News

Planning panel OKs 4 Seasons
By MARGOT MOHSBERG, Kent Island Staff Writer

The county Planning Commission has recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve the proposed Four Seasons community on Kent Island.

The commission's decision on Thursday leaves only two more hurdles for the project -- getting final approval from the commissioners and from the state Critical Area Commission.

The Planning Commission voted that the developer, K. Hovnanian Cos., had addressed the county commissioners' concerns about the 1,350-home project for ages 55 and up.

"The Planning Commissioners offers a favorable recommendation for the county commissioners to take final action (to) award growth allocation," Chairman James Foor wrote.

The county commissioners had tacked on 34 conditions to its preliminary approval of the project in April.

The conditions mostly addressed building the homes closer together to preserve as much open space as possible.

K.Hovnanian Cos., which is based in Virginia, needs the county to grant "growth allocation," or rezoning to allow intense development in the half of its 562 acres off Castle Marina Road in the critical area.

In order for the commissioners to grant the growth allocation, they must first have a recommendation from the state Critical Area Commission.

Rick Moser, president of the Kent Island Defense League, spoke out against the project during the public hearing portion of the meeting (note: see website for comments: http://www.savekentisland.org/kidl-comments.html#rick ). He said plans for the Four Seasons project do not follow recommendations in the Stevensville and Chester community plans.

"The citizens approved the community plans and related zoning changes because they thought their communities and their quality of life would be improved," he said. "The concept plan as presented will do neither. I believe this development will reduce our quality of life and further degrade the environment."

Return Home