HOLLYWOOD, Md. – The St. Mary’s County Commissioner meeting held a public hearing for the Department Of Land Use And Growth Management’s Amendment of Comprehensive Water and Sewerage Plan for a project at Villages of Clark’s Mill at their July 16, 2024 meeting.
The amendment proposes a change in water category from W-6D (service in 6 to 10 years, developer financed) to W-3D (service in 3 to 5 years, developer financed) for the development located at 44405, 44410, 44415, 44420, and 44425 K&R Way, Hollywood, MD.
The development has 18 townhouse units and was approved by the planning commission on May 20.
Joan Sullivan Cowan, a resident of Lexington Park, advocated for the development during the public hearing.
She believes more workforce housing should be provided for the new hires of the Sheriff’s department and the public schools.
“At the most recent meeting of the Calvert-Saint Mary’s Metropolitan Organization an individual shared that there are 3,000 new positions projected to open associated with the naval base,” Sullivan Cowan said.
Sullivan Cowan claimed the county needs an increased tax base to help pay for the Maryland state law, The Blueprint. The Blueprint requires increased teacher’s pay and in doing so the county increased income taxes from 3% to 3.2%.
“If housing is not available for all these potential new hires, they will drive out of the county and spend their paychecks there. Therefore we need approval of the water category for Clark’s Mill so there will be more housing that uses as little land as possible,” Sullivan Cowan said.
New housing will provide a place to live for the new hires and in return they will spend money, increasing the tax base in the county, according to Sullivan Cowan. As a result, the county would not have to raise income taxes again to pay for the Blueprint law.
Written comments can still be submitted for the public hearing, no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, addressed to CSMC, P.O Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or via email to csmc@stmaryscountymd.gov.
To watch the full meeting below or, click here.
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