Stanley Martin Homes has withdrawn its request to change the land use designation of its Wildewood Preserve property. The move takes the most hotly debated development proposal out of St. Mary’s County’s long-range growth plan days before the plan’s final public hearing.
Because of the withdrawal, the request will not go to the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County. It also will not be open to public comment at the Oct. 6 hearing on the St. Mary’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan, the county said Tuesday.
What Stanley Martin wanted
The company had asked the county to change about 271 acres at 23405 Lawrence Hayden Road, between the Forrest Farm and Wildewood subdivisions, from Rural Preservation to Residential Medium Density. It also asked to add the land to the Lexington Park Development District, the area where the county steers most new growth.
At a Planning Commission hearing in July, attorney Chris Longmore said affiliates of Stanley Martin had built recent phases of Wildewood. He said plans for the tract included single-family homes, townhouses and a large recreational facility. The proposal called for about 415 homes, recreation land and part of the planned Cross County Connector road. The developer stressed that a land use designation was only a first step, not an approval to build.
Heavy opposition, a split vote
Dozens of neighbors turned out against the request. They said the mostly forested tract, with its wetlands and streams, provides wildlife habitat. They also warned that clearing it could worsen stormwater problems draining toward McIntosh Run and Breton Bay. Others said Lawrence Hayden Road, Wildewood Parkway and Route 235 already struggle with traffic.
County agencies raised concerns as well. St. Mary’s County Public Schools opposed the change because of its significant impact on school capacity, noting that Evergreen Elementary is already over capacity, and asked the developer to deed land for a future school site next to it. The Department of Emergency Services warned of added strain on fire, EMS and law enforcement.
The Planning Commission recommended the change 4-3 on July 13. Commissioners Judith Fillius, Conor Loughran, Gerald Cousineau and Joseph Vankirk voted in favor. Chairman Howard Thompson, Lynn Delahay and Patricia Robrecht voted against. Supporters on the board pointed to existing infrastructure from the adjacent Wildewood development and possible developer contributions to roads and recreation.
Opponents kept up the pressure. At a late-July County Commissioners meeting, residents questioned the narrow recommendation. They noted that the developer’s offers of land for a school or park were not binding, and they raised concerns about the cost of roads and sewer lines for taxpayers.
The county’s announcement did not say why Stanley Martin withdrew.
The hearing is still on
The public hearing on the rest of the plan will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ meeting room of the Chesapeake Building, 41770 Baldridge St., Leonardtown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and sign-up sheets for speakers will be in the lobby.
Residents who can’t attend can comment in writing:
- Email: csmc@stmaryscountymd.gov
- Mail: Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650
The deadline for written comments is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. The commissioners will consider comments received at the hearing and for seven days afterward. More details are on the county’s public hearings page.
What’s in the plan
St. Mary’s 2050: Charting Our Tomorrow will replace the county’s 2010 Comprehensive Plan and guide land use and development decisions for the next 25 years. The draft consolidates 23 land use categories into nine and keeps current boundaries for development districts, town centers and village centers. County officials say it does not intensify land uses.
At a work session this month, the commissioners directed several changes to the draft. They added a program for transferring sewer and water capacity as a growth-management tool, dropped outdated light rail corridor protections, and added language supporting new industries such as cannabis and data centers. They are aiming for a final vote around Oct. 20, and the plan is set to be reviewed every three years after that.
For questions, contact the Department of Land Use and Growth Management at 301-475-4200, ext. 1500, or StMarys2050@stmaryscountymd.gov. Office hours and location are on the LUGM website.
