"The agreement established a mutually beneficial working relationship between the ACPT and the county that hadn't existed for 10 or 15 years," ACPT's Craig Renner tells GlobeSt.com. "It established a win-win situation."

Development of the St.Charles community began in the 1960s and is scheduled for completion in 2035. Attorney for Charles County Roger Fink explains that negotiations yielded a four-part document involving various zoning orders and other agreements designed to end litigation between the two parties. In regard to long-term planning--five villages will ultimately make up St. Charles; the third is currently in progress--the county has committed to selling bonds that will help finance road construction and other improvements throughout the development process.

"St. Charles will build the second two lanes of a cross-county connector, and the county will also construct the remainder of the St. Charles Parkway," Fink notes. About $15 million in bonds will be issued to assist ACPT in financing that work. The roads will add accessibility to the community, thus increasing area land value. "And $5 million in bonds will be issued for work on a server pumping station that must be upgraded to serve the planned community."