Charles County Government presents the board of commissioners meeting.

Good evening, Commissioners.

We'll begin this evening's session with a roll call.

Commissioner Bowling.

Present.

Commissioner Coates.

Here.

Commissioner Stewart.

Here.

Commissioner Patterson.

Here.

Commissioner Collins.

Here.

Thank you.

Commissioner's the next item on your agenda is a public hearing on amendments to Waldorf Station Development Agreement.

The purpose of this evening session is to hold a public hearing in person and virtually on an amendment to Waldorf Station Development Agreement.

If it pleases the commissioners, I will dispense with the reading of the public notice.

For the public, when it's your turn to speak, please state your name and address clearly for the record.

Statements should relate to the subject matter of this identified hearing.

Statements should be brief to the point and limited to three minutes or less.

Proper language is required at all times.

Additionally, please understand that this is a public hearing, which means that this is the commissioner's opportunity to hear from the public.

This is the public's opportunity to speak.

Consequently, the commissioners will not be entertaining questions or debating the issue.

The commissioners reserve the right to extend the time frame or to continue the hearing until another date.

We will now begin the public hearing.

Good

evening, County Commissioners.

Uh, my name is Jason Groth, Director of Planning and Growth Management, and with me is Tony Feltz, Assistant Chief of Planning,

Planning and Growth Management.

And just a quick piece of context.

So in essence, we are here tonight to uh carry through uh proposed amendment uh to the agreement.

It's minor in nature, um, and to go through it is Mr.

Feltz.

So

again, good evening, Commissioners.

Um, I'm gonna give a brief uh briefing on the proposed amendment to the existing Waldorf Station Development Agreement.

Um, as Jason mentioned, the agreement is fairly limited in scope and primarily affects the timing and housing mix within the first stage of development.

So, as a quick refresher, back uh Waldorf Station is an approved mixed-use transit-oriented development.

The

development agreement was originally approved in 2020 and subsequently amended in 2022.

The overall development allows up to 798 residential units and 453,000 square feet of commercial development constructed in phases.

The development agreement also includes a number of public benefits, including land dedications for public purposes, minority and local business participation, and affordable and workforce housing commitments.

The

development agreement currently divides construction in three stages.

Under stage one, development is limited to 545 residential units and 70,000 square feet of commercial space.

Stage two primarily provides for additional commercial development, while stage three allows the remaining residential units up to the overall maximum of 798, as well as any remaining commercial development.

And importantly, this agreement already authorizes those full 798 units.

The issue before you is essentially when a portion of those units may be constructed and what housing products will be provided.

So

the applicant is requesting that at that the stage one residential cap be increased from 545 to 615 units, which is an increase of 70 units in stage one.

Those additional units would be provided as a minimum of 70 stacked townhouses, or what you may have heard, uh two over two units, um similar to the housing shown in the picture.

And I want to emphasize again that this amendment does not increase the overall approved density of the project.

The maximum remains 798 units.

There are also no proposed changes to stage two or state or three

or to existing proffers and public benefits.

In addition, as development occurs, all proposals will be reviewed for adequate public facilities and all other statutory requirements.

The practical effect of this agreement amendment is to allow the stacked townhouse product to move forward earlier and at a viable scale, while also adding an another housing type within the development.

So

staff has reviewed the proposed amendment and believes the development agreement as amended will remain consistent with a comprehensive plan.