County, Developer Mend Fences Over 9,100-Acre Planned Community

ST. CHARLES, MD-More than 10 years of litigation between Charles County and the developer of the 9,100-acre, mixed-use St. Charles planned community comes to an end with the recent establishment of a comprehensive agreement detailing the community’s development over the next decade. The multi-faceted agreement between developer American Community Properties Trust and the Charles County Commission involves, among other stipulations, $20 million worth of bonds to be issued by the county for the project’s financing.

“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.