Stewart’s Grant PUD Amendment
Developer Seeks School Capacity Reservation
Site Design from Planning Documents
The Planned Unit Development (PUD) known as Stewarts Grant is undergoing another revision. Originally approved by the County Commissioners in 1997, the PUD included a provision stating the developer would give land to the County for the expansion of the Great Mills High School athletic field. In the early 2000s, an agreement between the County, Chaney Enterprises, and Great Mills Trading Post permitted mining on the 425 acre site. To address school capacity concerns in mid-2004, the PUD agreement was amended to transfer land to the County that later became the site of Carver Elementary School.
In May 2023, the Planning Commission reviewed and approved an updated concept site plan with a reduced number of total dwelling units from 1,622 to 1,122.
County residents expressed concern in 2023 about the impacts of the long-gestating Stewarts Grant, many through a letter campaign I organized. Around 90 residents submitted written comments and many more spoke in person on May 15, 2023 at the Planning Commission meeting. Thoughts were shared about traffic, environmental issues, school capacity, and impacts to neighboring properties.
St. Mary’s County Sheriff's Office (SMCSO), in comments submitted to the Planning Commission, wrote about increased traffic among neighborhood roads that already experience a high volume of speeding issues. SMCSO also highlighted the additional population the development would bring, nearly 3,000 people. The traffic study, SMCSO wrote, also did not account for traffic impacts on nearby schools at dismissal times–already a known issue.
St. Mary’s County Public Schools’ (SMCPS) Director of Capital Planning, Kim Howe, wrote in a letter that the school system “has concerns with the school capacity required” for the number of students the development would bring. Based on 1,154 dwelling units, Howe estimated the PUD would add 249 elementary, 124 middle, and 178 high school students. High school capacity was the most urgent concern.
Page Wyrough, attorney for Stewarts Grant, argued at the time that school capacity was not a relevant concern. Adequate Public Facilities (APF) requirements did not include school capacity in the late 90s when the PUD was approved. That is a legally binding document, Wyrough said, and exempts the PUD from any current capacity issues. He also said the setback from highly erodible soils impacting the St. Mary’s River was moved from the required 25’ to 100’, which caused loss of buildable lots.
A neighboring property with a gun range, Sanner’s Lake Sportsmen’s Club, caused questions about the safety of residential homes being so close. But the developer shifted the required 25’ buffer to 100’, and was considering installation of a fence to keep a child from wandering on the gun range. That may now be a moot point given recent news of the Club’s closure.
Then, in April 2024 the PC approved a PUD amendment that would:
Reduce dwelling units from 1,122 to 1,084;
Increase open space because of reduction in dwelling units;
Change to roadway width and street design.
Wyrough told the PC the amendment was necessary because of the roadway changes which occurred to address the public’s concerns about traffic safety. SMCPS expressed the need for sidewalks along the roads so eligible students could walk to school. Sidewalks are included in the design as required in the Complete Streets policy. Wyrough said the developer would coordinate with SMCPS on sidewalk paths to connect nearby schools.
Design for the extension of Bay Ridge Rd shrank from a 24’ four lane road, to a 12’ two lane road with shoulders. Mattaponi Boulevard’s lanes will narrow from 20’ to 18’ as well. These changes were made in consultation with the county’s Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPWT) because narrow roads decrease traffic speeds.
John Houser, Deputy County Attorney, briefed the Commissioners on June 3, 2025 about the PUD amendment. Because of various market conditions over the years the project failed to move forward, Houser said, but a new developer has taken over and made progress in the last few years.
Now, the PUD amendment will have a public hearing on June 24 before the County Commissioners, who are scheduled to make a final decision on July 15. Along with changes to total number of units and roadway designs, Houser informed the Commissioners the amendment would also:
Reserve school capacity for the duration of the 10 year build out;
And set a binding phasing schedule for the PUD, 108 units per year.
Plans reflect a divided land use, with 90 acres residential, 20 acres commercial, 220 acres for open space or stormwater management, and 40 acres for public right of ways and roads. Commercial acreage will front Great Mills Road, stretching along Carver School Boulevard. A traffic circle at the end of Carver School Blvd connects an extended Bay Ridge Road that acts as a spine for the overall layout. Five four-story apartment buildings with a total of 224 units border the back of the commercial section across from Carver Elementary School. The remaining residential are split among townhomes and single family homes:
18’ front load townhouse, 127 units across 3.32 acres
20’ front load townhouse, 247 units across 7 acres
24’ front load townhouse, 211 units across 7.67 acres
56’ single family home, 163 units across 13.51 acres
66’ single family home, 112 units across 11.75 acres
Houser said only the apartments would be rentals. The townhomes and single family homes would go for market price, currently at $350-399K and $450-499K, respectively.
Stewarts Grant would now need 233 elementary, 116 middle, and 165 high school seats, Houser told the Commissioners. They want those seats permanently reserved throughout the decade-long build out, claiming their bond financing for the project is contingent on this point.
Reserving school capacity would further complicate the forthcoming redistricting process for SMCPS, adding another layer to an already laborious process. Redistricting is likely to take place over the coming year and a final plan is expected around April 2026. Any redistricting plan approved would take effect for the 2027-2028 school year.
The property is owned by Stewarts Grant LLC, addressed at 2410 Evergreen Road in Gambrills. Corporate headquarters for Reliable Contracting Services (RCS) are located at the same address. RCS is part of The Reliable Group (TRG), a partnership across several companies: Reliable Contracting, Reliable Commercial Construction, Reliable Real Estate Services, Chesapeake Fine Homes, and Hyatt Commercial. Reliable Real Estate Services is listed as the developer of Stewarts Grant on planning documents.
TRG’s Managing Partner, Joseph “Jay” Baldwin is also President of Reliable Contracting. TRG’s Founding Partner, Hall Chaney, is the President & CEO of Chaney Enterprises which previously mined the development site. Lennar is identified as the home builder.
Previous Coverage of Stewarts Grant:
