Planning Commission approves Pembroke Crossing preliminary major subdivision after debate on stormwater and traffic

The Saint Mary's County Planning Commission voted Feb. 9 to approve the preliminary major subdivision application MJSB 25-0215 for Pembroke Crossing, a proposed 140-unit townhome development on about 27.95 acres in the Lexington Park Development District.

Planning staff entered their report into the record and recommended the application met subdivision ordinance criteria and adequacy-of-public-facilities (APF) requirements. The application proposes 140 attached single-family townhomes across 26 buildings, yielding a density of about 5.03 dwelling units per acre and, according to the applicant, 384 on-lot parking spaces from two-car end-unit garages and single-car interior garages.

The applicant's team, represented by Steve Scott and site engineer Greg Hosendorf of Soltes Associates, summarized engineering and design work and presented updated data on traffic and stormwater. "We have updated traffic information. We have actual traffic counts that are only about a month old or so," Hosendorf said during the presentation. Traffic consultant Nick Dribben said the updated counts were collected Jan. 21 and that the site generates an estimated 820 daily trips (410 in, 410 out).

Commissioners focused questions on stormwater treatment and off-site drainage. Hosendorf told the commission that the stormwater design meets environmental site design (ESD) and quantity-control requirements, and that although a small portion of lot rear yards will bypass ESD devices, "none of our site, none of our units are within the flood plain." He said pre-development discharge at the study point was 7.85 cubic feet per second (CFS) and post-development discharge 8.99 CFS (a change of about 1.15 CFS) for the 10-year storm; the estimated local stage increase at the study point was about 0.03 feet.

John Norris, director of Public Works and Transportation, clarified on enforcement of on-street parking and rights-of-way: where asphalt width drops to 26 feet within a 45-foot ROW "that will not allow any on-street parking," and where the ROW is 50 feet with 30 feet of asphalt parking on one side is allowed; enforcement would be by the sheriff or state police requesting towing.

Commissioners also pressed the applicant to explain where bypassing occurs and whether it increases risk to homes or neighboring properties. Hosendorf said roughly five of the 26 building sticks include portions of rear yards that bypass ESD devices and sheet-flow to a forest conservation buffer before entering the stream, and that the applicant overcompensated treatment elsewhere on the site to meet regulatory requirements; he cited DPW review and Technical Release 55 hydrologic methods used to validate the calculations.

On auxiliary issues, the applicant said the development will be built in a single phase, public roads will be maintained by the county (so snow removal will be a county responsibility), and the project provides the two access points required by ordinance.

After deliberation and noting staff findings, a commissioner moved to approve the preliminary plan. The motion was seconded and the commission approved the subdivision on roll call with all present members voting aye.

The commission closed the public hearing portion with no public testimony and moved on to the scheduled comprehensive plan briefing.

What happens next: approval allows the applicant to proceed with the major subdivision process and subsequent engineering and permitting steps; conditions and final engineering will be processed through county staff and DPW review.