ESTABLISHING VEGETATIVE BUFFERS ON EXISTING LOTS - A POLICY FOR MITIGATING IMPACTS TO COASTAL RESOURCES

These research notes examine residential development within coastal ve getative buffers. While Maryland's Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Progra m prohibits development within a 100-foot buffer, residential developm ent occurs since the program also allows development of a single-famil y dwelling on lots of record. Property owners must obtain a variance f rom a board of appeals to build within the buffer. Often variances are granted without requiring the property owner to mitigate for disturbi ng the buffer. The author proposes that mitigation be required on the basis of the distance a structure encroaches into the buffer and the a mount of area disturbance. This guideline provides an incentive to pro perty owners to locate development outside of the buffer based on the cost of mitigation.