Leonardtown council rejects quadplex after residents complain

“Who says you need a lawyer when you have neighbors like this?” Marvin Kaminetz of Aloysius Court said.

Assistant Town Administrator Jeanine Harrington presented the town council with a request for concept approval at their Monday night meeting. Applicant Jeanpierre Khoury and engineer Little Silences Rest Inc. proposed a two-story building with four one-bedroom apartments to provide traveling doctors and nurses with housing. The site is zoned planned unit development mixed use.

The town’s planning and zoning board agreed that the project meets the town’s requirements, including adequate parking and stormwater management, Harrington said.

Although the site is zoned for mixed use, neighbors expressed their concerns about adding an apartment building to their quiet community full of single-family homes.

“Statistically, young adults … are more likely to rent an apartment than to rent a single-family home,” Katie Trueblood, who lives in the neighborhood, said. “It affects the ecosystem of the neighborhood that has families with young children, retirees … folks that are seasoned, working professionals that appreciate a calmer, more quiet phase of life, and then you introduce folks that might be a little younger.”

Residents criticized the potential for increased traffic and noise as well as safety concerns.

“The two-story building is fundamentally out of character for this area,” Roger Mattingly of Aloysius Court said. “Another concern for the fire department is the size of the lot. Why are we trying to squeeze this apartment building on a lot that is clearly for a single-family home?”

During the town council’s discussion, Jay Mattingly and Slade agreed that the building did not fit in with the single-family homes in the Singletree neighborhood.

“I feel like at this point I’ve heard what has to be said. I don’t think it fits in,” Slade said.

Jacquelyn Meiser, the applicant’s attorney, offered to address residents’ concerns if the board decided to table the concept site plan.

“I want to table this because I think there’s a lot of information, and I have a ton of questions,” Earhart said.

Even after the public hearing closed, residents and those involved with the project were eager to share their thoughts.

“You’re taking this idea of ‘not in my backyard’ and … you’re giving it power,” Brian Shepherd, the project’s architect, said. “We need mixed housing in this community … the density is smart growth, and that’s what we need is smart growth.”

“I’m sorry, but it is our right to say that we don’t want something in our backyard,” Trueblood replied. “We live there. You don’t.”

Once the town council rejected the project, Wayne Hunt, president of Little Silences Rest Inc., asked what kind of housing project would be “more palatable.” The residents said, “A single-family home.”

The applicant can resubmit a concept site plan for the property but enough changes need to be made before it can be presented to the board, said Mike Bailey, town planner and planning coordinator.