Hearing on floating waterfront zone proposal postponed

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Charles County commissioners were set to hold a public hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. July 8 at the county government building in La Plata. After reviewing information supplied by the Charles County Planning Commission and the developer requesting the new zone, the county commissioners said they need more information before the hearing can be held, said Shelley Wagner, county planner.

The planning commission voted unanimously in April to forward a recommendation to the commissioners to deny the zoning text amendment request after a roomful of people testified against the creation of the floating zone.

During the April hearing, David Cooksey of Loiderman Soltesz Associates in Waldorf asked that the county amend the zoning ordinance to allow the creation of a waterfront planned residential development floating zone that would only be allowed in premapped areas of Goose Bay in Port Tobacco and locations near the Gov. Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge in Newburg.

If the floating zone is approved Cooksey said during the hearing that the developers would have to follow strict guidelines, including fixing any environmental problems on the land such as a failing wastewater treatment plant or septic systems.

The developer would also have to apply environmentally friendly building standards to the housing such as geothermal heating and cooling and solar panels, he said during the hearing.

Local environmental activists testified passionately against the proposal during the hearing, stating that the floating zone would adversely impact the quality of life of folks who live near the developments. They also testified the densely built communities would adversely impact the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, including the Port Tobacco and Potomac rivers.

Wagner said the public hearing will be rescheduled but the date has not yet been set.

Call the county's planning department at 301-645-0540.

nmcconaty@somdnews.com