Planning commission approves Kingston Crossing concept site plan and 36‑lot subdivision with added evergreen understory buffer

The Saint Mary’s County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Kingston Crossing concept site plan for a 36‑unit townhouse development and the associated preliminary 36‑lot subdivision, imposing a supplemental buffering condition recommended by residents and added by the commission.

Staff presented the concept site plan (CSP 25‑0272) and the preliminary subdivision reports, noting the site is zoned residential low density with RCA and AE‑4 overlays, is located east of Patuxent Boulevard in the Lexington Park Development District, and requires 29 transferable development rights (TDRs) under county rules. Staff entered the written staff report and agency comments into the record and said an adequate public facilities memorandum confirms water and sewer can serve the project at the required level for the concept and subdivision stages.

The applicant’s team — legal counsel Chris Longmore, civil engineer Frank Daskovich and property owner John O’Connell — described a plan that preserves about 75% green area on the parcel, uses private roads, proposes a new access and a widened shoulder/turn lane on Patuxent Boulevard, and locates playgrounds and a school‑bus stopping point within sight lines of units. Stormwater management relies on a combination of six micro‑bioretention facilities and a dry pond for quantity control; the engineer said the design directs developed runoff to northern drainage points and includes underdrains to avoid permanent standing water.

The applicant committed six units (15%) as workforce housing and indicated typical unit footprints of roughly 22 by 40 feet (about 2,400 square feet gross, less garage). The plan calls for a perpetual forest conservation easement (proposed 85‑foot width) along the bordering farm and significant landscape buffers to protect adjacent neighborhoods.

Several nearby residents spoke during public testimony. Deer Crossing Lane resident Dave Hudgins asked for additional hydrologic study and understory vegetation in the buffer to better screen the development and reduce erosion risk to nearby Little Kingston Creek. Greg Shields raised pedestrian safety, compatibility with surrounding 1–2 story homes, and concerns about lighting glare. Trish Brow described local unstable soils and dredging activity in the creek and asked about unit sizes; applicant estimated units would be roughly 2,000–2,400 square feet (less garage). The applicant responded to technical questions, said soil borings will be completed at each stormwater facility as part of final design, and agreed to add supplemental understory plantings to improve visual screening.

Commissioners praised the thoroughness of the concept presentation and the planning response to public concerns. The Planning Commission approved the concept site plan on a motion that included a condition requiring a supplemental staggered understory buffer of not less than 10 evergreen shrubs per 100 feet in addition to any buffering required by the county ordinance. The commission then approved the preliminary major subdivision (MJSB25‑0271) to create 36 lots for the townhouse units; both approvals were unanimous.

What’s next: the applicant will proceed to final design and permitting, conduct required soil borings and detailed stormwater design, and return for subsequent ministerial and construction‑stage approvals as needed.