master water-and-sewer plan amendments determine whether large subdivisions can move into final approvals and construction. The hearing brought into relief competing priorities the county must weigh — directing growth to priority funding areas, adding workforce housing, and ensuring public infrastructure (water, sewer, roads, schools and emergency services) can support additional development.

The county’s next steps include the formal January vote on the plan amendments, followed by the applicants’ detailed site-plan, APFO and allocation submittals; those later reviews will include school-impact assessments, road improvements and potential conditions tied to infrastructure and MPD compliance.