David A. Weiskopf’s response

Thank you for reaching out and for sharing the petition regarding the proposed cannabis grow facility in Hollywood, Maryland. The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County acknowledge receipt of the petition and understand that this matter is of strong interest to members of our community.

While the Commissioners do not make the approval decision on this type of application, we want to ensure residents understand the process and the opportunities for public input. For the project to proceed, the application must undergo review by the Department of Land Use & Growth Management and other agencies. If deemed complete, the applicant must request conditional use approval from the St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals. This requires a public hearing where residents may testify and submit evidence for the record. The Board of Appeals must evaluate the request against specific standards in the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, including compatibility with the neighborhood, impacts on public health and safety, traffic, utilities, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan.

If conditional use is approved, the applicant must then present a concept site plan to the Planning Commission, which also requires a public hearing and additional findings related to infrastructure, design, and public welfare. These hearings are the formal points where community feedback is considered as part of the decision-making record.

We encourage constituents who wish to share their views to participate in these public hearings when they are scheduled. Hearing notices and instructions for providing testimony will be publicly advertised. Information on Public Hearings is posted to our website when available at: www.stmaryscountymd.gov/publichearings. If you would like to subscribe to have Public Hearing notices sent directly to your inbox, you may do so at by visiting www.stmaryscountymd.gov/Signup and clicking the Subscribe button next to the Public Hearings category. Residents may also contact the Department of Land Use & Growth Management for procedural information and timelines. Please note your original email has been shared with the Department for their awareness.

We appreciate community engagement on local land use matters and thank you for ensuring residents are aware of the formal channels available for feedback.

Kind regards,
David A. Weiskopf
County Administrator
St. Mary’s County Government

Note: The Change.org Civic Engagement Team reaches out to decision makers to let them know about petitions in their community and to help facilitate engagement with supporters. The above was an email response we received regarding this petition.