SNOW HILL – Plans for a townhouse development on Route 611 are moving forward following approval from county officials this week.
The Worcester County Commissioners approved an amendment to the county’s water and sewerage plan as well as establishment of a residential planned community (RPC) at a meeting Tuesday. The actions will enable Sea Oaks Village, a proposed townhouse development on Route 611, to proceed.
“We’re very happy everything got approved and that the county approved everything very expeditiously,” said Hugh Cropper, attorney for Sea Oaks Village, said Wednesday.
The commissioners first voted 6-0, with Commissioner Chip Bertino abstaining from the vote, to amend the Worcester County Water and Sewerage Plan to reclassify the Sea Oaks property. The 40-acre property, which had been designated S-3 (planned to be served within six to 10 years), will now be reclassified as S-1 (planned to be served within two years).
“All we’re really doing is upgrading the planning designation,” said Bob Mitchell, the county’s director of environmental programs.
Commissioners also approved establishment of the Sea Oaks Village RPC floating zone. Developments are required to meet RPC standards when they consist of more than 20 units. As proposed, Sea Oaks Village is a 59-unit residential townhouse development that will also include 24,570 square feet of commercial space. That space is expected to include a mix of professional offices, retail space and contractor shops.
Cropper said Wednesday the next step in the development process would be the project’s site plan. He said his clients hoped to have the site plan considered by the Worcester County Planning Commission in January.
“They’re moving quickly,” he said, adding that they wanted to start construction next summer.
This week’s approvals come nearly a year after the Worcester County Commissioners initially denied a sewer allocation request for the Sea Oaks property, leaving it with no EDUs (equivalent dwelling units). Cropper agreed to drop his ensuing lawsuit this fall after the commissioners agreed to grant a reduced sewer capacity request of 63 EDUs (enough to build the currently proposed 59 townhouses and 24,570-square-feet of commercial space).
