A.
In general. The critical area shall include all lands
and waters defined in § 8-1807 of the Natural Resources
Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. They include:
(1)
All waters of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and
its tributaries to the head of tide as indicated on the state wetlands
maps and all state and private wetlands designated under Title 9 of
the Natural Resources Article, Annotated Code of Maryland;
(2)
All land and water areas within 1,000 feet beyond
the landmark boundaries of state and private wetlands and the heads
of tides designated under Title 9 of the Natural Resources Article,
Annotated Code of Maryland; and
(3)
Modification to these areas through inclusions or
exclusions proposed by the County and approved by the Critical Area
Commission as specified in § 8-1807 of the Natural Resources
Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.
B.
Development areas. For the purposes of this Chapter 14:1, all land and water areas in Queen Anne's County which are located within the critical area are hereby divided into one of three development areas as determined by the criteria established for each development area in this Chapter 14:1 and as delineated on the official Critical Area Maps of Queen Anne's County, as they may be amended from time to time, which, together with any explanatory materials thereon, are hereby made a part of this Chapter 14:1:
The following rules shall be used to determine
the precise location of any boundaries shown on the Critical Area
Maps of Queen Anne's County:
A.
Boundaries shown as following or approximately following
streets shall be construed to follow the center line of such streets.
B.
Boundary lines which follow or approximately follow
platted lot lines or other property lines as shown on the Queen Anne's
County Tax Maps shall be construed as following such lines.
C.
Boundaries shown as following or approximately following
the center line of streams, rivers, or other continuously flowing
watercourses shall be construed as following the channel center line
of such watercourses taken at mean high water, and, in the event of
a natural change in the location of such streams, rivers, or other
watercourses, the development area boundary shall be construed as
moving with the channel center line.
E.
In the event of a dispute concerning the location
of the critical area boundary, the critical area shall be interpreted
as all land and water areas within 1,000 feet beyond the landward
boundaries of state or private wetlands, as shown on the 1972 State
Wetland Maps, and the heads of tides designated under Title 9 of the
Natural Resources Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, within Queen
Anne's County, as defined.
The official Critical Area Maps shall be maintained
in the Department of Planning and Zoning.
[Added 12-12-2017 by Ord.
No. 17-02]
Permit applications shall be governed by the Critical Area map
boundary as it existed on or before November 1, 2017, if:
A.
The lot,
subdivision, or site plan was approved on or before November 1, 2017;
B.
Permits
associated with the development of the approved lot, subdivision,
or site plan are issued on or before December 31, 2019;
C.
The construction
allowed under the issued permit for the development on the approved
lot, subdivision, or site plan is initiated before December 31, 2020.
D.
All pending
permit applications shall be completed by December 31, 2019.