This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as the "Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance of Queen Anne's County."
The words, terms, and phrases used in this chapter
shall have the meanings set forth below.
ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES (APF) APPLICATION
An application for a determination of adequacy of public facilities as required by and described
in this chapter. An APF application includes, but
is not limited to, an application form, a phasing schedule, an APF study, a mitigation plan, as appropriate, and an administrative review fee, as determined
by the County.
ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES (APF) STUDY
An assessment of the impact of a proposed development on public facilities and of whether available
capacity exists for the proposed development, including all background data or analysis relied upon in the development
of the study.
ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES TECHNICAL COMMITTEE or APF TECHNICAL
COMMITTEE
A committee comprised of designees of the County Commissioners,
the Planning Director, the Director of Public Works,
the Superintendent of the Queen Anne's County School Board, and any
other official the Planning Director deems necessary
to implement the provisions of this chapter. The Planning
Director shall be the Chairperson of the Committee.
ADVANCED FACILITIES
Capital improvements proposed to be donated,
constructed, or funded by an applicant pursuant to an approved mitigation plan.
BOARD
The County Board of County Commissioners.
CAPACITY
The demand that can be accommodated by a public facility.
CAPACITY, AVAILABLE
The circumstance where a public facility has sufficient capacity to accommodate the demand
created by a proposed development, or, in the case
of a phased development proposal, to accommodate
the demand created by each phase of the proposed development.
CAPACITY, USED
Capacity allocated to preexisting
development approvals and capacity already
in use.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
A physical asset, including land, the cost of which is generally
nonrecurring and which may require multiyear financing, and that provides
additional capacity needed to accommodate the demand
for public facilities generated by a proposed
development.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, PLANNED
A capital improvement that is under contract
or under actual construction at the time an APF application is considered by the APF Technical Committee.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM or CIP
A document adopted annually by the County Commissioners,
or other service provider, itemizing capital improvements funded for the current fiscal year and those capital projects planned
for the following five-year period, including the means of funding
such projects.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Queen Anne's County Comprehensive Plan, adopted by the
County Commissioners on May 21, 2002, as amended, and which is hereby
incorporated by this reference.
COUNTY
Queen Anne's County, Maryland.
DETERMINATION OF ADEQUACY
A determination by the APF Technical Committee that each public facility impacted by a proposed development has available capacity, which determination may be based on an approved mitigation
plan.
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL
Either of the following:
A.
A preliminary plat, multifamily site plan application,
or nonresidential subdivision which proposes six or more new units
or lots; or
B.
A site plan application, which proposes the
creation of 10,000 square feet or more of new enclosed floor area
to be dedicated to nonresidential uses; or
C.
A preliminary plat or a nonresidential or multifamily
site plan application, which will generate 25 or more peak hour trips.
DWELLING UNIT
A principal building, room or group of rooms providing, or
intended to provide, living quarters for not more than one family.
ESSENTIAL PUBLIC SERVICES
Services owned, managed, or operated in the interest of a
governmental entity that provides a function critical to the health,
safety, and welfare of the public, but which is not proprietary in
nature. Essential public services may specifically
include schools, water and sewer services, emergency services, publicly
owned housing, fire protection services, and law enforcement services.
INTERSECTION
A place or area where two or more roads or site access entrances
cross or meet and cause or create a straight or directional turning
movement.
LEVEL OF SERVICE or LOS
An indicator of the extent or degree of service provided
by a public facility, based upon, and related to
the operational characteristics of the facility, in comparison with
the capacity of the public facility.
MITIGATION PLAN
A voluntary plan, effectuated through a binding agreement
or condition of approval of a development proposal, to ensure the provision of available capacity,
where capacity is not otherwise adequate to support
the demand resulting from a proposed development.
PHASED DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL
A development proposal wherein the proposed development will be constructed incrementally in
a logical time and geographical sequence according to a phasing
schedule.
PHASING SCHEDULE
A schedule that sets forth the timing of the development
of a phased development proposal, including, but
not limited to, provision of necessary public facilities, the number of units, and, as applicable, their location on the
site.
PLANNING DIRECTOR
The Director of the Queen Anne's County Department of Planning
and Zoning or the Planning Director's designee.
PREEXISTING DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS
Approved, but unbuilt developments, which have received a capacity reservation under either the County's Interim APFO or this chapter, and any other development or subdivision
approved within the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the County, which have or will result in an impact on public facilities, and which were approved prior to the APF Technical Committee's action on a given APF
application.
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
Development proposed pursuant to a development proposal and an APF application.
PUBLIC FACILITIES
Certain water, sewer, schools, and transportation capital improvements provided by the County or other responsible agency as provided by this chapter.
SCHOOL SERVICE AREA
The school district within which a determination
of adequacy will be made pursuant to this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to
any development proposal submitted in the unincorporated
area of the County, as follows:
A. Residential development. A
determination of
adequacy of water, sewer and transportation facilities is
required for any preliminary plat or multifamily site plan application
which proposes 20 or more new lots or units. A
determination
of adequacy of schools is required for any preliminary plan
or multifamily site plan application which proposes more than seven
new lots or units.
[Amended 8-9-2016 by Ord.
No. 16-08]
B. Mixed use and nonresidential development.
(1) A determination of adequacy of water
and sewer facilities is required for nonresidential site plan applications
that propose the creation of 10,000 square feet or more of new enclosed
floor area to be dedicated to nonresidential uses.
(2) A determination of adequacy of transportation
facilities is required for nonresidential site plan applications that
generate 25 or more peak hour trips. The APF applicant is responsible
for providing information necessary for the County to determine whether this threshold will be met, including but not
limited to, the size and scope of the development proposal and applicable trip generation data.
(3) A determination of adequacy of water,
sewer, and transportation facilities is required for any nonresidential
subdivision, which proposes six or more new lots or units.
C. Essential public services. The provisions
of this chapter shall not apply to any development proposal, or portion thereof, that includes the construction of buildings,
structures, or facilities necessary to the provision of essential
public services.
D. Previously submitted APF studies.
The requirements of this chapter shall not apply to any development
proposal for which an APF study has been
approved pursuant to the former Chapter 28, Interim Adequate Public
Facilities Ordinance.
E. Age-restricted housing. For a development
proposal, or portion thereof, that consists of age-restricted
or senior citizen housing, the determination of adequacy shall not consider the available capacity of school
facilities. However, this subsection shall not apply to any development proposal unless the applicant demonstrates that
all age-restricted or senior citizen housing units are subject to
a recorded deed restriction prohibiting persons under the age of 18
from residing in the proposed dwelling units.
F. Minimal use development proposals. A determination of adequacy is not required for
nonresidential buildings or uses designed for average water and wastewater
demands that do not exceed 250 gallons per day. Development approvals
issued pursuant to this exception shall include a condition that approval
will be revoked if average demands exceed 250 GPD.
G. Economic development projects. The Board of County
Commissioners may exempt from the provisions of this chapter, completely
or in part, any nonresidential development proposal that will provide a significant economic benefit to the County in terms of:
(1) Number of quality jobs created.
(2) An increase in the tax base.
(3) Diversity in the work place.
H. Previously approved subdivisions. The requirements
of this chapter shall not apply to any
development proposal which had received final approval from the Queen Anne's County Planning
Commission prior to March 23, 2007.
[Added 11-11-2008 by Ord. No. 08-23]
Public facilities will be deemed
adequate only if the applicant demonstrates that
available
capacity exists to accommodate the demand generated by the
proposed development, in accordance with the following calculation methodology, based on the standards set forth in §
28-7:
A. Calculate total capital improvements by adding:
(1) Capacity provided by existing
capital improvements, to
(2) The capacity of any planned
capital improvements.
B. Calculate available capacity by subtracting
from the total capital improvements, the sum of:
(2) Reserved capacity, if applicable;
and
(3) The demand on each public facility created by the proposed development.
The following standards, by
public facility, shall be applied in determining
available capacity pursuant to §
28-6 above.
A. Potable water.
(1) Properties served by central water. Determinations
of adequacy for proposed developments, which
at the time of APF application are served by the County's central water system, or will be served at the
time of building permit, pursuant to the Comprehensive Water and Sewerage
Plan, will be based on the following standards:
(a) Water supply.
[1]
Determination of adequacy.
Prior to the issuance of a building permit for a proposed
development, adequate water supply must be available, pursuant
to a valid consumption permit issued to the County by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
[2]
Mitigation. If the County's existing consumption permit does not include adequate water supply,
the applicant may propose a mitigation plan to provide
for advanced facilities that result in adequate MDE-compliant
water supply by the time a building permit is issued. Neither payment
of County connection fees nor provision of on-site
wells shall be considered sufficient mitigation for properties served
by central water under this chapter.
(b) Water treatment and storage.
[1]
Determination of adequacy.
Adequate water treatment and storage capacity must
be available to serve the proposed development prior
to the issuance of a building permit for the proposed development.
[2]
Mitigation. If water treatment and storage facilities
are not adequate, the applicant may propose a mitigation plan that will result in the construction or dedication of water treatment
and/or storage capital improvements such that there
is available capacity prior to the issuance of a
building permit. Neither payment of County connection
fees nor provision of on-site wells shall be considered sufficient
mitigation for properties served by central water under this chapter.
(c) Level of service standard. Determinations regarding the adequacy of water facilities under this Subsection
A(1) shall be based on the water consumption demands adopted by the Department of Public Works.
(2) Properties not served by central water.
Determinations
of adequacy for
proposed developments, which
at the time of
APF application are not served by
the
County's central water system, and will not be
served at the time of building permit, pursuant to the Comprehensive
Water and Sewerage Plan, may be found where on-site well systems will
be available prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for
the
proposed development. Adequacy will be found
only where the
proposed development can meet the
standards and requirements of the Department of Environmental Health.
A
determination of adequacy made under this Subsection
A(2) must be conditioned on a requirement that on-site wells be inspected and approved by the Department of Environmental Health prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
B. Sewer system.
(1) Properties served by central sewer. Determinations
of adequacy for proposed developments, which
at the time of APF application are served by the County's central sewer system, or will be served at the
time of building permit, pursuant to the Comprehensive Water and Sewerage
Plan, will be based on the following standards:
(a) Sewer treatment.
[1]
Determination of adequacy.
Adequate sewer treatment capacity must be available
to serve the proposed development prior to the issuance
of a building permit for the proposed development.
[2]
Mitigation. If sewer treatment facilities are
not adequate, the applicant may propose a mitigation plan that will result in the construction or dedication of sewer capital improvements such that there is available
capacity prior to the issuance of a building permit. Neither
payment of County connection fees nor provision of
on-site septic systems shall be considered sufficient mitigation under
this chapter.
(b) Level of service standard. Determinations regarding the adequacy of sewer facilities under this Subsection
B(1) shall be based on the wastewater generation demands adopted by the Department of Public Works.
(2) Properties not served by central sewer.
Determinations
of adequacy for
proposed developments, which
at the time of
APF application are not served by
the
County's central sewer system, and will not be
served at the time of building permit, pursuant to the Comprehensive
Water and Sewerage Plan, may be found where on-site septic systems
will be available prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy
for the
proposed development. Adequacy will be found
only where the
proposed development can meet the
standards and requirements of the Department of Environmental Health.
A
determination of adequacy made under this Subsection
B(2) must be conditioned on a requirement that on-site septic systems be inspected and approved by the Department of Environmental Health prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
C. School system.
(1) Determination of adequacy. A determination of adequacy with regard to public schools
shall be based on the following standards:
(a) School service areas.
Available
capacity will be calculated, in accordance with §
28-6, based on the
capacity of the
school service
area, for each school level, in which a
proposed
development is located; except that,
available capacity may be found based on the
capacity of an adjacent
school service area only upon a written determination by
the Board of Education that the adjacent
school service area will accommodate the impacts of the
proposed development through redistricting or other operational adjustments.
(b) Level of service standard. The minimum level of service standard for schools shall be 100% of state-rated capacity for each level of school and shall be measured
by school service area.
(2) Mitigation. In the event that the APF Technical
Committee determines that school capacity exceeds the above level of service standards, an
applicant may propose a mitigation plan that will
provide advanced facilities sufficient to offset
the impacts of the proposed development on school capacity. However, advanced facilities proposed
pursuant to a mitigation plan must comply with the
following:
(a) Except as provided in §
28-7E, the
advanced facility must result in the construction, dedication,
or funding of a
capital improvement included or to
be included within the first two years of the
County's Capital Improvement Plan.
(b) Temporary or portable classroom structures will not
be accepted as sufficient forms of mitigation.
(c) The proposed mitigation plan must
be approved by the Queen Anne's County Board of Education.
D. Transportation facilities.
(1) Determination of adequacy.
(a) A determination of adequacy with
regard to transportation facilities shall be issued if:
[1]
In designated growth areas. The projected level of service, after buildout of the proposed
development, for intersections affected
by the proposed development, is C or above for peak
hours; provided, however, that a projected level of service D for peak hours shall be considered adequate if the applicant submits
and the Board of County Commissioners approves a mitigation
plan as provided herein.
[2]
Outside designated growth areas. The projected level of service, after buildout of the proposed
development for any intersections affected
by the proposed development, is B for peak hours.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, intersections identified for evaluation may include existing and future intersection conditions.
(2) Mitigation. In the event that the APF Technical
Committee determines that transportation capacity exceeds the above level of service standards, an
applicant may propose a mitigation plan that will
provide advanced facilities sufficient to offset
the impacts of the proposed development on the transportation
capital facilities addressed above. However, advanced facilities proposed pursuant to a mitigation plan must comply
with the following:
(a) The advanced facility will result
in an overall improvement to either road capacity or level of service in the vicinity of the proposed development;
(b) Except as provided in §
28-7E, the
advanced facility must result in the construction, dedication,
or funding of a
capital improvement that will be
under contract or actual construction within two years of the APF
determination; and
(c) If a state road improvement, the proposed mitigation plan must be accepted by the State Highway Administration
and scheduled for timely completion.
E. Notwithstanding the time frames required by §
28-7C and
D, in order to advance the purpose and intent of this chapter, the
Board may extend the time frames within which
advanced facilities may be accepted. However, in no event
shall these time frames be extended except where the
Board makes one or more of the following findings, in writing:
(1) That the nature, extent, or cost of an
advanced
facility, whether provided by a public or private agency, is such that the improvement reasonably cannot be completed within the time frames set forth in §
28-7C and
D; or
(2) That all or some of the development impacts to be
mitigated by the
advanced facility will not occur within the time frames set forth in §
28-7C and
D; or
(3) That an applicant has proposed providing an advanced facility with capacity greater
than that required to meet the fair-share impacts of the applicant's development proposal and additional time is necessary reasonably
to fund the improvements.
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The mitigation plan must reflect
the Board's findings and must include provisions
necessary to implement the time frames approved by the Board. Said mitigation plan must be approved by the Board and other responsible agencies, as required by this
chapter.
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Any decision of a
County official
or the
APF Technical Committee under this chapter may be appealed, pursuant to §
18:1-114, et seq. of Chapter
18:1, within 30 days from the date of the decision, to the Queen Anne's County Board of Appeals. The Board of Appeals shall affirm the decision of the
County official or the
APF Techical
Committee unless the Board finds the decision to be arbitrary,
capricious, or illegal.