Judge Upholds Denial of Riverside Townhomes

A St. Mary’s County Circuit Court judge has upheld the denial of a proposed 42-unit townhouse development planned near one of the county’s busiest intersections.

The project, known as Riverside Townhomes, was proposed by LAHACO Investments LLC for property just north of the Route 235 and Route 4 intersection in California.

In November 2024, the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission denied the project’s concept site plan after several postponements that allowed the applicant time to address concerns raised by commissioners. Those concerns included parking, school bus stops and traffic safety.

Around the same time, the commission also denied a separate proposal for a Tidal Wave Auto Spa at the corner of the same intersection.

LAHACO Investments appealed the Riverside Townhomes denial to the St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals in early 2025. During those proceedings, board members echoed many of the Planning Commission’s concerns, particularly related to traffic and pedestrian safety near the Route 235/4 intersection.

Testimony indicated that school buses serving the development would need to pick up or drop off students in the northbound merge lane along Route 235. That location raised safety concerns because drivers exiting Route 4 often merge into northbound Route 235 traffic at the same point. The area also narrows from three travel lanes to two, creating additional congestion.

Throughout the hearings, officials also noted that the project’s traffic study relied on data collected before the return-to-office order issued by President Trump, which increased traffic in the area.

According to county officials, the Route 235/4 intersection currently operates at a “Level of Service F,” the lowest rating for traffic performance. Because the roadway is state-owned, any major improvements would need to be made by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Board members also questioned whether the project’s proposed $3,500 traffic mitigation payment toward a planned traffic signal at the FDR Boulevard/Route 235/By the Mill Way intersection would adequately offset the project’s impact.

After the Board of Appeals denied the project, LAHACO filed suit in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court challenging the ruling.

In court filings, the company argued the board failed to follow local zoning ordinances “by unlawfully requiring traffic improvements beyond those necessary to mitigate the project’s impacts.” The developer also argued that the board had previously approved a nearby project without imposing similar conditions.

Read Judge Hill’s written opinion

In a written opinion, Circuit Court Judge Kevin Hill rejected those arguments and affirmed the Board of Appeals’ decision.

Hill wrote that during testimony before the board, the developer’s traffic consultant acknowledged the nearby Route 4 intersection was already failing. The project’s engineer also conceded it would be possible to redesign internal roads within the development to accommodate county school buses but did not propose that modification for consideration.

The judge found the Board of Appeals did not require mitigation beyond what the developer had already proposed in its application.

“The Board heard extensive testimony and evidence concerning the safety of a failing intersection in close proximity to the proposed development,” Hill wrote.

Hill concluded the board’s decision “reflects a reasoned application of the governing ordinance to the evidence presented,” and upheld the denial of the Riverside Townhomes project.

Judge Kevin Hill served as Magistrate of family law prior to being appointed Associate Circuit Court Judge by Governor Wes Moore in 2025. Judge Hill is running this year to continue serving St. Mary’s County as Circuit Court Judge.

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